On The Wire, we tell many stories about athletes progressing to the next level. Hearing such a story is beneficial to high school athletes and their parents to know what it takes and how to go about the process of getting recruited. 

As a company, Signing Day Sports’ main objective is to allow as many student-athletes as possible to move on to this next level. If there is a chance that someone out there can achieve their dreams by playing their sport at the collegiate level, we will set out to make that happen. Keeping our users informed and educated is a major component of that.

With that in mind, today’s article will discuss the recruiting prospects of one of the top baseball recruits in the country. Learning about these types of stories and what makes athletes “recruitable” to college coaches can be a great tool in progressing your own athletic career. 

J.J. Hollis – Committed to the University of Santa Barbara

How far can a seemingly mundane buzzword like “dedication” take an athlete? And how easy is it for college coaches and recruiters to see an intangible quality?

To answer these questions, one needs only one look at J.J. Hollis of JSerra High School in California. The Southern Section player of the year enters his senior season as the guy. He knows it; as do his teammates, his coaches, and his opponents. 

In an interview with SBLive, Harvard-Westlake head coach Jared Halpert said it best. He described JJ Hollis as having the “most competitive spirit” of any pitcher his team faced this season. 

He wants the ball and wants to perform at the highest level,” said Hollis’ head coach at JSerra, Brett Kay. “He’s not going to sit there and wow you with velocity and things like that, but he’s going to will himself and put his teammates on his back and just perform.”

Hollis was recently described by SBLive’s Connor Morrissette as being separate from his peers due to his “guts.” Not his fast ball velocity, nor a deceiving changeup. His guts have taken him to the pinnacle of the sport for his age group. 

Hollis doesn’t want to leave the game. If allowed, he would pitch nine innings every game he started. This is the type of dedication that can separate a prospect.

Takeaways

If it wasn’t already clear, show dedication by going above and beyond. While it’s not quantifiable like statistics are, dedication and “guts” are clear to see – especially to a college coach or recruiter. 

If you don’t already feel the level of commitment to your sport that is evident to see in Hollis’ game and interviews, then something’s missing. Ensure that any scout in the stands can see a palpable desire to win every time you step up to the plate or the mound.

(Photo Courtesy of JSerra Baseball’s Twitter @JSerraLionsBB)