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Question: Montgomery College is an NJCAA Division III affiliated school,
many of the folks that visit the HSBBWeb assume that the caliber of
baseball played at an NJCAA (juco) school is not as good as that
played at an NCAA D2 or D3 program. How do you respond to that?
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Answer: The NJCAA is a direct feeder to most D1,
D2 or D3 programs that are looking for experienced players
that can handle the education part. Most of our players
are ready for the next level.
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Question: Do NJCAA baseball programs have the ability to
offer athletic scholarship money?
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Answer: Some do and some do not. We do not.
Most junior / community colleges are inexpensive anyway -
so it is as if you are on scholarship
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Question: Do NJCAA schools "blend" athletic and
academic scholarship monies together to create a package
for the good academic student-athlete? |
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Answer: We do offer academic scholarships,
but never athletic scholarships
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Question: When should a player write a letter of
introduction to a junior college coach? (i.e. after his 1
1th grade year, etc)?
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Answer: Fall of his senior year or as early
as the summer before his senior year
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Question: Is it better to have the player's high
school coach send the first letter? Or does it make any difference?
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Answer: A hand written letter from the player would be
nice. We will contact whoever afterward
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Question: Do sending copies of high school / summer
team statistics help? Are they of value to you, when included
in an introductory letter?
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Answer: They do not hurt, especially if the player is
competing against good competition
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Question: Should a player or coach send copies of clippings
from local newspapers, that include highlights about the
player?
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Answer: No need sending MC/Germantown that info.
All we need is ... What is your interest in our program /
school and your baseball information that can be processed
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Question: How important is it for a player to attend a
junior college team's summer camp?
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Answer: Not as important as some think.
We like the high school players to attend our camp,
so that we can show them what we have to offer them as
far as the program is concerned
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Question: Are the "online" internet recruiting services
taken seriously by college coaches? Would you recommend them to
a high school player and his family?
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Answer: I receive 5 to 6 emails a week from players
who have made a school list a mile long and just happened to
add our school to the list
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Question: Should a player send a videotape of
himself in baseball situations and games? Do junior college
coaches review unsolicited tapes?
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Answer: NO! Only if the coach requests one
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Question: If a tape is requested, by you and your
staff what suggestions would you make to the player? Such as.
All game situations, some individual fielding and batting
practice? Pitchers in games only or is just throwing to a
catcher good also? |
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Answer: Keep the tape brief, live or practice format.
We only need to see a few swings, etc. 3 - 5 minute and include
all aspects of that player
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Question: With the continuous increase in the number of "Showcases",
in recent years ... How important is it for a player to attend this type of
event? |
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Answer: I established a prospect team for players,
in the fall of their senior season, in our area and it has
been a great recruiting device, for us. I no longer attend
because our fall season includes 36 scrimmages |
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Question: How important is a player's physical appearance?
I do not mean is he 6'-1" tall and weighs 205 lbs. What I am
referring to is tattoos, body piercings, odd hair styles, manner
of dress etc. Are any or all of these items a "negative" when a
college coach sees a prospective player? |
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Answer: To some! We want a player to be a solid
citizen & student, on top of being a player that has a
great work ethic. All the extra-curricular looks just means
the young man has too much spare time!!!
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Question: If a player has a bad day when a college
coach is in the stands watching him for the first time.
Does that mean that it is "over" as far as that school is
concerned? |
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Answer: What constitutes a bad day? If a player
takes good cuts, has good mechanics, is coachable and HUSTLES
- send him my way..
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Question: How important is a player's "attitude
appearance" when in a game or at practice? |
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Answer: Most important. He has got to want to get better and
the only way to do that is to pay attention, believe and get to work
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Question: As the head coach of a smaller college what
are the major differences in recruiting when compared to the
"major" schools? |
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Answer: We stay local and try to take care of the players
in our general area. We will offer the same forms of program,
the only difference is they will play as freshman!
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Question: As the coach of a smaller school do you recruit
on a more regional scope than other larger schools? |
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Answer: We stay in our county; only players that contact us do
we follow-up on, out of the area
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Question: So many high school players have the attitude
that if they do not play college baseball at one of the D1 top
40 programs they have failed. What advice can you offer a high
school player regarding the "big school" stigma? |
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Answer: If you want to play major division 1 baseball
and haven't been formally invited, make your statement at the
junior college level. The scholarship money will be better
because of the two years of experience
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Question: What other advice would you give to a high school
player that hopes to play college baseball? |
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Answer: A player must have the desire to compete at a
higher level. Be realistic in evaluating your skills. Not
everything that is good costs a lot of money!
Our program in a nutshell..... We involve approximately
30 players each year, during the fall. If you contribute and keep up -
you enjoy the spring.
We scrimmage 4 year institutions and 2 year schools
in the fall. (30-35 scrimmages August - October)
Spring workouts begin the second week of January with
the season starting February 15th in North Carolina.
We schedule 50-56 games through May. (played 51 last spring)
Weight training starting in November.
We don't enforce a study hall, but we do check grades bi-weekly,
along with attendance and work study habits.
We also expect our players to help with all winter and summer
clinics and camps, because these are our main fund-raising source.
Also......
3 sets of uniforms, team spikes, travel bags, travel warm-ups,
team jacket, etc.
Our travel includes trips to Pennsylvania, West Virginia,
Delaware and New Jersey. Region XX Tournament in Pittsburgh, PA.
NJCAA Division III National Tournament in Batavia, New York
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