Upperclassmen guide to College Baseball Camps
As an upperclassman, you’ve probably been to a few college baseball camps already. If not, what are you waiting for? Even for those of you who have attended a baseball camp in the past, you may still have questions, need more information on choosing the right camps or information about making the most out of attending a baseball camp.
Make sure you do some research on college baseball camps and feel free to ask schools or coaches to send you a camp brochure. Talk to your parents about their travel budget and work with them on developing a good game plan for scheduling camps. You should try to attend 2-3 camps each year, especially your junior year which is a heavy recruiting time. And remember, camps usually take place in the off-season (summer, fall and winter), so plan ahead.
As an upperclassman in your junior or senior year, consider attending camp at the college where coaches have shown interest in you. And if you’re not sure which coaches have interest, ask! At this point in your recruiting, you should be talking to many different college coaches, sent them your information, and hopefully have a decent gauge on interest. Find out what else they need in order to fully evaluate you. If they say they need to see you play live, then ask about attending their summer baseball camp.
One big mistake that upperclassmen typically make is thinking they’re going to get discovered at a camp. If the college coach doesn’t have you on their radar already, it is less likely that he/she will start recruiting you after attending the camp. For more information on college sports camps check out our NCAA Athletic Conference Camp breakdown.
Make the most of your college baseball camp experience
Now, for those who haven’t attended a college baseball camp yet, let’s go over what you should do before, during, and after a camp. First, email the coach letting him know you will be attending his camp and introduce yourself if you haven’t done so already. Then, once you arrive at the camp, introduce yourself in person. How else is the coach going to evaluate you if he doesn’t know which player you are!?
Be sure to present a good first impression by being respectful and wearing clean clothes. During camp, be a team player, keep up a positive attitude at all times, and listen to the coaches. Run, don’t walk, to the next drill and go above and beyond what is asked of you. Be sure to bring your own gear including bats as well as baseball pants, a hat, gloves, and cleats.
Thank the coach after the camp, and let him know you’ll follow-up soon. And then make sure you do!
Good luck!
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