What College Coaches Look For in a Player

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Start early · Free lesson

about 50 minutes

Parents Lesson 2: What College Coaches Look For in a Player

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Stage: Start early (Grades 9–10) · Time: about 50 minutes · Need: a notebook, your son’s latest video or game film if you have it

Goal: Know what college coaches weigh when they evaluate a player, beyond stats, so your family puts its time and money into the right things.
Why it matters: Coaches recruit the whole player: physical tools, how he competes, his grades, and how he acts when things go wrong. Many families focus only on stats and rankings and miss what actually moves a coach.

1. Watch first (about 35 min total)

Video	Channel	Length	Why we chose it
[What D1 Baseball Coaches REALLY Look For in Recruits \	Darin Erstad ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V7qI65sIQQ)	RawlingsTigers	6:53	Former MLB player and Nebraska head coach on how a D-I staff evaluates and picks players.
How to Get Noticed by College Coaches: Advice from VCU's Coach	Coach Beede	23:38	VCU’s head coach on what his staff looks for beyond the numbers: character, work and fit.
What College Coaches Look for In Character	NCSA College Recruiting	4:08	Short, clear look at how coaches judge character and coachability.

2. What you need to know

Topic	The short version	Source
Tools first	Coaches start with what can be measured or seen: arm strength, speed, bat speed or exit speed, pitch velocity and movement, and body type. They also project how a player will grow.	Coach advice (see videos)
Then the person	Effort, body language after a mistake, how he treats teammates and umpires, and whether he takes coaching. Coaches often ask his high school and summer coaches.	Coach advice (see videos)
Grades count	Better grades mean more schools can admit him and more academic aid is possible. Coaches see academics as part of the decision.	NCAA: How recruiting works
Parents are watched	Coaches notice how parents act in the stands and in conversations. A calm, supportive family is a plus.	Coach advice (see videos)
Honest odds	The NCAA estimates about 8.8% of high school baseball players go on to play NCAA baseball (2.7% D-I, 2.6% D-II, 3.5% D-III; 2024–25 data).	NCAA: Probability of competing beyond high school

3. Common mistakes and fixes

Mistake	What you see	Fix
Chasing rankings	Money spent to raise a ranking or profile score	Spend on training and the right events. Coaches judge the player, not the ranking.
Only talking stats	Emails lead with batting average	Lead with measurable tools, video and grades. Stats vary by league.
Ignoring body language	Helmet slams or pouting on film	Talk about how he handles failure. Coaches watch between pitches.
Grades as an afterthought	GPA slips during the season	Treat grades as part of recruiting from 9th grade (Lesson 7).

4. How to know you are on track

Tools: write down his current numbers (60-yard time, throwing speed, exit speed or pitch speed) and retest every 3–4 months.
Character check: ask his coach, “What would a college coach hear if he called you?”
Grades: core-course GPA tracked every semester.
You are on track when: he can name his two best tools and one thing he is improving.

5. Do this at home this week

Watch one game together and only notice effort and body language, not results.
Ask his coach for one strength and one thing to improve. Write them down.
Help him pick one measurable goal for the next 3 months.

Challenge: Have your son describe himself in three sentences the way a coach would: tools, how he competes, and grades. Keep it honest.

Check the latest: Rules change. Check the NCAA site for the latest: [ncaa.org/eligibility-center](https://www.ncaa.org/eligibility-center/). Numbers marked “estimate” are the Hub’s guidance, not rules.

Videos

Parents · Recruiting