Our son is headed there in just a month as a freshman. Seems like a perfect school for him academically and size wise! He is hoping to walk on as a baseball player. Coach seems like a good guy and seems like a fair one! Any advice???

From what I've heard from college coaches regarding walk-ons, they look for:

* promptness to all practices. Being early is very good.

* hustle over and above everyone else, i.e. on pole to poles being first one out, first one in.

* When running out the field, also being the first one out, the first one in.

* dressed like a ballplayer. No slop.

* attentiveness to advice and putting it into action, i.e. coachability.

* volunteering after practice to clean up the field.
willingness to practice after practice within the NCAA guidelines. If a coach comes to the field and sees your son already there doing sprints, hitting off the tee, etc. it shows him that he really wants to play.

* politeness. If a coach likes a player, even if his current skills are not as good as some of the signed players, some coaches will invest the time by giving them the opportunity to be on the team.

All of the above is the basic "Making the Team 101."

I've heard many times from coaches that they cut half the team in the first five minutes based on how a player acts running on and off the field. Or at best make an initial assesment based on an initial impression. If you initially like a player, your willing to give him several chances in your mind when he doesn't do well and fails (which all players do). However, if you already have a bad impression of a player based on his attitude, look, hustle, etc., then as a coach you're most likely not going to give him a second chance in your mind.


I've followed your posts over the years and you seem like a wonderful supportive family, I'm very hopeful your son will work hard, thus showing the coaches he will be an asset for the team on and off the bench.

I would recommend your son letting the coaches know how much he wants to be a part of the team if he hasn't already done so.

Also, having a couple letters from coaches and "baseball people" that know your son, sent to the coach of UMW, not on his abilities, but rather his demeanor and makeup as person will definatly help. I did this for a young man once who wanted to attend Palm Beach Atlantic and the coach emailed me back telling me my email/letter regarding the young man's character and not skill was the deciding factor on bring him aboard.

Peace and God's Blessings...
Shane

UMW in recent years has had a reputation for bringing in a ton of players for tryouts, many feeling they were "recruited", only to show up and find 3-4 other guys at the same position feeling they too were "recruited". Your son should expect to see a lot of bodies and not let his mind get blown away by the numbers.