When you talk to a college coach on the phone, he will ask if you have any questions at the end of the call.

When you visit a college campus, everyone you meet with (coaches, admissions, financial aid, professors, etc.) will ask if you have any questions at the end of the conversation.

It will feel awkward if you don’t have questions prepared.

Spend time ahead of the call/visit to prepare questions. Determine what factors are most important to you, then come up with 2-3 questions for each.

Write down the questions and take notes during the call/visit. Ask follow-up questions if anything you’re told is unclear.

Don’t just ask questions to ask questions. Really think about what information you want/need to determine of the school/program is the right fit.

Ask the same questions for each call/visit so you can easily compare and contrast schools and programs.

The following is a list of important factors and potential questions for each. I plan to add to this list over time, so please let me know if you think of additional questions.

Before I get to the questions, I want to let you know that I advise/coach/mentor high school and junior college baseball coaches from start to finish through the recruiting process.

The players I work with have unlimited access to me (and my team of advisors through College Athlete Advantage).

If you’d like to learn more, reply to this email or send me a text at 319-883-0242 to set up a FREE consultation.

You can also click here for more details.

Academics

Ask these questions to the coaching staff, but come up with additional questions if you’re meeting with a professor in your academic interest area.

• Are there other players in the program that have my major?

• Will you describe the academic/athletic balance at your school?

• How do you support your players academically?

• Do you organize team study tables?

• What types of academic support are available?

• How much class will I have to miss for baseball?

• Are the professors understanding when I have to miss class for baseball?

• What was the team average GPA last year?

Athletic Training

Hopefully you won’t have any major injuries in college, but inevitably you will have some bruises, cramps, cuts, sprains, strains, etc.

Athletic trainers can also help with preventative care, so it’s important to learn about what resources are available.

• Is there an athletic trainer dedicated to baseball?

• Is there an athletic trainer at all practices and games?

• What does rehab look like for injured players?

• What does preventative care look like for baseball players?

• What times are the athletic training room open?

Campus Life

Campus life refers to the activities/culture/environment on campus OUTSIDE of academics and athletics. Ask the following questions if this is important to you:

• What do the players do outside of baseball and school?

• What is there to do on campus outside of baseball and school?

• Do a lot of students leave campus on the weekends?

• What campus clubs/organizations are available? Do many players get involved?

• Do the baseball players live together?

• What is the alcohol policy on campus? Is it a “dry” campus?

Coaching Staff

You will spent A LOT of time with the coaches. Your relationship with the coaches will play a large role in your experience. Ask the coaches a lot of questions!

• How many coaches are on staff?

• Who coaches my position?

• What is the experience of the coaches on staff?

• Are all the coaches at every practice and game?

• What is your coaching style?

• How long do you plan to coach here?

• Is there a certified strength coach dedicated to baseball?

• How would you describe the team culture?

Cost

I call the total tuition/room/board/fees published on college websites the “sticker price.”

Comparing sticker prices is a trap. Nobody pays the sticker price.

Don’t compare until you know the final “out-of-pocket” cost (after financial aid) for each school.

Here are some questions to ask:

• Is there athletic money available to offset the cost of college?

• What academic scholarships are available?

• Are there other scholarships available outside of athletics and academics?

• If another school is less expensive, is there wiggle room on the cost?

• What apparel/equipment is provided and what will I need to purchase on my own?

• Does the college pay for all baseball-related travel costs?

Development

How much you develop and improve in college depends more on you than the coaching staff, but some coaches/programs provide better resources than others.

Determining which environments are better suited for your development requires answers to a lot of questions. Here are some to consider:

• What does a typical practice look like?

• Do you send out practice plans before practice?

• What strength and conditioning program is in place? What does it look like throughout the year?

• Will I receive individual instruction outside of team practices?

• What technology do you have? How do you use it?

• Do you use video for player development?

• What does practice/training look like in the fall, winter, and spring?

• Can you give specific examples of players improving in your program?

• Do you help place players in summer leagues?

Facilities

You can get a feel for the quality of baseball facilities through website research. Seeing the facilities in person, however, and asking good questions will give you a more complete picture.

• Are any facility upgrades coming in the near future?

• How much access do baseball players have to the facilities?

• Are players responsible for helping maintain the facilities?

• What are the indoor facilities like?

Interest Level

Here are some questions to ask coaches to determine if you’re a “top” recruit:

• What do you like most about me as a prospect for you program?

• How do you see me fitting in?

• Are you recruiting me as a varsity or JV player?

Level

The level of competition isn’t completely dependent on the association/division of the program. There are D2/D3/NAIA/JC teams who can beat some D1 teams on a given day.

Here are some questions to ask coaches to determine the level of competition:

• How would you describe the level of competition?

• What are the average velocity of pitchers in the conference?

• What are the average metrics in your conference for players at my position?

• Do the team play higher-level competition?

Location

Obviously distance from home is easy to calculate, but you should consider many more factors related to location:

• Do players/students do things off campus very often?

• What is the city/town like?

• Is there a good connection between the college and community?

• What are things to do off campus?

• Is the campus in a safe area?

Playing Time

No coach will (or should) guarantee playing time. You have to EARN playing time.

There are programs, however, at which earning playing time early in your career (freshman or sophomore year) will be more likely than others.

Here are some questions to ask:

• How do you determine playing time?

• How will I be evaluated?

• Do freshmen have an opportunity to earn varsity playing time?

• Do you see me as having a good chance to earn varsity playing time early in my career?

Winning

It’s easy to determine whether a program has a winning tradition through online research. Keep in mind, however, that winning in the past doesn’t guarantee winning in the future.

Here are some questions to ask to dive deeper:

• What have the team’s win-loss records been over the past five years?

• What is your plan for turning the program around (for teams that haven’t won much in the past)?

• Does the administration value winning?

I hope this helps!

Feel free to reply/comment with any questions and/or insights.

All the best!

- Matt

P.S. If you'd like to schedule a free consultation with me to discuss your specific recruiting process, reply to this email or sent me a text at 319-883-0242.