My son is a high school sophomore baseball player.

He receives multiple invitations to camps/showcases on college campuses weekly.

Why does he receive these?

Because he’s attended a number of Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report tournaments.

College coaches who subscribe to PG and/or PBR have access to his contact information.

This is a GOOD thing. I want his contact information available to coaches who may want to recruit him.

So what’s the problem with the camp invites?

Nothing really. I don’t begrudge college coaches for hosting camps. They are useful in many ways:

• Coaches DO identify talent at camps.

• The profit from camps helps supplement the salaries of the assistant coaches (who are grossly underpaid).

• College programs give back to their local communities by hosting camps.

• Etc.

So why am I talking about this…

Because it’s impossible for my son to attend EVERY camp and showcase he’s invited to. My wife and I don’t have enough time and money.

Do the camps really cost that much? Let’s do some math:

The University of Kentucky will host four prospect camps this summer. They cost $100, which is VERY reasonable.

BUT…

The trip requires a 10-hour drive and two nights in a hotel.

So here’s the cost breakdown:

• Camp = $100

• Gas = $200

• Hotels = $200

• Food = $150

• Total = $650

Now imagine going to 5-10 camps at the same total cost. The price tag can add up quickly.

So here’s the million-dollar question:

How can we figure out which camps our worth our time and money?

A Decision-Making Process for Attending College Camps

Here’s the thing:

If I knew my son was good enough to play at Kentucky (he’s not yet), I would consider sending him to the camp.

Here’s the process I recommend:

Question 1: Are you good enough to play at the college?

If yes, move on to the second question.

If no, don’t go to the camp.

How do you know if you’re good enough?

Get an objective evaluation.

This is a critical part of our process at College Athlete Advantage. We evaluate each player thoroughly to determine which level(s) of college baseball fit best.

Question 2: Does the college have academic programs you like?

You don’t have to know exactly what your major will be, but you should make sure the college offers several academic programs that interest you.

If yes, move on to the third question.

If no, don’t go to the camp.

Question 3: Is the college in a location you’re willing to go to?

This is common sense.

You shouldn’t go to camps if you don’t want to go to college there.

If your answer to this question is yes, move on to the fourth question.

If no, don’t go to the camp.

Question 4: Has the coaching staff expressed interest?

This is where it gets confusing and tricky.

If the camp invite doesn’t address you personally, it’s generic. It was sent to hundreds or thousands of players.

How can you tell whether a camp invite is generic or personal?

Pay attention to the language. A person email will include language about your ability and/or skillset:

• “I saw you play last week and was impressed with your skillset…”

• “I watched the videos on your profile and liked what I saw…”

• “I talked to your coach recently and he had good things to say…”

If you receive a generic camp invite, it doesn’t necessarily mean the coaching staff WON’T be interested. It means they don’t know much about you yet.

If the camp invite IS personal, or if the coaching staff has expressed legitimate interest previously, then it makes sense to go to the camp.

If the camp invite is generic, then respond and ask the coach for feedback on your ability and skill. Here’s some language I like:

• Thank you for inviting me to your camp. I’m interested in attending, but would like your feedback before making a final decision.
  First, are you recruiting for your recruiting class?
  If so, will you look at the short videos below and let me know if my skillset, metrics, and stats are in the range of what you’re looking for?

If the coach doesn’t respond, wait a week and try again.

If the coach still doesn’t respond after three attempts, then don’t go to the camp.

If the coach DOES respond and uses language similar to above, then go to the camp.

A final factor to consider is the location of the camp.

If the camp/showcase is close to home and your travel costs are minimal, then attending may make sense even if the coaching staff hasn’t expressed interest yet.

In this case, you aren’t out as much time and money if attending the camp doesn’t result in an offer.

So to answer the million-dollar question from above:

Use this process for ANY camp invitation you receive. It will save you a lot of time and money!

Please comment or reply if you have questions and/or want more depth about certain topics.

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 sign up for a time here.