The early signing period is coming November 14, 2007 and many of the top players that were recognized earlier in the year will sign. That doesn’t mean that all of the best players will sign. Inevitably, a number of quality players will remain unsigned until the next signing period of April 9th, 2008. Some players will remain unsigned because of a lack of exposure, others because their body, skills, talent, speed and abilities have developed later, and others may have been just lost in the shuffle…Bottom line…DON’T GIVE UP!!! There is a reason the NCAA has two signing periods.
Now, if you are not signed and fall into one of the reasons stated above then read below. You still have a lot of the timeline left to finish. (SEE PARTS ONE AND TWO OF THE TIMELINE IN THE PRIOR POSTS)
However, if you are already set to sign your NLI, (National Letter of Intent) you can’t give up either!!!!! Continue and step up your daily work-outs even more. Too many athletes get complacent after they have committed to their college and therefore end up having less than stellar Senior seasons. Don’t let that happen to you! That includes your grades. Don’t get a case of senior-itus and let your grades suffer in the process! From this point on, baseball, school and life in general becomes more challenging and the challengers more competitive. Work hard and set yourself up to have the season and school year of your life.
For those that have not committed, relax…There are many out there that think that if you haven’t committed to a college by the fall of your senior year, then your chances of getting a college scholarship are slim. That’s not so. While many of the high profile players have committed early, there are still a lot of colleges throughout the country still recruiting. The questions are…Are you still trying hard to get noticed? Are you still sending out letters? Are you making visits and enrolling in the fall college camps?
Go to the links I have supplied you in the right column of this site and find out which organizations are offering showcases for “Uncommitted Seniors”.
One event out west is the Perfect Game 2007 West Uncommitted Showcase at Fitch Park Cubs Spring Training in Mesa, AZ November 3-4, 2007. Click on the Perfect Game link to the right.
There are other things you can also do:
· Send out your schedules for fall leagues, camps and showcases to all coaches
· Call the coaches…Remember, after July 1, you can now talk to them. You can contact college coaches by phone at any time.
· Step up your work out schedule.
· Have your fall and high school coaches start to make more calls on your behalf.
· Schedule official visits with your targeted schools and meet the coaches and staff.
· Send out Skills videos to those coaches that haven’t seen you play enough.
Bottom line...don't get discouraged. If you have a desire to play at the next level and the D-1 route isn't working for you, Try a D-2, D-3 ot NAIA school. Many JC's offer great academics and very competitive baseball programs, especially in the southern states. If you are still growing and maturing as a player, you may be told by coaches to develop your strength and game at a JC first anyway. Look at the rosters of your target colleges and you will see that many four year colleges recruit JC players to fill roster spots.
I hope that this three part series has helped you. Underclassmen, print these posts out and use it as your guide throughout high school. Upperclassmen, it's not too late. Remember, whatever age you are, there is never a substitute for hard work and discipline...Those that make that their daily mantra, will have success in their lives...whether that life includes baseball or not!!!
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