All Star Camp Frequently Asked Questions
ALL STAR CAMP—FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can you explain what is on the video clips that each camper receives? The past three years this was an al` a carte item, but after seeing the results, we realized we had a very powerful teaching tool. In our opinion, everyone in camp could benefit from seeing video clips of themselves in camp, so we made it part of the total camp fee. (A person is 12 times more likely to learn it if they see it and hear it, rather than just hear it.) With that in mind, we provide video clips of your various athletic tests (30 and 60-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, vertical jump and med ball throw). In addition, various parts of your defensive practice segments get filmed with a coach’s voice over critique of what he likes and dislikes about your actions. We film and voice over a couple of segments of your batting practice, and if you pitch in a game we video one inning of you pitching and voice over part of another inning. All video clips will be emailed to you after the camp is over so you have a chance to review them multiple times.
What other colleges will be working at the camp? The complete camp staff is not set yet. There will be over 50 other college coaches that work at the camp. By design, our coaching staff includes colleges from every region of the country and every level of baseball, from the JC level to the top D1 level. A great majority of the colleges are very good academic schools as the Stanford camps usually attract campers who have good grades. On our stanfordbaseballcamp.com website you will see a list of colleges that worked our camp in last year in 2015. Usually about 90% of those schools return to work the following year.
Do these other college recruit players from your camp? We get this question a lot. Recently we recently sent out an email to the colleges that have previously
worked camp for us, and asked them how many of the players on their current
baseball rosters had attended at least one Stanford Baseball summer camp.
About half (32) responded and the cumulative total was 117 former Stanford
Baseball Campers were on their rosters. That 117 number does not include
the fact that of the 35 man 2014 Stanford Baseball roster, an astounding 20 of them attended a Stanford Baseball Camp.
My son is a 2018 high school graduate and is eligible to attend either of the All Star Camps or the Future Stars Camp. What is your opinion as to which camp would be best for him? The baseball is the same for all three camps with a full practice and full 9-inning game every day. All of them are very well done. The college coaches who work camp actively recruit players they see in camp. But it is “our” opinion that when there are players who graduate from high school in 2017 and 2018 on the field at the same time, their focus is on the 2017 players as that class is the one they are actively recruiting as this point in time. Thus, we believe that the Future Star Camp is the best option for a 2018 high school graduate.
What is your refund policy? There is a $200 refund fee for anyone who cancels before May 1, 2016. No refunds will be given if you cancel after May 1, 2016 (just for total clarification this includes if you have to cancel after May 1, 2016 but before camp begins, because you became injured and could not participate in camp because of that injury).
What percentage of campers stay in the dorm? On average about 80% of the campers decide to stay in the dorms. We believe staying in the dorm is extremely beneficial as it gives the camper insight into how it will feel when they go away to college. Eating dorm food, having a common bathroom, and having a roommate can be eye-opening.
If I attend camp with a friend of mine can we be roommates in the dorm? Absolutely. When we send out the information packet in late April there will be a roommate request form included. In addition, we try (but cannot guarantee) to put friends together on the same team.
Can you describe what takes place in the practice segment each day? Every day of camp there is a practice segment. Practice runs approximately 3 hours. One hour for hitting, one hour of defense, one hour of strength, speed, conditioning. The practice segments are EXTREMELY important to our evaluation process. For example, if you are an infielder you may get only a couple of groundballs during a game, but over the course of three days of practice our coaches will easily see you field 125 groundballs. They will put you through all types of plays (fore-hand, backhand, slow roller, etc.) so that we get the best feel for your skill level. I asked last year’s campers to give me their thoughts on each part of practice. Their comments are in PDF form under the Past Camper Comments tab.
Do I bring my own bat? Bats and helmets are provided, but many players opt to bring their own bat and helmet. You are allowed to use wood bats or BBCOR approved bats in the camp.
What happens if I get hurt or sick? A certified athletic trainer is on site at all physical activities during the day. A medical doctor is on call at all times, and a hospital and student health center are on the campus and readily accessible.
Your camp is on the expensive side—why? This camp carries enormous expenses. We play at six fields. To provide transportation, insurance, room and board for not only players but coaches also is very costly. Last year, our payroll number was 124 people for this camp. The question you should ask yourself, is it worth $950 plus your travel costs to get in front of over 50 colleges for 3 ½ days of baseball?
Since you use multiple fields every coach cannot see every player. How do the coaches who are not in attendance at my son’s game learn about him? Our philosophy since the inception of this camp is that each team and practice coach has to be totally honest with their assessment of a player when they share information with one another. In the coaches locker room each day, the dominant conversation is what do you think of “X’ as a player and person.
We heard that the opening night speaker at your camp is extraordinary. Who is he? Mike Robbins is a former Stanford Baseball player who is a motivational speaker. He literally travels the world speaking to businesses and professional teams. He has written three books that have been best sellers. He is phenomenal and connects so well with the youth of today. Parents are welcome to attend his talk on the first night of camp.
My son is going to be flying in on his own. How does he get from airport to Stanford? . If you are flying in for the camp, and you will need us to transport you from the airport, you need to fly into the San Jose, California airport and arrive before 12 NOON on Sunday, June 26. For your return home, you need to leave out of the San Jose airport, after 6 PM on Wednesday, June 29. If you have special needs and / or requests you can contact Dean Stotz at . There is a $20 fee each way for us transporting you to and / or from the airport.
How do I know my son is being correctly identified? Every player in camp is assigned a jersey that has a number on it. These numbered rosters are provided to all personnel who work at camp. In addition we put his name on his jersey so that he is easily identifiable.
Who coaches the teams at camp? Almost all teams are coached by a college coach. That coach will write an evaluation for each player on his team. That evaluation will be sent to you.
We plan to accompany our son to camp. What are parents allowed to do? You can follow and observe your son in each game or practice segment. In addition, we encourage you to attend Mike Robbins talk on opening night, and the generic recruiting talk given the second night of camp. We have blocked rooms at the Sheraton Palo Alto. The Sheraton Palo Alto is our host hotel. The Sheraton is a 10-minute walk from Stanford’s Baseball field, Sunken Diamond. To make reservations, call the Sheraton at 650-328-2800, and ask for the Stanford All Star Camp rate; or you can book a room online at:
My son pitches and plays another position. Does he get to do both at camp? Our goal is to evaluate your skills and then give you our “best guess” on what your baseball future might hold for you. The more opportunities we have to see you perform the more it helps us in our evaluations. For that reason please be aware that if you have been admitted to camp with you listing pitcher as you primary position you will get a very limited amount of at bats during the camp (We realize that there are a limited number of you who are legitimate prospects as both a field player and a pitcher and in your cases we will see to it that you get a number of at bats). On the other hand, if you were admitted to camp as a field player you will not be asked to pitch unless your team runs out of pitching.
What time is check-in the opening day of camp? Check in will be held Sunday, June 26, 2016 from 10 AM–12 noon at Sunken Diamond on the Stanford campus. Maps of Stanford University can be found at: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/visitorinfo/plan/maps.html
Both RESIDENT and DAY participants must check in at Sunken Diamond during this registration period. We will transport all luggage by truck from Sunken Diamond to the dorms before dinner on June 26th.
What time does the camp end? Camp will conclude at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29, from Sunken Diamond. All of the luggage will be transported back to Sunken Diamond for departures. Those with airline flights back home should make their reservations, again, from San Jose, departing after 6 p.m. Camp buses will be available to transfer you to the airport for your flight (there is a charge of $20.00 for each San Jose Airport pick-up or drop-off).
Do you have any camp rules? The rules we have are pretty simple. Do not do anything to embarrass yourself. WE HAVE A “ZERO” TOLERANCE FOR ALCOHOL USE, DRUG USE, MISSED CURFEW, OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH GIRLS. If you violate these rules, you be asked to leave IMMEDIATELY! Curfew is 10:00 P.M., with lights out being 11:00 P.M. You will be up at 7 A.M. to eat breakfast at 7:30 A.M.
How much baseball will there be? This is three and one-half days of intensive baseball. We guarantee that, by the end of the camp, you will be physically exhausted. With that in mind, every time you have a chance to rest, take advantage of it to do so.
How many years have you run camp and what makes this camp special? This is our 28th consecutive year of running this camp. We have been told many times that our camp is the best in America. It began because it was not physically and monetarily possible for us coaches to see all the prospects we needed to see during the summer months. With that in mind, we started this camp. Let me emphasize this camp is much different than a showcase. While your team coach will write you an evaluation at the end of camp, that is only part of our evaluation process. You will have a full three hour practice every day. In the practice areas, you will have access to some of the best baseball teachers in the nation. Take advantage of it. Your aptitude to learn is very important to us. Rest assured your every move will be watched!
We heard that in the games each hitter starts with a 1-1 count—why? We play a 1-1 count game. That is each at bat starts with the count 1-1. We want to play at least 9 and preferably 10 to 12 innings per game. For this to happen we need you to get on and off the field quickly each and every inning. The game goes quicker. We get more action. We get more at-bats. Remember in most cases we will see a hitter two to three at bats and make our decision. Our goal is to see what you can do.
Even if I live close to Stanford, should I come? Yes. Stanford Baseball has designed the camp to offer both local and outside of region participants the opportunity to demonstrate their baseball skills in as competitive an environment as possible. Members of the Stanford Baseball staff, as well as top coaches, will participate in the camp in some capacity. Players will leave the camp with added baseball knowledge as well as a sense of what it is like to be instructed within the Stanford baseball program philosophy.