High school baseball is currently some of the best baseball that you will see played in that particular age group, so why is there even a question of whether or not you should play? With the increasing popularity of travel ball and recruiting camps high school baseball has been pushed to the back burner for many high school athletes. Most baseball players if you were to ask them would say they play high school baseball because there is no travel ball in the spring and they like to play in front of their friends.
Travel baseball has it's pro's and con's just like high school baseball, but there are elements to high school baseball that travel ball will never be able to emulate. In my mind there are at least 4 big reasons to play high school baseball; it is the closer to the college game then any other youth baseball, it forces players to be quality students, it allows for players from all economic backgrounds to participate, and it brings teaches life skills that can't be taught in any other environment. These are just a few reasons that high school baseball is important, I am not suggesting that travel ball be disbanded, but I do believe that there should be more emphasis on the high school grind.
The high school game is the closest that any youth player can come to the style and feel of the college game. There may be certain games in travel ball where the talent level is better, but in an overall view high school baseball matches some of the best teams against one another. In Florida class 8A district 2 we compete against some of the most talented players in the country, which could be said for many travel ball teams. The difference is the aspect in which the competition takes place, in high school baseball there is a build up to the big game, a set schedule that can be marked on the calendar with a scouting report, hundreds of fans, local news papers, and sometimes TV cameras. On top of this is the fact that it effects the district standings and the seeding for the end of the year tournament. These implication don't apply in the same manner to the travel games, the talent is usually as good and sometimes better, but the atmosphere is not the same. The random game in a city so far from home, with teammates who live in different cities does not allow for the college like environment. The since of community that comes from having the town you grew up in written across your chest, the old timers that stand along the fence and compare this team to "back in their day", and the school pride that is shown by the fellow students dawning the school colors proudly and supporting the team just because it's their school too. That is something that can not be copied or simulated in travel ball.
On top of the games, the 10 month grind that is school associated sports is what college is all about. Having experience in the college baseball game I can say with certainty that travel baseball is nothing like college baseball. Of course the game it self hasn't changed, but the grind of fall practices, the strength and conditioning, and the 3-4 month long grind of a season with the hopes of getting hot at the end is strictly associated with interscholastic sports. Travel baseball is currently based around tournament play, the longest being 7-8 days long. While there are multiple tournaments and the summer season especially in Florida is a grind in itself, it is different from the type of grind you face in college. In travel baseball it's like hitting the reset button after each tournament, which can be good and bad for players. The season long grind with practices and the roller coaster ups and downs is something that prepares players for life.
My second point may be the most important point; academics. High school baseball forces players to keep their grades up and prepares them for college. The demand of being in class all day then playing baseball requires the player to manage their time better to meet the classroom demands and field demands. Players are cut off from play when the grades are reported below a 2.0 GPA, forcing players to maintain at least a 'C' average. Academics are something that can be stressed by travel ball teams, and many teams do encourage and try to hold players to high standards, but it is nearly impossible to monitor their grades as they all attend different high schools.
The third point is one that is important to me personally because I know what it is like to struggle financially. Baseball has become a very expensive sport, what was once the sport that gave everyone a fair chance to make it big, has become the sport of the upper middle class families. Between the cost of equipment, uniforms, officials, and the cost of a baseball itself has removed this sport's impact from the lower income communities. There are a few organizations that attempt to bring baseball back to the lower income communities, such as MLB's RBI program, but it will take more than putting baseball gloves and bats in their hands. In order to truly make baseball the sport that the best athletes want to play it must be easily accessible and affordable to all. The best athlete will then have the option to play the game at a high level and will then pursue the game, leading to more popularity of the game.
The final reason that I believe high school baseball is so important is because of the life lessons that can be learned from it. At DeLand High where I coach, we have been blessed with very nice facilities and even the opportunity to play several home games at nearby Conrad Park, Home of the Stetson Hatters. Even though we have been so lucky some things that we stress with our players is that it takes work in order for these places to stay nice. Our players will put in work before and after practice to help keep the field looking good, from pulling weeds to emptying trash cans, you name it our kids do it. We believe that you must take pride in what is yours, no matter how good or bad it may be. A good friend of mine told me "make where you are the big time" meaning where ever you are, make the best of it, make others want to be apart of it. This only happens if you put in the work. Another lesson players learn in high school is how to balance and manage their life. Players deal with school, friends, girls, and baseball all at once.
Based on all of this I believe players need to be involved in high school baseball and that it should be a priority over other baseball leagues. I do not believe that it should be the only thing that they do, but in my mind it is of more importance that the other forms of baseball. I also believe that at a younger age players should play with players from their own city to build that idea of community and grow along side those players that they will be playing with when they get to high school. That though is another post.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Friday, December 12, 2014
The Process: The Player's Perspective Part II (High School/ Travel Ball & the numbers)
Baseball for the perspective college player is much different than when their parents were playing the game. The serious player between the ages of 14-18 in Florida plays 3 major season; Spring, Summer, and Fall and they then participate in college attended camps during the winter. Players are constantly trying to get seen by college coaches in hopes of their favorite school seeing them play and offering them a scholarship. They attend big tournaments, throughout the summer and fall and play for their high school in the spring. They get plugged into different databases and ranked by national organizations like Perfect Game and Prospect Wire. Players are constantly playing games and doing workouts all for one purpose....receive a college scholarship. This goal is very much an achievable goal for many players, but it is not going to happen for everyone. The numbers say it all; there are roughly 475,000 high school baseball players in America, there are only 54,376 college baseball roster spots (that includes NJCAA, & NAIA)
For the high school player those odds are not in their favor, in the end only 11.2% of high school players play college baseball. Only 1.5% of high school players play division 1 baseball, and just 0.34% of high school baseball players will play major division 1 baseball (power conferences: ACC, SEC, BIG 10, BIG 12, PAC 12). So to say the least the dream that most players have of playing for a big time division 1 school is very, very difficult to reach. College teams have a roster limit of 25 players each year, there may be more players on campus that are "on the team" but they can not dress out for games. Most of those players are red shirted or injured. College baseball is an incredibly amazing experience, but how do you get there?
Most players first mistake when it comes to the recruiting process is not realizing where they have the best opportunity to play. The average high school player wants to play at a big time division 1 school and tries their best to get in front of those coaches. The average high school baseball player will not receive a scholarship from the University of Miami or a like school. The 25 players on those rosters are some of the best players in the country, so as an average player it has little benefit to attend those camps from the recruiting perspective. They can benefit from learning from those coaches, but as far as receiving a scholarship from them it doesn't make a lot of sense. Having an idea where you as a player fall on the college baseball totem poll can drastically help your recruiting process.
While many of these travel teams are quality organizations, something that high school players need to understand is that playing for a certain organization does not guarantee you a scholarship. In the end there are only so many roster spots on college teams. Certain organizations do a better job than others putting you in front of the right coaches and are more proactive showing the players the right schools, but even the best program in the world is unlikely going to have everyone sign, every year. An example a couple quality organizations that I am familiar with, because I have worked alongside their coaches to give players the opportunity to play at the next level, are the Florida Burn and Elite Athlete Academy. Elite Athlete Academy is a fairly new organization, but the coaches have years of experience finding places for players to play at the next level. The Florida Burn have come on very strong since starting just a few years ago. They have one of the top teams in the country and do a very good job of finding the right fit for their players. They not only place players at the big time division 1 schools, but find schools for the players who are not in that 0.34%.
All of this being said, if I could go back and be a high school player again knowing what I know now about the recruiting process here is how I would approach it. I would go play for an organization like the Florida Burn or Elite Athlete Academy, while playing for them I would ask the staff to give me an assessment of my play and ask them what kind of schools I should look at. I would do a little more to improve my grades (not that they were bad, but you can always do a little more), and I would attend camps that have small numbers at schools that I can play at. I would explore options outside of Florida and most importantly I would spend more time in the weight room trying to get bigger and stronger. Based on this I believe that I could have received a partial scholarship to a very good division 2 or a small division 1 in the south. I was not a University of Florida type player in high school and it did me no good to attend their camp. Sometimes you need to be told what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear.
I hope this information helps you in your pursuit of college baseball. Please leave some comments or questions and I will be happy to answer them. Also check out what Robinson Athletics does to help high school baseball players make it to the next level.
For the high school player those odds are not in their favor, in the end only 11.2% of high school players play college baseball. Only 1.5% of high school players play division 1 baseball, and just 0.34% of high school baseball players will play major division 1 baseball (power conferences: ACC, SEC, BIG 10, BIG 12, PAC 12). So to say the least the dream that most players have of playing for a big time division 1 school is very, very difficult to reach. College teams have a roster limit of 25 players each year, there may be more players on campus that are "on the team" but they can not dress out for games. Most of those players are red shirted or injured. College baseball is an incredibly amazing experience, but how do you get there?
Most players first mistake when it comes to the recruiting process is not realizing where they have the best opportunity to play. The average high school player wants to play at a big time division 1 school and tries their best to get in front of those coaches. The average high school baseball player will not receive a scholarship from the University of Miami or a like school. The 25 players on those rosters are some of the best players in the country, so as an average player it has little benefit to attend those camps from the recruiting perspective. They can benefit from learning from those coaches, but as far as receiving a scholarship from them it doesn't make a lot of sense. Having an idea where you as a player fall on the college baseball totem poll can drastically help your recruiting process.
While many of these travel teams are quality organizations, something that high school players need to understand is that playing for a certain organization does not guarantee you a scholarship. In the end there are only so many roster spots on college teams. Certain organizations do a better job than others putting you in front of the right coaches and are more proactive showing the players the right schools, but even the best program in the world is unlikely going to have everyone sign, every year. An example a couple quality organizations that I am familiar with, because I have worked alongside their coaches to give players the opportunity to play at the next level, are the Florida Burn and Elite Athlete Academy. Elite Athlete Academy is a fairly new organization, but the coaches have years of experience finding places for players to play at the next level. The Florida Burn have come on very strong since starting just a few years ago. They have one of the top teams in the country and do a very good job of finding the right fit for their players. They not only place players at the big time division 1 schools, but find schools for the players who are not in that 0.34%.
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| Photo Credit: www.eliteathletebaseballacademy.com |
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| www.floridaburn.com |
All of this being said, if I could go back and be a high school player again knowing what I know now about the recruiting process here is how I would approach it. I would go play for an organization like the Florida Burn or Elite Athlete Academy, while playing for them I would ask the staff to give me an assessment of my play and ask them what kind of schools I should look at. I would do a little more to improve my grades (not that they were bad, but you can always do a little more), and I would attend camps that have small numbers at schools that I can play at. I would explore options outside of Florida and most importantly I would spend more time in the weight room trying to get bigger and stronger. Based on this I believe that I could have received a partial scholarship to a very good division 2 or a small division 1 in the south. I was not a University of Florida type player in high school and it did me no good to attend their camp. Sometimes you need to be told what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear.
I hope this information helps you in your pursuit of college baseball. Please leave some comments or questions and I will be happy to answer them. Also check out what Robinson Athletics does to help high school baseball players make it to the next level.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
The Process: The Player's Perspective Part 1 (The Decision)
The recruiting process for high school baseball players is one of the most mentally draining obstacles they will deal with in their career for the average high school player. For the top tier players the process becomes much easier as they will have coaches coming to them, and for the players who don't have a strong desire to play the game, college baseball is an after thought. For the average high school players who truly wants to continue to play the game at the next level, dealing with the recruiting process is not easy. When players ask me for advice about playing college baseball I tell them to ask themselves a few questions first. How bad do you want to play? Are you willing to leave Florida? What do you plan on majoring in? Are you ok with a small school? The answers to those questions can often put things in perspective for the player.
The first question, how bad do you want to play, is usually quickly answered with "real bad". So before moving on from there I explain to them what being a college baseball player really means. When most high school players think of college baseball they see all the excitement, the fans cheering, the hype videos, and glory of going to Omaha. College baseball requires a lot more than that. As a college baseball player you will spend at least 4-5 days a week in the fall training most of the day. The typical day consisting of; morning conditioning, class from 9-12ish, practice or 4 on 1's from 2-4, and weightlifting sometime in the evening. That doesn't include things like study hall, and homework. Then when the season comes in the spring you get busy; playing 55-60 games in 3 months, plus playoffs, being on the field in some capacity 6 days a week, weight training 2-3 times a week, plus travel and class. As you can see being a college baseball player is a full time job and requires a very high level of commitment. So when the player tells me they truly want to play college baseball I then ask them the next question.
Are you willing to leave Florida? This is a tough question for these players in the Orlando area, most of which have spent most if not all of their lives here. One of the biggest attractions of living in Florida is the weather, we usually have about 30-45 "cold days" a year. This is a big draw and is one of the reasons there is so much talent here, we play year round. Players have the opportunity to continuously get better at the game. So when they have a school from upstate New York offering them a spot on the team, it becomes a tough question to answer. Most college freshman go through a homesick phase, but it becomes amplified when the student is hundreds of miles away from home and has no time to make a trip back. There has to be a high level of commitment to leave the state and go north.
The 3rd question helps determine where they can go that will benefit them. Knowing the major that the player wants to study is very important, while college baseball is an amazing experience it does no good for the player if they get a degree that they can't use. Something to note is that some schools have degree under the same field, for example if the student plans to continue their education with a post graduate degree their undergrad degree just needs to be in a relative field. Most colleges and universities carry the basic set of majors that can lead to almost any secondary degree. This is something that definitely needs to be looked into before committing to a school.
The final question will really help answer the first. Many players want to go to the big school, whether it's for the people, the football, the experience, it doesn't matter. They just like the idea of going to a place like University of Florida, they a big school college experience. For some players that is more important than baseball, which is their choice. Some players find themselves in a tough spot, they want to play baseball, but really want to go to a big school. The problem is many of the players that play at those big schools are the top players in the country. For the average high school player, I suggest doing their best to find a place to play travel somewhere experience what it is like to play college baseball stick it out for at least a year and if you don't enjoy it there is nothing wrong with hanging up the spikes and transferring to a big school to be a student.
These tips are just ideas that I believe help the players figure things out. For most high school players this decision is a major fork in the road that can shape their lives in the future. It is a decision that should be made by the player and the player only, obviously it is very important that the parent is there to talk him through it, but in the end the decision belongs to the player. College baseball is one of the best things I experienced and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it was also very difficult.
If you like this blog please subscribe, and also check out my fielding blog. Robinson Athletics is an organization dedicated to developing players from a young age and teaching them the proper way to play the game. The end goal is to see the player go on to have a successful life, whether baseball is in their future or not. find out more at www.RobinsonAthleticsFL.com
The first question, how bad do you want to play, is usually quickly answered with "real bad". So before moving on from there I explain to them what being a college baseball player really means. When most high school players think of college baseball they see all the excitement, the fans cheering, the hype videos, and glory of going to Omaha. College baseball requires a lot more than that. As a college baseball player you will spend at least 4-5 days a week in the fall training most of the day. The typical day consisting of; morning conditioning, class from 9-12ish, practice or 4 on 1's from 2-4, and weightlifting sometime in the evening. That doesn't include things like study hall, and homework. Then when the season comes in the spring you get busy; playing 55-60 games in 3 months, plus playoffs, being on the field in some capacity 6 days a week, weight training 2-3 times a week, plus travel and class. As you can see being a college baseball player is a full time job and requires a very high level of commitment. So when the player tells me they truly want to play college baseball I then ask them the next question.
Are you willing to leave Florida? This is a tough question for these players in the Orlando area, most of which have spent most if not all of their lives here. One of the biggest attractions of living in Florida is the weather, we usually have about 30-45 "cold days" a year. This is a big draw and is one of the reasons there is so much talent here, we play year round. Players have the opportunity to continuously get better at the game. So when they have a school from upstate New York offering them a spot on the team, it becomes a tough question to answer. Most college freshman go through a homesick phase, but it becomes amplified when the student is hundreds of miles away from home and has no time to make a trip back. There has to be a high level of commitment to leave the state and go north.
The 3rd question helps determine where they can go that will benefit them. Knowing the major that the player wants to study is very important, while college baseball is an amazing experience it does no good for the player if they get a degree that they can't use. Something to note is that some schools have degree under the same field, for example if the student plans to continue their education with a post graduate degree their undergrad degree just needs to be in a relative field. Most colleges and universities carry the basic set of majors that can lead to almost any secondary degree. This is something that definitely needs to be looked into before committing to a school.
The final question will really help answer the first. Many players want to go to the big school, whether it's for the people, the football, the experience, it doesn't matter. They just like the idea of going to a place like University of Florida, they a big school college experience. For some players that is more important than baseball, which is their choice. Some players find themselves in a tough spot, they want to play baseball, but really want to go to a big school. The problem is many of the players that play at those big schools are the top players in the country. For the average high school player, I suggest doing their best to find a place to play travel somewhere experience what it is like to play college baseball stick it out for at least a year and if you don't enjoy it there is nothing wrong with hanging up the spikes and transferring to a big school to be a student.
These tips are just ideas that I believe help the players figure things out. For most high school players this decision is a major fork in the road that can shape their lives in the future. It is a decision that should be made by the player and the player only, obviously it is very important that the parent is there to talk him through it, but in the end the decision belongs to the player. College baseball is one of the best things I experienced and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it was also very difficult.
If you like this blog please subscribe, and also check out my fielding blog. Robinson Athletics is an organization dedicated to developing players from a young age and teaching them the proper way to play the game. The end goal is to see the player go on to have a successful life, whether baseball is in their future or not. find out more at www.RobinsonAthleticsFL.com
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