Not getting recruited? Time to target a college.

Here's a big misconception in college recruiting: "If I'm good, colleges will find me and come to me." A more accurate version of that statement would read: "If I'm an all-state 1st baseman, colleges will find me and come to me." There are countless factors that play into your chances of getting recruited. Some of these include where you live, what type of colleges are near you, what team you play for, how tall you are, etc... While there's no secret formula for making it to the next level, there is one easy way to highly increase your chances. Stop waiting for them to come to you and go to them.

Suppose you are going to hire someone to carry your backpack around at school. You prefer someone with considerable strength, say a powerlifting student, so that you don’t have to worry about them getting tired. You go to the cafeteria and announce that you are hiring. An average looking student comes up to you, fills out your application, and tells you that he would love to carry your backpack around for you. By the end of the school day, you’ve had a few average students apply but zero powerlifters. What do you do? The reality is that it doesn’t matter what you choose to do. Whether you chose to hire the average student or continue seeking a powerlifter, the important fact is that you had to consider the average student in your decision making. By coming up to you and filling out the application, he became one of your options. Now ask yourself, would you have considered the average looking student if they just sat at their lunch table, hoping you would notice them? Probably not. 

Now let’s apply this to you and your future coach. From the coach’s perspective, it’s a lot more work to pick you out of a crowd and convince you to choose his school than if you’ve already done all of that for him. If you have picked yourself out of the crowd, then you have forced yourself onto the bargaining table. Congratulations, you are now somewhere on his list of considerations. Now, let’s talk about your perspective. Assuming you’re the average looking student in the example, would you want to carry some guy's backpack around all day? Probably not. This is why you need to know what you’re getting into. Before you target a school because they have a cool logo, here are some things you should consider:

• Major and Program: Ensure the university offers your desired major or program, and that it aligns with your academic goals.

• Affiliation and Level: Consider the affiliation and division level (I, II, III, NAIA, and Junior College) that best suits your skill level and aspirations.

• Location: Consider the location, climate, and overall campus environment.

• Cost: Factor in tuition, fees, room and board, and other expenses.

• Other personal considerations

It’s not a bad idea to target multiple schools. As important as baseball is to you, it’s not likely that everyone reading this will make a career out of it. Choose a school that your future adult self won’t regret. Once you begin to have interactions with your future coaches, you'll start getting a feel for where you are most wanted. Some coaches might offer you a scholarship while others might encourage you to join as a walk on. This is nothing personal. However, the coaches that show you the most love during the recruiting process are likely to give you the best experience throughout your college baseball career. Our advice is to choose that school, even if it's not the one with the cool logo.

Ready to start?  Do your homework on the schools you target. There are many to choose from, a google search of "baseball colleges in (your state) will reveal all of your options." Find out what the coaches' names are. Look at their roster. What type of players do they recruit? What are their heights and weights? Where are they from? Give yourself an idea of whether or not you’d be a good fit. Find out if the schools you are targeting will be at showcases and then go to those showcases. Most colleges host their own private showcases. Fill out the recruiting questionnaire on their website. If you have highlights, send them via email. If you are a senior, apply to your target school. Remember, put yourself on the table by doing all the work for them.

At Beeps Baseball, we take pride in building the bridge between high school players and college coaches. Apart from writing educational content, we provide training and also host showcases. Our Beeps Baseball Invitational Showcase features several different colleges at different levels. Showcase attendees also receive informational brochures on the colleges present, making it easy to find contact info and other important information about each school. If you're interested about learning more about our services, feel free to browse through our website beepsbaseball.com and facebook page.