Youth baseball parents hear the truth directly from Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley in Episode 2 of the Chasing Baseball Dreams podcast. 35 years of coaching select baseball and high school, plus going through this process with my youngest son, who's playing baseball in college right now, taught me one thing: most parents are spending money and energy on the wrong stuff at the wrong time. Coach Earley confirms it from the D1 side.

⠀

In this conversation we cover:

⠀

0:00 What D1 coaches actually evaluate when recruiting

3:15 Do PG rankings and grades matter?

5:14 Are college coaches scouting 12U showcases?

9:38 Transfer portal vs high school recruiting

12:08 Why the JUCO route is not plan B

15:17 A dad spending 30K a year on his 10 year old

17:27 Nothing at 12U matters in the context of recruiting

20:02 Compete over compare

21:29 How does an undersized kid without resources get found?

25:06 What "being seen" actually means to a head coach

27:47 Only go to showcases when you have something to showcase

28:52 What to tell a dad who is convinced his 12 year old is D1

32:39 Has a parent ever gotten a kid crossed off the board?

34:08 In and Out rapid fire with Coach Earley

36:44 Roster rules, scholarship math, and what a good offer looks like

40:43 Advice for the parent of a 9 or 10 year old

⠀

Coach Earley's starting center fielder this year played JV his freshman and sophomore year and was on the second team of his organization. He hit .340 with 20 homers and 20 doubles for the Aggies and went in the second round to the Chicago Cubs. Early dominance does not predict who makes it. That's one of the biggest things parents get wrong.

⠀

If you're a travel baseball parent spending thousands and wondering if any of it is working, this interview will change how you think about the journey.

⠀

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss Episode 3.

⠀

@ChasingBaseballDreams