One of the regional directors of this program told a friend of mine who coaches to recommend only quality players. It is not a "talentless who can pay to play" situation. It was intoned that recommending lesser players will diminish the future acceptance of recommendations from the coaches.
Well, let's all be afraid that some coach might not be "trusted" to refer a $525.00 per player fee? Seriously? As consumers and parents, that is what the fear is going to be in the college process? BOTC thinks you have this all wrong.
Our recommendation would be to keep your hands in your pockets on this one - bank the several thousand dollars that a rising freshman recruiting camp will cost your family and use those funds for something practical - SAT/ACT preparation courses, AP test fees (which will start for top students in sophomore year), and other college preparatory functions.
Have to say I am a bit surprised by your take on this. Jake Reed is by far the #1 recruiting camp there is in the country. In the past he has taken 120 kids that he invites through couches recommendations and performance. Last year they began to create this "play in" to give others the opportunity to prove themselves and hopefully find some of those players that have been overlooked. Is it a business? Yes. Are they playing on consumers (Parents) insecurity? yes. But if you get into Jake Reed and have a good few days and you will get recruited from the the minute the camp is over. Any and all of your advertisers that have "recruiting" camps are only trying to emulate this camp and it could be argued that money is even more of a waste. So a parents chooses to pay the money and have their kid attend. When they come back they will know one of two things, they are a very competitive player and have to keep working hard or they are non-competitive and they really need to start practicing if they want to be good. Last point, do you really think a parent who is spending this amount of money on a camp isn't doing the same thing for academics? Tudors, Prep courses, etc??? Don't know one parent who says its either camp or the Tudor, its both and many times the camps are rewards for getting good grades.
Well said. My son knows....academics 1st, 2nd and last. Anything else is extra and liable to be taken away if his grades suffer even one point. Thus far, can't argue with his 98 average. So he gets to play. And I do not mind paying. It is positive reinforcement and the results speak for themselves.
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