From Student Sports:
Part 1: Getting Started
When I was asked by Brentt at StudentSportsSoftball.com if I would share some thoughts on the recruiting process, I remember thinking I often get asked, ?How did you do it?? or ?How do we as a family get started??
What I?ll share are some of my observations and parental opinions, but first let me say that, by no means, do I have a magic bullet of success! I do believe that, although good fortune and timing have a lot of influence in the recruiting process, there are some elementary actions each recruit and her family should take to better their chances.
Holly (left) and daughter Gwyn, who signed with Oregon. Says Holly, "The biggest thing I have learned is there is a school out there for every kid that wants to play at the next level."
Holly (left) and daughter Gwyn, who signed with Oregon. Says Holly, ?The biggest thing I have learned is there is a school out there for every kid that wants to play at the next level.?
The biggest thing I have learned is there is a school out there for every kid that wants to play at the next level. With some due diligence and work, you can give your daughter the best chance to find a great fit!
From my experience, recruiting does not magically happen where a coach walks by as your kid hits a homerun and says, ?I want that kid.? Recruiting takes work ? as much work off the field as on.
You need a road map and a game plan. My advice: think broad at first and narrow options later down the line as her opportunities are revealed and your daughter better discovers what she truly wants.
I would first suggest that, if your athlete is really serious about playing at the next level, she join a team that plays on a national stage in front of coaches recruiting players on scholarship.
Also, think broad at first. I?ve seen a ton of kids that focus on only one school. Each school only has up to 12 funded scholarships at the D1 level and that means on a roster of 20 most scholarships are only partial ones covering four class years.
You?re competing for one spot (position and year) with hundreds of other kids vying for that position so marketing yourself can give you an upper hand and help you not get lost in the shuffle.
Be proactive, not reactive.
Instead of hoping ?Pick me,? change your perspective to approaching the schools you want to attend. Start by figuring out what your daughter wants from a school ? things like academic major, atmosphere, location, big fish vs. little-fish, etc.
Determine her talent level and be honest with yourself on that level.
Before signing a Letter of Intent, an athlete and her family need to weigh many factors to get the best possible academic and athletic experience.
Before signing a Letter of Intent, an athlete and her family need to weigh many factors to get the best possible academic and athletic experience.
Focus on three areas: dream schools, competitive level schools and impact player schools.
Is she academically inclined where maybe academic school is a better fit? There are great schools out there at every level (DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, JUCO) and the goal should be to be in a great environment and receive a solid education because softball is only four more years for most kids and then it?s over.
A JUCO may be a better fit for a kid that struggles with school or needs 100 percent financial aid for her education.
Recruiting should be a means to help your athlete get into a better situation than if she was just a regular student while also satisfying her competitive spirit on the field.
Sit down together with your athlete and list what she wants from her college experience and then rank them. This will give you a base line as you weigh pros and cons later on. Dream big? have your daughter verbalize what she thinks her college experience should include.
Here are priorities we listed and tips we picked up along the way:
Recruiting checklist? things to consider:
Academics: majors or school/career passions
Tradition (?spirit?)
Distance from home
Post season opportunities, i.e. College World Series (overall competitiveness, how school ranks in the conference, etc.)
Approach toward athletics and women?s sports
Facilities
Coaching staff (as well as school if coaching staff leaves)
Weather (is it cold? are they on the road all spring? humidity?)
Campus life, buildings, academic village
Scholarship opportunity (evaluate total out-of-pocket expenses, not just what you?re offered)
Football and basketball teams
Region (beauty of opponent schools)
Colors and mascots
Size of student population (big vs. small)
Recruiting tips learned during the recruiting process:
WHAT TO DO
Start a resume with athletic and academic accolades and keep updating it.
Create the WHY they should come. You have to write the schools and when you write, tell the coaches why you want to go there. Make a connection and invite them to games to see the team play.
Call coaches & follow-up calls with emails.
ATTITUDES AND FIELD PLAY
Work hard on and off the field. Grades matter! Take the SAT early.
Respect the game, your equipment and teammates on the field, in the dugout and at the park.
HUSTLE during the game and between innings.
Be vocal on the field ? communicate!
Root loud for the teammate that replaces you on the field.
Have a good can-do attitude even when bad things happen.
Have fun!
Practice the little things.
Think to the next play.
There is no I in TEAM ? celebrate your teammates success.
OTHER TIPS TO SEPARATE YOU FROM YOUR COMPETITOR
Coaches are always watching? even when you do not see them.
Respect umpires? always!
Parents: be invisible to college coaches at the park and in communications until an offer is made.
Camps? wear an identifier.
Videos work, make and share them.
Social Media: beware, yours and theirs.
- See more at: http://www.studentsports.com/softba...parents-perspective-630/#sthash.ggjEF1Fz.dpuf
Part 1: Getting Started
When I was asked by Brentt at StudentSportsSoftball.com if I would share some thoughts on the recruiting process, I remember thinking I often get asked, ?How did you do it?? or ?How do we as a family get started??
What I?ll share are some of my observations and parental opinions, but first let me say that, by no means, do I have a magic bullet of success! I do believe that, although good fortune and timing have a lot of influence in the recruiting process, there are some elementary actions each recruit and her family should take to better their chances.
Holly (left) and daughter Gwyn, who signed with Oregon. Says Holly, "The biggest thing I have learned is there is a school out there for every kid that wants to play at the next level."
Holly (left) and daughter Gwyn, who signed with Oregon. Says Holly, ?The biggest thing I have learned is there is a school out there for every kid that wants to play at the next level.?
The biggest thing I have learned is there is a school out there for every kid that wants to play at the next level. With some due diligence and work, you can give your daughter the best chance to find a great fit!
From my experience, recruiting does not magically happen where a coach walks by as your kid hits a homerun and says, ?I want that kid.? Recruiting takes work ? as much work off the field as on.
You need a road map and a game plan. My advice: think broad at first and narrow options later down the line as her opportunities are revealed and your daughter better discovers what she truly wants.
I would first suggest that, if your athlete is really serious about playing at the next level, she join a team that plays on a national stage in front of coaches recruiting players on scholarship.
Also, think broad at first. I?ve seen a ton of kids that focus on only one school. Each school only has up to 12 funded scholarships at the D1 level and that means on a roster of 20 most scholarships are only partial ones covering four class years.
You?re competing for one spot (position and year) with hundreds of other kids vying for that position so marketing yourself can give you an upper hand and help you not get lost in the shuffle.
Be proactive, not reactive.
Instead of hoping ?Pick me,? change your perspective to approaching the schools you want to attend. Start by figuring out what your daughter wants from a school ? things like academic major, atmosphere, location, big fish vs. little-fish, etc.
Determine her talent level and be honest with yourself on that level.
Before signing a Letter of Intent, an athlete and her family need to weigh many factors to get the best possible academic and athletic experience.
Before signing a Letter of Intent, an athlete and her family need to weigh many factors to get the best possible academic and athletic experience.
Focus on three areas: dream schools, competitive level schools and impact player schools.
Is she academically inclined where maybe academic school is a better fit? There are great schools out there at every level (DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, JUCO) and the goal should be to be in a great environment and receive a solid education because softball is only four more years for most kids and then it?s over.
A JUCO may be a better fit for a kid that struggles with school or needs 100 percent financial aid for her education.
Recruiting should be a means to help your athlete get into a better situation than if she was just a regular student while also satisfying her competitive spirit on the field.
Sit down together with your athlete and list what she wants from her college experience and then rank them. This will give you a base line as you weigh pros and cons later on. Dream big? have your daughter verbalize what she thinks her college experience should include.
Here are priorities we listed and tips we picked up along the way:
Recruiting checklist? things to consider:
Academics: majors or school/career passions
Tradition (?spirit?)
Distance from home
Post season opportunities, i.e. College World Series (overall competitiveness, how school ranks in the conference, etc.)
Approach toward athletics and women?s sports
Facilities
Coaching staff (as well as school if coaching staff leaves)
Weather (is it cold? are they on the road all spring? humidity?)
Campus life, buildings, academic village
Scholarship opportunity (evaluate total out-of-pocket expenses, not just what you?re offered)
Football and basketball teams
Region (beauty of opponent schools)
Colors and mascots
Size of student population (big vs. small)
Recruiting tips learned during the recruiting process:
WHAT TO DO
Start a resume with athletic and academic accolades and keep updating it.
Create the WHY they should come. You have to write the schools and when you write, tell the coaches why you want to go there. Make a connection and invite them to games to see the team play.
Call coaches & follow-up calls with emails.
ATTITUDES AND FIELD PLAY
Work hard on and off the field. Grades matter! Take the SAT early.
Respect the game, your equipment and teammates on the field, in the dugout and at the park.
HUSTLE during the game and between innings.
Be vocal on the field ? communicate!
Root loud for the teammate that replaces you on the field.
Have a good can-do attitude even when bad things happen.
Have fun!
Practice the little things.
Think to the next play.
There is no I in TEAM ? celebrate your teammates success.
OTHER TIPS TO SEPARATE YOU FROM YOUR COMPETITOR
Coaches are always watching? even when you do not see them.
Respect umpires? always!
Parents: be invisible to college coaches at the park and in communications until an offer is made.
Camps? wear an identifier.
Videos work, make and share them.
Social Media: beware, yours and theirs.
- See more at: http://www.studentsports.com/softba...parents-perspective-630/#sthash.ggjEF1Fz.dpuf
