Insight on college recruiting

Can those of you that have daughters going or have gone to college on softball scholarships please take the time to let us know how they were first noticed by the school they will attend? Also, how important is it to attend college camps for exposure?

That is a great question. We send emails and attend showcase tournaments. However, we traveled to Colorado - Which was awesome. But we did not see any college coaches at the 16u games. I had heard that many of the coaches attended the 18u games. IceMike..I think camps are a good option.

So, I would like to hear what folks have to say too.

Clark Richards
Ohio Ice

Clark-

I have been researching schools near the Carolina Series for my girls. Have a summary of different area schools of all types. I think it's a good start for girls (our teams' age). Am willing to share what I have found with you if you want it (others are welcome to it too) PM me your email and I will send it to you.

Tig

Being in the state record book helped. But seriously ,if someone comes up to talk to you before saying anything ask for a business card so you know who that person really is and who they represent!

I help run the NFCA Recruiting Camp in Toledo for the past 6 years... I also run the College Charity Tournament in the Fall in Bowling Green.
The first thing that must be done is to contact the college coach to express your interest. Send them your bio, stats, schedule and the contact info for your coaches. Most college coaches are not on a blind scouting mission.
Go to their camps!!!!!!!!!
Get on a summer team that will be attending tournaments where the coaches will be.
Keep the coaches updated on your seasons.

I had a college coach ask me about 3 of our girls this past weekend. It just so happened that all three girls were chatting together 20 feet away. I introduced the girls to the coach. All three of these girls had contacted this coach.

Please contact me if you would like more help..... Fast2home@yahoo.com

fast2home gives most of it in a nutshell.

My experience has been Showcases like the QDSN & QDSS.
Sending emails to coaches w/tourneys & game times
Having flyers available at Showcase tourneys (Compuware, etc)
Going to various College Camps. Kent State is a good one for Ohio since a lot of the Coaches attending QDSN also attend the Kent St. Camp.
Talking to the College coaches at these events also.

DD will be a Junior this year, and has received emails from 10 schools so far. Will this get her a scholership, I don't know, but you have to market your kid.

Fast2home,

I am very interested in knowing when NFCA holds their recruiting camps. Can you email me that information or let me know where I can find it.

Thanks
Clark

Fast2home has alot of good advice there. I would also add to it:

1 Treat your "BIO" like a resume, not too much but not too little info. If its too long they wont bother to read it. Also Ive always been told that college coaches really dont care about h.s. school stats due to the fluctuation of quality games, that they were more interested in the SAT scores and GPA. Make sure you include those along with all contacts for instructors, coaches (travel & school) positions played, awards honors/highlights.
2 Start early, sophomore year or now a days 14u isnt too early to start thinking about recruiting. Dont wait until senior year to get going.
3 Be realistic, only so many players will play for UCLA. If you really want to play ball, theres a level and school for you. Div 1, Div 2, Div 3, NAIA, NJCAA all play softball but with varying degrees of money to offer.

By the way, the DD was noticed at a indoor showcase tourney by the school shes going to attend last January and contacted 2 weeks later. A recruiting trip followed and she later signed. It was out of the blue by a school 2 states away that we never even considered let alone send anything so a little luck doesnt hurt either.....

Fast2home, you are right on the money.

My daughter is one of the unusual ones. We did the "Ringor Showcase", and she played for a travel team that played in all the big tournaments--Best of the Best, Colorado, Stingrays, GAPSS, Sluggerfest, etc. She also attended a handful of camps. Regular updates were sent via email and regular mail to the coaches on her progress and her game times of the next tournament. Unfortunately she injured herself in the middle of the season, and a lot of the work done resulted in emails saying they looked for her and didn't see her (we didn't know what we were doing, so we started the process between her junior and senior year).

Of the schools interested in her, about 3-4 were because of her contacting them first. About 10-15 were because they saw her at a the "Ringor Showcase" (now QDSN) or at a high-profile tournament.

HOWEVER,

She was offered a scholarship from a coach who had never seen her play. He was looking for an offensive threat, and she was recommended to the coach. She had already decided on a school to attend (no verbal), but we decided to take a look at this school. She fell in love with it and made a verbal within a couple of weeks. He has since seen her play, and she also had the opportunity to practice with the team last fall.

Incidentally, a teammate a year before her was also offered a scholarship by this coach without ever seeing her play. She accepted and signed without even seeing the school.

I have another daughter. We don't expect to see the same thing happen for her. She (we) regularly write to about 40 coaches, and several of them reply to her (not all can because of NCAA rules as she will be a junior). Because she is playing in the QDSS this year, we decided to add about 80 more schools to the list and sent emails out this week. Within one day she had already requests for her skills video.

That reminds me--skills video is very important. You can do it yourself.

Had some time to kill. Things haven't changed that much, but yet the same question keeps getting asked.

What I have noticed is you need someone in your corner that college coaches recognize and respect. This could be a travel ball coach, high school coach, recruiter with a lot of connections, president of a well-known travel ball organization etc. They have to plant the seed in the college coach’s head. Then the player has to prove themselves on video, at camps, or during live action. Examples are any well-known travel ball coach that is successful year in and year out, a winning tradition high school coach (Keystone), recruiter like Brian Chidester (daughter Amanda Chidester - All American at U of M, Team USA) with a ton of connections, president of a well-known travel ball org like Bill C all can plant the seed to a college coach. My daughters experience was with a recruiter and her video. Brian is respected in the college softball world who planted the seed to the school's coach she will be attending. She did the rest at camp.

Jesus talk about resersction lol

BouldersDad said:

Jesus talk about resersction lol

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Sometimes things need a jump start. Even if it is old news it may be new news to some. I think with the reboot we will see a lot of dead threads dug back up...LOL

My oldest daughter plays (Senior in College) plays college softball; my youngest daughter (HS Junior) verballed last month. 4 players on my 16u College Showcase team has given verbal commitments (D1, D3, and NAIA) and 6 more have offers. I do a college softball recruiting seminar every year. If you would like to talk some more, text me at 513.256.3595.

c12los said:

What I have noticed is you need someone in your corner that college coaches recognize and respect. This could be a travel ball coach, high school coach, recruiter with a lot of connections, president of a well-known travel ball organization etc. They have to plant the seed in the college coach’s head. Then the player has to prove themselves on video, at camps, or during live action. Examples are any well-known travel ball coach that is successful year in and year out, a winning tradition high school coach (Keystone), recruiter like Brian Chidester (daughter Amanda Chidester - All American at U of M, Team USA) with a ton of connections, president of a well-known travel ball org like Bill C all can plant the seed to a college coach. My daughters experience was with a recruiter and her video. Brian is respected in the college softball world who planted the seed to the school's coach she will be attending. She did the rest at camp.

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Absolutely correct on this... I'd say about 95% of it depends on who you have working for you.. It's unfortunate that some kids may get overlooked because they don't have the connections...

init4all said:

Absolutely correct on this... I'd say about 95% of it depends on who you have working for you.. It's unfortunate that some kids may get overlooked because they don't have the connections...

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Totally agree
DD went to New Jersey in the Fall of her Junior Year, and pitched before another girl on her team that a bunch of colleges were looking at. The Coach was very engaged and talked to every scout that was there (he was on first name basis with some) about DD and the girl they came to see. We got feedback from the coaches who "bit" and the emails and video links were sent immediately. She got personal invites to Winter Clinics after that, and then she was watched at a Showcase combine and tournament after that. So basically- three things 1. Have the talent and perform when it counts 2. Have a head coach who is connected and is willing to be in your corner-strongly 3. communicate via email, videos, etc.

We attended camps and QDDN and QDDS; what we liked about Queen of Diamonds is that they showed you how to write to colleges ,,what to do and so on. My daughter got noticed at an early age (started writing to colleges in 8th grade) She knew what schools she wanted to attend (academically) and had given a verbal before the 9th grade(Full athletic scholarship to D1). Just tried to be in all the right tournaments and even was a guest player at times on teams attending really good tourneys

The coaches I scout for all D1 teams. Like to see a personal touch short intro email. don't CC 50 coaches on same email it will not get opened. I tell kids to add a family photo.
You are going to be spending 4 years with this team they will become your family for life . Parents need to trust the coach you are sending you DD to. Do some research on which schools fit your needs academically. Your a STUDENT Athlete. Ask yourself if your are prepared. Much much more than just playing softball.
Send first email with a family photo just a short 2-3 lines name school team ect. the photo will grab there attention adds something other don't have and shows you have a real interest. the second email about 3-4 weeks later should include schedule and more about your self and you goals. Someone in your corner that has connections is a giant leap ahead of the pack no doubt about it....

If you have any more questions or if I can help in anyway inbox me or email me
Good Luck
Doug

doug@643academy.com

Let her be the one who talks during the visits, if the coach asks you, then you speak. They want to see them, not hear you. This goes all the way to the field as well. If yr an a$$ at the field, your not worth the headaches. Don't ever commit without visiting the campus, the best coach will ask her "If you got hurt and could never play again, would you still see yourself here?" Softball is secondary, a degree for a career is first!!!!!