Getting into baseball high schools

Q:  My son goes to a Japanese junior high school and is in Year 3. He is looking to go to a baseball high school, and he and his coaches are preparing for selections. I was wondering if you could give me more information about selections, sports suisen, accepting etc. What is required of the student and the parents to pass such selections and attain suisen. Are there any limitations on the number of schools that he can apply for scholarship to?  – V Yonezawa

A:  The high schools have try outs called selection during summer, normally after koshien qualifiers in early august. This might have changed since I was in high school (20 years ago) as the middle school players are technically not allowed to practice with high school teams. They might
call it show case or open practice.

The high school coaches normally have connections with middle school coaches. Thus they contact the middle school teams to invite ther players to those events. This is why some players in high school teams only come from certain middle school
programs. If your son plays in club system such as senior, boys, pony, young or sun league, his coach should have some information regarding these  invitations. If your son plays in the school system, then if his coach has a good connection he may know about it. If his coach does not have connections, then you have to find out by contacting high schools you are  interested. Normally it is coach to coach, rather than parents/kids to coach but if you have no choice you may have to do parents/kids to coach contact. However, Japanese sports system, I think in North America as well, likes the network so the high school coaches want to keep good connections with certain clubs/schools, so kids introduced by ther middle school coach have advantage in this. However, if you are good, you should be looked at.

After this process your son may be offered a scholarship, which is a little controversy subject these days, or certain points according to the
ability. Then your son’s middle school will provide the required documents to the high schools. this admission policies vary according to each
 school. Some are really easy for good athletes particularly baseball players, some are strict so you must have certain GPA.

You may still have chance to join the high school teams as walk-on after getting in schools but suisen or scholarship players will be often taken
care better as the high school coaches know the players former coaches and they want to keep good connection.

I hope this helps.
 
Good luck. it is fun to watch foreign/half/double kids playing in koshien.

– Courtesy of K.K & M.K.