Age Old Wisdom

It's the day after the usuals...Turkey, mashed and sweet potatoes, green bean casserole (it's like fruit cake, the only time we see that dish), cranberry whatever (don't drink milk after eating that stuff), 20 different varieties of stuffing that the relatives bring over because theirs is the best...and at last count...327 pies. And then there was Brett Favre, his arm looking like a healthy Roger Clemens, throwing for more yards yesterday than the Rocket had strike-outs in a Cy Young award winning season....At the age of 38!

And that brings up the topic of age. Does it seem to you that more players are getting better as they get older? Clemens, Johnson, Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Wells, Schilling, Rivera...all are effective pitchers. Omar Vizquel is still one of the better shortstops in the national league. Is it possible that as you get older, you get smarter about the game???...able to anticipate, concentrate and focus more. The adage of wise old men rings very true in this case. Many players are never able to harness that frame of mind. They rely on their physical attribute to get by, but never to get ahead. In today's game...a player needs to harness the mind first...then the physical part of the game becomes a bit easier.

It's not all hocus-pocus stuff...In our daily searches of all things baseball, we came across a few sites that offer books and training to help a player with the mental edge...and as we conclude this this post to make a turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwich, we leave you with some links that would make great stocking stuffers for your son on this Black Friday shopping extravaganza.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday....AND...look at our NLI listings...we are approaching the end of the list...get your son's or players name in today...e-mail us at roundingthirdstaff@gmail.com

Mental Toughness Sites and Books

Baseballs Mental Fundamentals

The Hitting Edge

Big League Edge

Baseball Warehouse Available Books and Videos on Mental Training

Steve Springers Quality at Bats

Baseball Training Secrets

Be a Better Hitter...Mental Approach


RT Staff

The Turkey Award....Oh Yeah...Happy Thanksgiving!!!

This years first Turkey Award goes to the folks at the NCAA. Maybe this is not a politically correct stance to take since we extol the virtues of colleges on this site, but again our views are opinions for the betterment of baseball and we vehemently disagree on their recent rulings.

The ruling that disturbs us the most is moving the start dates of college baseball up to March 1 from February 1 without decreasing the number of games being played. That means that schools must squeeze in 56 games in four fewer weeks. Many teams must now play up to 5 games a week to comply with this change. To top it off, the NCAA's new Academic Performance Rates (APR) have gotten tougher. APR measures each student's progress toward obtaining an academic degree. Teams failing to score 925 in the APR -- equivalent to a 50 percent graduation rate -- can lose scholarships. So, baseball players, which on average enter college with GPA's much, much higher than the players in the "revenue generating" sports, have an additional target on their back to perform even more with much less time available to them in the classroom.

Under the new rules, players also must be academically eligible during fall semester to play the following spring, which will require more players to attend summer school. Football and basketball players address this by going to summer school to improve their status. The difference is that those sports give 100% scholarships that cover the costs of summer school. Most college baseball players don't attend summer school because their limited scholarships, which to begin with are only 33-50%of the total universities costs during regular school year, don't cover it. But, what the NCAA seems to forget is that traditionally, baseball is a SUMMER sport. For most baseball players, summer school is out of the question, because the better players are shipped to the summer leagues like Cape Cod, Northwoods and Alaska... What are they supposed to do???? And, for those that want to go to school, that cost is totally out of pocket, because their 33-50% scholarship doesn't cover it.

Want more???...Also under the new rules, which will go in effect for the 2008-09 academic year, baseball rosters will be capped at 35 players, with only 30 players being eligible to receive financial aid. Starting in 2009-10, only 27 players can receive financial aid, each of whom must receive at least one-third of a full scholarship. So here's the scenario...56 games in four fewer weeks means a team will need more pitchers...but, since the roster is now capped and the scholarship minimum raised to 33%...well....it's not a great time to be a developing position player....teams will only recruit impact guys at positions, so they can concentrate on recruiting more pitchers.

As it is, College baseball receives fewer scholarships that programs that generate a fraction of the revenue. For instance, women's equestrian can dole out 15 scholarships, and women's crew teams can award 20 scholarships.

Ron Polk, the Mississippi State Coach, a huge opponent of the legislation stated, "They're giving us chump change, and now they're telling us how to spend the chump change," Polk said.

The new college baseball rules also include legislation that is targeted at increasing player retention and graduation rates for college baseball. In the past, baseball players could transfer from one school to another without penalty. Football, basketball and men's hockey players have to sit out one season at their new school if they transfer. Under the new rules, baseball players also will face that one-year penalty if they leave.

Most college baseball coaches agree that they need to do a better job of retaining and graduating their players. But decreasing the size of scholarships isn't the way to achieve that goal, Polk said.

Polk believes the new rules will do more harm that good. Because of the new rules, Polk said college baseball teams won't be able to lure top high school players to their schools anymore. "How am I going to be able to convince a kid to come to college, instead of going pro, when I can only give him a 33 percent scholarship?" Polk said.

Rounding Third asks..."What IS the message being sent??? The NCAA wants players to graduate...yet they cap the roster at 35...which means that some upper classmen may have to be cut to make room for new recruits...Those upper classmen can't transfer, they lose their scholarship and then what? Hopefully they have the financial wherewithall to stay in school and graduate, so it doesn't affect the schools APR...Another scenario involves draftable players...how can you convince them to stay in college after their junior year when there are 50 rounds of the draft selecting over 1,500 players? As a contrast, basketball drafts 60 players...and baseball's APR is still pretty even with basketballs...So given all of the outside influences, why is baseball even being targeted???"

Our number one rant is that these players are going to school to play baseball...but they are going to school first...and the NCAA is making it harder for them to make the grade...yet... wants them to makes the grades. Yes, there was a disparity between the sun-belt schools and the frost belt schools when the season started on February 1...And, strapping on full football gear in the Arizona 100+ degree heat or the stifling Florida humidity in late August and early September is tough too, but you don't see those schools wanting to move the football season to October. Bottom line, it's about the players and their educational needs. The NCAA in our opinion just made it a lot harder for those academic needs to be satisfied.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thanks

For many of our readers, this is a travel day to visit family. For others, it's one of those clock watching days at work in anticipation of a 4 day holiday. In our baseball world, it's the last official day that players can sign their NLI in the early period and although most kids are prone to procrastination when it comes to taking out the garbage or cleaning their rooms, I doubt if even one player waited until today to sign their NLI. So, most of the signings are done and our list continues to grow. And, because it's the day before Thanksgiving, we'd like to say Thanks to all of the players, parents and the hundreds of coaches that have sent us e-mails proudly announcing the signings. We'd also like to give a big THANK YOU for making Rounding Third so popular in it's first few months. Every day, we break our own personal records on the number of hits and page views we receive. Also, thank you for all of the kind e-mails from our readers complimenting us on our content and resources we provide here at Rounding Third. Keep spreading the word. Our goal is to make a difference and it's readers like you that are helping us reach that goal. There's a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months. We will start to preview the high school season region by region, track draftable players and also give you a heads up on what college freshman are doing on their new teams. As always, we will respond to e-mails and any topics that you may want to talk about.

And all of you readers out there...be thankful for the incredible support group that is the baseball community. Unlike any other sport, the baseball families are a close knit, caring and supportive group of individuals. That's what inspired us to start Rounding Third. We wanted to give back, what was given to us for so many years.
So enjoy your holidays...we still will be posting through the break and adding to that NLI list...In fact tomorrow, we will give out our Turkey award and it's another rant that we will write from time to time...all for the betterment of baseball...of course:)

RT Staff

Synergy

As we continue to receive e-mails from both High School coaches and travel/summer coaches on their players NLI signings, some of the names were duplicated between the two...and the thought occurred to us that it would benefit everyone if the two parties would just work closer together and take an interest in each others role in the development of the players that they have in common. We don't know how these coaches feel about one another in your neck of the woods, but around here, the relationship between HS and Travel coaches can be a bit strained. But it sure doesn't have to be that way. In fact, the ultimate success of their players revolves around the two of them working together to produce smarter, mentally tough, fundamentally sound ball players.

High School is about daily repetition, mental toughness, playing in front of crowds, and discipline. Summer ball is about putting that extensive training to the test against top competition and in front of recruiters. So to us, it would be highly beneficial to both coaches if they talked with each other about the progress, abilities and potential of their players with each other, so that the players can improve upon their game in the forthcoming seasons. Bottom line, they both see each others players about equally. A HS coach will conduct about 60 practices and 30 games with his players and a Travel coach about 60+ games and 20 practices. Coaches that spend that much time with players, know what their players can and can't do, and should communicate those points with each other for the betterment of the players.

Here's an example: Let's say a HS team has an underclassman with projectable skills, but he is a bit apprehensive at the plate and in the field. The HS Coach however, sees a hidden potential in this kid. Towards the end of the season, this kid gets more confident and contributes more to the team. In other words, the coach was right, this kid will be a big contributor to the team next year. Now, here's a perfect opportunity for that coach to contact that players summer coach and give him a full report on this kids progression, strengths, weaknesses and communicate what his player needs to continue to work on. It's a win-win for both the player (the most important benefit) and both teams. But often times, egos get in the way and the players suffer as a result. If they don't communicate, the summer coach may not see what the High School coach saw and the player regresses rather than improves that summer season. The opposite happens from summer/fall to the HS season. Why does this happen? We don't know, but for the sake of the players, open communication and synergy between the two programs is paramount to the progression of a players abilities. What are your thoughts? Click the comment button just below this post and communicate your opinions on this issue.

Your Chance At The Next Level Starts With High School Baseball

A lot of our information for the NLI signings are coming from High School baseball coaches and in particular state associations from all over the country. Thanks guys, we really appreciate your help…It then occurred to us, that it may seem like we really push travel ball on this site and if we do, it’s is not to slight the incredible importance of High School Baseball one bit. We only stress Travel/Select baseball because that is when most of the scouts and coaches in college have the time to actually see the players. It’s economy of scale. And in reality, the recruiters are all just doing a follow up to see first hand, the abilities of the player that had a great high school year.

High School baseball benefits baseball players in so many ways. First, there is the support of the built-in fan base and community that schools provide. If a team or certain players had a great game, it is published all over the local community newspapers and announced in the early morning school announcements. This type of publicity sets up showdowns with other schools and rivalries in their league and sections. And, it’s those games that have great meaning not only to players, but alumni as well.

Many cities have high school rankings and there are bragging rights for teams to strive for. This engages entire metropolitan areas to follow the successes of certain teams and players. In many areas of the country, message boards on the Rivals network and other local sites get as busy as talk radio when it comes to match-ups, league standings, play-offs and top players. So, the publicity for many top HS teams can stretch well beyond their local county papers to the entire region and even the whole state.

HS also gives players the ability to hone their skills each and every day in the off-season with their very own private work-out facility. Parents, we have to pay for these privileges at health clubs and franchised gyms. Players have the luxury of the schools tracks, weight rooms, fields and coaches at no cost. During the season, the everyday practice is invaluable. The one thing that summer ball can’t offer is access to the fields and coaches for three hours a day, 6 days a week. If your son loves baseball, he should love the opportunity to take advantage of this huge benefit. When you throw in 25-30 games on top of all of that practice, your son should be at the top of his game by the time recruiting season gets started in the summer.

So, hat’s off to High School Baseball. We are nearing the end of 2007, which for many of us in the sun-belt, means January practices and try-outs are just around the corner. As important as travel ball is to recruiting, there’s still nothing like the excitement and anticipation of a high school baseball season. Thanks to all of the high school coaches that take the time to make high school baseball special for all of our players. And, thanks to all of the high school coaches that have been sending us e-mails and proudly announcing the success and signings of their college bound seniors.

Rounding Third Staff.

List Of Nationwide NLI Signees (Partial)

The partial list of NLI signees is coming along quicker than we thought.

We have some unique features to our list that no other service has. We are providing links to AFLAC All American profiles, University Baseball sites and player profiles linked to the travel ball web site. Be assured, we WILL have the most complete list of NLI signees in the country when we are all finished. We hope to have a complete list by the end of next week.

We still are missing details on some of our signees, such as height, weight, position, etc. If we missed anyone, E-mail your stats to roundingthirdstaff@gmail.com
Do You Want To See The List Of Signees??? Here's the Link: National NLI Signings (Updated Daily)

NLI Signing Rant

RT STAFF note: The list of NLI's from our readers and other sources are pouring in and WOW...it's a daunting task to put all that info together. What were we thinking? But as promised, that list will be available in chunks starting tomorrow. In the meantime, we have a few issues to get off of our chest. Enjoy and Comment.
RT Staff

As we scoured the nations newspapers looking for news on players that may have slipped our web of contacts, we noticed that 95% of newspapers nationwide did not cover or mention any baseball National Letter of Intent signings. Those same newspapers did announce basketball NLI's. This isn't new and it's been done this way for years because baseball is not considered a revenue generating sport like basketball and football. But as the true American Pastime, the sport deserves better.

The good news is...we see a change in the making as it relates to baseball as a revenue sport. The past few years have seen more national TV coverage of college from ESPNU and Fox. The much publicized hiring of George Horton at Oregon had the same feel and excitement of the hiring of a major college basketball or football coach. With help from Nike's Phil Knight, watch out for the Pac 10 and the rest of college baseball to change the nations perception of the college game.

But even now, baseball IS a revenue generating sport in many SEC and Big 12 south schools. Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi St, Wichita St., Oklahoma St., Nebraska, Arizona St, LSU (Who leads the nation in baseball attendance and sell-outs), Baylor, Rice, South Carolina, Fresno St. to name a few, are all profitable college baseball programs. When Rice built it's new stadium, it's attendance doubled. Nebraska averages well over 3,000 fans a game.

According to an article in 2006 from SECsports.com, "the SEC broke an attendance record in it's 12 SEC ballparks by drawing over 1.5 million fans. The SEC has drawn over one million in paid attendance for five straight seasons. No other conference has ever drawn a million or more fans to its baseball stadiums during a single season. During the 2005 season, for the first time in college baseball history, two schools (Ole Miss and Mississippi State) had on-campus crowds of over 10,000 fans for a regular season game on the same day. The largest on-campus crowd in the country so far in 2006, over 13,000, witnessed Georgia at Mississippi State on April 8. The 2006 SEC Baseball Tournament, held in Hoover, Ala., drew over 100,000 for the 3rd time in the last four years. Nearly 10,000 fans were in attendance to the see championship game between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt."

We encourage more influential people like Phil Knight to propel college and high school baseball as a revenue generating sport for the rest of the country, outside the SEC, Big 12 and several Western state schools.

But, for that to happen, we need to see more top round draftable players opt for college and play for their state or area school, get an education, and not just disappear into the minor league system for three-four years. If players would opt for college, we as fans can continue to follow them via the growing number of broadcast options available to us such as ESPN, FOX, CSTV and others. And, as more top prospects enter college, the competition would start to mimic the minors. In addition, the summer leagues in Cape Cod, Northwoods, Coastal Carolina, Alaska, etc. would play an even more important role in the development of future pro prospects. Plus, did we mention that these players could get a meaningful, life altering, career boosting, brain stimulating, college education?

As you can tell, we love college and college sports in general. Wouldn't it be nice to hear Fox's Joe Buck or ESPN's Jon Miller introduce MLB players as a product of their college, like they do in football and basketball? Wouldn't you like to see more pages dedicated in sport magazines and newspapers to collegiate baseball? We would too. Here's a start. Call your local newspaper and tell them to announce the baseball NLI signings. So what, it's not baseball season...these high school baseball players worked hard to sign that life changing piece of paper and they should be recognized as well.

RT Staff

What IS Your Intent?

Congratulations to all Baseball players that will be signing TODAY through November 21. You all should be proud of what you all have accomplished thus far in your lives. It’s really an honor to play a sport in college…and hard.

As you sign your Letter of Intent…Ask yourself what IS your intent? Will you strut around feeling full of yourself, or will you continue with that same hard nosed work ethic that got you here in the first place? Well, we along with your parents, coaches and future coaches encourage the latter, because it certainly won’t get any easier for you.

Each step in your life just keeps getting harder and more competitive. You may be the best in your high school or league, but next year, you will compete against all the best players in all the best leagues in your state or region of the country. Travel ball certainly helped you prepare for this moment, but now size, strength, stamina and heart are the wild cards to compete against and strive for. It’s time to get serious, be the senior leader, and show your future coaches that they have a lot to look forward to.

The same work ethic needs to extend into the classroom too. There really is no comparison between high school and college. Bottom line, college is much harder and just as you would train your body for a long grueling season ahead, you need to train your mind and prepare it for the rigors of higher learning.

Parents, savor this moment as well. It’s not too corny to break out the digital camera and take a few pictures of the signing. In fact, it will be a great moment. We even bet that as you drive away from his new surroundings next fall and head for home with the nest a bit emptier, you’ll break out those signing pics and your mind will rush with all of the memories of snack shack dinners, long drives with noisy players in the back, muddy floorboards, smelly socks, Motel 6’s when nothing else was available, diving catches, and the blur of acronyms like RBI’s GWH’s, HR’s, K’s, BA’s, OBP’s, ERA, SLG’s, and wonder how it went by so fast.

Congrats 2008’s!!!! Play Hard and Smart…Make us all proud!!!

Uncommitted Seniors, Target April 9, 2008...NLI Week Day 3

As much emphasis as we are putting this week on signed players, we know that not everyone reading Rounding Third is committed to a college. This site is dedicated to helping all baseball players realize their dream...So, we are re-visiting a subject that we touched upon last month. That particular and very popular post last month, stressed that uncommitted Seniors should not give up on their dream and continue to market themselves.

Recently, we encountered some statistics to support why Seniors should step-up their recruiting efforts. Did you know that when you take into consideration D-II, D-III, NAIA and JC's, that there are more college scholarships awarded in April signing period than in November? Yes, most of the majors and some mid-major D-I's will have fullfilled their needs in the November period. However, most of the D-II, D-III, NAIA and JC's sign their players in April.

That should be encouraging for most of the unsigned players. So, knowing that...it's time for uncommitted Seniors to change their focus and target the schools that may or may not have been on the original lists. Forget the major D-I's at this point. While there certainly will be exceptions, they are done recruiting for the most part. Start to research other options and go after them as aggressively as the original list of colleges.

As a start, if a player was a big contributor on their high school or travel team last season, they should ask both coaches to write a letter of recommendation. Then, write a personal letter and, along with the profile sheet, recomendation letters and video if one exists, send them out to a whole new list of smaller colleges. This time, make sure to follow it up with a phone call. Seniors should not hesitate to ask the college coach or recruiter if there is any interest. Don't be afraid to call and do not wait for a written response back. That response is somewhat hollow anyway. When players send out letters, they will get a letter back in most cases....However, a response letter is not an indication that they are interested. It's basically a confirmation that they received the letter. Some college coaches will include an invitation to a winter camp. Again, a camp invitation is not necessarily an indication of interest. I should not have to say this, but the call must come from the player...NO PARENT INTERVENTION!

Now that the April signing period is the new goal, the emphasis on a players senior year in high school takes on more importance. Step up the off-season conditioning program. Send the college coaches high school schedules. Work hard to ensure a spot on the team. If players are unsure of their role on the school team this upcoming season, ask the high school coach for advice on what he wants from you as a player...and then DO WHAT HE SAYS!!! Just because a player talked with their coach doesn't mean they are off the hook. It means that he is going to look at that player a bit differently to see if they followed through on his advice. All Players must step-up the work ethic several notches.

In the warm weather states, most high schools will already have 15 games under their belt by the beginning of the April signing period. E-mail stats and any local articles that might have been written and send them to the targeted colleges to get an early jump. But, don't worry frost belt players, the late signing period is quite a bit longer than the one-week November signing period. The late signing period is from April 9,2008-August 1,2008. The longer signing period gives players an opportunity after the high school season is over, to continue with a travel team and seek out more camps and showcases that will accept uncommitted seniors. We have a list of most of the prominent camps and showcases in the right hand column.

So, we hope we have shed a little light and given baseball players hope that there is still a lot of time to fulfill your dreams. Just work hard, play smart, continue to contact coaches and excel in the classroom and many will fulfill their dream to play at the next level.

Rules, Terms and More Rules..Day 2 of NLI Week

Rule, Rules, Rules. There are plenty of them to consider when going to college and even more to consider when you are a student athlete.

First, there is the recruiting. We are now in what is considered a contact period. What’s a contact period you ask? The NCAA web site has all of the following on their web site, but we thought we would explain in a little more detail about how these rules are interpreted by the schools and the organizations that run the showcases and camps. The NCAA definition from their web site is in regular type and ours and additional info we gathered from scouring through the rules and regulations manuals is in (parentheses and italics.)

Contact- A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face
contact with you or your parents off the college's campus and says
more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact
with you or your parents at your high school or any location where
you are competing or practicing.

Contact Period - permissible for authorized athletic department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations. (The coach may also watch you play or visit your high school. You and your parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone you during this period. Schools can have face-to-face off-campus contact with prospects and parents...usually at showcases and camps...and prospects can take part in activities designed for evaluating athletic and academic abilities.)

Dead period - not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on- or off-campus or permit official or unofficial visits. (Seems self explanatory, but schools may write or telephone prospects during this period.)

Evaluation- An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate
your academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting your
high school or watching you practice. (Or compete in a camp, showcase or other major national tournament event such as the WWBA, BCS, Junior Olympics, etc.)

Evaluation period - permissible for authorized athletics department staff to be involved in off-campus activities to assess academic qualifications and playing abilities. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospect are permitted. (These are usually showcases and camps as well, but the schools may not have face-to-face contact with prospects and parents at all. A coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.)

Quiet period - permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution's campus. (The coach may not watch you play or visit your high school during this period. You and your parents may visit a college campus during this time however. No contact or evaluation may be made off campus.)

Official visit- Any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the college. The college may pay the following
expenses:
• Your transportation to and from the college;
• Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college; and
• Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest.

Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have
to provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript
(Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score and register with the
NCAA Eligibility Center

Detailed information about recruiting is available in the online edition of the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

Now, that you understand the terms, here is the baseball calendar:

The dates in this calendar reflect the application of Bylaw 30.11 at the time of publication but are subject to change per Constitution 5.2.3.1 or if certain dates (e.g., National Letter of Intent signing dates) are altered.

August 1-31, 2007: Contact period

September 1-13, 2007: Quiet period

September 14 through November 11, 2007: Contact period

November 12-15, 2007: Dead period

November 16, 2007, through February 29, 2008, Quiet period
Except for:
Jan. 3(12:01 a.m.)through Jan. 7, 2008(12:01 a.m.) Dead period

March 1 through July 31, 2008, Contact period
Except for:
April 7-10, 2008: Dead period

So there you have it on the recruiting rules for baseball. Confused? Don't be. The rules in place are actually in place to even out the all teams and to ensure that all schools big and small have the same opportunities at showcase and camps to evaluate and observe.

College or Pro?

As we approached our deadline for Fridays post on the process of an athlete deciding whether or not to choose the pros or college, we came across an article written several years ago by retired Director of Team One Showcases, Jeff Spelman. It's a timeless article that holds true even in todays competitive recruiting environment...So with the permission of the staffers at Team One Baseball, we are reprinting his article...Enjoy...RT Staff.

College vs. Pro
By Jeff Spelman
------------------------------------------------
For many "blue chip" high school baseball players the most difficult decision to make is not which college to attend.

------------------------------------------------

Thousands of high school senior baseball players will be looking forward with great anticipation and hope to the Major League Amateur Free Agent Draft, held each June.Four or five seniors will become instant millionaires.Perhaps a hundred or so others will be very happy with the draft. All others will likely be disappointed because they were chosen late or not selected at all.

Major League teams can make as many selections as they want. In 1995, several teams bowed out after the 45th round while others went beyond 80 rounds. But the later a player is drafted, the less likely he is to sign. Of the 1,666 players drafted in 1995, approximately 780 were high school players. Of the number drafted, usually 225 to 250 high school players sign contracts.

WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR SON? Be realistic and look at the numbers. Pro teams thrive on players that think they will overcome the long odds against becoming a major league player. Actually only 5 to 6 percent of drafted players ever play a day in the major leagues And about 40 percent of the first round draft picks never make it either.

If your son chooses a pro career, he is a least significantly delaying if not giving up a college education. Questions to consider; What's a degree worth, and how far will he be behind his peers if he enters the work force four years after they do?

If a high school player signs a bonus of $100,000 (roughly third round money), how long will it last? Uncle Sam claims 31%, for taxes, leaving your son with $69,000. He may use $10,000 for a down payment on a car. That leaves $59,000. His minor league salary will be about $850 per month - during the six month season only. So if he wants to live on $20,000 a year, he'll have to use his bonus money. At that rate, he'll use it up in four or five years. By then, he'll be out of baseball, still be making $15,000 a year in the minors, or possibly be in the Major Leagues.

On the other hand, major league teams do offer players entry into professional baseball at a younger age, which can translate into earlier higher earnings and additional benefits. And although many college coaches disagree, Major League Baseball says the best instructors in the world are available to your son.

WHEN DEALING WITH SCOUTS, always be honest and consistent. But remember, you do not have to give them direct answers to all of their questions. For example, scouts commonly ask if your son wants to sign out of high school and how much money it would take to sign him. Don't give a range or a figure. Many parents simply respond, "My son would definitely be interested in signing, if it's the right offer."

Teams not only draft for talent but also for signability. If you do not want your son to sign a pro contract, out of high school and you let the pro scouts know that, then be prepared for the fact that he probably won't be drafted at all. Players who have signed scholarships with to top academic universities often go undrafted or get chosen later than expected because teams are worried about their signability.

If your son may be a high draft pick, you'll notice large numbers of scouts at his games late in the high school season, and a major league team's top scouts - regional supervisors, cross checkers, and even scouting directors - will attend.

AS A PARENT OF A POTENTIAL draft pick, try to keep your son from being distracted by all the hype. The only way he can enhance his draft status is by performing well on the field -- and distractions can hurt his performance.

Prepare your son emotionally for what might happen in the draft. It's nice to dream, but you and your son need to be realistic.

Always consider not taking a team's first offer. Many players earn more by holding out a week than they would have earned in a whole season had they taken the first offer. However, this strategy may have diminishing returns if the hold out lasts too long.

Deciding between college and an immediate pro career can be a difficult decision. There's no magic formula. Look at all of your son's options, which may include a couple of years of college first, then discuss them with him.

And enjoy the attention your son receives. It's a "once in a lifetime" experience. So be sure you are prepared.

Is Junior College Baseball Right For You

We have mostly talked on this site about how to go about getting recruited by 4 year colleges and little about Junior Colleges. We don’t mean to slight JC’s. In fact, Junior College baseball is in many cases a perfect fit for some high school players. And, like D-I, D-II and NAIA, JC’s offer scholarships at the NJCAA-I and NJCAA-II level.

There are many reasons to go to a JC, but like the four year colleges, we at Rounding Third stress that you go to a place of higher education...to get an education...no matter if it's a D-I or JC. If a player is going to a JC to improve his academic standing to get into a better four year college, then that needs to be the focus. While he is accomplishing that goal, he can also enjoy the great, competitive baseball environment that many JC’s offer. JC baseball is sort of a hybrid that combines the local schedule of high school ball with the rigors of long bus rides to other regional or cross state match-ups. This provides many young freshmen a chance to ease into what it would be like at a four year, while they concentrate on getting their academics in order at the same time.

Another reason to attend a JC is if certain players didn’t get accepted into their list of four year selections, due to size or developing ability. Many four year coaches and recruiters will tell a prospect with potential to use the Junior College to work with the strength and conditioning coaches to develop a stronger core, build more muscle and quickness. That alone, in many cases can build a players confidence as well. After that, it is up to the baseball coaches to develop the talent. Many JC’s have year round conditioning that include fall scrimmages and games, winter work-outs to get ready for the long season ahead. But more importantly, it gives that player a chance to play.

Let’s say a very good player gets a small offer from a D-I, but he has two established sophomores ahead of him in his primary and secondary positions. It may behoove that player to go to a JC to develop and play, rather than sit the bench his first two years in college. And yet another scenario involves enrolling in a four year college and playing for a close-by JC that is known to be a feeder to that school. That's a win-win for both the player and the 4 year coach, because the player gets a better chance to play and also enjoy the atmosphere of college life away from home. The 4 year coaches have the advantage of keeping close tabs on what could be their future player in their own backyard.

Finally, there are some players that may have been drafted in the later rounds (15th and higher) and choose to play at the JC to improve their draft status the following year. Unlike four year colleges, in which a player is not eligible for the draft until after his junior year, a JC player is eligible both years that he attends that JC. Including the year after high school, that player could possibly be drafted three times before his junior year. In some cases, a MLB team could draft a player and then hold the rights to that player until next year. That way, they have a full year to evaluate his progress throughout the summer. If into the fall and spring seasons, all goes well with the players progress, that MLB team could then exercise their right to sign him in the ten days prior to the next draft. This is called a “Draft and Follow”.

So we have covered D-I, small colleges and now JC’s and there are advantages to all. Bottom line, really study all of your options hard and do what is best for you and the career path you choose to follow in your adult life.

Rounding Third Staff

Smaller Colleges Offer Big Opportunities

Jeff Francis, the 6'-5", 17-game winner for the Colorado Rockies played a significant role in the teams red-hot winning streak that propelled them into the World Series this year. However, the path Francis took to the Majors is quite different then the majority of today's big leaguers. The Vancouver native chose to hone his skills at University of British Columbia, a small NAIA school. Since Francis’ success, 10 former UBC Thunderbirds have been drafted.

NCAA Division II schools had 63 players taken in the 2007 MLB draft and D-III schools have an average of 30 players taken each year. Our point is...There is great baseball at the small colleges and in many instances a more well rounded education as well.

While the smaller schools aren’t as loved by the national press, they are the darlings of the local media, especially in the smaller communities. Many of these small schools are the pride of the small towns they reside in and have a great fan base as well. (Not all small schools are in small towns, but many are) And many of these smaller schools have every bit as much tradition and history as the D-I’s too.

And here’s a couple of interesting facts…Did you know that while D-III doesn’t offer athletic scholarships, more athletes play in D-III than any other NCAA division? Another interesting note is that NAIA schools can actually offer more funded scholarships. (not a lot more…but more nevertheless) NAIA can give out 12 scholarships, while D-I is stuck at 11.7.

Division III and NAIA colleges and universities offer some of the best education in the country as well. Ranked D-III schools, Johns Hopkins (34-9 in 2007) and Washington University in St. Louis (30-9 in 2007) have two of the most prestigious medical schools in the country. Many NAIA, D-II and D-III schools provide greater student-teacher ratios, attractive settings, and some of the best job placement opportunities in the nation after graduation.

High school student athletes who want to play sports in college, and are not being recruited by major college programs may still have a chance to play baseball at NCAA Division II, III or NAIA colleges. So, expand your letter and e-mail campaign to the many smaller colleges in your area as well. In the right hand column of this site, you will find a list that includes all D-I, D-II, D-III and NAIA schools that offer baseball. Look at their sites and see which one may fit your goals academically, while satisfying that competitive urge to play a college sport. Good Luck..till next time..

The Rounding Third Staff

Targeting Colleges That You Want to Target Your Son

A few weeks ago, we talked about the recruiting timeline and getting your sons name out to the targeted colleges he wants to play for. One reader e-mailed us and said that if a kid is good enough, the colleges will find him. Well, let me put that comment in perspective. There are far more job opportunities than baseball roster spots. So, when a student graduates from college…if he is smart enough, there’s no need for resumes or interviews…the jobs will find him right? Getting the right offer is like interviewing for a job. As we stated in our post on October 18 and 22nd, your son needs to be proactive and aggressively go after the colleges to ensure that they indeed know about him. Rounding Third is one of many sites dealing with college recruiting and yet we have received nearly a thousand responses in just the last three weeks asking for advice and suggesting topics for us to write about. All of the parents and players that wrote us are in the recruiting process. And, they are just a fraction of the tens of thousands of students wanting to play college ball. In fact, the real numbers are: 114,159 graduating high seniors versus 13,137 slots open. Now, do you begin to see the need to step up the recruiting effort?

Picking the Right Colleges

Pick the school first and the baseball program and it’s coaches second. First of all, they are STUDENT athletes. Players should ask themselves, “Would I go to school here if I wasn’t playing baseball?” Other criteria that must be at the top of your list are:

1) The schools academic reputation. This goes both ways. If your son is in the top percentile in GPA and his SAT’s, then target the schools that will benefit him academically first. If your son is in the middle of the pack academically, then your choices may be limited, so a bit more research on the eligibility requirements of the schools must be done. Either, way, there’s a good chance that baseball may not be a career choice. So, does the school offer the faculty support, study environment, student-teacher ratios and most importantly, in-season tutoring and curriculum that your son wants to major in to advance his own post college career? In–season tutoring is very important, especially since there will be increased time away from the classroom starting this year. The NCAA, in an effort to supposedly even the playing field between Northern and Sunbelt schools, moved the season start date from February 1 to March 1. That means that the same 56 game schedule has to be condensed into 4 fewer weeks. Your already time-stretched son will have as many as 5 games a week to balance with his academic workload. Many top programs offer student-athlete tutoring, so make sure that this is offered at his school of choice.

2) What about the cost? Baseball does not offer full rides. The average scholarship is about 50-60% of the total expenses depending on position. Pitchers usually get more in many cases and position players less. There are exceptions of course. A typical good offer for a top prospect will pay for 100% tuition and books, but the cost of out of season meal money and housing for the year is the responsibility of the student. Also, look at the costs of in-state vs. out of state. If you are on a budget, ask if the scholarship covers the increase of out of state fees. If not, it may be better to stay in-state.

3) Location. This is a personal choice. Does the player want to be close to family? Do the parents want to be able to travel to watch some games? Families need to sit down and discuss these issues. But remember, a school is a very important lifelong decision. The school that best fits him, his goals and his abilities may be far, far away.

4) Be Realistic. As we stated in yesterdays post, match your son's evaluated baseball talent with the school that will offer him the best opportunities. Not everyone can play at Oregon State, UNC or ASU. It’s Ok to target as many as 40-50 schools, but make sure you mix in some smaller D-I’s, D-II’s, D-III’s (no scholarships offered at D-III) or NAIA schools in your areas as well. All of the schools are listed in the column to the right under, USEFUL NCAA AND HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS BASEBALL SITES. There have been many instances where players were determined to walk on at a Division I college, when they could have had a better chance to get an offer from a DII or NAIA. Research some of the smaller colleges. In more cases than not, you will be surprised at the quality of education, atmosphere, and social life are just as rewarding at a smaller school, then at the big state universities…So is the Baseball.

5) Reputation of the baseball program. Now after you have evaluated all of the above, then look at the program itself. Look at the tenure of the coaches, the facilities, and the alumni. A wonderful resource that we have used is called the Official Athletic College Guide: Baseball from Sports Source. It costs $34.95 and is well worth the investment.

6) Oh yeah, we almost forgot. Social Life...An important and not always easy thing to admit as a top criteria. But come on, wasn't college the best time of your life? It's an important life experience and one that will stick with your son forever.

There is far more to discuss on this subject, but we have real jobs in addition to this site and it’s time to get back to our paying world. Throughout the week, we will be discussing the advantages of Small Colleges and Junior Colleges. As always, don't hesitate to put in your two cents in the comment section below this post.

Showcase Realistic Outcomes

We have been receiving e-mails about what we think is a realistic outcome of all of the camps, showcases and travel ball we tout on this site with ball players. Well, there is no magic formula. But, if you want to know what the outcome will be…then just be realistic.

For instance, some think that the camps and showcase organizations are in it for the money and not the kid, because many parents disagreed with the assessment of their son’s performance and the lack of attention he received from college coaches after the showcases circuit was completed. If there is one tidbit of advice that we would like to share with everyone that has experienced similar feelings, that advice comes from a quote by Norman Vincent Peale:

“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”

In other words, listen to what your coaches, instructors and showcase scouts tell you. Be realistic and react accordingly to the assessments that the evaluators share with you and your son. There’s no need to be defensive or mad if the evaluation differs from your own assessment of your son. …just be grateful that you know and understand where your child stands in the grand scheme of the baseball world order. Many of the top Showcase and Player evaluation organizations know exactly what colleges and pro scouts want. They are going to be honest… brutally honest in some cases. The bottom line…Your son isn’t a part of those 5 year old recreational soccer teams that gives out a trophy to everyone in the league anymore. He’s in the real world now, on his way to being a man.

If your son received a poor report card at school, do you criticize the school, or would you have a plan in place for your son to develop better study habits and seek out tutoring if necessary? Of course, most of us would enforce the latter because school grades are with him for the rest of his life and will dictate his future. Likewise, if your son received a less than stellar player evaluation, you should also develop a plan that will help him improve those weaknesses. If it’s one thing a recruiter or scout loves to see, is that player that falls into the category of most improved. It’s those players that have the attitude, desire and heart that teams fight over. Players that defy their perceived abilities have gone on to become fan and clubhouse favorites. Look at David Eckstein or Dustin Pedroia. In fact, pick up the book “Have Heart”, by David Eckstein and you will understand what we are trying to convey here.

For some players, it works out and for others it doesn’t, but at least for those who may not make it, they should hold their head up high and be proud that they at least tried their best against the best. For those that have a better shot, listen and learn from your experiences. Work hard…and if it is your son’s dream to play baseball at the next level, then help him understand that like school, baseball has homework too and that by hard work and determination their dreams could be a realistic outcome.

RESPONSES TO THIS WEEKS TRAVEL/SELECT BALL SERIES

Part 4 In the Travel ball series. Whenever someone comes out with a poll or ranking, they are going to get opinions and due to our Top 5 Travel Team Rankings, we joined the club and have received plenty of opinions, suggestions and critiques. But, unlike the pompous nature of a BCS, or media poll, we listen, recognize and even admit that we may have missed out on a team or two. Although we feel strongly about our choices and provided back-up and stats to state our case, we also received e-mails and opinions from some very reputable and noteworthy coaches and fans that we just can't ignore. After reading through the assortment of e-mails, we concluded that there are a plethora of great baseball teams and organizations out there and all of you coaches running those clubs should be very proud. So below, our readers (we've kept the names anonymous) give us their take on the rest of the great travel clubs in America as well as some comments on our site...
__________________________________________________________
Dear RT,
Nice...surely need give serious thought/consideration to include:
*Scott Luke's Placentia Mustags (now, called/play as SoCal National Travel Team Orange County, CA
*Houston Banditos Baseball Club--Ray DeLeon, Houston, TX
*Ricky Diehl's Vipers Baseball Academy, Huntsville, AL
*Georgia Seminoles (or whatever they're now called!)--Rick Cosper, Peachtree, GA area
*Miramar Canes--Carlos Guzman, Miramar/Pembroke Pines, FL
THESE PROGRAMS ARE ALL SOLID...and, hugely successful in many ways.

Just my well-intentioned, non-presumptuous suggestion...keep up the initiative to recognize kids and WORTHY organizations that truly support kids' development in baseball and in life.

All the best...STAY BALANCED in all things!
S
________________________________________________________
Dear RT,
I do not agree with the exposure part because these guys are already known to everyone. Don't get me wrong they are good "organization" but recruit players when they are young and develop them then comes a true reward. As one former player said "The team is a just a rich man's toy and he quest to win." I guess if you have the resources the run with it. _______________________________________________________
Dear RT,
Here are the most consistent programs in the country in the categories of producing USA Baseball National Team Members, Division 1 Scholarships, and National Championships.

* Boys of Baseball-Steve Cosgrove...I estimate 2 dozen USA National Teamers, a dozen 1st round picks, 100 collegiate players.
* Nor Cal-Rob Bruno Dozens of college players
* ABD-Mike Spiers Dozens of college players
* So Cal NTT-Scott Luke...12 USA National Team Members and 70 college scholarship players
* East Cobb, GA
* San Diego Stars-Lyle Gabriel Now only 12 and Under
* Anderson Arsenal-Last 3 years have developed into a national force
* Utah Baseball Academy
_______________________________________________________
Dear RT,
....You preach about development all over your website, but where do you think that all these kids started off their development? Where do you think that East Cobb, Norcal, Houston Heat, etc. get their players? The Banditos Baseball Club out of Houston, Texas has been around for 15 years now and established themselves as the BEST Travel Select organization in the country bar none. They have been highlighted on ESPN, FOX Sports and A&E is looking into doing a documentary on their success. Kyle Drabek, Troy Patton, Taylor Grote, Bradley Suttle and Drake Roberts just to name a few began their development under Mr. Deleon who heads up the Banditos Baseball Club.

Facts are facts, they have traveled all over the US and left their mark where ever they have gone. Geez, they have a team now that has won 137 games in a row in their age division. This is an incredible story to headline on your website. They have been feature on several news stations, which you can find on their website (www.banditosbaseballclub.com).

You talk about the development and I agree, but you have to go to the grassroots of it all and where these kids began. The Banditos are by far the #1 organization and should be on the top of your list. They feed all the big teams in the country and have now began a new 16U & 18U program, which will take off this spring/summer.
___________________________________________________________
Dear RT,
This is a GREAT website! Tons of useful information all in one place - great job! I've forwarded it to a number of people interested in high school and travel baseball. I've given this information to (my son's) travel baseball coach so he can see the best tournaments to be in (even better than just giving him my opinion). We're almost at the end of our involvement in the training/coaching of my older son -he has a scholarship to (Major D-1) - and has attended many of the tournaments you mentioned on your website.... We've learned a lot from our experience and that will definitely benefit our younger son. Your website shares this same type of knowledge gained from experience, and is great for families going through this for the first time.

Thanks again - I really enjoy the website!

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MIDLAND REDSKINS

RT Editors Note: This post is Part 3 in our Series on Travel/Select ball. We didn't pick Midland in our top 5 because we looked at the impact that our Top 5 have had in the past 5 years. But when it comes to the last 40...Midland has no peers. The consolation for them is this interview...Enjoy. RT Staff

What Joe Hayden has created in Clermont County is not just a baseball team but an organization: not just an organization but a world. In his country corner between Clough Pike and Bach Buxton Road in Amelia, he has handcrafted his own "Field of Dreams. Most baseball dreamers do something like this only at their desks, escaping into fantasy leagues that enable them to construct a lineup and call it their own. Hayden, on the other hand -- with funds from his family's foundation -- built a stadium complete with an indoor batting cage, a four-bay equipment garage and a professionally maintained playing field that was designed to simulate the park in Farmington, New Mexico, where the Redskins spend a heady week every August trying to bring home yet another Connie Mack national championship.

Hayden also built a great baseball Travel/Select organization. The Redskins program has been around for 40 years winning 10 Connie Mack World Series Championships as well as other notable national championships. Currently the Midland Redskins have 50 players active in the professional ranks with 13 of them being in the Major Leagues. Over the course of the 40 year history they have had 365 players drafted, 27 being first round picks. The Redskins have also produced 49 Major Leaguers. Since winning their first Connie Mack World Series title in 1984 the Redskins have posted a astounding 1,301-202-5 record (thats a .845 winning percentage). Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey Jr., Todd Bezinger, David Bell, Mike Matheny, Mark Mulder, Corey Patterson, Ryan Theriot, and Chris Duncan are just a few of the notable former Redskins.

The following is a interview with the director of the Midland Redskins, Brian Hiler.

RT:What is the most important goal of the Midland Redskins organization?

Brian: Exposure for the kids first and foremost. Second, it's a chance for these kids to play an entire summer (6-7 weeks)together, not just a tournament here and there. That equates to 60-70 games a year.

RT: I noticed that you have players from around the country that play on your team. How do you you handle their accommodations?

Brian: The players stay with host families much like college players that travel to the Cape or Northwoods leagues do every summer.

RT: So, you have players that practically dedicate their entire summers to your program. How do players and the parents of the players react to that?

Brian: Very well. These kids learn the value of time management, living on their own, being responsible for their own laundry, getting to practice on time, working out, hitting, fielding and general organization without the help of mom and dad. College coaches have said that getting a Midland player is like having a sophomore on their team, not a freshman.

RT: Where do you play most of your games?

Brian: 70% are at our facility in Amelia, Ohio. The rest are the major tournaments like Perfect Games WWWB in East Cobb, PG BCS in Ft Meyers and the University of Louisville and the AABC Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, NM.

RT: How much does all of this cost?

Brian: Nothing in the summer. All expenses are paid by The Midland Co, (an insurance firm with dealings in the shipment of goods via barge on the nation's waterways.)

RT: Does this interfere in any way when your players fill out their NCAA Clearinghouse Amateur Questionnaire?

Brian: No, it has not been a problem. We go by the Chapter 12 NCAA bylaws that deals with amateurism and dictates what we can or can't do. These are pages 69-83 in the in the NCAA Division I Constitution, Operating Bylaws and Administrative Bylaws, We have done it this way for decades without any issues.

RT: How do you pick your players?

Brian: Keeping our eyes and ears open at various showcases, camps and tournaments. We are obviously looking for an impact player, but above all we are looking for the right fit in our organization. A solid individual, that will adapt easily to our system.

TOP 5 TRAVEL BASEBALL ORGANIZATIONS

We have been thinking and re-thinking this list for some time and our decisions boiled down to how many players within that organization played Next Level baseball. I am sure that there are some notable organizations that we left out and we are sorry. Our research and information was based on what is published on that travel clubs web site, as well as results gathered from the top tournament and showcase sites. We have also seen most of these teams play over the years and it's these top 5 that always seem to be in the championship round of a major tournament. If you have a well known travel team, and you want to be mentioned on Rounding Third, then we suggest that you add a section that lists your alumni. We suggest dividing the list by using the following criteria...1) Former players that went on to college. 2) Former players that were drafted. 3) Former players playing in MLB. Also list National Championship results.

So, based on that criteria, here's our top 5 Travel Select Teams. To view their web sites, go to the right of this post under Important Travel Baseball Links and Teams and click on the respective web site.

East Cobb Baseball
When you look at the shear numbers of players that they have delivered to the college and pro ranks, the East Cobb organization and their array of teams, most notably the Braves and Astros, win hands down. East Cobb Baseball has won over 130 National Championships, placed over 600 players in JC and four year colleges and has 96 players in the Pro's. They also call the East Cobb Baseball complex, arguably the best baseball complex in America their home. They are also wonderful hosts to the most prestigious wood bat tournament in the country, Perfect Games, WWBA National Championships. Some notable pro players include Corey Patterson, Adam Everett and Jeff Francouer.

Norcal Baseball
This Northern California (Bay Area) powerhouse ranks a close second due to their impressive roster of impact pro players that have graduated from their program. A list of their alumni would be the envy of any pro roster. We haven't found any travel club with a list of recent impact pro players this impressive in our search. Among the 56 pro players that have played for Norcal, the most notable are:
Jimmy Rollins - Phillies
Pat Burrel - Phillies
Dontrelle Willis - Marlins
Xavier Nady - Pirates
Chris Carter - Diamondbacks
Troy Tulowitzki - Rockies
Brandon Morrow - Mariners
They are championship round regulars at the Junior Olympics, WWBA and Sunbelt Classic tournaments and have have also placed over 250 players in college...with 98% of those colleges, NCAA Division I.

Houston Heat
The Heat gets our third place vote because of their meteoric rise as a national power. In the 6 short years that this club has been in existence, they have made a huge impact with 5 national Championships and some impressive alumni. Recent top draft picks have included Kyle Drabek, Scott Kazmir and Homer Baily. Presently, they have 16 in the pros. But, the most impressive number in our opinion, is the fact that they have placed 192 players in JC and NCAA colleges. That's an average of 32 players per year in the 6 years they have been a Travel/Select baseball organization.

ABD Academy
This Southern California club has also recently been a force at the national level and is dedicated to developing some of the top players at the AFLAC games. In the past three years, ABD has had 7 players picked for the AFLAC All-American Games. They also produced Josh Vitters, the #3 overall in the 2007 draft and Nick Noonan in the first round supplemental draft. Overall they have had 7 players in the past six years go in the top four rounds. ABD has also placed over 80 players in college in the past 5 years, including 44 to the college ranks in 2007.

The Boys Of Baseball
Steve Cosgrove's teams have been a fixture of youth baseball for over 12 years and we have to give him some credit for putting together the best conglomeration of athletes from around the country, year after year. Some of his alumni include Prince Fielder, Colby and Corey Rasmus and Hank Conger from SOCAL. He has had 8 of his former players on the USA Youth National Team, 5 on the Junior Nationals Team and 4 on the USA National Team. Eight players are in the pro's and over 120 have gone on to play college ball.

So, there you have it...Our first, but not last TOP 5 Travel/Select Teams of 2007. There are other teams that are worth a mention and you will find those clubs listed in the top right hand column of this blog. As always, please feel free to comment or e-mail us at roundingthirdstaff@gmail.com.

The Cost Of Travel Ball...What To Look For...Part One

This post isn't just about dollars and cents, it's about how we have altered our lifestyles, to give our sons a chance to be the best they can be at baseball. The questions that we always hear are, after all of the travel and nights away from the rest of the family, work, friends, costly lessons, tournament fees, coaches per diems and $350 bats, are our sons better baseball players? Do they understand and love the game more? And, is it their passion or ours?

It's unanimous here at Rounding Third. It definitely was well worth the experience. All of our sons will be playing D-1 college ball. We think that if they had taken the route that most of their friends took, and had relied on their high school coaches and the local leagues to get them to the next level, our sons would not have had the offers or the opportunities to play D-1. Now we know that there are exceptions. Some of our sons friends may get a chance to play JC ball and if they step up their routines and become more serious about the game, they could get a chance to play at the next level.

But the one thing our sons have that their other friends do not, is a passion, self discipline and serious attitude about baseball and the knowledge that the game requires a devoted work ethic both in the off season and in pre-game preparations that we have witnessed many rec ball athletes do not have. It's not their friends fault. That's the way they were taught. There are distinct philosophical differences in the way a travel ball coach develops his players and a Babe Ruth coach develops his.

Nevertheless, below we have listed some characteristics of a travel club to look for and even some things we would have done differently based upon our last 6-7 years of travel ball.

Integrity
What is a good travel program? Our definition is a team that has it's total focus on the development of the players and not just on winning that $5 piece of plastic for the sake of the coaches egos. The costs of a good travel program can be daunting, but make sure that your team is going to the right tournaments and showcases that will:
1) Get exposure for the players first and foremost. Many of the top high school tournaments will have scouts in attendance and you want your team to be there. There are many so called travel teams that beat their chest because they win a lot of local and regional tournaments. While it's great that they are playing good ball that is probably a step up from the rec alternatives, when you weigh the costs versus benefits, what was accomplished by winning that trophy that's bound for an old box in the garage?
2) Works with the tournament organizers to make sure your team is playing against the best competition. While winning is great for the psyche of the team as a whole, it's not always going to benefit them if they are playing patsies to get to the championship round. Some people will disagree with us on this, but we strongly feel that your sons will gain more grit playing the good teams early. And, if your travel team has a great reputation, you'll get more scouts at those early games against the better competition.
3)Be Organized! Be wary of the travel programs that don't have their summer of 2008 schedule completed by January...Yes that's right...January!!! Many of the top tournaments and showcases like the Junior Olympics are invitation only and if a newer organization wants in, they will have to campaign to get their team in the tournament early in the year. Other showcases tournaments have deadlines and they are usually very early. A lot of planning and logistics go into these national tournaments and they usually don't accept late entries unless there is a cancellation.
4)Have 90% of their roster in place by December of 2007. Many of the top clubs have already had their try-outs this fall. Some in the Sun Belt are still amidst the try-out process via fall ball. It's important that a club knows it's roster so that it can have the spring to create their own player profiles to send out to college recruiters. This does not negate your sons efforts to send out letters and profiles however. Your son needs to do his own marketing on top of what his coaches are executing. (Refer to our post from October 22...I AM GETTING LETTERS FROM COLLEGE BASEBALL COACHES)
5) Has a reputation as a winning, professional organization with the college and pro scouts. Look at the travel clubs web site and look at their alumni page. Many of the better organizations will have a section of their web site dedicated to former players that have gone on to college or even the pros. That says volumes about their dedication to player development. Many college coaches look to these organizations for help and player profiles. Also, ask them if they are communicating with college coaches and where they feel your son fits in with the type of colleges they will be contacting.
6)A payment plan that precedes the season. It is our experience that if a club has a payment plan that is paid prior to the season, then that team gets 100% participation with its players. These payment plans are usually monthly and more reasonable to budget for. These clubs also have travel agencies that they work with and their web site is like a one stop shop. If you have a good, competitive club and they don't have this set-up...have the coaches get it done this way. It's easy and web site set-up costs are usually free or very inexpensive. There are other clubs that have a pay as you go policy and they are the ones that usually are scrambling for players before every tournament. Those type of clubs are usually very frustrating and costly experiences.
7)Coaches as teachers. The best organizations have coaches that work with each individual player to help make him a better player. They are also the teams that gather as a group every inning before their at bats, going over the decisions that the players made in the field, talking about adjustments that need to be made at the plate and getting them in the right frame of mind. Most of these coaches really know the game and love spreading that knowledge to their players. That's the type of added value that makes a good travel team worth the investment for your son.

Money
We have heard time and time again that travel ball is for rich dads that want to live vicariously through their kids. Not true! Yes, there may be a good number of parents that fall into this category and a good number of travel clubs that will accept any ones money to feed that parents desire. But, for the most part, good travel clubs are about developing and giving players the opportunity to take their game to the next level. And, those top travel clubs have a cost. And, we as parents are whipping out that check book like it was a sure stock tip.

The one thing we would have done differently, would have been to get our kids way more involved in the fund-raising aspect of their travel team. Many of these kids have it too easy and we as parents are guilty of making it easy for them. I know of several Georgia, Florida and Texas teams that raise 100% of their travel costs and coaches fees through candy drives, car washes, raffles and bake sales. Their kids are a part of that fund raising process. There's nothing wrong with parents bringing those candy bars to the office...that's usually pretty easy money...but so is a group of athletic looking kids in baseball caps going door to door or sitting up at the grocery store selling cookies, candy, and raffle tickets to help pay for that trip to East Cobb, Orlando or San Diego. This discipline also gives them ownership of their team and their accomplishments. It also keeps costs down for you, because depending on the organization, the total summer expenses for a high school travel team that is entered into all of the top tournaments and showcases can run in excess of $10,000.

That $10,000 is broken down as follows:
1) $1,500-$2,500 coaches fee/tourney fees. Fees vary by team and region.
2) $350 uniform and equipment costs
3) $3,000/Car Rental/Gas/Airfare for 2
4) $4,000+ (Two,1 Week Trips @ $85 a Night, Six 3 night Stays at $85 a Night) Plus../Food/Gate Fees/Entertainment For 2

These costs can be cut drastically if you room with another family and opt to go to the grocery store and barbeque by the hotel pool (much cheaper, healthier and more fun in our opinion)instead of eating out every night. Also, the advantage of having a travel team that plans ahead will allow you to shop for airfares and hotels well in advance and take advantage of discount rates.

Part Two tomorrow will rate the best travel teams.

Travel Teams...a Four Part Series...This Week!

If you are like most travel baseball parents, you just spent the weekend watching your son play either in a local tournament or in some far away place that required lots of driving or an expensive flight. People at my office think I'm crazy, but when I asked them what they did over the weekend, it wasn't that much different. Their weekend involved dinner and a few drinks with friends and some yard work. Some saw a movie, others a concert. Mine involved dinner and drinks with the parents of my sons team mates and some yard work. Substitute the concert and movie with a lot of baseball games and in my mind, we had similar weekends.

This week, we will be talking about the importance of a good travel ball team. Travel ball has grown into a mini industry in many parts of the country. Most of the better travel clubs have produced some of the top talent in college and the pro's. The topics will include why your son should play on a top travel team, an exclusive interview with the founder of a top California travel club, a complete data base of the top travel clubs in your area and most importantly, the costs involved with a good travel baseball organization. As always, do not hesitate to e-mail us, or comment on one of our posts...I hope you enjoy our travel team series this week...