Joey Anderson

Maybe the most deceptive thing in amateur baseball is when a college coach blatantly lies about being interested in a player so that they will spend money and attend their camp. It feels like every week, I get an email from a parent asking, “Is this legit?” These emails are incredibly deceptive, leveraging the university’s brand to mislead families into believing their son is wanted, just to extract money from them. These emails often feel personal, as if the coach has been specifically tipped off about the player and really needs to see him. Yet, at the bottom of the email, there’s a Constant Contact or MailChimp logo and an unsubscribe button. Often, the player’s skill level is not remotely suited for that program. This leads to rumors, with families boasting that a big-time school is interested in their son. The fallout is a delusional family, taking a long time to recalibrate their expectations. Just as the player starts to be humbled, another seemingly personal camp invite from a big school reignites false hopes, perpetuating the cycle. College coaches often justify these tactics by arguing that volunteer or grad assistants need to make money from these camps, or that they need to compete with other schools doing the same tactics. At the end of the day, the camps should be sold on their own merits. Here’s the truth that should be communicated: attending the camp of a college you’re genuinely interested in is the best way to gain exposure to that school. Period! There is no better showcase or tournament than that. Camps can and should be marketed on this basis alone.