Could use some advice. My S is doing Head first Honors and Showball Academic this summer and I originally thought we could give coaches SAT scores by taking test June 1st. B
My son is testing out at 1350 at new prep course. Should we take June 1st and share what I think will be a 1350 result, or just wait so he can study and get much higher result later.
He is only a sophomore. 3.9 unweighted.
Thank you
For a sophomore, I would think it is not that important to have an actual score at those events. He will not be able to speak to the coaches, per the NCAA rule that went into effect last April. Last summer, Head First, had the rising seniors wear wristbands and they were the only ones that the coaches would speak to other than a polite greeting. Did he do pretty well on the PSAT? If he emails coaches prior to the event, he can give his PSAT score, his GPA and the fact that he is planning on taking the SAT in the fall. Then he can update those schools when he gets the scores.
I would take it in June and use it as a practice to get some experience taking the test in a actual test environment that is timed. Use the results to study for the fall exam. He does not have to report the results to coach if they are not as desired.
Coaches can’t call him, but there is discussions that go on, and his profile will be on some tournament documents.
I’d have him take it and then retake after the review.
For most sports the NCAA voted last week to allow coaches to contact players after June 1 of their sophomore year. Forgive me if this doesn’t apply to your sport I don’t even know what Hwad First is 
I say go “early and often” on standardized tests. The June score may be high enough, or it may not be. If it is not high enough, your son can take it again – not only after studying – but also after having experienced the real thing and I do think that provides an advantage.
There is no rule saying that you HAVE to disclose scores at Head First, and when talking to coaches your son can simply say that he is planning to take the tests in October. Not a coach in the world would think that is unusual.
BTW, Head First was designed to be a “camp” to allow coaches to talk to recruits under the guise of “coaching” rather than recruiting. However, your son cannot be a shrinking violet. He should plan to approach coaches with questions, like “do you have any thoughts about my development” or “what do I need to improve on to be a recruit.”
Thank you for the great feedback. This is for Baseball and those are Baseball showcases. We already paid for SAT. I also enrolled him in local prep course that has an online element where you take test and it allows you to target weak areas- with finals etc this month plus HS baseball finishing…I didn’t know if we had enough time.
I think having S take it and not sending to colleges is what he/we will do.
Thanks everyone.
@gointhruaphase
@cinnamon1212
@twoinanddone
I understand the NCAA rules and will report back how showcases handled it. I did hire a local travelball coach (who places kids for extra fee) my son is working with to facilitate introductions and contacts on his behalf. The coach is actually working one of the showcases in our area and he will be able To pull coaches over to watch and meet my son. And just as important, the coach will be able to get positive feedback on my kids skills so our expectations are correct.
As a rising junior, we are hoping to get on coaches radar, get their feedback, and keep working hard to improve.
We are hoping for a high academic school and using Baseball as a hook. Wish us luck! I know it keeps getting more competitive each year and harder with the increase in applications at every good school…
NorCal
@norcal2023, I am not a fan of hiring others to make introductions to coaches. It’s a personal thing, however. You spend enough money in this process and my experience is that the coaches expect (and want) the players to approach them anyway. That said, hopefully the local coach is giving you good advice and feedback, and that can be worth the money to some folks.
My point was, and remains, about Head First. The showcase is structured to be a camp, although it actually is a highly touted recruiting showcase. The college coaches are paid to be there (which helps at the D3 level, since the schools have no recruiting budgets) and actually are assigned teams to coach. They are in the dugout assigning positions, subs, calling plays, etc. I think it would be weird if a local coach was used to make introductions at Head First, since its design is to allow the introductions to happen on their own. Take note of my point, to be successful at Head First, a kid does need to take initiative. A great time for this is at lunch or the end of the day, when the coaches are milling around. This isn’t just me. The Head First directors have a recruiting speech that you are supposed to attend that spells all of this out.
I like it - great information. Thank you!
We found Head First (in Long Island) very rough. Temps were in the high 90s but players had to be there all day. Bad luck that my son ended up in the last group of the day - nearly dark and after 10 hours in the heat. Not as many coaches watching at that point, but those who my son emailed to tell him that he’d be there stuck around to watch him and they talked afterward. Your son should email the coaches to tell him where he’ll be so they can put him on their list of those to see. I agree with @gointhruaphase that your son should take the initiative to go up to coaches and strike up a conversation - it makes a big difference. My son had some good choices - all high academics - and is now at an Ivy.