Best Ways to be Recruited....

[SugarKoehn]

I am looking for advise from people that have been there, done that with the recruitment process. What is the best way (i.e.. camps, recruitment combines, showcase events, recruitment services, etc..) to get your daughter noticed by potential colleges? Daughter is a Freshman and has an interest at playing at the next level. She is not really sure on what is the best approach to getting recruited. Plays travel ball in the fall (Iowa plays HS during the summer, which is the best time for being recruited). Open for suggestions...

 

[srf1021]

Almost done as daughter is a senior and will be attending a d3 school in the Northeast.
Emails from her not you to coaches an assistants, visits , camps or clinics at colleges she is interested or may be interested in. Showcases, I feel were great for pitchers and catchers



Any idea what level she would like to play at? Does she want to stay close to home ? Lots of questions to be answered and at times can be overwhelming.

Start with local colleges in your area; contact admissions and set up a tour. It's really about finding the right place for your kid even if she could never play another game.

Grades will be huge... Never let up on the school work!


Send me a message with any questions and will help If I can

 

[Moneytree]

I think SRF provides some very good things to think about.

PM sent if I can help in anyway.

Gary

 

[SugarKoehn]

Not sure what level she will end at. I know that she would like to play at a higher level of softball. She will be researching at the local schools her in the spring, summer, and next fall. Grades are good, still has to take the ACT. She would like to go some place that is warm year round, but wants the family to come with her (fat chance of us leaving Iowa anytime soon). I will pm you some questions later tonight.
Thanks for the response.

 

[300exbat]

The girls that get recruited put in the extra work to let the coaches know they exist. Put together a video, send it to the coaches and let them know what specific tourneys/showcases they will be attending. The camps and clinics let the coaches know they show interest in attending that particular school, and want to play for them. It also shows they are taking the first steps for themselves while making the effort in school and on the field. Don’t wait for someone to come see them. Does it help that your dd plays for a big name org? I would say yes, but not a necessity. No college coach will even look at a player unless they take the necessary steps for themselves to get noticed. Due diligence is key, there’s a lot of girls (and parents)looking for an easy way for “Little Suzie” to play at the next level. The coaches are looking for the young ladies that stand out above the rest, and recognize them for the effort up front. There’s a few girls that went on that my daughter played with; West Chester, Rhode Island U., even a walk on at Gettysburg. This is what I’ve seen that works, but I am no expert by any means. Is it worth the effort? I would say yes if your daughter is seriously considering taking it up a notch. In a sick sort of way, it’s all marketing and advertising. Good luck, hope this helps a little.

 

[rain]

If you have some money to burn, you could use a recruiting service like NCSA...not at all necessary, but extremely helpful. They will tell a video is a must ASAP.

 

[00's]

Straight from a coaches mouth. " don't make the video long, and show game footage", she didn't care what a pitcher could do in a controlled pitching lane, she wanted game throws. Same with fielding/hitting etc. There is no pressure, and you can do re takes, but not in a game. Also, start going to the camps of schools she is interested in as suggested. Face time helps.

 

[MDUmp]

Have her study. There are MANY more academic scholarships available than there are for softball.

 

[HooterHunter]

We are getting ready to start the same process.............with a late bloomer! Started really playing at 10, and almost 16 now, but has really improved, and has a ton of updside, and potential to play at the college level. It is all really pretty scary too, when a Buckeye kid wants to got to Iowa to play!

 

[SugarKoehn]

I am wondering if the recruiting services are worth the money or not, any opinions? How about the workout, err, "skills camps"? There are a couple of camps that brag they are the only way to get to college coaches. Any opinions, good or bad, on Scout, On Deck, Legit, or the ilk camps?

I understand speaking with other parents that have kids go on to the major colleges that grades are the most important detail in getting your daughter at a school that she may want to attend.

Thanks for answering guys.

 

[rain]

On Deck is Legit from what I've heard from a lot of people. We like NCSA because it is very clear on what you need to do and DD had frequent conferences with her own personal Coach that was a former player and D2 Coach.

 

[kdog3b55]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with setting high goals. With that being said, the scholarships are few and far between in softball for non-pitcher/catcher position players, so the above advice about keeping grades as high as possible is very accurate. We spent tons of money on some very good travel teams as my DD was a teenager from 12-u through 18-u, and in the end her grades got her a huge scholarship in to the school she WANTED to go to and she then made the softball team on her own. Don't get me wrong, I would not trade the experiences we lived, but all the money I spent on travel ball and camps and showcases, I easily would have covered a year or 2 of college!
No matter what, good luck with the rest of her highschool career! Please take this advice as a parent also...... Sit back and enjoy it. It seemed like forever for my DD to get to the highschool team, and then when it finally got here, those 4 years absolutely FLEW by. Don't miss it by pushing her too hard or arguing over what she should or should not have done in each game. These last years of being able to watch her play are far too precious to waste! Just be her biggest fan!

 

[srf1021]

Enjoy every day as it flies by...

 

[cwestwjg]

We are taking DD to the Ondeck tryout in Dallas on the 16th will let you know what we seen and what to expect there. I believe Moneytree has been there all the way to the Jamboree so he could provide even more info.

 

[ballerred37]

I helped out at a NAIA college her in KY and there were a lot of videos that came through the head coaches office, the videos had the basic skills on there and sometimes an interview at the end.

grades are always a big factor because that means ur daughter will be able to pick up academic scholarships and grants (and in my opinion it means she has some type of worth ethic and has some type of study skills, No coach likes to lose a potential super star to grades.

Most of the ideas on this thread go hand in hand with what needs to be done.

Get her name and face out there as much as possible and good luck!!!!!

 

[hacker72]

If you are good enough they will find you. If not, send out videos!!

 

[TennHorn]

Lot's of good advice. I also urge you to make sure you are connected to the right travel team. The head coach will end up being your point person until the college can contact you directly.

As many have said, grades are the most important. There is very little softball money to be split amongst the girls, academic money will make up the difference. Also, you will find, it is tough to land your kid at an out of state school, unless she is really special. This is because most universities offer in state kids cheaper tuition, making the commitment from the team easier to swallow.

 

[vdubya]

FYI, the new 2014 Cathi Aradi book on recruiting just became available on the nfca site. Order placed!

 

[rain]

Ondeck

We are taking DD to the Ondeck tryout in Dallas on the 16th will let you know what we seen and what to expect there. I believe Moneytree has been there all the way to the Jamboree so he could provide even more info.

I'm anxious to hear how that goes.

 

[SugarKoehn]

Me too. Let's us know.

 

[Moneytree]

On Deck Softball is a great organization. Derek and Joanne Allister are great people and very highly respected in the softball community. The National Elite Futures Camp at Mt SAC was an amazing experience for the kid. There were 125+ college coaches watching the top 75 uncommitted players in the nation being put through a series of workouts and games. If you can get to one of their events I would highly recommend it.

Gary

 

[Moore34]

The mass marketing recruiting services are a waste. Do the work yourself.

Alot of folks have been talking about on the field behavior and classroom.. but don't under estimate the power of off the field/ in the dugout behavior.. when I was helping out with UWG (Division 2) we would mark out girls for temper tantrums.. or not being coachable in the dugout or treating their parents badly and also making siblings or parents carry their equipment.. even crossed out some good pitchers because of their helicopter dads (and moms). It all sounds funny but it can really show someones character. Put in the work and effort and she'll get noticed.

 

[tmolina]

Plus its pretty important that you can hit top level pitching too! If you are in an organization with a really good hype man in your corner that goes a long way too! Someone that can sell your kid to college coaches.

 

[cwestwjg]

This will be our first experience at the tryout and it only cost 100 dollars to get real baseline numbers to build off. We are using it as a tool for real measurables and identify weak spots compared to other 2017 grads.

Plus it's nice to have real numbers from a reputable source when people ask what's her times, overhand, exit speed, etc. DD has six games and four 3 hour practices before the 8 hour trip there so hopefully she's at full strength.

 

[cwestwjg]

It's been a while but to follow up on the On deck softball tryouts I must say my DD was very impressed and said it was the best event she has ever attended! Even though it's a tryout camp the Allister's really take their time and make sure the kids all get the attention and even offer instruction and ways to improve each kid. They also close each session out with a group talk and explain to the kids how softball is a journey and go out of their way to make it a positive experience. The ODM is the only way to know where you truly are and what each kid needs to improve on. DD even ask if she could work on some things and go back next year to see how much she improved.

I would suggest anyone serious about ball at the next level attend one of these camps.

 

[300exbat]

You're off to a good start; sounds like the little lady is focused, good for her. Keep feeding it, i'm curious on how it will all pan out later on for her. Kudos to her.

 

[Hopper47]

DD is D1 bound. My clear advice - DD should pick a school she'd be happy to graduate from if she blew out her knee on the first day of practice.

That said, to get recruited we can't recommend camps, emails, showcases, etc.

Register for the on-campus 'clinic' at your potential schools and for maybe $60 they will put your girl through their 5 hour work-out on their terms. If they like her, they will approach her and ask where she's considering going to school, invite her to meet members of the team, etc. And she's in the mix. Anyway, that's our story.

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