Recruiting Advice

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I'm sure this has been touched on before. DD has been in contact with a number of coaches through email and a couple by phone. There is one DI school that she really likes and the coach likes what he saw in her video but wanted to see her play. This past weekend she was able to play on another team in the New Era Showcase in NY and the coach watched her play in two games. She did very well offensively and defensively.

The question is, what is the proper recruiting etiquette at this point? She has already sent an email thanking him for being at the games but is a follow-up phone call in order or does she wait for the coach to contact her? Any input would be appreciated.

 

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I was at a camp a couple months ago. It was really good becasue all the coaches d1 - d3 sat and we ask a lot of questions. I remember them saying to do a follow up phone call and to come visit the college you are interested in.

 

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She has already visited the school. Just wasn't sure if making a phone call after an email was sent was being a little pushy. Maybe that's just me.

 

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Call them

 

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Definitely call them ... you didn't say what year your DD was ... if she isn't a senior, they can't call you anyhow ... regardless, I would err to the side of being aggressive vs. passive ...

 

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She's a 2011 grad. We will have her make the call.

 

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I agree to call them.

We had a man that has worked with colleges involving recruiting kids for athletics at various sized schools and he spoke to us specifically about girls athletics and nonrevenue sports.

His advice was to followup calls. Try to avoid being a stalker, but most of the nonrevenue sports programs in college appreciate a tape of your daughter in action, and a resume to show some of her accomplishments, and a visit to their campus.

If they do not contact you back, or invite you and don't show much interest after the visit, then there is a strong chance that they are not interested.

It also doesn't hurt to ask them if they are interested. The worst that can happen is they say no. Move on from there to find your fit as far as colleges go. Have a list of schools, in order, that you would like to attend. Work your way down from there.

It is your job as a parent to get your kid noticed. Be persistant without being pushy or annoying.

Hope that helps.

 

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I agree to call them.

We had a man that has worked with colleges involving recruiting kids for athletics at various sized schools and he spoke to us specifically about girls athletics and nonrevenue sports.

His advice was to followup calls. Try to avoid being a stalker, but most of the nonrevenue sports programs in college appreciate a tape of your daughter in action, and a resume to show some of her accomplishments, and a visit to their campus.

If they do not contact you back, or invite you and don't show much interest after the visit, then there is a strong chance that they are not interested.

It also doesn't hurt to ask them if they are interested. The worst that can happen is they say no. Move on from there to find your fit as far as colleges go. Have a list of schools, in order, that you would like to attend. Work your way down from there.

It is your job as a parent to get your kid noticed. Be persistant without being pushy or annoying.

Hope that helps.

Good advice. However, I prefer "It is your job as a parent to teach your kid how to get noticed". The kid should be making the phone calls, sending letters, sending emails, etc. - essentially doing all the grunt work. The whole process should be a great learning experience for the student-athlete. Parents should coach them, but let the kid do the actual work. Because after they go off to college, they should be prepared to be on their own.

In a nutshell, it really comes down to convincing the coach that, as both a student AND a softball player, you are VERY interested in what they have to offer. If the college coach is interested in your skill set, BINGO! You might just have a match.

 

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Sammy,

You always give great advice, however, I hear these comments over and over that the "kid" needs to do this work. If I waited for my kid to get this done, .... well she would be living at home till she is 28. She is a good player, getting some recruiting action, but she still is a kid at heart and really doesn't want to think about looking at schools, whittling them down, talking to coaches, etc. And I know a LOT of other juniors like her who are very similar, although most of us hate admitting it!!! Sure, she has a pretty good idea of the kind of school that she wants to go to, and we are working on a list that we can focus on, but man it is tough getting her to "own" it ..... some might think she is just some dumb kid who is clueless, passive, non-competitive, or lazy .... well, she is none of those, just still a "kid" who loves playing ball but really has not had that moment of clarity in which she realizes "I need to make my future happen" ...... when do most kids have the proverbial light come on and knock their parents out of the chair in front of the phone and computer?? .... HELP!!!

 

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Coaches love to see confident players giving them a call back. It can also show a coach your character and composure.

 

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Sammy,

You always give great advice, however, I hear these comments over and over that the "kid" needs to do this work. If I waited for my kid to get this done, .... well she would be living at home till she is 28. She is a good player, getting some recruiting action, but she still is a kid at heart and really doesn't want to think about looking at schools, whittling them down, talking to coaches, etc. And I know a LOT of other juniors like her who are very similar, although most of us hate admitting it!!! Sure, she has a pretty good idea of the kind of school that she wants to go to, and we are working on a list that we can focus on, but man it is tough getting her to "own" it ..... some might think she is just some dumb kid who is clueless, passive, non-competitive, or lazy .... well, she is none of those, just still a "kid" who loves playing ball but really has not had that moment of clarity in which she realizes "I need to make my future happen" ...... when do most kids have the proverbial light come on and knock their parents out of the chair in front of the phone and computer?? .... HELP!!!

Bribe them with fast food....works for me. :lmao:

 

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A great site to go to is berecruited.com Had over 100 coaches view her profile. Remember to get your kid noticed, this website will do it. Good Luck

 

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Pickle,

I know exactly what you're saying concerning teens... been there, done that. I have raised two, and IMO, boys are harder than girls along these lines!

My DD was given very sound advice by two very prominent OSU players when she was younger. That advice was very pointed: Start learning to "toot your own horn" and doing things for yourself that will make a difference in your future. A wake-up call indeed.

I think by the time a kid is 16, they better have some sense of self discipline, or they are probably going to have a rough go in college - especially as an athlete. Being lazy, stupid, etc. has NOTHING to do with it. They are teenagers, and so were we at one time! Most teens don't even think about their next meal until they're hungry, let alone what college they want to go to in a couple years! Boy, the stories I could tell about myself being "unmotivated" as a teen!

The difference is when a parent takes the reins and explains quite bluntly what they (the kid) MUST do (as told by the OSU gals) to reach goals... THEIR OWN goals. My DD was not comfortable just picking up the phone and saying something like "Hey coach______, I just wanted to call and see if you had a chance to see me play this past weekend." Something we as adults assume is simple can be a scary task for a teenager. But, just like jumping off the 16' high dive, it gets easier (and less scary) after the first time. BUT SOMETIMES MOM OR DAD HAVE TO PUSH A LITTLE TO GET THEM TO DO IT. After that, it's really not that hard. The way I look at it, these kids can develop/learn athletic and academic skills well enough to get them to the college level, so following through on a PLAN to get them there (provided they really want it) should not be an impossible task.

 

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Agreed with the more she does it, the less scary it will be. I'm someone who does not like calling people I don't know. It's just intimidating. But the more she does it, the less of a big deal it will become. Just remind her how important the next year and a half is to her future. Choosing a college is one of the biggest decisions a person will ever make...not something you want to take lightly. The more time and effort she puts into making the decision, the more confident she will be in her decision because she will have seen it all and will be ready to choose.
I also agree with whoever said the college coaches want to hear from the player, not the parent. They don't want someone who still has to have mommy and daddy do everything for them...those are the girls who leave school after a semester and move back home to go to the local college...

 

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Gameface and Sammy, as always thanks for your advice! You both bring the goods!

My dd is a junior this coming school year, we we both know it is time to get it in gear and look forward rather than backwards, just a chore getting that reality accepted. Make no mistake, when she is playing either basketball or softball ... it is take no prisoners, and she plays each at a high and very aggressive level, and she is a strong scholastic achiever also, but nobody would know any of this without me singing. It is the "off the field" admin & mgt items, going from kid to adult, in terms of taking the reins and getting out front as the "lead dog" to her future .... she "walks the walk", now she needs to learn to "talk the talk" (backwards to her teachings). In our community tooting your own horn is not taught. With 20+ years in business, among other things, I understand when and how it is appropriate to focus on "me" rather than "we" ..... but, I know it will come for her as well.

Not trying to make this about my dd, using her as an example. I just know that there are many other talented students-athletes out there that will be playing somewhere after high school, that have parents wondering the same things (I talk with them!).

So, I bring this up publicly, sharing "my" personal dilemma/humor for the benefit of others, as I know how much great information is out there from those of you that have "been there, done that" .... and thank you for sticking around this site and giving back! Gameface sent me an e-mail last week that I am still reading, and learning from ... incredible amount of detailed info. Sammy you have done the same.

A gracious public "Thank You" for taking so much time to help others, you two, along with coachjwb also!

 

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My daughter was somewhat in the same boat as pickledad; however, it was more related to the amount of time she needed to take in studies in order for her to produce the grades we expected from her.

First, let me repeat what was stated in a previous post. Make sure that you have your dd's profile set up on berecruited.com. It is by far the best recruiting tool we used. Make sure you include skills videos and any other video clips that may be helpful Since my daughter played multiple positions, we included video clips of her fielding several positions but made them all separate so that the coach did not have to look through long videos in order to see what they were looking for. We also had a separate video for hitting and an introduction video.

On that site, we didn't like the profile set up as much, so we used the comment sections to add significant achievements along with a web address to her own personal (and free) profile web page.

Second, my daughter was in charge of calling the coaches, preparing her comments for her visits, and hand writing any postcards she sent out. I was in charge of sending her emails for her. We would work together to compose an email that gave her results of the tournament she was playing during the summer (sent out every week) and any other emails sent out during the rest of the year (high school schedule, clinics or showcases attending, fall or winter tournament schedules, etc.).

After she approved the email, I took the time to send the email from her to every coach on her list. This helped her her continue to study instead of emailing. If she had a new coach she was interested in, she sent the coach an introductory email with her profile and web page links attached. In the email she said that she would continue to send updates and game times to the coach to keep the coach up to date. These emails were basically the same except for the parts where she talked about what she liked about the school and the softball program.

We used a separate email address for her softball recruiting, and we both monitored for responses from the coaches. Any responses were followed by personal emails by my daughter.

I also kept her websites up to date with most-recent information.

To break it down:

Mom
websites up to date and monitored for coaches interest
emails of schedules and results to coaches

DD
Hand write post cards (about 2 a year with her photo on the front)
Send personal emails
Send initial emails to coaches
Called the coaches
Prepared herself with questions for college visits

With the two of us working together, it worked out well. We visited over 20 schools/coaches together. Her ultimate choice ended up being one of many schools whose coach found her on berecruited.com and recruited her.

Hope this helps.

 

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Sammy,

You always give great advice, however, I hear these comments over and over that the "kid" needs to do this work. If I waited for my kid to get this done, .... well she would be living at home till she is 28. She is a good player, getting some recruiting action, but she still is a kid at heart and really doesn't want to think about looking at schools, whittling them down, talking to coaches, etc. And I know a LOT of other juniors like her who are very similar, although most of us hate admitting it!!! Sure, she has a pretty good idea of the kind of school that she wants to go to, and we are working on a list that we can focus on, but man it is tough getting her to "own" it ..... some might think she is just some dumb kid who is clueless, passive, non-competitive, or lazy .... well, she is none of those, just still a "kid" who loves playing ball but really has not had that moment of clarity in which she realizes "I need to make my future happen" ...... when do most kids have the proverbial light come on and knock their parents out of the chair in front of the phone and computer?? .... HELP!!!

T,
I always like the way Donna and I did it. Stand there with the phone in your hand and make them make the call. The kids are just nervous, once the coach or assistant answer, they pretty much carry the conversation from there on out. after the first few calls, she'll loosen up. Those first few are a bear though!
H

 

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Thanks for all of the great advice. I have been camping with my son (11) and haven?t been able to check email. I haven?t graduated to blackberry, yet.

My DD did make the call to the DI coach and left a message. He returned an email letting her know that he liked what he saw and to invite her to a clinic to get a closer look, to meet the team and make sure it?s a good fit for both parties. She has since received an email from a DII coach that is interested in her as well inviting her for a visit and is visiting another school next week.

My question/s now are, what is usually the next step in the recruiting process? When and how are offers issued? Are verbal?s common and how long do they generally allow for an answer? Thanks in advance for your insights

 

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Go to those clinics. I coach D3, but I'd say that if those D1 and D2 coaches are interested, they will make an offer either at the clinic or very shortly afterward if they want time to get the opinions of their players. I'm assuming she's a 2011?

 

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Yes she is 2011. How much time do they generally allow for you to respond to an offer?