Getting Recruited
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July 2, 2010
This Conversation Really Tix Me Off!
I had a conversation today with one of our Elite Pitching students that really made me mad.
I dont get mad easily, but wow, was I ticked off.
Dont get me wrong, it wasnt the student that made me upset, it was the conversation he had with his coach.
Let me set the stage for you.
Ive been working with this left-handed pitcher for about 5 months now. He came to me during his junior season with a passion to be a better pitcher. He has a dream to pitch in college. A very good student and athlete.
Weve been working on his mechanics, his conditioning, his mental approach, and his college recruiting process.
He has made some incredible improvements in his pitching mechanics. His velocity is up 5 to 7 miles per hour. Hes developed an incredible change, and the curve is coming along nicely.
Hes got a bit of a late start in the college recruiting process as he will be a senior this upcoming season, but he is working hard at it now.
Bottom line, I think he has come a long way, and, more importantly, he feels hes made some great improvements. A UCLA coach also thinks he has the tools to play at the college level. See, our pitcher, well call him Stewey, (the name was changed to protect the innocent) went to a camp in early summer at UCLA and did an incredible job there.
Hes also gone to a few other showcase events this summer.
Well, on to the conversation with his coach, well call the coach Peter Griffin. Stewey called coach Griffin today to see if he could borrow a pair of practice pants for a showcase he will be attending this weekend at the University of Washington. Dont ask me why about the pants. Thats a story for another time.
At this camp, there will be college coaches from the UW, George Fox University, Concordia College and another small school. A great representation for several levels of colleges.
When coach Griffin asked why he needed the pants, Stewey told him about attending the high school prospect camp at Husky Ballpark.
The coachs response was absolutely astonishing to me. The coach told Stewey that he was wasting his time, that only studs would be at this camp and he should focus on junior colleges and very small colleges in the area. (Read between the lines. He feels Stewey isnt a stud and should shoot for a much lower target.)
Now, Stewey was one of coach Griffins main pitchers last year (a team that made the playoffs) and will be this year, too. So, were not looking at a slouch athlete. Steweys pretty good. He knows his weaknesses too.
This coach had no idea what the format of the camp is, the reason Stewey is attending, or what Steweys goals are.
Stewey called me right after he met with his coach and was really disillusioned. I think he was looking for reassurance from me that he should go. Of course, I said go there and kick some arse.
Ive adopted the saying from my mentor, Tom House, that baseball is a game of failure coached by negative people in a misinformation environment.
This is a great example of negative people. Coach Griffin might have meant well, thought he was giving him stellar advice, but what does this put-down say to the trust relationship between the coach and Stewey? This coach just killed any trust.
Will Stewey think his coach has respect for his abilities next season?
What will happen when Stewey runs into some adversity this weekend or next year or several years down the road?
That coach has given Stewey an excuse to fail.
Heres a scenario I see could happen.. Stewey runs into problems.how does he react?
I hear him telling himself, you know, the coach was right, I cant do this. I dont belong.etc., etc., etc.
The absolute worst thing a coach can do to a student is put doubt in his mind. Give him an excuse to fail.
Baseball is full of itin fact, the world is full of it. Negative people that will fill your head with doubts.
Stewey has been working very hard the last few months building his skills and confidence. This coach could have killed it in 27 seconds. I dont think Stewey will let it affect him, but well never know.
When I was 16, I had a high-profile, professional pitcher put some doubt in my mind that, when I look back at it, stuck in my mind and affected some decisions I made as a teenager about my baseball career.
What was my advice for Stewey?
Without trying to be politically correct, I suggested to Stewey that he prove his coach wrong and stick it where the sun dont shine on the coach.
Use it as motivation.
Thats my advice to all of you.
If you want something bad enough and have a reasonable amount of ability, work hard and smart. Nobody can stop you except yourself.
The limitations you put upon yourself will stop you. We all have them. Figure out what yours are and remove them (thats a little part of what we work on in our Life Skills Programs within our Elite Pitching Classes: creating goals, finding the motivation to achieve them and removing your limitations).
We dont need idiots like coach Griffin setting limitations. And I use the word coach loosely here. Coaches dont do this. I mean effective coaches. This coach will never build a winning program with an attitude like that.
Whewwwbreathe, Bill, breathe. I can feel my blood pressure rising right now.
Ok, Ill come off my soapbox now.
Please dont let anyone put limitations on you. They are only their opinions. Who knows what motivation they have to say such a thing. The only opinion that really matters is yours.
There. I got that off my chest.
Still cant believe it.
I had a conversation today with one of our Elite Pitching students that really made me mad.
I dont get mad easily, but wow, was I ticked off.
Dont get me wrong, it wasnt the student that made me upset, it was the conversation he had with his coach.
Let me set the stage for you.
Ive been working with this left-handed pitcher for about 5 months now. He came to me during his junior season with a passion to be a better pitcher. He has a dream to pitch in college. A very good student and athlete.
Weve been working on his mechanics, his conditioning, his mental approach, and his college recruiting process.
He has made some incredible improvements in his pitching mechanics. His velocity is up 5 to 7 miles per hour. Hes developed an incredible change, and the curve is coming along nicely.
Hes got a bit of a late start in the college recruiting process as he will be a senior this upcoming season, but he is working hard at it now.
Bottom line, I think he has come a long way, and, more importantly, he feels hes made some great improvements. A UCLA coach also thinks he has the tools to play at the college level. See, our pitcher, well call him Stewey, (the name was changed to protect the innocent) went to a camp in early summer at UCLA and did an incredible job there.
Hes also gone to a few other showcase events this summer.
Well, on to the conversation with his coach, well call the coach Peter Griffin. Stewey called coach Griffin today to see if he could borrow a pair of practice pants for a showcase he will be attending this weekend at the University of Washington. Dont ask me why about the pants. Thats a story for another time.
At this camp, there will be college coaches from the UW, George Fox University, Concordia College and another small school. A great representation for several levels of colleges.
When coach Griffin asked why he needed the pants, Stewey told him about attending the high school prospect camp at Husky Ballpark.
The coachs response was absolutely astonishing to me. The coach told Stewey that he was wasting his time, that only studs would be at this camp and he should focus on junior colleges and very small colleges in the area. (Read between the lines. He feels Stewey isnt a stud and should shoot for a much lower target.)
Now, Stewey was one of coach Griffins main pitchers last year (a team that made the playoffs) and will be this year, too. So, were not looking at a slouch athlete. Steweys pretty good. He knows his weaknesses too.
This coach had no idea what the format of the camp is, the reason Stewey is attending, or what Steweys goals are.
Stewey called me right after he met with his coach and was really disillusioned. I think he was looking for reassurance from me that he should go. Of course, I said go there and kick some arse.
Ive adopted the saying from my mentor, Tom House, that baseball is a game of failure coached by negative people in a misinformation environment.
This is a great example of negative people. Coach Griffin might have meant well, thought he was giving him stellar advice, but what does this put-down say to the trust relationship between the coach and Stewey? This coach just killed any trust.
Will Stewey think his coach has respect for his abilities next season?
What will happen when Stewey runs into some adversity this weekend or next year or several years down the road?
That coach has given Stewey an excuse to fail.
Heres a scenario I see could happen.. Stewey runs into problems.how does he react?
I hear him telling himself, you know, the coach was right, I cant do this. I dont belong.etc., etc., etc.
The absolute worst thing a coach can do to a student is put doubt in his mind. Give him an excuse to fail.
Baseball is full of itin fact, the world is full of it. Negative people that will fill your head with doubts.
Stewey has been working very hard the last few months building his skills and confidence. This coach could have killed it in 27 seconds. I dont think Stewey will let it affect him, but well never know.
When I was 16, I had a high-profile, professional pitcher put some doubt in my mind that, when I look back at it, stuck in my mind and affected some decisions I made as a teenager about my baseball career.
What was my advice for Stewey?
Without trying to be politically correct, I suggested to Stewey that he prove his coach wrong and stick it where the sun dont shine on the coach.
Use it as motivation.
Thats my advice to all of you.
If you want something bad enough and have a reasonable amount of ability, work hard and smart. Nobody can stop you except yourself.
The limitations you put upon yourself will stop you. We all have them. Figure out what yours are and remove them (thats a little part of what we work on in our Life Skills Programs within our Elite Pitching Classes: creating goals, finding the motivation to achieve them and removing your limitations).
We dont need idiots like coach Griffin setting limitations. And I use the word coach loosely here. Coaches dont do this. I mean effective coaches. This coach will never build a winning program with an attitude like that.
Whewwwbreathe, Bill, breathe. I can feel my blood pressure rising right now.
Ok, Ill come off my soapbox now.
Please dont let anyone put limitations on you. They are only their opinions. Who knows what motivation they have to say such a thing. The only opinion that really matters is yours.
There. I got that off my chest.
Still cant believe it.
IS IT YOUR GOAL TO PLAY COLLEGE ATHLETICS?
"Being a Proactive Athlete will give you the best chance to participate in College Athletics."
By
Rick Anteau II
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I find that many high school athletes have the goal to play college athletics, however, many athletes do not take a proactive role in their own recruiting. If you want to be a good high school athlete you must practice and prepare appropriately. The same goes for recruiting. The biggest issue in recruiting is exposure. What college programs know about you and your accomplishments? How many college programs know about you and your accomplishments?
When should I start taking an active role in my recruiting?
Most college programs start tracking athletes during their freshmen and sophomore years. Taking charge of your own recruiting during your freshmen and sophomore years will strongly broaden your college opportunities! This does not mean that if you have waited until your junior or senior year it is to late. If you take a proactive role in your junior or senior year you will still give yourself a great opportunity to play collegiate athletics.
How do college programs find student athletes?
There are 4 ways that a college program can find out about you.
College programs attend and recruit from National, Regional, and State competitions.
College programs receive recommendations from high school coaches, club coaches and other college coaches.
College coaches attend camps and clinics.
College coaches recruit student athletes who have contacted their program.
Capitalize on what you can control!
Within the four ways college programs find out about student athletes, there is only one that you have absolute control over. That is contacting the programs yourself. By contacting a collegiate program, you are taking a proactive role in your own recruiting. You can do this by putting together a personalized package and sending it to a college coach.
Personalize your recruiting efforts.
Athletes all have different personalities, abilities, and financial needs. Make sure that you keep these differences in mind when contacting college coaches. It is best to target schools in which you can prosper at academically, athletically, and socially. Below, I will list some examples of criteria for each.
Academically:
Does the college offer the major that you have interest in?
Do you prefer to have smaller class sizes or do you prosper in a more hands off , large classroom environment?
What are the academic standards to be accepted into the college / university?
Do I need or desire an academic scholarship?
Does this program have a good history of graduating its athletes?
Athletically:
What position will I play?
Will I redshirt my freshmen year?
Do I want to play NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, or Junior College athletics?
Do I desire or need an athletic scholarship?
Socially:
How far away from my home city am I willing to attend college?
Do I want to attend a college in a larger city or do I prefer a smaller town atmosphere?
What are my housing options?
Exposure is key!
As spoken about previously, the #1 reason why high school student athletes do not participate in college athletics is lack of exposure. This is because recruiting budgets of colleges and universities do not afford recruiters to have the means to travel to every state and recruit extensively. Recruiters have many different strict guidelines to follow. However, it is perfectly legal to contact college programs on your own. Do what you have in your own power to give your self the very best chance to achieve your dream of playing college athletics!
"Being a Proactive Athlete will give you the best chance to participate in College Athletics."
By
Rick Anteau II
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I find that many high school athletes have the goal to play college athletics, however, many athletes do not take a proactive role in their own recruiting. If you want to be a good high school athlete you must practice and prepare appropriately. The same goes for recruiting. The biggest issue in recruiting is exposure. What college programs know about you and your accomplishments? How many college programs know about you and your accomplishments?
When should I start taking an active role in my recruiting?
Most college programs start tracking athletes during their freshmen and sophomore years. Taking charge of your own recruiting during your freshmen and sophomore years will strongly broaden your college opportunities! This does not mean that if you have waited until your junior or senior year it is to late. If you take a proactive role in your junior or senior year you will still give yourself a great opportunity to play collegiate athletics.
How do college programs find student athletes?
There are 4 ways that a college program can find out about you.
College programs attend and recruit from National, Regional, and State competitions.
College programs receive recommendations from high school coaches, club coaches and other college coaches.
College coaches attend camps and clinics.
College coaches recruit student athletes who have contacted their program.
Capitalize on what you can control!
Within the four ways college programs find out about student athletes, there is only one that you have absolute control over. That is contacting the programs yourself. By contacting a collegiate program, you are taking a proactive role in your own recruiting. You can do this by putting together a personalized package and sending it to a college coach.
Personalize your recruiting efforts.
Athletes all have different personalities, abilities, and financial needs. Make sure that you keep these differences in mind when contacting college coaches. It is best to target schools in which you can prosper at academically, athletically, and socially. Below, I will list some examples of criteria for each.
Academically:
Does the college offer the major that you have interest in?
Do you prefer to have smaller class sizes or do you prosper in a more hands off , large classroom environment?
What are the academic standards to be accepted into the college / university?
Do I need or desire an academic scholarship?
Does this program have a good history of graduating its athletes?
Athletically:
What position will I play?
Will I redshirt my freshmen year?
Do I want to play NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, or Junior College athletics?
Do I desire or need an athletic scholarship?
Socially:
How far away from my home city am I willing to attend college?
Do I want to attend a college in a larger city or do I prefer a smaller town atmosphere?
What are my housing options?
Exposure is key!
As spoken about previously, the #1 reason why high school student athletes do not participate in college athletics is lack of exposure. This is because recruiting budgets of colleges and universities do not afford recruiters to have the means to travel to every state and recruit extensively. Recruiters have many different strict guidelines to follow. However, it is perfectly legal to contact college programs on your own. Do what you have in your own power to give your self the very best chance to achieve your dream of playing college athletics!
