Here is some info that was passed on to me by a friend , and she asked me to pass it on to all of you.
Kind of lengthy but very cool to see this subject through the eyes of someone who has done it.
I coached for the Miami Valley XPress while was coaching at the University of Dayton. I started coaching in 1998 for a 11u team. 9 of those kids were with us from start to finish. Out of the 12 kids that were still playing for me when they graduated, 3 went to the University of Dayton (Div I), 1 to University of Maryland-Baltimore county (Div I), 2 to Wright State (Div I) (1 decided not to play), 1 to Ohio State (Div I), 1 to Mount Union College (Div 3), 1 to Notre Dame College (NAIA), 1 to Ohio University (Div 1), 1 Miami Univer- Middletown (NJCAA), 1 University of Cincinnati (did not play). All but 2 have graduated from college (1 is still in progress) and all but 3 that played in college competed all 4 years.
Here are the reasons I coached in the summer....
1. I wanted to help raise the level of softball in the Miami Valley. When I first started coaching at UD there were only 3 travel teams in the Miami Valley. 2 are no longer in existence. The areas of strong recruitment for Ohio went North-Arkon/ Canton area , Central -Columbus, North-Toledo area, South-Cincinnati, then Southwest-Dayton. It was hard to even recruit kids in my own backyard. As a college coach, I had to help my own area grow in softball. Now remember this was back from 1996-2000.
2. At UD, my recruiting budget and my salary were laughable. In 1995-1996 my salary was $14,700 for 10 months (I did not get paid for the summer and was expected to recruit the summer). Yes, that is true. I was the head softball coach at a Div I program, and I was also the assistant strength and conditioning coach. My recruiting budget was $1,500. Compare that to $4,000-7,000 that other schools get for recruiting. I was asked to coach an Xpress team, they would pay for me to travel with the team (gas and hotels)...this would help me to get out to recruit. When my team played in tournaments, we would play our game and while everyone else went back to the hotels or wherever, I stayed at the fields from 7 or 8am till the last game was played. I took full advantage of being able to recruit at these tournaments. Sometimes I would be at the fields 12-14 hours a day.
3. As my players got older, we had to put some rules in place so I would not break any NCAA rules. I knew that I was the only Div I coach that was coaching a summer team, and I knew that I would be under a microscope by the other coaches. They would look to see if I was breaking any rules. Anyone who knows me personally, knows that I do not knowingly break rules. Sure I had some NCAA infractions during the years, it is impossible not to. But I did not break 1 recruiting rule that had to deal with my summer team. Ask any coach in the state and they will tell you that I ran a clean program both summer and college. I lost a player when the NCAA implemented the 50 mile radius rule. She was 2 miles outside of the radius and had played on my team since whe was 11. There was nothing we could do about it.
4. I made it clear to them that not all of them could play for me at UD. They knew that. There were even a couple that said that there would be no way in H*ll they would play for me in college.......we ran to much in summer ball they couldnt imagine how much they would run for me at UD. I also told them that I would help them every step of the way NO MATTER where they wanted to go to school. It was about them. Not my job at UD. It was always about them getting the opportunites to play college ball. I NEVER took a kid out of a game because one of my competitors was there watching/ recruiting. Did I want to?? Sure. I would be a liar if I told you I didnt want to. It is very hard to watch another coach talk to a kid that you REALLY want to play for you. But I did it because it was about them, NOT ME. Colllege coaches coach summer ball to help athletes get to the next level. It is not about them and their school, it is about helping the kids get to the next level. I told them up front that I was going to coach my summer team, like my college team. I did not talk to parents about playing time ever. And if a parent was "coaching" their daughter during the game, then the player would be removed from the game if I saw it.
5. Sure it is an advantage for a kid to play for a college coach. There is no way around that. But it is a double edge sword. I also saw things that made me not want to recruit a kids. They also saw things out of me that made them not want to play college ball for me. It is also an advantage for opposing team players who could not come to a UD game to see how I coach and interact with the players and umpires. We were at a touranment in Toledo at 14u where there was a pitcher crow hopping really bad, I was so mad at the umpire because he would not call it. Now, my team was winning and it wasnt like she was striking us out or that it was giving her an advantage. I was mad at what it was teaching her. The ump kept telling me that he could see it, but wasnt going to call it because we were winning and he didnt want to upset anyone. The parents for the other team were absolutley brutal towards me for 7 innings. The kept saying "who the H*LL did I think I was?' and much worse. I talked to their coach after the game and told him who I was, he said that the pitchers dad will not let them say anythng to her about the illegal pitch. One year later, we saw them again and the pitcher in question was not playing. The coach told me that she was called for 17 illegal pitches in her first freshman game and walked off the field in tears NEVER to play again. But the parents and players on that team still hated me....I went to recuit one of he girls a few years later, and they respectfully declined. I really did nothing out of the ordinary that day, but it sure did make some people mad.........so coaching summer ball works against you also.
6. Just beacuse someone is a "college" coach doesn't mean that the kids are getting the best instruction. I have come across SEVERAL summer team coaches and organizations and I wonder why some of them are not coaching college ball. There are some really good summer coaches out there. I have learned a lot over the years watching summer and high school coaches as well as my collegiate friends. I have also learned a lot watching coaches coach from other sports. No one is ever going to agree with a coach 100%. Some players can play for you, and others can't. Some parents can deal with you, and some can't.
7. The other coaches think we are crazy!!!! I cant tell you how many times my coaching friends would tell me I was crazy for coaching summer ball. It was something that they teased me about all of the time. But they all understood why. They knew I was doing it for the kids. They would respect my opinion and still call me about my kids and other kids. I saw a kid at a summer tournament (14U) and knew that this kid would be way out of my reach, in other words, I knew she would get fullride offers and i couldn t do that. I called 3 coaches about her to tell them. SHe is now playing for one of them as a sophomore (fullride).
We just finished our second round of caoching summer ball. Took a team from 14u to 18u. Now this team changed a lot thru the first 2 years. We played 1 year at 14u, 1 year at 16u, then 2 years at 18u. The last 2 years we had 10 players return, and we carried a roster of 13. Here is the breakdown of this team, 1 at University of Dayton (Div 1), 1 at College of the Cumberlands (NAIA), 2 at Morehead state (Div I), 2 at Wittenberg University (Div III), 1 at Heidleberg (Div III), 2 at Wright state (not playing), We have 4 that are in their senior year of high school (1 committed to Trine University).
So this year we are back at 10u. Talk about different. WOW. So different going from 18u to 10u. And this time I am coaching my neice which is why I am doing it. I just hope my brother is still talking to me at the end of the summer!! LOL
I just wanted to give you the side of the college coach. I am no longer the UD coach but I volunteer at Wittenberg University. I am currently fostering and hope to adopt in the spring (5 year old...looks like she is going ot be a Sokker player...UHG!!!!) Bottom line.......... College coaches who spend their summer coaching summer ball are doing it for the kids. They are using their knowledge and experience to help kids get to the next level. Sure their are a few other factors.......but that is the bottom line. Why else would they really do it??
If you would like to email me to talk more about this.....please feel free to do so......
jeickemeyer@woh.rr.com I will not respond to this post, as I have a friend of mine posting it for me.
Thanks for reading my story.
Jodi Eickemeyer
The softball field is really a training area for life! How do you overcome failure, fear, pressure? How do you handle success, pressure from parents, etc. The real highs of the game aren't the 3-2 comeback wins you had on Sunday but rather the invites to your players weddings, graduations, baby showers, etc. Often the girl on your team that can't get a sac bunt down, has a much bigger problem at home such as abuse, drugs, failing school....we are there simply there for love of the game.