Ants Get Recruited, Grasshoppers Get Booted

The ant spent his summer gathering food. The grasshopper, instead, chose to play all summer. When winter came, the ant prospered while the grasshopper went hungry. How many times has this story proven true in our lives? In the college recruiting process, it's no different. If you want to learn how to be the ant in your baseball story, keep reading.

There's a long list of things to do when it comes to playing at the next level. Many of which, don't have to do with playing at all. If you don't start early, you might end up hungry like the grasshopper, or even worse, with no place to play at the end of your senior year. To make things easy for you, we made a checklist, broken down by each grade level.

Freshman Year:

▢ Familiarize yourself with all of the colleges within a day's drive from you at different levels

▢ Set training and nutrition goals that are appropriate by college standards (click here for reference)

▢ Let your high school coach know that you want to play college baseball

▢ Strive for A's and B's in your classes

▢ Go to a few showcases or camps

▢ Watch at least one college game in person

Sophomore Year:

▢ Create a big list of the schools that you are interested in attending (shoot for 20 or more) ▢ Fill out the recruiting questionnaires for those schools (every team has one on their website)

▢ Take the PSAT

▢ A's and B's

▢ Make it easy for coaches to learn about you through your social media (post schedule, stats, etc...)

▢ Go to showcases that include the schools on your list ▢ Watch one or two colleges on your list play in person

▢ Create a recruiting video (summer after sophomore year)

Junior Year

▢ Contact the coaches on your list via email

▢ Send out your recruiting video

▢ Take SAT (not required at some schools but take it to keep your options open)

▢ A's and B's

▢ Register with NCAA and NAIA Eligibility Center

▢ Go to college camps or showcases that include the schools on your list

▢ Research the schools on your list. Learn about their campus, degrees, dorms, cost, etc...

Senior Year (Before the end of your season!)

▢ You have reached the physical goals that you set for yourself

▢ Narrow down your list

▢ Apply to the schools on your list

▢ Apply for financial aide ASAP (visit with your counselor frequently for help)

▢ Complete Eligibility Center

▢ Visit your top school

▢ A's and B's

▢ Compare your options

▢ Sign your letter of intent

What happens if you put these things off until the end? It's simple. You miss opportunities. While it's still possible to get on a college roster without taking the steps above, it's likely that a great deal of doors will have closed on you. By doors, we mean scholarship money, financial aide, roster spots, dorm availability, and more. In other words, you become the grasshopper in the story. It's okay to do much more than what's listed here, but you should not do less. At Beeps Baseball, we are the bridge between high school and college baseball. Check out our website for more info.