30 College Recruiting Red Flags

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From Student Sports Softball:

Nate Trosky has been in the baseball world over two decades running his own company, Trosky Baseball, and working over 150 college recruiting events and professional scouting combines.

He recently contributed an article to StudentSportsBaseball and we felt that his information is very applicable to softball as well and modified his list below to be ?softball relevant.?

Trosky begins by explaining that based on the events he?s been to, ?I have noted 30 recruiting red flags, complaints from the college coaches and scouts concerning high school prospects. I encourage prospects and their parents to read the list below and make note of the individual red flags. Being conscious of each area will ultimately increasing a player?s odds of being recruited.?

As a coach and scout, I communicate to my players that, ?the college coaches are in the bushes and the scouts are in the tree,? meaning someone always watching them!? A player?s character is the true separator and definer of how far they will go in this game and in life, and character can be defined as what someone does when nobody is looking or at least when they think nobody is looking.?

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30 College Recruiting Red Flags (modified for softball)


1. Addressing an email to a college coach by either calling him or her Coach, without a first name and/or by spelling the name wrong.

2. Sending emails to college coaches that are lengthy, with too much information.

3. Getting in trouble outside of softball fostering a reputation that reaches college coaches.

4. Attending a college recruiting camp with a sloppy look including untied shoes or wearing headphones.

5. On a official visit, asking current players what the party scene is like.

6. During a college visit, acting rude to a parent or family member.

7. Throwing gear after getting upset during a game.

8. Having an uncoachable attitude when a coach is advising, teaching techniques or training.

9. Looking like a slob in your uniform.

10. Being seen at the yard with a hat on backwards.

11. At a college prospect camp, a player disrespecting her high school coach in front of the college coaches.

12. Player seen eating a poor diet at a showcase or tournament, especially if she appears to be struggling with weight problems.

13. Overly involved parents or family members. Parents that are too attached, controlling, or speak for their kids when a college coach asks the player questions.

14. At a high school or travel ball game, a player asking her parents for drinks/snacks.

15. Lack of self control, revealing negative emotions through poor body language when things aren?t going right on the field.

16. Complaining or disrespect toward umpires or coaches.

17. Inconsistent effort of hustle running to 1B.

18. Low GPA.

19. Low test scores.

20. Player?s dad carrying her bat bag or equipment .

21. Mom applying sunscreen to the player?s face.

22. Colorful language, poor attitude or inappropriate images on social media.

23. Showing up late, anytime.

24. Not being prepared at a college camp, forgetting belt etc..

25. Verbally committing early, getting lazy, not improving or reaching one?s projection.

26. Player rolling her bag into the park on wheels.

27. Verbally committing to a college on a softball scholarship, and then decommitting without a good reason.

28. Lack of commitment to a club or high school team. For example, playing on numerous teams at once and being unreliable.

29. Showing off, boasting, or other ego-driven actions that degrade a team collaboration.

30. Rounding up on GPA, test scores, and/or softball statistics
- See more at: 30 College Recruiting Red Flags | Student Sports Softball
 
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From Student Sports Softball:

Nate Trosky has been in the baseball world over two decades running his own company, Trosky Baseball, and working over 150 college recruiting events and professional scouting combines.

He recently contributed an article to StudentSportsBaseball and we felt that his information is very applicable to softball as well and modified his list below to be ?softball relevant.?

Trosky begins by explaining that based on the events he?s been to, ?I have noted 30 recruiting red flags, complaints from the college coaches and scouts concerning high school prospects. I encourage prospects and their parents to read the list below and make note of the individual red flags. Being conscious of each area will ultimately increasing a player?s odds of being recruited.?

As a coach and scout, I communicate to my players that, ?the college coaches are in the bushes and the scouts are in the tree,? meaning someone always watching them!? A player?s character is the true separator and definer of how far they will go in this game and in life, and character can be defined as what someone does when nobody is looking or at least when they think nobody is looking.?

***

30 College Recruiting Red Flags (modified for softball)


1. Addressing an email to a college coach by either calling him or her Coach, without a first name and/or by spelling the name wrong.

2. Sending emails to college coaches that are lengthy, with too much information.

3. Getting in trouble outside of softball fostering a reputation that reaches college coaches.

4. Attending a college recruiting camp with a sloppy look including untied shoes or wearing headphones.

5. On a official visit, asking current players what the party scene is like.

6. During a college visit, acting rude to a parent or family member.

7. Throwing gear after getting upset during a game.

8. Having an uncoachable attitude when a coach is advising, teaching techniques or training.

9. Looking like a slob in your uniform.

10. Being seen at the yard with a hat on backwards.

11. At a college prospect camp, a player disrespecting her high school coach in front of the college coaches.

12. Player seen eating a poor diet at a showcase or tournament, especially if she appears to be struggling with weight problems.

13. Overly involved parents or family members. Parents that are too attached, controlling, or speak for their kids when a college coach asks the player questions.

14. At a high school or travel ball game, a player asking her parents for drinks/snacks.

15. Lack of self control, revealing negative emotions through poor body language when things aren?t going right on the field.

16. Complaining or disrespect toward umpires or coaches.

17. Inconsistent effort of hustle running to 1B.

18. Low GPA.

19. Low test scores.

20. Player?s dad carrying her bat bag or equipment .

21. Mom applying sunscreen to the player?s face.

22. Colorful language, poor attitude or inappropriate images on social media.

23. Showing up late, anytime.

24. Not being prepared at a college camp, forgetting belt etc..

25. Verbally committing early, getting lazy, not improving or reaching one?s projection.

26. Player rolling her bag into the park on wheels.

27. Verbally committing to a college on a softball scholarship, and then decommitting without a good reason.

28. Lack of commitment to a club or high school team. For example, playing on numerous teams at once and being unreliable.

29. Showing off, boasting, or other ego-driven actions that degrade a team collaboration.

30. Rounding up on GPA, test scores, and/or softball statistics
- See more at: 30 College Recruiting Red Flags | Student Sports Softball
OK mines only a freshman in H.S. so im a bit green to all this....but #26...does that mean she should always carry her bag? Even if its a catchers bag. I'm lost?
 
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I reposted this elsewhere and 2 people already laughed at # 26 . Thats just dumb.
 
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OK mines only a freshman in H.S. so im a bit green to all this....but #26...does that mean she should always carry her bag? Even if its a catchers bag. I'm lost?

Larry, your dd should not only carry her bag, but all of her teammate's gear and your cooler. That's sure to impress the coaches. lol
 
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Strohbro - you nailed it with all 30 (including #26). I know my oldest DD college coach and I have talked about nearly all of them. I would also add that college coaches want the player, not the parent, to interact with them primarily. When my DD tried out for her college team I left the campus completely (as difficult as it was). Yes Virginia, being a helicopter parent can bring your DD value way down.
 
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so if you purchase a bat bag with wheels you should go ahead and carry it to prove what ? Or the point of # 26 is dont buy a bag with wheels ? IF a coach flags my players for that instead of worrying about things that actually matter I'd question the sanity of said coach . I can only imagine Taryn Alvelo or Jenna Lilly rolling her tools in from the parking lot and some coach saying " Oh boy another lazy player " ? some things are within logic and reason , and some things are not . I challenge anyone to make a relationship between a rolling bat bag and the effectiveness of a player . get real .
 
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Sorry, I can see the sense in every item except for # 26. My kid weighs about 100 lbs, and her bag with her catcher's gear, bat, helmet, etc weighs about 40 lbs (maybe an exaggeration, but you get the point). What's next, the kid shouldn't ride to the games in a car but run there instead to show her hustle? Perhaps she shouldn't wear her batting helmet or catcher's gear to show her toughness. Common!
 
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Wonder what a coach would think if a kid rolled into the park on a motorized scooter?.... I think the writer of that article was just desperate to find things to be concerned about when they got to that point
 
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Im going to make my dd carry her catchers bag, while running full speed, then have her swim 2 miles with her bag on her back.
 
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We need a list of things that will help you score a scholarship. I'll start it:

1. The coach is going to need a job until they are old enough to retire, so make sure you thank them for their interest in you and then tell him/her that since they were fairly polite, reasonably professional, and had a semi presentable appearance you'll reccomend them for some menial job within the athletic department when you graduate and start the painstaking process of fixing the program that they have ran into the ground.
 
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Im going to make my dd carry her catchers bag, while running full speed, then have her swim 2 miles with her bag on her back.

Hey, I think you might be on to a new Olympic event! Maybe they can replace Baseball and Softball with the Iron Bag. It will rank right up there with Fast Walking and Curling.
 
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2. Thank them for being hyper critical of things that have absolutely nothing to do with a player's character or softball ability.
 
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Regarding #26 - it was a BASEBALL list. I'm guessing the only changes for softball was changing the pronouns to feminine.

Added: #20 covers dad carrying the bag. Maybe #26 should be player's mom...
20. Player’s dad carrying her bat bag or equipment.
26. Player's mom rolling her bag into the park on wheels.
 
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I read #26 as the parent, not the player taking care of the bag. My response wasn't about wheeled bags; it was more along the lines of the kid yelling from the dugout for a drink or snack. College coaches want to see kids that are self-sufficient.
 
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I read #26 as the parent, not the player taking care of the bag. My response wasn't about wheeled bags; it was more along the lines of the kid yelling from the dugout for a drink or snack. College coaches want to see kids that are self-sufficient.

That I agree with.
 
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#32 Mom should not be applying chap stick to her little girls lips at anytime during the games.....
 
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21. Mom applying sunscreen to the player?s face.

Personal preference...I encourage players (and especially pitchers) to avoid getting sunscreen all over their hands to avoid losing their grip on the ball. I won't do it for them, being a male, so that usually leaves a scorekeeper, team Mom, or even a parent to deal with. Try to get it done before the game is under way.
 

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