I was at a travel baseball tournament at the Creekside baseball complex in Kansas City recently.

There must have been at least 50 teams from multiple age divisions (15U-18U) at the tournament.

The overall talent at the tournament was solid. I saw multiple D1 prospects (some which are already committed to D1 programs) and a lot of players who will be able to play college baseball at some level.

You might imagine how many college coaches were roaming around the six-field complex:

ZERO!

I didn’t see a single college coach in two days!

Is it possible that a few coaches were there that I didn’t see? Definitely…but if there were it wasn’t many.

Why were there not many/any college coaches at the tournament?

I’m not 100% sure. I’ve been to similar tournaments that DO attract a lot of coaches.

Here are some facts about travel baseball tournaments that I’ve come up with through my 15+ years in the college baseball recruiting space:

• Not all tournaments attract college coaches

• There’s no guarantee you will be seen even if you play in a tournament that DOES attract college coaches

• College coaches come to tournaments with a list of players they want to see (they aren’t looking to add new players to the list)

These facts beg the following questions:

• How can you figure out which tournaments attract college coaches?

• How can tournaments benefit your recruiting process if they don’t attract college coaches?

• How can you get on the list of players that college coaches want to see at tournaments?

Here are some steps you can take to answer these questions and make sure you’re getting the most out of the tournaments you attend:

Six Steps to Get the Most Out of Travel Baseball Tournaments

1 - Determine Which College Coaches are Attending the Tournament

Find the tournament webpage to see if the college coaches attending are posted. This is more common at showcases, but there are some tournament directors who post this information.

If you can’t find which coaches plan to attend the tournament, assume that colleges within a 50-100 mile radius of the tournament site will attend.

2 - Contact Coaches Before the Tournament

Use email and X (formerly Twitter) to introduce yourself to the coaches from the colleges you’ve identified in step one. Send to as many coaches as possible (head and assistants) at each school.

Here’s an example email:

Coaches,

My name is John Smith. I am a 2025 SS from XYZ High School in Iowa.

I’m going to be playing at the ABC tournament in your area next weekend. Here’s my schedule:

• Saturday, Oct. 1 - 1:00 on Field 2

• Saturday, Oct. 1 - 4:00 on Field 2

• Sunday, Oct. 2 - 10:00 on Field 3

If one of your coaches plans to attend the tournament, I would love to be on your list of players to take a look at.

Here is a link to my CAA recruiting profile (includes videos) if you’d like to take a look before the tournament:

www.john-smith.collegeathleteadvantage.com

Thank you!

Sincerely,

John Smith
123-456-7890

To use X, follow as many coaches as you can find from the schools from step one. If they follow you back, send a DM with the same information (but shorten the message).

Note: ONLY DM coaches on X if they follow you back.

3 - Take Note of Coaches Who Actually Attend Your Games

Have your parents and/or coaches take note of which college programs actually attend your games (tell them to look at the logos on coaches polos and/or caps).

They may not be able to identify every program, but tell them to do their best.

Asking one of your travel coaches to distribute rosters to college coaches before each game is the best (and least awkward) way to determine which coaches are in attendance.

This list will inform which coaches to contact first after the tournament (see step six).

4 - Capture Video at Games

Even if no college coaches attend your games, you can “take the game to them” by providing video clips.

You will need to have your parents and/or coaches do this for you.

I created a detailed tutorial on how to capture game footage at this link.

5 - Edit Videos and Post to Social Media/Recruiting Profiles

The same article I referenced above provides instruction for editing game videos.

Get the edits done within a day or two after the tournament and then post to social media (Twitter, YouTube, etc.) and your CAA recruiting profile.

6 - Contact Coaches After the Tournament

A few days after the tournament, send two separate emails.

First, email the following message (or something similar) to the coaches who attended your games at the tournament:

Coaches,

My name is John Smith. I am a 2025 SS from XYZ High School in Iowa.

I played for LMN club team in the ABC tournament last weekend. I was told one of your coaches attended one of our games.

Would you mind giving me some feedback on my performance and letting me know if you have any interest in me as a prospect?

Here’s some video from the tournament:

INCLUDE VIDEO LINK

Also, here is the link to my recruiting profile:

INCLUDE CAA PROFILE LINK

Thank you!

Sincerely,

John Smith
123-456-7890

Second, send the following message (or something similar) to the coaches at schools you have interest in:

Coaches,

My name is John Smith. I am a 2025 SS from XYZ High School in Iowa.

I’m writing to share a highlight video from my the ABC tournament in Kansas City last weekend. Here’s the link:

INCLUDE VIDEO LINK

Also, here is the link to my recruiting profile with more videos:

INCLUDE CAA PROFILE LINK

Will you take a look at my videos and profile and let me know if my metrics and skillset match what you’re looking for?

Thank you!

Sincerely,

John Smith
123-456-7890

Repeat this process after each tournament.

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.