Standing out to college coaches recruiting at your games doesnโt have to be rocket science. In fact, itโs a lot easier than you might think.
This time of year, college recruiters are typically crisscrossing the country to see hundreds, if not thousands of high school or travel ball games. Recruiters โฏare working night and day to find and sift โฏthrough hundreds of players to come up with one, two, or just a few of the โright guysโ to fill out a roster for 2024 and beyond.โฏโฏThis year, they may still be out on the road, watching live streams, or relying on a network of trusted coaches.
It might seem impossible to stand out in the crowd of prospective players. How can you get noticed among hundreds of players at a tournament? How do you rise above the other 100 names on a recruiterโs lists? How do you avoid getting crossed off the lists? We asked a recruiter and he told us that itโs simpler than you think:โฏ
โIn the dog days of summer, everyone gets a little worn down and tired. I would be lying if I told you there werenโt days when I didnโt feel like scouting and recruiting. Days when I donโt feel like driving several hours, sitting in the heat to watch games, and driving back.โฏ Days when I am sick of living out of cheap motels and eating late-night fast food. โฏBut, every time I step out of my car to watch a game, I find a way to be present. I find a way to put my emotions and feelings aside, lock in, and have a productive day. I have complete control over my ability to be in the present moment and the kids who are playing in front of me deserve my complete attention. As a result, most of the time when I leave the ballpark, I leave thankful for getting to do a job I love and happy I showed up that day.โฏ
Players need to be able to do the same. โฏBaseball is not a chore,โฏitโs a game. And itโs a game you are playing by choice. It is supposed to be fun. The number one way to get crossed off a recruiterโs list is by acting uninterested or like you donโt want to be there. The players that make it to the next level, play the game present in the moment. They are engaged in the game, and as a result, they play one step ahead, they play the game hard, with effort, the way it was meant to be played.โโฏ
In other words, hundreds of guys are out thereโฏnot โฏrunning hard when they ground out or hit a fly ball. Hundreds of guys are notโฏ hustling on and off the field. Hundreds of guys are making mental errors and forgetting the game situation, or they are looking tired and disinterested on the field. Hundreds of guys are notโฏ moving with the pitch,โฏ notโฏ anticipating the back-up position, andโฏnotโฏ making the effort to congratulate a teammate on a good inning, at bat or defensive play.โฏ
These are the guys that get crossed off the lists.โฏ College coaches donโt want to watch this behavior and trusted coaches wonโt back these players when talking with college coaches either.
So, if you want to stand out when the recruiter comes to your school or sees you at a big tournament, you need to play like you want to be there. You need to play hard so that it leaves as lasting impression and makes you stand out from the crowd. Do you remember the first day you started with a team (high school or travel ball) that you thought was going to be really, really good? Do remember the first time you did something during an important game that led to a win? You need to bring back the energy, fun, and confidence that you had on those days and keep it on the field with you duringโฏ every game โฏthat a recruiter sees you play.โฏ
Youโll stand out if you run hard, play hard, stay focused, are aware of the game situation, and play to win. Itโs that simple. You might even end up on that list of guys that recruiters are spending all that time looking for.โฏ