10 Things to Remember During the Recruiting Process
Excerpt from High School Player's Guide to College Baseball

Though there are many ways to attract a college coach's attention, if you make use of the following ten suggestions, you will be ahead of your competition: 1.  Succeed in the classroom. You must achieve certain academic requirements to be eligible to play college baseball. Don't let poor grades limit your choices. Strive for excellence! 2.  Keep an open mind. Even if you have your heart set on one college team, keep your options open with a wide range of school on your Target List. 3.  Promote yourself to college coaches. Don't wait for coaches to find you. Call, write, or e-mail coaches to let them know that you want to play for their team. 4.  Use all your resources. Get your parents, high school coach, summer league coach, and guidance counselor involved in the recruiting process. 5.  Improve your entire package. A good attitude, character, work ethic, and hustle are all important attributes that college coaches look for in players. 6.  Attend showcases and prospect camps. Showcases are perfect opportunities to demonstrate your ability to many college coaches and pro scouts. Showcases also let you see how you stack up with other players in your area. 7.  Explore all sources of financial aid. Many students receive other sources of financial aid, not just baseball scholarships. 8.  Learn about all your options. Become familiar with the different divisions and keep an open mind. Visit different campuses, use the Internet to research college websites, and ask questions. Remember, you are not only choosing a place to play baseball, but you are selecting a new home. 9.  Set goals and deadlines. Make lists of academic and athletic accomplishments that you want to achieve during each year of high school. 10.  Have fun. Play for the love of the game. Send this page to a friend   High School Player's Guide to College Baseball - Only $29.95 Written by over 70 college coaches, this Guide contains information compiled from over 12 years of research with hundreds of college and high school coaches, pro scouts, guidance counselors, players, and parents. It was written specifically for high school baseball players who want to compete on the collegiate level. 140 pages "I strongly recommend this Guide to any high school athlete who aspires to play college ball."   - Chip Baker, Assistant Baseball Coach at Florida State University How A College Coach Thinks About Recruiting Selected excerpts from High School Player's Guide to College Baseball    Chapter 1, pgs. 9-10 Coaches Help Each Other Recruit College coaches belong to a very small fraternity. Nationwide, there are only 1,343 head coaches and a few thousand assistants. Many are good friends, work the same summer camps, and socialize at the American Baseball Coaches Association's annual convention. Also, many coaches change jobs frequently and devote a lot of time maintaining their professional network of contacts. On occasion, they even share information about top players and assist each other with recruiting (assuming they are not rivals in the same conference). Few college coaches can recruit every outstanding player he or his staff sees. If a desirable player's grades don't meet his school's requirements, or the player is a shortstop and the coach is already stocked with quality shortstops, the coach may recommend the player to other coaches he knows. That's why it's important to develop relationships with as many coaches as you can. If a summer camp coach is really impressed with you, make an effort to stay in touch with him via mail or e-mail. Update him on your development. Even if he doesn't coach at a school that interests you, he could be your ticket to a college scholarship somewhere else. Remember, it's not who you know, but who knows you! State Schools Like to Recruit Locally For the most part, public school coaches concentrate on players who live within their home state. Since state governments fund public universities, they have a responsibility to provide opportunities first and foremost for in-state students. Also, since tuition is often much cheaper for in-state students, it is more cost-effective for coaches to offer scholarships to in-state athletes. With this in mind, you may want to take a close look at the public schools in your home state. Determining Who Is Interested Questionnaires are sent to every player on a coach's "A-list," as well as to any player who writes or phones the baseball office expressing interest in the program. If you receive a questionnaire, you will be asked to provide detailed academic and athletic information about yourself and to return the form promptly. If you neglect to return it quickly, be aware that you are sending a strong message that you are not interested in being recruited. Some elite players on the "A-list" who do not return their questionnaires may receive a follow-up phone call to determine their interest level, but most will not. Coaches Do Their Homework, Too Before a coach decides to offer you a scholarship, he will do an extensive background check to find out everything he can about you. A scholarship is a big financial risk, but if a coach is thorough in his research, he improves the chances of making an intelligent decision. A few phone calls to your high school coach, guidance counselor, teachers, summer league coaches, friends, and any local contacts he has will provide the information he needs.

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Don't Let Your Emotions Lead You
From A Guide to College Baseball and Beyond
  Excerpt from Section 3, Keys to Winning

Superior performers who deliver in clutch situations time and time again are players who control their emotions. Any player can let the game lead them. The players who will be successful can disregard the hype of the situation and keep themselves in the state where their body can relax and react.

You lead the game instead of the game leading you.