samflamont:

How to decipher what a coach says: Just listen, no really listen

A coach’s job is to go out and get the best players available, that means if you are the best shortstop in high school he will want to get you.  This is where you must listen carefully and fully understand what the coach is saying.  Some coaches will be flat out honest and tell you, “We have a shortstop who is a senior so you will probably redshirt your first year”.  This would be perfect but some coaches do not do that.  They will say things along the lines of, “you will have the chance to compete” or “we might look at you for a different position your first year”.  This is where the coach is being honest but the player thinks the competition is already over, because he thinks he is going to win.  You are in a tough spot when it comes to competing and you must realize who you are competing against before you can assess the situation properly.  If you are competing against a senior who played last year and did well, then you really do not have a chance.  If you are competing against two freshmen like yourself then it is a free for all, and may the best man win.  Also if a coach tells you that he thinks you would be better suited as a second baseman rather than a shortstop he may be trying to tell you they have a void they need to fill, or he thinks your particular skill set is better suited at second.  Also, you may play second base your first year, then get a real shot to compete for shortstop your second year.  As a recruit you need to listen and understand what you are getting into because you do not want to get into a situation you do not like.  Also, beware of the coach who says things like, you have a good chance to start or you are the front runner for the position.  Chances are he said this exact same thing to a few other guys as well.  Be informed about who is coming back and how they did last season, and learn how to decipher what a coach is saying.  Some of you may not know and you can ask those who do.  I was lucky coming out of high school because the coach asked me other then shortstop where would I like to play.  I said second base or center field.  His response was “what about third base”.  He flat out said they had a guy coming back who was going to play center field and he had a guy coming in who was going to play second for sure.  The last thing he told me was there were three of us competing for shortstop and whoever did not win that battle would compete for third base.  This was refreshing, I knew going in I had to work my butt off just to play.  All you want is a fair chance and do not be afraid to ask the coach, who is returning and what are your actual chances of playing?  Also, remember going to a four year school there is a good chance you redshirt, which is not always a bad thing.