Early Verbals?????

[default]

Just a question for thought. How does a junior verbal before July 1st of her senior year? Especially, since college coaches cannot speak with a recruit about anything other than camps and school information. I have seen many instances this and last year of early verbals. I know a parent can call to indicate interest early but how do they know 1. the college wants their dd and 2. how much money they will recieve?

 

[default]

I asked the same question in November - there's some information in the following thread, but hopefully more will answer. I'm not sure I understand how it's done.
http://www.game-ex.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1194373930

 

[default]

Thanks , that helps a lot!

 

[default]

When a student or parent calls the "college of choice" they can talk pretty much about anything when "YOU" make contact (that is the key)

Whe you go to a "college of choice" let's say on an "un-official visit" once you step on that schools campus the coach can talk to you about anything they want (again YOU set up the visit)

Most college coaches WON'T talk $$$$ unless YOU ask the right questions.


NOW for the "OFFICIAL VISIT" After a student's junior year they are "FREE" to be recruited. Any college can contact you and they can call, write, email, visit, etc. That is when THEY will talk money and offer you $$$$.

College coaches can also offer you money on un-official visits. That happens a lot! That is how and why kids "verbal" before junior year.


I'm sure I don't have everything on here correct but in a nut shell that is how things CAN happen.

 

[default]

Any parents who have actually done this?

 

[default]

I can tell you that many of the upper Division 1 colleges have already gotten verbals from the '09 prospects. Those with only a couple of roster openings are most likely done recruiting for '09's while I know that others are being more deliberate in their search and have not gotten all their openings verbaled and will not until after this summers scouting. First off establish a dialouge with coaches without making a pest of yourself. They are always busy and extremely hard to get ahold of. If your DD has any kind of edge, .500+ batting average, base running speed, throw it out to them and get their interest. They would like to see them play during their first year playing 16U and even while they're at 14U in some cases. If there are colleges of special interest to you go to their camps. Again, have an established dialogue with the coaches before hand so when the DD goes they know for certain she wants to be a prospect for their program. You can't go to everybody's camp so get footage of your DD's skills to them. Keep the scenes brief as they arn't looking for the play of the game but be able to evaluate her form and technique. If they like what they see then they will want her travel schedule. Finally, you must be on a team that attends the tournaments the coaches go to scout, usually tourneys like Compuware, Orland Park, Colorado Sparklers or Firecracker to name a few and of course ASA - A 16U Nationals. They also scout 18U Nationals too. They will not offer anything to any girl without actually seeing her play in games. Also do not exagerate or inflate your DD's skills to a coach. These people are professionals and can spot the difference between an exceptional player and an average one in a heartbeat. Complete honesty builds trust and respect - remember that! If a coach wants her after all that they will make the offer. Scholarship money depends on how much they want or need her and of course how many other girls are receiving scholarship money and how much of it is left for them to offer is the unknown variable. Also Wolfpack is correct about a coach can talk to you about anything if YOU call them but NOT off their campus. Example - If you approach a coach after a game on the opponents campus they can't talk with you. Neither at summer tournaments when they're out scouting. They have to be on their turf so to speak to have a conversation with you until your DD signs her letter. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[default]

Also, you do not have to wait for your senior year to sign a NLI for NAIA. My daughter was on a visit last fall as a junior and was told that she could sign while on her visit if she wanted to.

 

[default]

NAIA has no rules on when they can sign a player. they are not governed by NCAA, so like one D-1 coach told me , NAIA is like the wild wild west.

 

[default]

Good post hockey - believe it or not, there are also some 2010 girls who have verbaled to Ohio State with Bowling Green right behind, and coaches talking money from other Ohio schools as well. From what I've heard, these girls have outstanding defensive skills, are very tall (5'9" and up), and can hit the ball a country mile. They also play on high profile teams - as hockey stated - girls need to be seen early. It's tough to start trying to play in the big tournaments and make an impact on coaches after a girl is a junior in high school. It happens, but most coaches have players on their radar before their freshman year - definitely before their sophomore year.

 

[default]

Thanks blue_moon! You are correct also in what you're saying and in the large world of college softball, recruiting is wide and varied. Being seen early IS paramount and either by being at games they scout, camps and/or sending in new video as you get it so they can see your progress and development as every girl is a work in progress. You will see it all the time at camp where the coaches know many of the girls and their parents by name because they have been aware of these girls as prospects for some time and the parents keep the coach informed on how well she is doing in softball thereby keeping the coaches interest up. By the time a coach makes an offer it will be most likely to girls who are well along in the development and refinement of their game so it minimizes what they have to do to make her a good fit on the team. Unfortunatly there are some coaches out there that may go for the "early verbal" with players who many would consider too young yet and try and lock in a commitment so no one else grabs her but if a better prospect comes along then someone may be left out in the cold because until that letter of intent is signed it's only a "handshake deal". Thankfully most of them are very honest people and will stand by what they say right up until the letter is in the mail.

 

[default]

DustersCoach,

DD didn't visit every college from which she received an invitation but she did make several unofficial visits; and they covered an entire range of experiences: from coaches who made dd an offer to coaches who had never seen dd play (or even dd's skill video).

Looking back, we probably could have saved some wasted gas & hotel money if dd had asked more questions when she telephoned the coaches to schedule her visits, but in the end, I believe even the "wasted" visits helped dd (1) figure out what she was looking for (both college-wise and coach-wise); (2) better prepare for later visits; and (3) make the best impression possible when she visited the coaches who had actually seen her play.

When dd finally did verbal, less than 2 month before the Nov. signing date, she verballed to the first school that had made her an offer (over a year before), but it was only then that she was sure she was making the right decision.