Crack of the Bat

By Blaine Clemmens

 

About Scholarships and Recruiting!

 

At the end of the year, there are always many players that are wishing they had received an opportunity to sign with a D1 program in the early signing period.  Many of those players are very talented, sometimes among the best players in their local area or region.  It can often be hard for the parents and the players themselves to understand why an opportunity has not come yet. 

 

Most parents and players only go through the process once in their lives.  They don't have the experience or background to understand the process, methods, and reasons college coaches sign certain players in the early period and not others.  Further confusing things for the parents in particular is their ability to understand the scholarship situation.

 

While many of the players that sign in the early period (this year it was Nov. 7-11) are offered and sign for significant athletic scholarships (I would say that anything 50% and above is a large scholarship offer), there aren't nearly as many "full rides" as parents are led believe.  I can't tell you how many times I am at games around parents talking about an offer that Johnny received or an offer that Joey committed to.  There is so much second hand information being passed around and frankly, a lot of fibbing too.

 

Anyway, most of the parents and players have very, very little knowledge about how the whole recruiting process, and in particular, very little knowledge about how scholarships work for baseball at the D1 level.  Further, their grasp of terms like walk-on or recruited walk-on is limited.

 

Below is the initial email that prompted me to provide the education, followed by my response about some of the scholarship process in D1 baseball.  Remember, my perspective comes from my time as a D1 coach and recruiting coordinator and from communications with many different coaches at many different programs.  I thought many of our PG readers could gain some valuable information I offered to this particular dad.  I took out the names of the parent, the player, and any mention of specific schools, for obvious reason.  I have bolded some of the language that prompted me to reply as I did.

 

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From: Schmoe, Joe [mailto:Joe.Schmoe@blahblah.com]

Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 7:02 PM

To: 'Blaine Clemmens'

Subject: RE: my son

 

Hi Blaine, what more can I say but a big "thank you." My son was contacted by State U (his #1 pick) and he will be attending their camp this coming weekend. He was also contacted by State Tech and invited to their camp (also this weekend) but he wants to go to the State U camp. He has sent a note to coach Soandso telling him that he had already committed to go to the State U camp. Last evening he was invited and attended the Anywhere State vs. Somewhere Tech game and got to meet the baseball coaches. He really enjoyed the experience and I thank you for setting up that opportunity.

 

To answer your questions regarding my son. He now has a 2.82 GPA and a 1710 on the new SAT. He had a 3.75 GPA last quarter. He had a tough sophomore year but has worked very hard to get his grades up. We are prepared to finance a portion of his schooling but we were thinking in the $20,000 a year maximum range. Of course we would love to see him be able to get a full scholarship for his athletic talent. I have spoken with him about being a "walk on or recruited walk on" and he does not want to get into a situation where he is enrolled in school and does not make the team as a walk on. He really wants to play and does not want to "risk" enrolling and then not being selected to play. We are hoping to hear back from Nowhere State and Sunshine U soon. We are grateful for your interest in his career and look forward to hearing from you with any further advice that you may be able to provide to us. Thanks again.

 

 

RE: your son

From: Blaine Clemmens

Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 9:39 AM

To: 'Schmoe, Joe'

Subject: RE: my son

 

You are welcome Tom.  Let me help you understand some things about scholarships and walk-on opportunities, etc.  First of all, it is highly unlikely for most players to receive a full scholarship.  Put that out of your mind and his and remove that from your vocabulary.  The reason I say that is because there are only 11.7 scholarships that a NCAA D1 program has to invest in their team in a given year.  That does not mean a program has 11.7 scholarships to offer every year.  A program only has the ability to offer the amount of money to incoming recruits that is equal to that money that will be leaving their program the next spring.  So if State U has three seniors who are graduating and they have a total of 1.5 scholarships invested in them, then State U only would have 1.5 scholarships to offer. 

 

Baseball is an equivalency sport at the NCAA D1 level, meaning that they can have the equivalent of 11.7 scholarships invested in their team of 30+ players in a given year.  Do the math - 30+ players and less than 12 athletic scholarships to divide among those players.  Every program in the nation tries to stretch those 11.7 scholarships out as far as they can.  Some kids are on 75% athletic scholarship money (generally a big time pitcher, or premium position player such as a SS, CF, or a big time bat that makes an immediate impact).  Some kids are on 25% money, some are on 10%, and there are a few that are on full athletic money. 

 

But go back to the example of State U's three seniors leaving and the program having 1.5 scholarships invested into them.  One might have 25%, one might have 75% and the other might have 50% for a total of the 1.5 scholarships.  Say they are a 1B, a starting RHP, and a catcher.  Assume that the team would want to replace those three outgoing positions with three identical incoming positions, but they also need another SS, back-up catcher, a 3B, and a 2B because the players they counted on as performers at those positions were not as good as they thought or expected them to be.  They still only have 1.5 scholarships to spend.  How are they going to get the 6 players they feel they need for 1.5 scholarships?  They will recruit players that could get academic money or financial aid money, or those that don't need money the first year, etc.  But wait, it gets even trickier.  

 

Say they do need to replace those players and get the new ones, but what if they also have three juniors that have been on smaller scholarships or were recruited walk-ons with a handshake agreement that if they performed well and comported themselves well in the campus community and within the team, they were told by the head coach during the recruiting process that they would become more heavily invested in if they did all that was expected of them and then some?  Say the agreement was this, no money the first year, 10% the second year, 30% the third and 50% the fourth year. 

 

The coach may have to use some of the outgoing senior money to reinvest into that player he made the promise to.  Now, those types of agreements are not legally binding and they are generally not documented, they are "handshake" or "gentlemen's" agreements and agreed upon in good faith.  That is why it is so important for a player to choose to play for a head coach and/or coaching staff that they feel is of strong character and is openly honest in their intentions for that player.

 

Here is another situation... Say a talented but somewhat raw sophomore from the previous year goes out and has a big time summer season in a top summer league and develops into one of the top professional prospects heading into his junior year.  Say that while he is out there playing for his summer team, away from his current coaching staff, another school recruits him (illegal, but it happens) and offers him a big scholarship to transfer (again, illegal but it happens).  Say that player goes back to his head coach, tells his coach that he is going to transfer unless the coach can up his 40% scholarship to 75% or more. 

 

Well, that head coach has a decision to make.  He can let his formerly raw but talented player that he recruited and developed walk away when he starts to reach his potential, which might affect the upcoming season, or he can reinvest in that player.  Similar scenarios happen every year to coaches from smaller programs with talented players that were previously unknown or under the radar but are not any longer because they performed on the stage of a big time summer league.  If the coach chooses to reinvest in that player, then he has to use money that might have been earmarked for incoming recruits.  Again, that is a rare case, but it happens and it is something that can't be planned for.

 

The common theme here is that there is so much more going on with scholarships than most parents and recruits will never know about because it is not your job to know.  The point is that scholarships are not easy to come by, certainly not as easy as so many people think and I guarantee they are not as large as most people think.  It blows my mind how often I hear parents tell other people that little Joey is getting a full rid to State U. 

 

Again, it is really just simple math, 30+ players for 11.7 scholarships.  24 or 25 players travel/dress for conference games and they get the majority of the money.  Generally speaking, starting pitchers, SSs, CFs, Cs, and legit middle of the order producers get the most money.  So if there are 24 guys that are the core of a team and there are only 11.7 scholarships that can possibly invested in that team, if everyone is getting equal money, how much is each player getting?  That is right, less then 50%.  That is why all that I have written so far is basically to inform you that you can't worry or plan or assume or concern yourself whatsoever about scholarships.  How they are offered, to whom they are offered, when they are offered, etc. are all factors that are out of your control.

 

Additionally, scholarships are renewable on a year to year basis.  They are not four year deals as so many assume they are.  There is no such thing as a guaranteed "four year full ride."  Each player that is fortunate enough to receive ANY scholarship money must earn that on a year to year basis.  At the end of each year the coach and player sit down to review the past year and then sign the scholarship papers for the following year. 

 

The coach has to offer at least what he provided the previous year.  He can increase it if he wants.  He CAN decrease or pull money too, but the player has a right of appeal if that happens.  If that situation is upheld, it is likely the player has done something (other than simply play poorly) to lose the money; such as conduct detrimental to the team, drugs, drinking, repeatedly late for practice or scheduled training sessions, missing classes, academic woes, etc.  Again, another situation that you probably were unaware of.

 

Basketball (men and women), football, women's volleyball, women's tennis, and women's gymnastics are "head counter" sports at the D1 level; meaning that they offer full scholarships and do not split them.  For example a men's basketball team has 13 full scholarships to give, they do not split them.  Those players are on full athletic scholarships or nothing.  The equivalency sports can offer the full if they want, but they are allowed to split them to maximize the money they have. 

 

Most sports are equivalency sports.  There are a lot of reasons why certain sports are head counter and others are equivalency, mostly related to their ability to generate revenue.  Some non revenue generating sports are head counter sports due to Title IX.  Simply stated, because football gets 85 scholarships, legislation (and frankly fairness) says that there must be an equivalent number of full scholarships available for women student-athletes. 

 

Ok, this is a lot more information than you wanted or I figured I would give, but with this comment from you, "...Of course we would love to see him be able to get a full scholarship for his athletic talent. I have spoken with him about being a 'walk on or recruited walk on' and he does not want to get into a situation where he is enrolled in school and does not make the team as a walk on. He really wants to play and does not want to 'risk' enrolling and then not being selected to play." 

 

I figured you needed some education.  If his talent was that great right now, he likely would have been offered already, or maybe it is just a case of not being seen enough.  I have seen him; he is a good player, but not a full scholarship player.  For me, if I was still coaching at the D1 level, I would view your son as a recruited walk-on or a small scholarship player.  I would figure that he could blossom in our program, but he just is not far enough advanced that I see him making a big impact as a freshman and at this point, I don't think he is going to be a top 10 round pick out of high school. 

 

I just wouldn't feel that I had to pay that much money to get a strong left handed bat at the 1B position, when I can find similar players at the JC level who have much more experience and polished hitting ability closer to the D1 level.  Now, your son brings the added dimension of pitching, so that is a bit different and makes him more valuable, if he is seen as a prospect on the mound, which I think he is.  Remember, very few freshman make big impacts.  The leap to D1 ball (top 50 level) is monstrous.  

 

Being a recruited walk-on means the program wants the player.  It means they recruit him as much as any other player; they just don't have the money to invest in his position for whatever reason (see the aforementioned scenarios).  Most of the money is spent in the early signing period, not all of it, but a lot of it. 

 

When a program says they have spent all they have for a recruiting class, then unless they lose a guy to the draft or a transfer, they know exactly the amount of money that is outgoing and they have already offered and reinvested it during the early signing period.  There is always money in the late period (that is why there is a late period), but it is not as exact as what you know is available in the early period.  If a school does not find the right player in the early period for a certain position, they will wait and hold that money into the spring period.

 

So long and short, your son should only hope to get recruited with the goal of finding a program and school that is a fit for him both academically, athletically, and socially.  He will know if he is being actively recruited and if he is wanted by a program because that program will let him know.  As for the financial part, it is the last part of the equation that at program and player/family have to figure out. 

 

Sometimes what is offered is not exactly reflective of how much a player is valued and that can be hard to understand.  But if a school really needs a pitcher and they only have 75% left to offer and if the pitcher they want/need is going to cost them 75%, then they have to give it to him.  But at the same time they may really want a player like your son, but just do not have the money to invest in him as a freshman because they had to secure a great need.  Does that make sense?

 

Recruited walk-on is only a label.  Players that can play, they get recruited and they get opportunities to play.  If a coach sees a kid play and they recruit him based upon his ability, then they want him.  The scholarship money does not say they want him.  Recruiting his ability after seeing him play says they want him.  Those players, recruited walk-ons, are starting for and impacting every program in the nation, even on the College World Series teams.  Believe it.

 

A dicey situation is when a player is invited as a walk-on without the coaching staff seeing him play much or at all.  If the player is actively recruited and invited to become part of the program, then that player is generally secure.  Remember, no player is 100% secure, even the big scholarship guys.  If they don't perform well or just can't handle D1 ball or are not the right kind of person, guess what, they won't be in that program for long. 

 

Your son needs to worry about getting recruited, finding a fit, and then when he does get his opportunity to commit somewhere, once he gets there, scholarship or no scholarship, he will need to fight and work everyday to keep his opportunity, just like every other player.

 

I hope this long, long, long email helps you and him understand more about scholarship players and recruited walk-ons because in the eyes of the coaches that recruit those players, there really is not a difference, except basic supply and demand. 

 

                        -End of the email-

 

Now, some coaches out there will dispute much of what I have written, but all of the above situations happen.  That is not to say that all the above situations are common because they are not.  But the point to be made was that parents and players in general should not concern themselves with things that are out of their control.  A scholarship offer is a privilege and a VERY SMALL percentage of high school baseball players will even receive $1 of athletic aide.  It is just not as common as many people think, for a variety of reasons.