Latest / Chasing Baseball Dreams / Episode #2: D1 Coach Says Your 12 Year Old's Rankings Don't Matter | Texas A&M HC Michael Earley
Transcript
- Bobby Minor: All right, welcome to Chasing Baseball Dreams. And today I am joined by a very special guest. I always love the opportunity to talk to college coaches because I know there's a lot of lot of information out there telling you, you know, what coaches are looking for, what matters, what doesn't matter, and all that. And I think it's always it's always amazing when we get to hear it directly from not just a college coach, but ⁓ a Division I college coach at one of the top universities in the country. So today I'm joined by Texas Daniel head coach Michael Early. So coach, thanks for taking some time to stop by. Michael: Thanks for having me, man. Looking forward to it. Bobby Minor: All right, so let's just jump right in. ⁓ you've been the head coach at AM for three years, you're an assistant there for three years, you're also at Arizona State. ⁓ but like now, like I said, you are the head coach. So you make you make the final calls on all players. So when you're when you and your staff are evaluating a high school player, what are you actually looking at? And what do parents assume that you're looking at that you're not looking at? Michael: What are you actually looking at? I think I mean that's kind of it really just depends on what you're looking for. ⁓ a lot of different things. But for us, specifically at AM, and I think a lot of schools in SEC, it's like when you're recruiting a kid, do you feel like he can make an impact ⁓ as a freshman? Just with how roster sizes are are changing, ⁓ the game's changing. Can you make an immediate impact? And if you can't, that's fine. There's development within the program, but I think a few things you look for in that is like The physicality. So most of these kids were recruiting, you know, they're going into their junior year. So obviously they're not everyone develops at a different pace, right? Like it just happens for people at a certain time from a physicality standpoint. ⁓ but what is the physicality now? What do you project it out to be? And what could it be? You got a dream on it for for a couple of years. ⁓ so a lot of those different things. I mean obviously performance, like, ⁓ you have to be a player, whatever level there's a level, I believe, for every single player. ⁓ I think finding what's appropriate for you will help you a ton. And also for us, we have to find who we feel is, you know, can play at our level. ⁓ and kind of follow them that way and just their overall performance. So it's just a lot of different things. I mean you might look for whether it be a shortstop, a center fielder, a first baseman, a catcher. You're looking for different stuff and their ability and their skill level at those positions. ⁓ And and on the mound. So it it it really is a mixed bag. And and you asked what what do parents think you're looking for that you're probably not? ⁓ I'm not I'm not too sure because I'm not sure exactly what all what all parents ⁓ think. I know there's a lot of passionate parents, which is awesome. I think if I could think of one thing it would just be accolades. Like I've never recruited a kid and because he was all state or Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: all conference or a batting champion. Now mo might help you find out about ⁓ but I've never peeled through a page of awards to to recruit kids. ⁓ does it help? Yeah, 'cause it means you've you've done some things and and and you're a good player. But I think the simplest part is like we're trying to find guys that can can play at our level and that we feel like can make an impact early on. Bobby Minor: That's good stuff. Thank you for sharing that. Okay, so you kinda mentioned accolades. What about rankings and grades? PG grades specifically. Does that how much does that, if at all, does it factor into to your decisions in the recruiting process? Michael: It doesn't factor into a decision at all. Do I think it can help at the right age? Maybe it was just a guy we don't know about and you come across and there's a it might it might get you seen maybe a little more. I don't necess it definitely is not gonna get you a scholarship, right? Like you still you still have to perform. ⁓ and it really just depends on what age you're talking about. Like if you're thirteen or fourteen, ⁓ we don't We don't recruit thirteen or fourteen year olds, but if maybe a little higher up, it's maybe a guy we haven't come across or at a random game. ⁓ maybe I think that's also like a mixed bag. Like there's no right answer, but you know, we had a kid here this year that wasn't wasn't a ranked player and he's he's really darn good. Like really, really good. We also had another freshman that was highly ranked and he was really good too. So I I've come across that in a lot of different ways. ⁓ I don't want to say it matters or doesn't matter. I just think it depends on the age and like where you're at and ⁓ who you're trying to be seen by. But at the same time, I know that one's a very interesting one because I know it's important to people, like you always want recognition and and stuff in that. And I think it's I think in baseball we get ⁓ compared to football a lot where it's just really not the same. ⁓ you know, five star, four star, three star, everything that happens in college football. Bobby Minor: Mm-hmm. Right. Michael: at every aspect always trickles down to baseball and into the other sports. So, ⁓ for me I just think it depends on the level you're at. ⁓ but in the end, low rank, high rank doesn't matter if you don't perform in front of the right people. Bobby Minor: Yeah. So if I'm if I'm hearing you correctly, so you're not spending any of your recruiting budgets sending your R C to like the twelve you select fest to scout players. Michael: ⁓ No, I know I I think it's a cool event. I don't wanna I do. I mean I think stuff like that's cool and I I think anything and I and I told you like I'm I I mean my son just turned thirteen, he just played twelve U baseball, so I I definitely like youth sports. I think stuff like I think everything is awesome as long as you understand what it means. Like for the experience, right? So like my son just played in ⁓ we don't Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Michael: We play we play in town f we play not in town. We play for the Texas twelve, right? So it's an organization. I'm not trying to get off on a tangent. I know you do a lot of sports, but ⁓ awesome organization. Like they do a outstanding job. And their whole model is ⁓ you don't they kinda combine the teams when the kids turn fourteen. Well my son likes to play and he wanted to play. He picked up with a team and went to Bobby Minor: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Good organization. Yeah. Yeah. Michael: The World Series in Atlanta and then we played in Dallas, which wasn't far away. So like we've done like one thing a year. And ⁓ it was just for the experience to go have fun and and play ball. So you're not you're definitely not getting recruited at twelve to answer your question. ⁓ and if if you're doing stuff because of that, that's the wrong thing. If you're doing it because you want an experience for your son, I think it's important for them to learn how to compete. ⁓ I think those are the those are the those are the right reasons to to do stuff like that. So ⁓ I've I've done ⁓ but I guess I I guess I have I don't say the luxury, but I kinda understand that ⁓ my son at twelve, thirteen, and fourteen is not getting recruited. I also think if you know, you never tell anyone how to spend their money, but as long as, you know, everything fits your life and you really enjoy it, I think I think there's a two way street there. Now I know that's not always the the thinking when it comes to those things. Bobby Minor: Yeah. So your son's not verbally committed to AM yet? Michael: I don't know if he wants to come here. I probably don't know if I should say this, but I I'm good friends with Rob Vaughn in Alabama and we I made the mistake of taking him there once. He really liked their campus and ⁓ I know he's gonna he's a sucker for that North Carolina blue. ⁓ so he's he's still thirteen, so he's getting influenced by, you know, uniform colors. But ⁓ yeah, we'll see. Bobby Minor: Okay. Okay. Well and you said something that that was key. So like when I talk a lot about things like, you know, rankings and grades and, you know, Select Fest and all of that, those in and of themselves are not bad at all. But it's when parents think that it's it means something in in the big picture when it comes to recruiting. That's where like like I'm saying, you want to go to the twelve year select fest, go and have a great experience with your son. But don't be misled in thinking that by doing that that that's moving the needle at all in his recruiting journey. So Michael: Yeah. I think I think where it moves the needle in anything you do, ⁓ as long as it's done the right way and like I I can't tell anyone how to parent their kid and ⁓ look I'm a parent too, like I don't I don't like when my son strikes out or walks a guy, like I feel it internally. It's not like I'm numb to it, but I think I think what you can do at a young level is like you can teach your kids how to compete as long as it's them that's wanting to compete. You know what mean? And like effort and your attitude. So yeah, you're not gonna get recruited at twelve. Like I've never never recruited anyone at twelve and I've never even heard of it. But I think ⁓ I think everything that is done can can be a positive as long as you're looking at it through a lens which it should be looked at through. Like for me, getting to travel up to I didn't get to go with him to Atlanta, but I went with him to Dallas and like we had a blast. Like I had to spend time with him, like It's almost like a family, you know, father son vacation. He played some baseball and then we go out to eat. ⁓ and I just wanted him to compete. Like he was he was seeing some velocity from fifty feet, the equivalent to what he'll never see in his life. You know what I mean? Like you know what I mean? But it was like is a cool way to like become a competitor, but not once did I think anything he did was gonna lead to ⁓ opportunities post high school. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah, that's good stuff. So let me I know you're probably I don't know if your roster for twenty six, twenty seven is finalized yet, if you're done recruiting, but what do you what do you project? What percentage of your roster approximately will be made up of portal guys and or JUCO JUCO guys? Michael: Hmm. That's probably one you want off the top of my head, right? I don't if I I don't know if I have that in front of me. that I I'll just go on any year. it just really depends. ⁓ I think there's I know there's coaches out there that will say, Hey, we want to recruit high school and supplement with the portal, or you really just don't know. Because what I don't know is number one, when we sign a kid Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: I don't know if we're still getting him to school. Like I've lost two high school kids in the draft this year. I lost five last year and a JUCO kid. So when that happens, you have to have other players ⁓ from the portal. So I think that's a mixed bag every single year. And I've I'm pretty upfront about it because parents ask, like, Well, how are you gonna use the portal compared to high school? This coach said we want to recruit all high school and supplement with the portal. Yeah, that's easy to say until you got a some massive holes in your roster and you you lost an all American second ⁓ first and and center fielder and it's tough to replace three of those guys with freshmen. So ⁓ I used to when I first got the job, I tried to put a percentage on it for people and then I was just like, you know what? I do not know. It might be half, it might be twenty-five, it might be seventy-five. It really just depends on how the draft class affected you the year before. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: And and how well those guys do early on as freshman where you feel comfortable that that they're gonna be the guys. So I'm not trying to dance around that question. I guess for us it's it's gonna be mixed every single year depending on on on need for sure. Bobby Minor: ⁓ no, it that's good. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. No, that that's good. That's good. ⁓ so I know you know, I I would venture to guess, and I always I always use this school as an example, not to disparage them just because, but like, you know, I I like I would say most twelve year olds, twelve-year-olds out there right now, they're not dreaming of, Man, I can't wait till I graduate and go play at Ranger Junior College. You know, they're most of I'd say most twelve year olds have D1 dreams. But that's not gonna be a reality for a majority of those players. But what would you say to the parents out there right now that think that Going the JUCO route is like a plan B or it's like a lesser than route. Michael: Yeah, I don't think it is at all. I mean, and I think I'm big on like again, everything parent, you're the driver, right? Like you're the you're the engine, you're the one that can you shape, you know, you raise your kids, right, in many different ways. And I think having dreams is massive. Like, you know, when when I was young, my parents never told I'm from Indiana. They never when I said I was gonna be a pro baseball player in the, you know, seventh or eighth. Grade career day and you know that they said it's unrealistic, you know, because you're GPA for career day, you're gonna be an anesthesiologist. So you tell me which one's more unrealistic. But I ⁓ good thing I'm not for for everyone who ever needs one. But I think that's awesome. And then I think as you get older, it's like your job to set them up for success on the level they can play at. You know, I I don't think I think there's a level again for every single player. And if you really wanna play, you'll find that level. If I don't think the JUCOs you mentioned are are bad route at all. I think there's a lot of lot of great examples of that and it just depends on there might be kids that are like, I wanna play division one baseball and if they can't, they just don't play. I think that's okay too, right? Like you wanna I'd rather go to come to A and ⁓ and have a great college experience. Bobby Minor: Right. Michael: Rather go. So I I think there's a you know, I tell my son all the time, he's he's thirteen now and he's ⁓ and I'll do some recruiting for these schools, but I'm always telling him like I want him to go to Penn or Columbia 'cause it's ⁓ it's the Ivy League and they got they have I mean, I've had a couple Penn players on the on the team and ⁓ one kid from Columbia and I think I mean I thought they were awesome players and they obviously got great education. so Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: Again, I just think it's the message from home and anything you do ⁓ when you find that appropriate level to play at. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. I think that's a decision that a lot of players have to like and to your point, the my son, my son graduated from pa he played at Pascal in Fort Worth. And so his junior year, 2022, their catcher was a senior. ⁓ first team all district, I think defensive player of the year for for their district. That's when they were still six A. That he was faced with the decision, do I go play, keep playing baseball, game that I love at Ranger or go to A and ⁓ for the college experience and be a frat boy and that's what he chose. He went, you know, he chose the college experience over, you know, pursuing baseball any further. And that's something that a lot of a lot of players end up having to decide. It's not that they couldn't play in college. It's just do I want to keep you know, JUCO route is it's no joke, man. It can it can be Yeah. So yeah. Michael: Yeah, it's tough. It's tough. No, and I think that's great. Like again, it's one of those things where it's put yourself at the level you feel like you can play at realistically. and and if you want to do it, do it. If not, don't. You know what I mean? Bobby Minor: Yeah. So, all right, this question. So I I was talking to a dad about a week ago, and I think his son's 13 or 14 now, but he was saying when his son was 10 or 11, he got caught up in the whole national organization type thing. He was spending 30 grand a year on baseball for his son when he was 10 and 11. And which is crazy. I know it's it's crazy to me. So from where you sit as a division one head coach, How much of that type of spending that families do when their kids 10, 11, and 12, how much of that actually even shows up on your radar when he's 16 and he's somebody that maybe you're recruiting? Michael: Yeah, I don't I don't know. I'm no I'm not one to tell anyone how to how to spend their money. ⁓ but not none of none of how you play at that age is gonna show up on our radar. Like nothing. No ⁓ no stats, no accolades, no alternament teams, none of that shows up. ⁓ so it's it's again, it's one of those things for me, it's like ⁓ if if that's if that's the way you choose to spend your money, that's great. ⁓ I would hope that, you know, within that the experience is what it what it is from like a a family perspective and and and learning how to compete. So, I maybe the only thing that could show up is like I I do believe in competition and once you learn how to compete, as you get older and it matters like you're a competitor. ⁓ but I've again we don't we don't recruit recruit that young. ⁓ I only know some kids that age and they're all on my son's team. So ⁓ I guess I'm recruiting some of those guys on the Texas 12, 13 Maroon. But other than that, no, I I don't look, I I know people are super passionate about their kids and they spend a lot of money, and that's and that's completely their choice. I think again, it's just like my message to anyone would just be like, you know, understand when it matters and it and it will as you get older, ⁓ as you get into that 15, 16 year old age where like you really are gonna start to get recruited ⁓ and just you know spend. Bobby Minor: So Michael: spend your energy appropriately ⁓ with ever however you see fit. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good stuff. So I did a I did ⁓ a video a couple of weeks ago where I was saying that nothing at 12U matters. And sometimes I say things, people take it literal, like I'm saying it as an absolute. And obviously there are things that are matter. You know, like your son's having fun, he's he's loving the game, he's getting better. Those things matter. But what I was talking about is nothing at 12U matters in the context of who they're gonna be when they're 17 or 18. Like it you could be the biggest 12-year-old player on the best 12U majors team, it doesn't matter. You could be the smallest player, bottom of the roster guy on the worst 12-U double-A team. None of that matters because that's not even in to me, I'm not gonna say it's not real baseball, but it hasn't even gotten it didn't even get real to until you s first of all get on the big field and you're swinging a drop three, none of this drop five, a drop six, USA but you know what I mean? Yeah. Michael: Yeah. Yeah, I'm I'm trying to f yeah, I don't know. I y you if you if you know those bat rules, maybe you should let me know. Yeah, no, ⁓ it's yeah, everyone develops at a different level and just kinda seeing it a little bit this summer. I know I saw you know, my son is a very he's not a small or big kid playing twelve U baseball. He's five seven, a hundred and twenty five pounds, so he's you know, solid. You know, you saw some kids that were like six one and huge, and I'm like, That's that's awesome. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Michael: You know what I mean? Like you saw some kids that were super little. Like I remember watching this kid on one team. I actually know a kid, ⁓ from we lived in Arizona, smallest kid on the field, that dude can play. Or you know what I mean? So it just really your size and all that's gonna come at a different time and ⁓ especially at that age with those bats and it's just a really interesting age because the size size and shapes of the kids are like they're all over the map. ⁓ Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: And it just it happens for everyone on a different level. I mean, our starting center fielder this year. ⁓ I didn't know him when he was twelve, but he ⁓ you know, he played JV baseball his freshman and sophomore year. When we recruited him, he was on the second team of the track I can't remember, I don't I want to say the organization anyway. I'm just thinking in my head. He was on the second team of the organization as far as his sophomore year, and he hit His name's Caden Sorella. He 340 for us this year with 20 homers and 20 doubles. And he went in the second round of the Chicago Cubs. And he played JV his freshman and sophomore years. And was on the second team. So again, kind of to what you said, it's just like it happens for people at a at a different time. Like everyone develops at a d at it at a different time. Bobby Minor: Absolutely. That's good. I hope par I hope parents are listening to that out there because they get so caught up in comparing their son to somebody else and like everybody's path is different. So yeah. Michael: You know, Coach Kane, Coach Kane says something. He actually said it to a a kid the other day and I think it's a really good thing. It's it's compete over compare. So when you come in here as a freshman and and we it we relate it to our guys, it's like when you're a freshman and you come in and you wanna comp you wanna play, don't compare. Because we got guys that are twenty two, twenty three, you're eighteen. Just compete. Compete over compare. Bobby Minor: ⁓ wow. Michael: And I say it to my son now. Like I drop him off to go to workouts or stuff. He's getting ready for middle school. And it's like, hey, compete over compare. Just compete. And I think it rings true it at every level, especially if you're twelve or thirteen. There's just some kids that are just develop quicker. So don't worry about comparing or play the compare. And guess what? There's a lot of kids that are just better. And they're always gonna be better. Just let ⁓ be better and just compete. And if you do that, you know, you're gonna be fine. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. E yeah, everybody can't be Bryce Harper or Shohei, you know, like Michael: No, I mean it's there's kids that are just good, man. Like I mean, there's a kid on ⁓ the the team my son played for, there's a kid on there. ⁓ that dude was just damn good, man. Like he was just better than everyone else. It was fun to watch. It's just like compete over compare. Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. So that's good. I actually wrote that down. That's good. I can see that on a t-shirt somewhere. ⁓ so there's okay, so there's a kid out there right now, 13, 14-year-old kid that has the talent to play Division I baseball, but let's say his family doesn't have the money. They don't have the connections to be on on your radar yet. And not that you would be looking at a 13 or 14 year old, but but how does a kid like that that may not have the resources that somebody else has, how does he eventually get found? And does he get found? Michael: Yeah. You know, I think that's one of ⁓ one of the problems in our sport. I really do, just like ⁓ I do, but I mean, I think every kid we've recruited at some point there's a financial commitment to a team or to a workout or to a camp, ⁓ to all of that to be able to to play. Where it's like if you're a you know, if you're a college football player, you just play high school football and you you know, you get your pads and basketball and And even baseball. So if you have a good high school program, I think that can help. But I think as much as you can be persistent and, you know, everyone has a phone and doing videos and, you know, making a recruiting video and send it to a coach and and doing your best to do that and get to a camp or you know, one awesome thing about like the area code workouts is those are free. ⁓ but you do have to be seen to do that. So I don't have a great answer for that except for I think honestly, if you're creative enough and you want it enough, you can find a way ⁓ to get in front of people via your phone to an email as long as you're sending stuff to the what is the appropriate level. But I do believe that's one area of our game ⁓ we could get better at and have different avenues for people. ⁓ it it it it baseball is an expensive sport. Like it is, and it's kind of unavoidable at at this point. But I mean just Like buying a bat. Like these bats are crazy. Like a and a and a glove. And I mean, think about baseballs. Like the most expensive line item in our cage is probably baseballs. You know what I mean? So like to have enough baseballs to be able to work out or like take batting practice, like it's it's just a very difficult sport. So th it'd be cool if there could some sort of way we could Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: make that better. I know there's a lot of people that are working on that, but it never seems to to me to get to like a steady point where like, ⁓ you can play for this and it'll help you because you're not able to to do some of these other things. I feel like I didn't answer that great because I don't have a great answer because there's not there's not a great answer. It's like I think if you have one of these and you can make a video and you can be creative and get it to someone and get it in front of ⁓ and you're persistent enough, I think I think that's that's really good. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's good. Yeah. And I think the key thing you said that too is like making sure like I tell parents all the time, and I say this a lot, you gotta be real, like you gotta find the schools that are actually a good fit for your son, academically and athletically, where he has a realistic chance of playing, you know, and they're actually recruiting his his position for his grad year. Like you had, you know, all those variables, but unfortunately I think, you know, a lot of parents have And I would say unrealistic dreams. And they spend so much time, energy, and effort pursuing something, you know, and they miss out on opportunities that if you would have just, you know, maybe it's not an A and ⁓ but maybe it's an Abilene Christian, a great D one mid-major, you know what I mean? Like being realistic. ⁓ so okay, so like parents, like parents here be seen, and they think that meant means I have to send my son to every showcase and every camp. Michael: Yeah. Yes. Bobby Minor: you know, in the world. As a head coach, what does being seen actually mean to you? And then when does showing up everywhere actually start to work against a kid versus helping him? Michael: ⁓ it depends on if you're showing up everywhere in front of the same people, right? I think if ⁓ I think one thing you can do too is like you can go to if you can go to the right schools and the right camps and get in front of coaches, I know that's a way you can find players now and everyone's like, those is is this camp a moneymaker? Yes. Every single camp makes money. Right? ⁓ us at A and ⁓ we don't do it 'cause we need the money, but it does make money. Bobby Minor: Right. Michael: It doesn't mean you're not out there obviously evaluating kids and you can't have a kid on campus ⁓ for camping and not cost money. You know what I mean? We can't we're not allowed to do it for free. So I think the best way is just to find camps like that and stuff you can go to and go to ones again that you can play for. So it's like if you, you know, live in I don't want to crush you in a stream, but I'm from Indiana. Okay, I'll just use me as an example. Me Going to University of Southern California baseball camp at sixteen. I'm not sure how much that would help me. Number one, for me, I was not good enough to play at USC. So I'm sure there's some kids that are better than me that can, but it's just like finding the appropriate place for you, ⁓ not only regionally but skill level wise. And then how much is too much? ⁓ yeah, I mean, if you're if you're spending so much time playing that you're never working out, getting physically stronger or having time to have your armrests. Like I think that's different for every single guy. But I think ⁓ you can do too much, but I really do believe that's at by an individual basis. I'm real big on the strength and conditioning standpoint. Like again, back to being physically able. So as long as what you're doing is not you're not playing so much that you can't ever lift weights, I think that's one of the things you got to be cognizant of. Bobby Minor: Okay, that's good stuff. ⁓ what would you say to the parent? Yeah. Michael: By the way, that wasn't like a if you're from Indiana you can't go to USC 'cause if you can go if you can go play for Coach Stankowitz, I think you should. He's a he's a he's one of the best out there for sure. Bobby Minor: Yeah. So ⁓ what would you say to the parent out there that has a thirteen or fourteen year old that that doesn't ha let's let's just say he's he's undersized, he runs a you know, a seven nine, his positional vO is seventy two, his exa vlo is seventy-three. What would you say to that parent who thinks, hey, I'm gonna spend this seven hundred dollars and go to this showcase so showcase so I can establish a baseline? Do you think that's a smart move or not? Michael: This is a really good question. No, I I don't. ⁓ spend your seven hundred dollars on a strength coach or speed coach. ⁓ only go to only go to showcases when you have something to showcase. So if you're running a seven nine, that's that's fine. If you're running a throwing at seventy five, just I would encourage you to Bobby Minor: Mm. Absolutely. Michael: spend that money working on stuff and those metrics and your body so when you're able to go to a showcase, you're able to showcase that your at your best ability, right? Like, ⁓ and again, it's back to kids develop at a different time and and I think it's where if you're if you have that money and you want to spend that money, it's great. Just if if you're, you know, at that level and you're trying to get somewhere else, like if you invest those funds into a trainer or speed coach or ⁓ into your nutrition or whatever, I think that can really make a jump a bigger jump on the baseball side than actually going to the showcase. Bobby Minor: Yeah, that's really good. I I really hope that the parents out there are listening to that because that's something that I I preach all the time as well. All right, so one more question, then we're gonna kind of jump into what I call in and out, which will be rapid fire. But so if you could sit down with the dad of a 12 year old who's convinced his son's D1, but you only had 60 seconds, what would you tell that dad that he probably doesn't want to hear at that point at that point? Michael: I would say number one, ⁓ I think it's good to keep that conviction as long as it doesn't ⁓ overwhelm and affect your life or your relationship with your kid. I think belie I think that sort of belief is good 'cause I know my parents had it in me. ⁓ I tell ⁓ that ⁓ it still doesn't matter yet. Right? Like nothing nothing from a standpoint of what you're doing matters except for like I think skill based work and things that you can, you know, continue to get better in the game on matters, but nothing you play in or do actually matters at this point. but I I'm big on I do believe in, you know, I guess I I see again, I see everything from a different lens, right? Because ⁓ 'cause of what I get to do for a living and with my son. ⁓ but I I think that conviction is great. ⁓ Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: And I have that for my own kid. Like I want my son to be a player. ⁓ but more importantly, what I don't want to do is ever ruin my relationship with him over baseball. Right. So I think I think everyone should be cognizant and careful of that because I've seen it. I mean, I've seen it before, right? And I think it's I think it's you gotta be hard on your kids, right? In every aspect of life, especially athletics. I think there's a time and a place and ⁓ a lot of my really good players had very convicted Bobby Minor: Right. Michael: parents, right? But meeting them, their conviction about their athletic ability was far less than their actual love for their child and in the in the relationship they have. So I would just tell ya, ⁓ I don't know if there's something I would tell ⁓ they don't wanna hear besides the fact that, ⁓ you know, I've seen I've seen kids, ⁓ if it becomes overbearing, it it actually hurts the relationship a lot bigger than just sports. So that's something that I would never, you know, want For me and look, like I I mean, I I gotta I gotta I gotta be careful sometimes, right? Like I'm a parent too and like I you know my son's he's exposed to a lot, right? And I there's times I coach him like he's nineteen or twenty and I gotta be like, ⁓ all right, like you know what I mean? Like I kinda hold him to that same standard now, I just gotta always make sure my my tone ⁓ doesn't always kinda cross that line at at times. But you know how it is, you had a son, so Bobby Minor: Yeah. Yeah. Michael: I think I went long winded on that one. I would just say, ⁓ for me, my family's everything in my relationships with them. So what I have to do as a parent is I'm gonna have that conviction and belief in all my kids ⁓ in athletics, which is great, but that'll never, you know, supersede or take over the relationship part of what I have for them as a dad. Bobby Minor: Okay. Now that's good. That's good. Yeah, I stopped coaching my son for two years when he was thirteen and fourteen because I f I found myself I was twice as hard on him as I was on everybody else because I didn't want anybody to say daddy ball. So I made it way harder for him. And it wasn't fair to him. I stepped away for two years and then it started coaching him again in high school more from an assistant perspective, but it was just totally different. You know, it wasn't you know, I I backed off. I learned to chill out a little bit. Michael: Ha ha. Yeah, it's it's hard, man. It's hard for it's hard for everyone. It's just you want your kids to succeed, right? So it's I just yell at everyone when I coach the young kids, so it's ⁓ it's good. Yeah, they know too. Bobby Minor: Yeah. No doubt. Now see? You're equal, you're eat treating everybody the same. Now, got kind of a I guess, well, this is I wasn't planning on asking this, but I'm I'm gonna ask this. Have you ever have has there ever been a kid on your on your recruiting board that you were interested in that you crossed off because of his parents? Michael: no. No because and I and it's gotten close, right? But I I'm never going to ⁓ it's a kid, right? Like you you don't get to pick your parents either. You know what I mean? So like that's that's why I'll never hold that against the kid. ⁓ there's been some times where it's kinda like, you know, I think the biggest thing it's like ⁓ when you do a visit, especially the high school kid and the the parent Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: speaks so much and doesn't let the kid talk or you know what I mean? So you try to get him away to try to kinda understand the kid but unless it's something like outrageous, but but no, ha has it crossed my mind, yes. ⁓ for sure. And I think a lot of people do that. And I don't think I have, but there's been some situations where I've been like, okay, but then I was like, the kid's a great kid, right? Like you don't you don't get to pick your parents always and I and I think the kid's awesome, so I don't want to hold it a hold it against him. Is it Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: Out of the question, no, it's not. ⁓ I just to my memory sitting here right now, I don't think I've I've done that yet. Have I thought about it? ⁓ the thought has definitely cr not a lot. I mean we have a lot of really good people in here, but ⁓ it's definitely crossed my mind for sure. Bobby Minor: But the thought but the thought has crossed your mind. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. All right. So let's let's wrap up with this because I and I really appreciate your time. ⁓ which is what I call in and out. So just four, it's gonna be four questions, ⁓ rapid fire, fifteen, fifteen. Yes. If not, we're gonna keep doing it. We start over if you if you if you bobble one at the end, but ⁓ 15 to 20 second answers if possible. And I'm laughing because I'll say that and then I have people they give me four minute answers and I'm like, okay, good stuff, but I can't use it for what I want to use. Yeah. Michael: All right. Try to be clean. Yeah. I know. And I'm gonna try not I'm gonna try I'm gonna try not to be that guy, so Bobby Minor: ⁓ no no I think I think you're doing your answers are all really ⁓ really on point. So all right, so first question. What's the first thing that you notice about a player before he ever takes a swing? Michael: ⁓ just body, physicality, how they look, how they walk, how they carry themselves, ⁓ nothing more than that. Is that quick enough? Was that was that in the Bobby Minor: Okay. Second question. Yeah, that's good. No, that's good. That's good. So second question. What's one thing that a parent does that immediately tells a college coach everything they need to know? Michael: I don't I don't know. I I don't know. I don't I don't have a great I don't have a great answer on that one. I guess go back to my if they answer all the questions for ⁓ but it doesn't tell me everything I know about the kid 'cause I think I think a lot of times kids are different around their parents than they are when they're actually around. So I'll ⁓ throw the ball back in on that one. I don't Bobby Minor: Yeah. Okay. Alright, fair that was good. That was good. That was that was still clean. Alright, third question. What's what what age do you think matters the most in a player's development and why? And I know everybody's different, but Michael: I think the eight so the sophomore year heading into the summer before your junior year because that's when you can be recruited. So I think that whole year leading up to it, you're preparing ⁓ t for the first stages of recruitment. Now, if you don't r get recruited before your junior year, it doesn't mean it's not over. You still have the next year, but I think that year from a lifting standpoint to getting ready to showcase what you want to showcase, I think that's the year. You don't start it the year of, you start it the year before. Bobby Minor: Okay. That's good stuff. All right. Slow roller. Last question. Finish this sentence. A kid earns a spot on a college roster when Michael: ⁓ number one, they're good enough to play at that level. obviously from an academic standpoint, they have to be able to get into school. ⁓ they show the the makeup and someone that can fit into the culture and make the organization better, not just only as a player but but as a human being and and you have a need for their spot. Bobby Minor: Okay, good stuff that was in and out with Coach Michael early. All right, Coach. Excuse me. All right, last qu I just thought of this question. So I people may people may not realize how much recruiting has changed in college baseball, especially at the D one level post post COVID. You know, with the roster limits going down to thirty four, the eleven point seven scholarships no longer being the case. So I know theoretically Michael: ⁓ you keep going, man. This is fun. Bobby Minor: you can offer, I mean you have you could do 34 full rides if you wanted to. For all the division one schools out there, I you I know you don't know everybody's budget, but you have a good handle on, you know, what's what's reality. How realistic like how many schools out there actually even have the money to be able to give 34 full rides, aside from NIL or anything like that? Michael: I don't know to be honest with you. I actually don't know. I would say in the SEC, ⁓ most, if not all, ⁓ I'd say probably the ACC and Big Twelve are around that same. I'm I'm not sure to be honest. But if you look at ⁓ I don't know if I should actually know this, is there two hundred and eighty division one baseball programs or th just say three hundred? Just probably ⁓ definitely not when you look from a percentage standpoint, ⁓ No, not even not even close. If you look at the big scheme of it, there's not a lot of programs that can can do full rides. So baseball's always been I mean, I played college baseball and I was on a partial scholarship and I'm guessing most most people were and most people will be. Bobby Minor: ⁓ yeah, for sure. ⁓ so what would you okay, for the parent out there, again, like parents that just don't understand how this works, w in your opinion, if you're advising a parent, let's say you're not you're not the head baseball coach at Texas A and ⁓ You're just a you're a former coach, you're advising families now, because getting a getting a hundred percent from a division one school is probably not realistic outside of maybe, like I said, some of the schools that you mentioned. ⁓ another reason why I think the JUCO route is absolutely the best route because like my son got a hundred percent to ⁓ a region five school out of high school. Like that was an amazing thing. But what would you say is like this is a good offer? Because I think they go in thinking 100% and they get a 30% athletic and they don't think that's a good offer. But reality to me, that's probably a great offer most of the time. Michael: Yeah, I don't I don't know what percentage would be good. I think it really depends on you, the family situation, the the risk you're, you know, willing to take on, whether it be like student loans or is it in state, is it out of state? Are you gonna play? What's the degree gonna be? ⁓ you know, I ha I had student student loans. My wife was a rower in college, she had ⁓ it's one of those things that we just it's part of part of our journey and being an athlete and getting a degree that we paid off and Bobby Minor: Yeah. Michael: ⁓ you know, didn't take on too much, but it was obviously something that was a ⁓ I don't want to call it a burden, but something, you know, you had to worry about. So I d I don't know what that percentage is. I think that's all based on again, it's like what are you going there to do? Like if you want the opportunity to play, like it's not always the school that gives you the most money, that's actually the best spot for you to be. I think if you put people and and what you're looking for before everything, I think the money part if you do it lasts, as long as you understand. wanna call it the ramifications or what it could be post school for you. I think that's how you'll you'll make your best decision. But I know, I think just going back to me in college, like I remember I I had an offer for sixty percent, which in those days that was ⁓ that was pretty significant, right? That was a good and I wasn't that good a player, so I won't name the coach that messed up on me that bad. ⁓ but I I chose to go to, you know, I went to Indiana on Bobby Minor: ⁓ yeah. Michael: think Tracy Smith talked me down to twenty five and best decision I ever made. Best decision I ever made. It what didn't become about money. Yeah, it cost me a little more. I paid for it a a a little longer, but ⁓ I made the decision about the people, the place and where I wanted to be and made it about money last. And and that's why I made the right decision. Bobby Minor: Okay, good stuff. All right, so last question. You've already said No, no, no, no, no. We already finished in and out. That was good. That was good. That was ⁓ simple. What would you say to the baseball dad, baseball mom out there right now that has, you know, nine or ten year old kid that's dreaming of playing baseball in college right now? What's the I guess the most what's the one thing that you think that they need to know about the journey ahead of them? Michael: That wasn't a that wasn't an in and out, was it? 'Cause I just I just okay. ⁓ that your kid's gonna develop at a at a different level than the next kid or the next kid and back to compete over, compare. Try not to compare with others and just just know the ⁓ development path is it's not a straight line, it's all over the place, especially when it when it comes to your kids. So I just think ⁓ just really I think I think you can enjoy it. I think ⁓ raising a kid that wants to do something, wants to play, ⁓ I think you can do it two different ways. You can make it stressful or and or you can enjoy it. Or or a little bit of both, right? Like competition can be stressful. Like some stress is a little necessary. Not at nine or ten. ⁓ not at nine or ten. But I just think it's ⁓ baseball's a weird sport. Like it's many different sizes and shapes of people, little, big, small, super athletic, not athletic that become good players. So it's ⁓ it it's definitely ⁓ it's definitely a whirlwind and I would just say I would say enjoy every minute you can because I think sports can really bring, you know, definitely bring me and my kids together. ⁓ I think it can be a really cool thing. Bobby Minor: Alright, cool. Good stuff, Coach. Coach, really appreciate your time. Hope hope the parent I know the parents, anybody that watches is gonna get a ton out of this, so appreciate you and good luck coming up next year and ⁓ gig ⁓ Michael: Gigan. Thanks for having me. Bobby Minor: Alright, thanks, coach. Let me stop the record.