I've reached out to his club to see what they offer to help. Part of me thinks "he's only an 8th grader, you're starting too early", but another part of me thinks "this is the perfect time to start".
Even though it seems a long time away, I don't think 8th grade is too early to either start thinking about what he wants to study, looking at colleges that might interest him, or whether he might like to play in college. In a few days he'll be a 9th grader, and time goes by quickly. D1 programs (who are looking for the real standouts athletically, academically, and even physically) recruit early in HS. By the time your kid is a junior, they've mostly already moved on. At least in the sport I'm familiar with (baseball).
Things have changed a lot over the past decade, and even the past several years, about how things are done. Much is done electronically today, although at some point they will want to see a player in person - and when that happens, don't underestimate how important attitude and demeanor are, as well as playing ability. They will walk away from a skilled player with a bad attitude, because college coaches want players who are all about the team, not all about themselves. They can't have any "big heads" who are going to get upset every time something doesn't go their way. Many decisions are made for the better of the team, not for the better of the player. (There is a lot written on this subject.) There are likely some local and regional differences in recruitment, too, as there are on the different the NCAA/NAIA levels. (Oh, and parents will be involved a bit helping their student athlete with choices, but after that, they are expected to butt out!
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We did not use one of those sites. DS was recruited through a college-specific showcase of a college he was interested in attending. They had an App on their Athletics website on which we uploaded video (for free) that we'd taken with an iPhone. They just want to see mechanics, which will help get your foot in the door.
HS, AAU and other coaches were not all that helpful, in our experience, although some organizations seemed to be rabid about it. (And that, I think, breaks off into a conversation about what type of organization your kid wants to play for coming up the ranks, if given a choice.)
A lot DS's friends and teammates went on to play in college, but most of them found their own way into schools that were a good fit for them, whatever their reasons. Some decided to focus just on academics and not play. A few went to colleges they thought they'd be able to walk on, but they didn't make the teams. A couple were recruited but either were cut during tryouts (yes, that's something people don't realize - there are still "tryouts" even when recruited), or saw no playing time. Some played for one year and decided it was too much with schoolwork. We've seen some movement with players who made [different levels of] teams but didn't get playing time, so sought out other schools where they would. A few went to prep schools and then were able to be recruited to better teams from there, and we've similarly met some great players who started off at NAIA (junior colleges) and moved up later. We've seen other situations, too, too many to capture. So it's been really interesting to watch. There are a lot of different options. DS is fortunate he's had a great experience at the D3 school he chose.
There is a lot that goes into the decision to play in college: how to get there, and whether where you wind up is a good fit or not, not only athletically, but academically, financially, socially, logistically, etc. There was a lot we didn't know that we learned as we went along. It's a lot of information to digest, and you read and hear different things from different people. IME not all of that information is correct, and one size does not fit all. Do your own homework as it pertains to your own child. Everyone's situation is different. I think parents and potential players have to keep an open mind about everything and make realistic choices, again, athletically, academically and financially.
Best of luck to everyone going down this path!
