How
to Win at Recruiting
With
each passing recruiting year, we've all see
proof of softball's growth at the youth level.
More high school and travel teams around the
country are becoming more competitive, and there's
a definite increase in the number of student-athletes
who are dreaming of playing softball in college.
Softball talent, is just like softball teams
-- college to youth ball -- tends to fall into
a pyramid shape; and don't ever expect this
to change. Just as there will always be more
average players than there will be the next
Lisa Fernandez, Cat Osterman or Natasha Watley,
there will always be fewer college teams at
the very top
-- and a lot more in the
middle and towards the bottom of this pyramid.
Today
the level of competitiveness
of most Division I college teams is very, very
good. This is due to better coaching, better
training, better technology, more experienced
players, and a bigger and better pool of talent
to draw from. Players who ten years ago might
have walked into many Division I teams and been
guaranteed a spot, are now scrambling to get
themselves recruited. Because of the pyramid
structure of college softball, there will be
far fewer spots open at top 10 schools and far
more players wanting to go to those schools.
Remember, the bigger the talent pool, the more
the coaches have to pick from and can afford
to be choosier which athletes they want to recruit.
It
is very important to identify your athlete's
"target zone" early in the recruiting process.
In the "old" days, a player could write five
or ten schools, and if those schools weren't
interested, they could then write another five
or ten, gradually working their way down the
list until they found schools where they would
be "impact" players. The
key to being recruited is to find the school
where you will make a difference.
Too many families wait too long to do begin
the process of finding the "target zone".
We
are not to discouraging players by telling them
they are unlikely to be recruited by a Florida
State or Washington or Cal State or UCLA. It's
perfectly fine to contact your "dream" schools.
Just do it early in your college search, while
at the same time also write twenty or thirty
other schools covering a broad spectrum from
small and mid-level Division I schools, Division
II, and Division III programs. It's a lot easier
to hear that a Top 10 Division I team isn't
interested in recruiting you, if at the same
time you are hearing that a mid-level Division
I or outstanding Division II, and Division III
school that has a spot just for you.
As
you're sitting around waiting for a coach to
call you, think of these numbers. Every fall,
roughly 3,500 to 4,000 young women will enter
four-year colleges as new recruits destined
for the softball team. Of this total number,
80% will go to play for Division II, and Division
III and NAIA college teams, and 90% will be
going to schools that are located east of the
state of Colorado! Of this total number, only
about 50% will get any softball-based aid. (Players
may get lots of other kinds of financial aid,
but a lot of students will not be signing a
National Letter of Intent.) And, finally, of
the above total number only about 75 to 100
athletes will go to Top 20 Division I teams.
(This means only three to four kids a year will
go to an Arizona or a Texas.)
Too
many parents waste time insisting that their
player is in the elite "Blue Chip" pool of recruits,
when in reality she's in the much, much larger
pool of "very good" athletes. Because of this
illusion, these families take too long to realize
that their daughter may have to accept a Division
II scholarship, or an NAIA talent award, or
a Division III financial aid package if she
really wants to play softball in college. We
never recommend that a player go to a college
just to play softball. This is always a
big mistake. All athletes are students first.
We encourage athletes to expand their horizons
and consider colleges they might not have never
heard about or colleges that are a little farther
away from home than they originally desired
to get a great education. College coaches "DO"
want the best talent they can get and coaches
will take a long hard look at the player who
most wants to play and who really wants to be
part of their program. The more open an athlete
is to this concept, the greater are her chances
are of being some coach's "dream" recruit.
The
recruiting game is a lot like a game of musical
chairs. There are always too many players competing
for too few seats. If the music starts to slow
down, you had better grab the first open chair.
If you don't, you may find you are out of the
game all together!
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"The
Windows of Opportunity"
Some
families are very "gung ho," when it comes to
recruiting... wanting to write colleges when
their player is a freshman or sophomore, while
others are more laid back and are pretty sure
their athlete will just be discovered, recruited
and signed. In any case, the worse thing parents
and players can do is wait until her senior
year before panicking and rushing to send out
letters and tapes.
Is
there a right answer to the question of when
to start the college search? Technically, there
isn't. You can get lots of different input depending
whom you talk to.
While it's true that a few college programs
may spot young players they want to watch, there's
a catch there. They want to identify the next
phenom. If they can find that player when she's
young and begin to interest her in their school,
they will. But most athletes will not be the
"greatest athlete of their generation." And,
we all know of players who as sophomores are
solid (but nothing special), but who become
outstanding recruits by their senior year.
It's
imperative for parents to remember that NCAA
college coaches are required to follow all NCAA
recruiting guidelines. They are not supposed
to write players for recruiting purposes until
the start of the junior year, and even then,
they cannot talk to players in person about
recruiting until July 1st prior to their senior
year of high school! Yes, coaches can send out
basic questionnaires to sophomores. But that's
it. They're not supposed to be telling freshmen
and sophomores that they want to recruit them!
Not
all college coaches are created equal when it
comes to recruiting. Some coaches have great
support staffs who can be churning out letters
on a weekly basis to players. Others lumber
along like dinosaurs struggling to respond to
letters and tapes that came in six months ago!
Some schools have already identified their rising
senior prospects by early summer, have contacted
them and set up visits by early September, and
have those players signed by November. But other
colleges may aim to sign one player in the fall
and the rest in the spring; while some sign
none in the fall, waiting until after the early
signing to get serious. Even those coaches who
want to be done by in the fall can often find
themselves in March, April, May or June still
looking for recruits. Sounds like fun doesn't
it!
Contact
MIDDLE
TO END OF THE SOPHOMORE YEAR: If
your athlete is playing on an 18U team that
goes to Colorado in the summer, ASA Nationals
or other major tournaments, you have the option
of sending out emails or letters to coaches
with the players name; home address; team name;
jersey number; graduation year; position; and
which tournaments she'll be at. If you do, be
sure to include game schedules and times, fields,
etc. Parents:
Read the NCAA rule book and memorize the rules
on contact. We see parents breaking these rules
right and left -- sometimes coaches too -- but
you may not realize your daughter's eligibility
to play could be jeopardized by what you consider
a harmless conversation about a college's football
team.
START OF THE JUNIOR
YEAR: This is a very important "window
of opportunity" for your player. If your player
is on an 18U team or Gold team that goes to
major fall exposure tournaments that coaches
attend, you SHOULD BE sending out the emails
and letters. Start thinking about shooting
your skills video tape (we recommend shooting
your video during the fall season or just after
your fall season is completed). Your player
should also begin setting her resume up on the
computer and working on a letter of introduction.
Also look at scheduling the PSAT over the upcoming
school year to get her prepared for taking the
real test! Familiarize yourself with the NCAA
Clearinghouse and get the ball rolling.
MIDDLE OF THE JUNIOR
YEAR: Have your player schedule the
SAT and ACT and begin to identify schools she'd
like to write to. Encourage her to continue
exploring different schools, and look for things
that interest her. Remember, the education is
what "really matters"... pay attention
to making good grades and work hard to maintain
a good GPA. Again, if you haven't started,
look at shooting your skills video tape. This
is a great time to begin organizing any materials
the schools may be sending. Be sure to complete
any questionnaires as quickly as possible as
coaches are interested in learning about you.
END
OF THE JUNIOR YEAR: Late May to late
July is possibly the best "recruiting window
of opportunity." This is also when they should
begin putting together packets to send to college
coaches. They should include the video or you
can wait until it's requested. Definitely let
coaches know where they'll be playing over the
summer. As soon as school ends, you should have
already completed the NCAA Clearinghouse process,
having the school send the IEC a 6th semester
transcript.
START
OF THE SENIOR YEAR: Families need
to ensure their player is on track, and they
keep the process moving forward. If they haven't
heard back from the schools initially contacted,
follow-up phone calls may be in order--particularly
if they have sent a video. Seniors need to remember
that no coach will give them any realistic feedback
on their chances of making a college team without
either having seen the tape or seen the player
compete in person. Seniors need to sort colleges
into three categories: The "Thanks, but no thanks"
category; the "We don't know yet" category;
and the "YES, we're definitely interested and
would like to talk to you, bring you in for
a visit, have you apply to the school, etc."
category.
As the senior year progresses, the player's
goal should be to constantly empty the "NO"
category, to move the schools in the "MAYBE"
category into either the "NO" or "YES" categories,
and to find out which schools in the "YES" category
may be a good match for her. If families take
advantage of these "windows of opportunity,"
they are more likely to be on track throughout
the process, while at the same time avoiding
having to write schools three or four times
to get a response. The college search tends
to be more like a marathon than a sprint for
most kids and parents. The key to winning is
stamina, persistence and the ability to pace
yourself. We recommend that you start early.
You may have to repeat, and repeat, and repeat
your efforts. Start to late, and you may miss
the boat completely at a lot of schools!
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Work
from the Correct Recruiting "Premise!"
When
it comes to recruiting, many families often
make the mistake of assuming certain things
are true. Then when their college search gets
stalled or derailed, they get confused and upset.
People assume or take for granted that because
they think something should be a certain way,
it will be. Unfortunately, that's all too often
not the case. You might be lucky and find this
out early enough to change your perspective.
Or you might not accept it out until it's too
late. One of our goals as a select fastpitch
organization is to help families approach the
college search from the perspective that is
most likely to get them the results they want.
And that means accepting right from the beginning
that this process is most likely to be unfair.
While
it may be true that their athlete is very talented,
has terrific competitive experience, is a good
student and a wonderful human being... none
of those things guarantees recruitment. These
wonderful qualities may factor into her recruitment,
but unfortunately, they don't guarantee that
things will work out fairly or logically. The
simple truth is that there are some important
factors in the recruiting equation that parents
can control... and some that they can't. If
you understand this and work your tail off to
stay of top of the things you can control, then
you may be able to lessen the effect of those
things you can't control.
For
example: Your athlete can control her grades
(at least to the extent that she gets the best
grades she's capable of getting.) The athlete
can determine how hard she works to make the
most of her athletic ability -- she can choose
to go hang out with her friends rather than
putting in extra time at the batting cages or
on the mound. She can choose to play the toughest
competitive schedule, and she can decide how
much she hustles. To some extent, the athlete
may be able to control how she performs under
pressure; parents or coaches may be able to
help by encouraging the practice and drills
that build confidence and help her succeed.
But if she's only successful when no one is
watching or when she's playing against weaker
competition, and can't produce when it counts
-- e.g., when coaches are there to watch her
-- fair or not, she may have trouble convincing
those coaches that she can play for them. Families
can control how well they market their player,
and they can focus on the types of programs
where she's most likely to be successful because
these are the teams that are most likely to
recruit her.
Parents
can moan and groan until they're blue in the
face but it's not going to change the mind of
a coach who just doesn't see what they see when
looking at this athlete. Parents can't control
whether or not college coaches make recruiting
mistakes. But they can help their college-bound
player avoid making college search mistake if
they work from the correct premise. Assume that
this process may not be fair, that it may be
confusing and that you're not going to change
the process. All you can change is your approach
to it. But changing your attitude may give your
athlete an edge that players who are more experienced
or even more talented may lack!
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A
Winning Attitude is Key to Being Recruited!
Many
athletes and their parents will use the player's
performance in game situations as an indicator
of her recruitablity. If she goes three for
four and makes a great diving play on a ball,
they're convinced all college coaches will want
to recruit her. If she goes "0" for the day,
and boots a couple of balls, they're sure no
coach will even look at her. The player's (and
her parents') attitude towards the game is often
tied to her performance. If she's hitting, fielding
or pitching really well, she smiles, she's happy
and her parents are ecstatic. If she has an
off day, reactions can range from simply "getting
down on herself" to "rage and tantrums".
We have also seen where a player is doing very
well in a game, but other team members are struggling
and not "showing" as well as they would like.
In this situation, parents (and occasionally
the player herself) may get upset, talk about
finding another team... complain about the other
players or coaches... and create a very unhealthy
environment. If you asked the parents why they
were acting this way, they would tell you that
the team's performance was hurting their player's
chances for success. Performance is important...
no one would argue that a player who can't hit
or field will probably not make it at the college
level. And it's equally true that college coaches
look for a 'clutch performance' when scouting
a prospect, but just as there are many different
levels of collegiate competition and many different
types of college coaches, there are many levels
of success among players and their attitudes.
The
"blue-chip" player, the girl in the top 1% of
all players, will probably -- even on a bad
day -- look better than a very average player
does on a good day. But college coaches know
that even top athletes have "off" days now and
then. When scouting, how much attention a coach
pays to any given athlete may also depend a
lot on whether or not the coach has a context
for that player. In other words, when a coach
just randomly stops at a field for five minutes
to watch a team he or she doesn't know, if your
player is having a really bad game, the coach
will probably move on and not pay her any more
attention. However, if the coach had gotten
a letter from her, seen her video and liked
it, and knew your player was very interested
in his or her college, that coach might still
take the time to watch more than one inning.
He or she might even come back for another game
to see if this poor performance was the result
of an 'off day.' It's also good to remember
that college coaches don't just look at mechanics
or skill level when recruiting athletes. Although
these things are very important, most coaches
also look closely at a player's attitude, work
ethic, sportsmanship, and other qualities that
can't be measured by 'statistics.' It's completely
normal for young adults to get discouraged,
depressed or frustrated when they don't perform
up to someone's expectations -- whether it be
their own, their parents' or their coaches'.
Learning
to deal with frustration is as much a part of
being a successful competitor as is learning
to hit a change-up or throw a curve. Softball
is a team sport and failure is just sometimes
part of the game. When recruiting, many college
coaches will specifically try to look at an
athlete's performance in challenging situations;
and they will definitely be interested in how
she copes with adversity.
When
the umpire has an inconsistent strike zone,
or the team isn't playing up to its potential,
coaches want to know how the individual reacts.
Does she throw her bat and helmet, stomp around
angrily, sit and sulk on the bench, or in other
ways fail to adjust to the situation? Or does
she rise to the occasion, try to keep her teammate
spirits up, try to perform to her best? Loving
the game and being competitive enough to hustle
even when it's ninety degrees and you're losing
will tell a college coach a lot about how you
will cope with the demands of college softball.
In between innings if you drag out to your position
at shortstop and just lob balls to the first
baseman, laughing when you miss a ball, this
may give a college coach the impression you
lack intensity or that you can't stay focused.
If you sit in the dugout and sulk when the coach
pulls you for a pinch hitter or when the coach
asks you to bunt, you pop up because you really
want to hit away, this may tell a college coach
you're not a team player and you're only interested
in your own performance. Remember, you never
know when a college coach or a scout is watching
you.
From
the time you show up at a tournament or game,
you should be performing -- in every sense of
the word -- to the best of your abilities. Whether
you're just hitting soft-toss during pre-game
warm-ups or making a leaping catch to save the
game, coaches may be watching. When you're carrying
gear after the game or sitting on the bench
keeping stats for your coach, someone may be
watching. And a decision to recruit or not recruit
you could be based on how you handle yourself
in these situations.
Finally,
parents should keep in mind that the same cautions
apply to you. While coaches are scouting your
player, they may also be scouting you. Although
it seems farfetched, there have been situations
where coaches have decided not to recruit a
good athlete simply because they watched her
parents "act out" in the stands. The coaches
saw the parents and realized the athlete would
probably not fit in with their team -- or at
least her parents wouldn't! It may be difficult
for some parents to understand, but the reality
is when your athlete joins that college team,
you have to say good-bye. Even if you've coached
her for ten years, you will not have any input
once she's in college. Where she plays, when
she plays, what pitches she throws, whether
she hits -- these are all decisions the college
coach will make without your help. And whether
or not you like what the coach is doing, it
probably won't matter a bit.
As
a family, it's a good idea to talk about the
emotional aspects of softball. Look at how you
all handle pressure and try to gain some perspective.
The more positive you can be during the tough
games, the more likely you are to leave a positive
impression on a coach! If this sounds easy,
believe us -- it is once you get the hang of
it!
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Summer
Scouting
June
and July for the select ball player is on the
road, often at major exposure tournaments in
Colorado. This can be an exhilarating (and scary)
time for players, particularly those players
who will start their senior year in the fall.
We'd like to mention or remind you of some of
these things that might help keep you focused,
motivated and on the right track during your
college search.
Observations
from/about College Coaches
College Coaches all go to big tournaments with
the best teams in attendance. If you're not
on that list, it will be very hard to get noticed
unless you're hitting the ball to the fence
on a regular basis -- and when the coaches are
watching. (Sorry, but that's just the way it
is.) Coaches prefer that parents not approach
or talk to them unless they (the coaches) have
specifically requested a contact. (Parents:
read the NCAA rule book and memorize the rules
on contact. We see parents breaking these rules
right and left -- sometimes coaches too -- but
you may not realize your daughter's eligibility
to play could be jeopardized by what you consider
a harmless conversation about a college's football
team.)
Coaches
really need to know accurate grade point averages
-- NCAA "core and cumulative" -- and
SAT or ACT scores. Almost all coaches are looking
for strong, consistent hitters. Most will tell
you they'd rather work to develop a player's
fielding skills than have to teach her how to
hit. Unless you're incredibly lucky or amazingly
athletic, becoming a good hitter is a matter
of learning the right mechanics (teaching your
muscles what to do), developing a keen eye and
teaching yourself very good discipline at the
plate... and then practicing to get even better!
Again, it may not be fair, but clutch hitting
is what gets coaches' attention (if you're not
a pitcher)!
When
coaches are scouting, it's virtually impossible
to differentiate between the travel ball player
who sees college softball as a beginning --
e.g., when she gets there, she'll work even
harder, become an even better player, etc. --
and the travel ball player who sees college
ball as an ending -- e.g., she's been doing
this summer ball stuff to get a college scholarship
or to get into college. As far as she's concerned,
once she's there, she gets to level out and
have a good time. She doesn't have to get any
better. But if you ask coaches, they will all
tell you it's the first type of player they
really want. There's way too many kids out there
for coaches to see all of you. Don't assume
because they're watching your game that they're
there to see you. You need to show them you're
motivated enough to put some effort into your
college search!
By
the end of a big exposure tournament, coaches
are bleary-eyed and exhausted. And we can guarantee
you they won't remember everyone they've seen.
If you want them to remember you, follow up
after the tournaments with a call or email to
find out if they even saw you play... and to
ask where they are with recruiting.
Observations
for/about Players
Sometimes it just happens, you're
just having a bad day. But a rotten attitude
turns coaches off faster than anything else.
If you don't want to be playing softball, don't
play. (Mom and Dad will get over it -- eventually).
Occasional frustration is natural and understandable.
But coaches want to see if you deal with adversity
in a positive or negative way. If you're struggling,
don't throw your bat or helmet. Go ask for help
and figure out what to do to fix the problem.
If you're not performing well at the moment,
focus externally and support your teammates
instead of sulking and feeling sorry for yourself.
Weight
training and running will be part of your college
experience if you play softball. Don't wait
until you get to college to figure this out.
Start now. You'll feel better, look better,
perform better and have more stamina. And you'll
be way ahead of the other freshmen starting
school with you!
College
coaches really prefer to hear from you. They're
not recruiting your mom or your dad or your
club coach. No matter how scary it is, if you're
not motivated enough to call coaches, talk to
them, etc., they may figure you're really not
that interested in playing college softball
for them.
Don't
ever just take the SAT or ACT once -- unless
you score a 1600 or 36 out of the gate. No matter
how unpleasant it is, work to raise your scores.
There's a lot more academic money than athletic
money available and coaches look for kids with
high test scores.
Coaches
will be recruiting your daughter. If she doesn't
want it, you can't make it appear that she does.
Ask her on a regular basis if she's sure that
playing in college is what she's wants. If it
is, help her learn how to reach that goal. If
it's not, let her do something she enjoys --
and you can go get a life!
Learn
the recruiting rules. Don't ever approach coaches
to chat about their teams or about your player.
Don't jeopardize your player's eligibility and
then use the excuse, 'Well, I didn't know.'
Find
out what your daughter or player's grades really
are. Learn the difference between an NCAA "core
GPA", a "semester GPA" and a
"cumulative GPA". This is critical
information for many college coaches.
Always
support your player in a positive way. No matter
how frustrating it is for you, it's ten times
more frustrating for her. Do you think she wants
to be striking out???? Don't you think she'd
prefer to be hitting line drives to the fence
or throwing an incredible rise ball??? Your
negative comments simply make things worse.
They never make things better. If your player
is struggling, be helpful, not hurtful. Help
her determine whether her problems are mechanical
or mental. If they're mechanical, then get some
expert advice on how to fix them; and remember,
it takes a lot of repetitions to change muscle
memory. If she's in a mental slump, help her
discover ways to build self-confidence, to develop
discipline. Ten years from now, chances are
the quality of your relationship with your daughter
will be greatly improved if you leave your ego
out of it and help your player learn the positive
lessons softball has to teach... not the negative
ones.
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The
College Checklist
Whether
you are a freshman or a senior, start thinking
about college NOW. The preparation you do today,
will make your decision-making process easier
when you being recruited. Research, research,
research... discover what your interests are,
and what schools will best help you achieve
your goals for the future. Below are some standard
questions and checklists which will help you
prepare for your recruiting opportunities:
Initial-Eligibility
Clearinghouse
1.
Why do I need to register and be certified??
If you intend to participate in Division I or
II athletics as a freshman in college, you must
be registered with and be certified as eligible
by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.
Please note that initial-eligibility certification
pertains only to whether you meet the NCAA requirements
for participation in Division I athletics and
has no bearing on your admission to a particular
Division I or II institution.
2.
When should I register?? You should register
with the clearinghouse whenever you decide you
would like to participate in athletics as a
college freshman. It's generally best to register
anytime before participation. If you register
late you may face delays that will prevent you
from practicing and competing.
3.
How do I register?? You will need to obtain
registration materials from your high-school
guidance counselor. These materials include
a student-release form and a red brochure titled,
"Making Sure You Are Eligible to Participate
in College Sports". Fill out the student-release
form completely and mail the top (white) copy
of the form to the clearinghouse along with
$18 fee. Give the pink and yellow copies of
the student-release form to your high school
to forward your transcript to the clearinghouse.
The high school will keep the pink cop of the
form for its files.
