We would like to congratulate Gavin Napier on his commitment to St. Mary’s College of California! Here are Gavin’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Gael!
1. Share your recruiting story and status!
The process can be long and frustrating at times. I had had some contact with coaches prior to working with SF, but not enough to make me feel comfortable that I was doing everything possible to maximize my exposure. We joined SportsForce and had meetings with Andrew who helped explain the current recruiting process and provided guidance and direction on how the entire process works. SportsForce helped us make contact with a lot more coaches and we saw increased communication and interest from schools. I stayed true to myself and my baseball skill sets, worked hard, and naturally gravitated towards the schools that were best suited for me, my style of play, the type of coaching style I prefer and most importantly the education I would receive. Just stay consistent to your own process, be diligent following up with coaches, put the work in and good things will pay off. I committed in October of my Junior year.
2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?
I will be attending St. Mary’s College of California. I chose them because I personally felt it was the best fit for me. The reasons I felt St Mary’s was best for me was easy; great school, I really liked the coaches, they showed a lot of interest in me and really wanted me to play there. They also play a similar style of baseball that I play, and I have a chance to play and contribute as a freshman. They were able to come up with a nice scholarship offer and the school is close to home. At the end of the day my decision came down to what is the best fit for me, and it became clear that the decision was St Mary’s.
3. How did SportsForce help in the process?
SportsForce helped us identify potential schools to consider/pursue. They also helped us understand the timing of when coaches can reach out to student-athletes, when they can’t, how they can, in general how the process goes, what to expect, and Andrew is very connected within the collegiate baseball world and was able to get feedback for us which helped inform us throughout the process. SportsForce also helped us evaluate which events to attend, which ones not to attend based on which schools were attending or on past experience.
4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?
I would recommend getting involved in the process as early in your high school career as you can. Start by having your parents take video of your in-game AB’s. Get a promotional video made and post to YouTube. Identify which schools you would like to potentially attend and as you start to make contact with those coaches you can send them links to your videos. I would also attend as many showcases and camps of potential colleges you would like to attend to get exposure. Once contact has been made with a college coach, stay diligent in your follow up phone conversations (I recommend keeping a log of when you called each coach and what was discussed and any follow-up action items) and let them know where you will be playing so they can see you play.
5. How excited are you about your future in college?
I am very excited to start my baseball career at St Mary’s. The team has shown tremendous growth over the past few years and I really like the coaching staff. They are extremely dedicated and have developed a program that is proven on the field.
6. How much money do you estimate your family saving in college expenses over the entirety of your college career?
Based on my scholarship offer, my family is saving an estimated $240,000 over my college career.
7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?
