Recruiting process

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Bear with me if this has been brought up before(possible by me!)but it's time to get the ball rolling and we don't know where to begin.

My husband was told that it's time to get letters out to the colleges that DD is interested in. What type of info should be in this letter other than stats? Is it the same for D1 and D2 schools? Do we address it to the coaches, just head coach, AD? Should we include a picture and schedule?

Thanks for your patience. We need guidance!

 

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What age and grade?

 

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1. Figure out what area of study she may be interested in and start looking for schools that offer that area.

2. When you find them, maybe while your out driving this summer just stop by the campus to get a feel for it. 1st Impressions go along way.

3. If you plan on playing D1 or D2 pick a school/schools early and visit every camp, get in front of those coaches every chance you get to sell yuourself.

4. Early on really focus your attention/money on the D1 & D2, they have to see you early and often or you'll get passed over. The D3, NAIA, and some D2 will be there till the very end waiting to scarf up the D1, D2 scraps so to speak, so don't hit them to hard early, especially if you have your heart set on a D1 or D2. Focus on the "Big Fish" early. As you get further along your DD will get a better feel of where she fits in.

5. Like I said previously, Jr. High thru Soph hit the few big schools your interested hard. Lots of time at their games and camps. Fresh, soph get your video out to secondary schools Like D2, NAIA and D3 in case the "Big Fish" starts slipping away. They can't talk to you off campus until the July following your Jr. year. So you won't hear back from them but be persistent. On campus you can talk to them most of the time. NCAA rules and regulations are different from NAIA, so try to learn about them.

6. You can never start to early and you can never send enough letters or emails. Just remember if you don't hear back, then likely that means they can't contact you back so don't give up. When you can hear back it usually takes three times of contact before you here back. They want to see if your serious or just sending out maas emails. Make every letter or email personal...never send them to multiple schools at the same time.


Well this is agood start and I will help where I can but I am no expert. Just some of the things we learned and mistakes we made along the way. Good Luck!!

 

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This may simplify things for you.

Prior to Junior Year in High School
At the beginning of your ninth grade year, you become a prospective student-athlete. All rules regarding recruiting go into effect at this time. You may visit an institution at your own expense as often as you wish, and all contacts with a coach must be on the college campus. The athlete can call the coach, but the coach cannot return the phone call or e-mail (except Division III where the coach may call or write starting with the athlete?s first year of high school).

Junior Year of High School
September 1: Coaches may send athletes recruiting letters, e-mails and information about the athletic program. Coaches may not call prospects, however, until after July 1 for Division I and June 15 for Division II. (See Division III exception above.)

Early in the Junior Year:
Register with the Eligibility Center <https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common>.
Take the ACT and/or SAT and request scores be sent to the Eligibility Center.
Begin your amateurism questionnaire.

After completing your junior year, request your high school to send your transcript to the Eligibility Center.

Upon Completion of Junior Year: College coaches may initiate in-person, off-campus contacts for Division I schools as of July 1; for Division II, as of June 15; for Division III, as of the end of the junior year. Division I and II coaches are allowed three total contacts with a prospect or her family members during her senior year in high school.
Coaches may only call prospects once a week, and these calls include conversations with any family members.

Senior Year of High School
First Day of Classes: On-campus official visits may begin. Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide them with a copy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT or ACT score. You are limited to one official visit at five different institutions.

National Letter of Intent Signing: Early Signing begins the second Wednesday in November of your senior year. The late signing period begins the second Wednesday in April of your senior year.

Near or at the End of your Senior Year: Complete amateurism questionnaire. Guidance counselor must send final transcript with proof of graduation to the Eligibility Center.

 

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Thanks Rob!! Thats the official timeline that everyone will see and should use, but pick your big schools early and get in front of those coaches early and often. Kasey Kelly (on the OSU roster) and Melissa Rennie (soon to be a Buckeye) are poster childs for how it should be done if you have a good idea where that "Big Fish" is.

 

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http://teamakademafastpitch.com/home/college_information

 

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Thanks for all of the information! ValleyStorm and LadyKnights...that's great stuff! I am so new to this and it looks like we may be a little behind. She will be a junior in the fall so we have some things to do.

 

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Thanks for all of the information! ValleyStorm and LadyKnights...that's great stuff! I am so new to this and it looks like we may be a little behind. She will be a junior in the fall so we have some things to do.

Going into the summer before her junior year you need to get her some sort of video done ASAP before you start your summer season. Coaches are not going to receive a letter from a prospective player, stats or not included, and say, "wow I got to make a point of going to watch this player!" They are going to want to see something on tape or video (putting it on u-tube is good) to put that kind of effort in, unless they are already at a tourney watching someone, then they may stop by briefly.

You the parent are going to have to do alot of the preliminary legwork because as much as you don't know...your DD knows even less, so don't be surprised if your doing most of the work, but make sure you get them involved and give them plenty of guidance.

Just a few more tidbits.

 

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You're really not behind at all. Just make sure that your DD finds the school based on what they want to study FIRST. My child had the opportunity to go to a school close to home but didn't have hi major(or anything like it in a B.A, only Masters). What's the point of going to school if what they are going for, the school doesn't offer.
Remember to look at the calendar for coach contact. Use this Summer and Fall wisely...don't jump at the first school that seems interested. Look at DI DII AND DIII...be open minded and the scholarships will follow, even in DIII, though they will have to be academic. That's my two cents.

 

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I agree that it's not panic time...but if you have your mind set on a D1 school you really need to get moving, unless your DD is the next Jennie Finch or Crystl Bustos and one look at them and that D1 coach will be ready to offer. Just remember waht I posted earlier about the two girls going to OSU, they started really early and hit them hard often.

 

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Going into the summer before her junior year you need to get her some sort of video done ASAP before you start your summer season. Coaches are not going to receive a letter from a prospective player, stats or not included, and say, "wow I got to make a point of going to watch this player!" They are going to want to see something on tape or video (putting it on u-tube is good) to put that kind of effort in, unless they are already at a tourney watching someone, then they may stop by briefly.

You the parent are going to have to do alot of the preliminary legwork because as much as you don't know...your DD knows even less, so don't be surprised if your doing most of the work, but make sure you get them involved and give them plenty of guidance.

Just a few more tidbits.

This is true, we've done videos for a few players over the years and it works pretty well.
Short and sweet, edit to 15 to 20 minutes. Include short interviews with HS and Travel coaches. Then sent it to all the colleges you want.
Also as Lady Knights said go to clinics and put yourself in front of them.

 

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You're really not behind at all. Just make sure that your DD finds the school based on what they want to study FIRST. My child had the opportunity to go to a school close to home but didn't have hi major(or anything like it in a B.A, only Masters). What's the point of going to school if what they are going for, the school doesn't offer.
Remember to look at the calendar for coach contact. Use this Summer and Fall wisely...don't jump at the first school that seems interested. Look at DI DII AND DIII...be open minded and the scholarships will follow, even in DIII, though they will have to be academic. That's my two cents.

That's one thing we've done correctly is look at possible schools for her program. It looks like we now have to invest in a camcorder since our old one is terrible! Summer season is just around the corner. She is required by her high school coach to play high school summer ball as well as her travel team. The good thing about that is the high school summer ball starts before her travel season slightly. That gives us a little leeway.

I've heard that videos shouldn't contain too much information. At the OSU camp in January, Linda K said that she doesn't need a lot of talking, music and stuff like that. Sometimes she has a lot of tapes to look through.

Should I include video of her just pitching in a controlled setting or should I also include some game video?

I know there was a book out there that someone recommended, but I can't for the life of me remember the title. Anyone???

 

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We did are videos in a controlled setting, remember short an sweet.
Not saying game videos are bad we just didn't do them.
Pitching, hitting, defence, base running.

 

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Attended many college recruiting camps and most now are stating putting in on U-tube.
There are many good sites that walk you thru this process and help you put together profiles. When you talk clinics go to the college recruiting clinics and many put on great presentations . Last one was at WSU and my wife attended that one with me. Cassie Cunningham at OWU , has put on some good question and answer sessions and has hand outs that walk you thru the process.. You will be surprised how early coaches are now looking at players. NFCA is great resource with information.

http://www.eteamz.com/fastpitch/
Just one of many sites that can help you.

 

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The book that you are probably referring to is Cathy Aradi's Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level, which is available from the NFCA: [FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]http://www.nfca-services.org/store/Shelf.asp#139[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]I have to say, however, that I found this book to be so basic that it was not worth the money that we spent on it. You can get much of the same information from the NCAA site and some of the rest of it is just common sense. Still and all, lots of others rave about it and Hildred Deese of the NFCA told me it was one of their best sellers.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][/FONT]

 

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That's one thing we've done correctly is look at possible schools for her program. It looks like we now have to invest in a camcorder since our old one is terrible! Summer season is just around the corner. She is required by her high school coach to play high school summer ball as well as her travel team. The good thing about that is the high school summer ball starts before her travel season slightly. That gives us a little leeway.

I've heard that videos shouldn't contain too much information. At the OSU camp in January, Linda K said that she doesn't need a lot of talking, music and stuff like that. Sometimes she has a lot of tapes to look through.

Should I include video of her just pitching in a controlled setting or should I also include some game video?

I know there was a book out there that someone recommended, but I can't for the life of me remember the title. Anyone???

Your statement above is probably conjecture on your part, but for clarification a HS coach cannot "Require" anyone to play for his summer team or any team for that matter. If found to be true, he could be punished according to OHSAA bylaws. Again you probably know this and stated it incorrectly but if you do believe this to be true...let me tell you that it is a BIG "NO NO!!!".

 

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I guess I should've said "strongly suggests". I would love to know where I can find that info though.

 

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I guess I should've said "strongly suggests". I would love to know where I can find that info though.

OHSAA 2010 General Sports Regulations

5.10) Mandatory attendance at instructional programs is not permitted. A coach, paid or unpaid, violates this provision when the coach suggests or in any way implies that a student's chance to be selected for an interscholastic squad is contingent upon participation in an instructional program.​

http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/rglts/GenSportsReg09-10.pdf

 

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Exposure IS the key. And, by the way, you never know WHO'S watching, especially at any of the camps. One school can recruit for another and if you build the reputation, they will come! There's all types of online exposure, Get Recruited is one but there's many, many more. Get that camcorder fired up. Record at games, camps, etc. Only put the best stuff on it.
Good luck!

 

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Oh, when you send your 'packet out' be sure to ask for a recommendation from teachers, coaches (both high school and travel), mentors and the like. Coaches follow-up...character counts.