Mis truths in recruiting

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We recently had collegeboundjocks.com do a recruiting presentation that our whole organization was impressed with. The two founders, both with college players as kids, one with Michigan/team USA were honest and straight forth.

Organizations will sometimes recruit h.s. kids based on telling them " we play in XYZ tournament and that's how you get a scholarship" and these two gentlemen reiterated this is nearly impossible. You need a honest evaluation of the level you may be geared for in college, need a good recruiting video, BUILD. Relationships with college coaches, attend their camps etc. their recruiting service assists in that, and they have a TON of connections....but you don't have to use them to accomplish your goal

Organizations who promise you playing for them will get you a scholarship, I'd be very diligent in searching out the truth. Most organizations offer some positive from the view of playing appropriate competition and improving your skill set. I always say, first and foremost pick your team from the comfort you have with a quality credentialed coach, and the ladies you will be playing with.

 

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.......and that recruiting services as a whole are a big old money pit......

 

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Not sure if I know enough about recruiting services to debate. We've had great success getting kids scholarships and opportunities, the old fashioned way: videos, contacts, networking and being realistic. I was impressed with CBJ because OD, there honesty, there "been there there experience" and there connections with programs ( probably helps when your kid plays for Michigan and team USA) and in there not being pushy. In follow up discussions, they to have exhibited classiness.

Bigger point of the post was ifor 99% of kids, what summer team and tournaments will have little impact, have a quality h.s. and summer experience, be realistic and do your due diligence...carry on!

 

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Videos or today youtube, contacts, networking and being realistic aren't old fashioned. Getting recruited isn't the formula for cold fusion.... You do all that stuff, but at some point coaches want to see you play in live action against quality competition. That's where tournaments XYZ come into play and also where what organization you play for comes into play. Coaches are busy and have budgets, they tend to go to where the most players they have interest in are playing which are in Ohio Laser Nation, Stingray's, GAPPS, ASA States.... And a few fall showcases. It's not necessary to follow that plan, but it is the path of least resistance.

2 players similar skill set and academic success.

Player 1 plays for a high profile team, plays in Laser Nation, ASA states, Stingrays, Elgin Sparks, ASA/USA Qualifiers, ASA/USA Nationals.

Player 2 Plays local tournaments and attends regional national.

Both follow the plan laid out, research schools, contact, Camps, relationships etc.,

Is it your point they would be recruited similar, and have an equal profile with college coaches?

Btw steer clear of recruiting services lmao

 

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This is just some additional info...maybe it will help?
Every 2 years the school I coach with hosts an Understanding College Athletic Recruiting Night open to all and is free. This flyer is for the female athlete because we are an all girls school. However the info can be applied to female and male student athletes.
Last year this was the info covered. Please click the link.

http://my.llfiles.com/00199146/Understanding-College-Athletic-Recruiting-Handout-FINAL-2012.doc

 

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I am sorry, and with all due respect, you really don't believe this quote do you? I might buy it that a D3 or NAIA school might not care where a players spends her summer, but that might also be because they don't recruit those teams or events. But "99%" sounds like a sales pitch - and a pitch for the ill-informed.


I certainly believe that CBJ was impressive. Any business owner should be. And with their credentials they should be. Former players are the sports biggest asset. but sales pitches are just that.

Bigger point of the post was ifor 99% of kids, what summer team and tournaments will have little impact, have a quality h.s. and summer experience, be realistic and do your due diligence...carry on!

 

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Good post/points, though I don't buy the implication that travel team only matters 1% ... part of it is what tournaments you actually attend, but more important is who you played against, which is all tied hand in hand of course.

 

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thanks for the file, this is a great document to share!

 

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Flarays is correct the better your team, the better your schedule, the better your chance to get recruited....coaches seek out best teams to see them play best competition.....we had five d one kids on team last year and five d two, coaches stressed tough competition for them to evaluate them more easily........"..also agree stay away from recruiting companies all they want is money , do the work yourself , or get on a team where the coach has contacts, good repair from college coaches.

 

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My issue is LOTS of kids get sold that just playing in those tournaments are the key. Sure, it could help but for 99% of kids it still comes down to selling your self, especially how colleges are inviting prospects to work out with the team. Dave Day has/had one of the arguably, best summer teams from the Midwest, playing in all the biggies, stingrays etc. including at the time only team east of mississippi winning the sparkler, he had every kid signed D1-2, he said not one of those kids got recruited from any of those tournaments. We also had two kids play on a local "elite" team in some big tournaments. They said latter they had no business in them and most were out sat night, it did them little good. Every opportunity can potentially be valuable. We've had a kid get full rides and didn't even play summer ball period. In the end I still feel for 99% of the kids it doesn't matter. For the very top players, it certainly could.

 

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Agree to disagree

In the end I still feel for 99% of the kids it doesn't matter. For the very top players, it certainly could.

 

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This could possible one of the most ill informed posts I have seen in a very long time. Hs ball is 99% of your recruiting..........please that is a lie. Plan and simple.

I know so many girls that have played in college it is silly.

Here are some backrounds:

- is a senior has not play any HS ball period.....has full ride to JC because of grade issues

- just got done at NAIA level, college coach had never come to see a HS game, she pursued them and they came to her travel games, she under played for college but wanted to stay close to home

- walked on at tOSU 12 years ago, 4 year letter winner, they did not know her

- recruited out of HS to 4 year ride at MSU outfielder, was recruited through HS

So her is the bottom line. The path is varied and unique for each player. To say that travel or HS is the most important is just silly. It really is unique on each player.

There is one absolute truth.

The better your grades the better chance you have of getting a free ride.

The second thing a college coach looks at (after if you are a pitcher) is your GPA and test scores. Grades are the absolute #1 recruiting tool. You have good grades and high test scores you will be playing college ball. The better your grades the better or higher level you can play.

Exceptions to the grades rule.....yep. But not many. Keep your grades up and good things will happen.

 

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The better your grades the better chance you have of getting a free ride.

The second thing a college coach looks at (after if you are a pitcher) is your GPA and test scores. Grades are the absolute #1 recruiting tool. You have good grades and high test scores you will be playing college ball. The better your grades the better or higher level you can play.

Exceptions to the grades rule.....yep. But not many. Keep your grades up and good things will happen.

Almost to the T what I was telling my dd last night.

 

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Spartansd, sorry didn't mean to imply h.s. or t.b. we're more important. My main point was for a tremendously
high no. Of kids, it's there leg work that will get them the scholarship.

Brownsfan, absolutely! I know a kid that OSU track recruited, her dad told the coach, she's good but
not big ten good, coach said yea maybe, but her gpa was very important to the athletic dept. plus it opens
up that coaches can get academic money for the kid and save athletic money....get a 35act
most kids can write their own ticket!

 

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Spartansd, sorry didn't mean to imply h.s. or t.b. we're more important. My main point was for a tremendously
high no. Of kids, it's there leg work that will get them the scholarship.

Brownsfan, absolutely! I know a kid that OSU track recruited, her dad told the coach, she's good but
not big ten good, coach said yea maybe, but her gpa was very important to the athletic dept. plus it opens
up that coaches can get academic money for the kid and save athletic money....get a 35act
most kids can write their own ticket!

Totally agree.

On a side note. I do think some organizations and HS coaches actively mine out opportunities for their players better and more actively.

I know a wrestler who has the exact same story as the track player. He never won States but UM wanted him. 100% because he had great grades and test scores and he was going to help the programs GPA.

I have been told many college coaches in the non-revenue sports grade players out by how much it would cost to bring them in on a full ride (Academic + Athletic scholly). The lower athletic money the higher they are graded out. So your cost + skill = score

I like to think of it as a salary cap. The less you can pay for the support players the more you can pay for the stud pitcher, catcher, SS.......

 

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It helps to play on a team with a tradition for putting players into college programs, colleges have a tendency to go back to the well if they are happy to find another player.

Most of the DI coaches you will not see them attending high school games, they are only allowed 50 games a year to observe prospects and very few waste one of these days watching high school where they will see a minimal set of DI prospects there, compared to a high end tournament where they will see several.

Also, you will see several players from high end teams who get signed who sometimes aren't as good as the kid who's getting nothing who didn't market themselves or played on a bad travel team.

Been to Pennsbury for example the past four years, a huge tournament for our players and exposure, Team New Jersey another one, first game last fall,we played in front of about 21 DI college coaches at 8:00 AM on a cold morning. The bigger more recognized tournaments attract what are considered the bigger known teams who reputation from past years brings some of the best players. That's why coaches attend these events. How many coaches do you see at the local, run of the mill tournaments?

 

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My issue is LOTS of kids get sold that just playing in those tournaments are the key. Sure, it could help but for 99% of kids it still comes down to selling your self, especially how colleges are inviting prospects to work out with the team......In the end I still feel for 99% of the kids it doesn't matter. For the very top players, it certainly could.

So what your basically implying is that I could take any kid off my HS team, and if they "sell" themselves through video, college visits, clinic attendance, recruiting service, they have just as good a chance of getting a college scholarship to play softball as a girl who does very little "selling," but plays for a top organization or team???

Magic...you need to lay off the fairy dust!!! "Selling" yourself is only a small portion of the big pie!!! I don't care how well you sell yourself...if you play for "Bugtussle" your not getting the athletic $$$

 

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It works both ways. The Branded Orgs attending the highly recruited events definately provide a high profile/high exposure that most families want if they are serious about playing in college.

However, for those rare highly skilled kids, it is very true and every college coach will tell you if they find a kid that runs 2.6 in a B level program/team environment, they are going to scoop that kid up as fast as any speedster on the Corona Angels. Likewise for a catcher with an absolute cannon and great defensive skills, or a hitter that has tremendous mechanics..... they all will get picked up, "IF" they get noticed. That is the trick. If a kid has the goods and has a brand that can vougue for her, you do NOT have to travel the country to play high level softball in college. It's the road less traveled but I hear it almost weekly from college coaches that they found so and so playing in po-dunk nowhere and they are thrilled they found her.....

To each their own, but the odds of being found are certainly higher in the larger branded orgs then on your own in the weeds unless you have some really great timing or really great connections that can brand you to get coaches to come see you, or you yourself(DD) is a marketing machine calling/emailing coaches to come see you. Show them high end skills on video, and they will come to watch regardless of who you play for or against.

 

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It works both ways. The Branded Orgs attending the highly recruited events definately provide a high profile/high exposure that most families want if they are serious about playing in college.

However, for those rare highly skilled kids, it is very true and every college coach will tell you if they find a kid that runs 2.6 in a B level program/team environment, they are going to scoop that kid up as fast as any speedster on the Corona Angels. Likewise for a catcher with an absolute cannon and great defensive skills, or a hitter that has tremendous mechanics..... they all will get picked up, "IF" they get noticed. That is the trick. If a kid has the goods and has a brand that can vougue for her, you do NOT have to travel the country to play high level softball in college. It's the road less traveled but I hear it almost weekly from college coaches that they found so and so playing in po-dunk nowhere and they are thrilled they found her.....

To each their own, but the odds of being found are certainly higher in the larger branded orgs then on your own in the weeds unless you have some really great timing or really great connections that can brand you to get coaches to come see you, or you yourself(DD) is a marketing machine calling/emailing coaches to come see you. Show them high end skills on video, and they will come to watch regardless of who you play for or against.

I agree with your post, but the original post stated the recruiting service said for 99% of the kids that play college ball only needed to sell themselves, tournaments, Orgs, level of competition had virtually no impact on being recruited.

The original example of Dave Day's team is a poor example of the need to not play in the big tournaments... He played in them all, Stingray, Laser Nation, Colorado tournaments x3 etc. You think he could land all of those former Team Michigan, Finesse, Laser and Pepper's players if he was just playing local tournaments? I'm positive kids wouldn't commute from Detroit to Toledo for practice for a team that was just playing local. Dave is an outstanding coach and a coaching role model of mine, he's the total package as a coach... Without a doubt he was the best indentifier of talent and recruiter I've been around... He signed in his years with the Magic Zero kids from the tryouts, his teams were set before tryouts every year.

Lastly, and one thing I can't wrap my mind around is, the essence of sports is competition... Kids spend a lot of time working on their games to improve, are they reaching their full potential kicking sand on local, less experienced glorified rec teams or being pushed game in game out by their peers? The reason many local "Elite" teams struggle in the big tourneys is not talent or skill, it's the lack of experience playing teams that don't just raise the white flag when they see them on the field or if you put up 4 runs in the 1st innings... Playing competent coaches, confident skilled players, organized teams game in game out is what they struggle with.

If you want to compete game in/Game out, play college ball and reach your full potential find a team/program/coach that has the same mindset... If another sport is your 1st love and you want to get some quality reps in the summer find a team/program/coach that has the same mindset.

 

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I was watching the Alabama Birmingham game this weekend and they spoke about grades. The coach was impressed by the high academics because it shows committment to the school and that they want to stay at the school and play, but more importantly finish their degree. She wants them from Freshman to Senior and not to quit or get academically dismissed.

High grades shows committment to education as well as the game. The coach went on to say that she felt good solid grades led to committment to want to be the best and in her experience higher grades led to the girls practicing more to want to be the best and get that higher "grade".