Recruiting
FRESHMAN:
Get settled in high school.
Concentrate on a solid high school curriculum.
SOPHOMORE:
Continue striving for academic success.
Research NCAA academic requirements.
Make sure that you are "on target" for all course requirements.
During summer between Sophomore and Junior years prepare your athletic
resume.
Start investigating colleges and their admission requirements.
Prepare to send out your initial contact letters.
JUNIOR:
Send out athletic letters now, if you have not already done so.
Request the ACT/ACT test scores be sent to the NCAA Initial Eligibility
Clearinghouse.
Now is the time for you to join the clearinghouse.
KEEP UP WITH STUDIES and once again review the NCAA requirements.
Send out updates as your season closes.
SENIOR:
Do not let up on academics.
Review your core class requirements with your counselor.
Again, send out your team schedule as soon as possible to all schools
you are interested in.
Always play to the best of your ability, and remember you're a "student
athlete"...
STUDENT comes first.
SAMPLE LETTER
Date
School
Address
Attn: name of softball coach
Dear Coach (last name)
My name is _________________________ and I am a Junior/Senior at (name
of your school, City).
As my high school career comes to a close, I am looking ahead to
attending an excellent college and would like to participate in your
softball program.
I have completed some preliminary research on your school, but I would
like more detailed information on your academic requirements and
athletic program.
I am currently playing for the (name of summer team) and will send you a
schedule of games when I receive one.
I invite you to view some of the games this season. Also, I am hopeful
that we can discuss my participation in your athletic program in the
immediate future.
Best regards,
Name
address
phone number
VIDEO INFORMATION
Make a skills tape. Have a parent or coach videotape you in action. It
doesn't have to be fancy, or done by a professional.
VIDEOTAPING YOUR SOFTBALL SKILLS
Colleges want to see everything you are capable of doing. If you play
several positions, show footage of different skills. Please keep in
mind, though that they receive hundreds of videotapes each season and
simply don't have time to view excess and unneeded footage. Here are
some guidelines as to what they want to see and how many repetitions
they would like to see. In what order you perform the skills makes no
difference.
It is recommended to use the zoom feature rather than moving in a
position you may disturb the fielder or hitter.
The entire tape should only be approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
HITTING:
View from beyond opposite batters box, facing the batter as they are in
their stance, close view. Full swings in this segment, if you have full
swings from both right and left side, please show both.
BUNTING:
Sac Bunts: View from pitching circle, left and right sides, if
applicable.
Bunt for Hit: View from pitching circle, left and right sides, if
applicable.
Drag Bunt: View from pitching circle, left and right sides, if
applicable.
Slap Bunt: View from beyond opposite batters box, left and right side,
if applicable.
THROWING AND CATCHING: (All Positions)
Fielding ground balls, some directly at you, some to your right and
left.
Balls to your right and left should be approximately 15 to 20 feet each
way.
Show the throw to a base. (Note) Always have an angle to show the throw.
DO NOT follow the ball with the camera.
CATCHERS: (Full Equipment)
Block ball in dirt, some right at you, some to show lateral movement.
Field bunts and throw to all bases.
Pickoff, show throws to 1st and 3rd base.
Steals, show throw to 2nd and 3rd base, with the fielder on the move to
cover the base.
CORNERS:
Field bunts, throw to 1st, 2nd and 3rd bases.
At 1st base, taking throws in the dirt.
At 3rd base, taking throws from the outfield, making a tag.
MIDDLE INFIELDERS:
Double play, pivot and footwork.
Double play, feeds.
Shortstop, covering second on a steal.
Second, covering first on a bunt.
Fly balls overhead, Texas Leaguer.
OUTFIELDERS:
Fielding fly balls, some directly at you, some to your right, left and
forward. Show the throw to 2B, 3B and home. Right field also show throw
to 1B.
PITCHERS:
Two Angles:
· From behind pitcher.
· From side of the pitcher.
Show 5 to 6 of each pitch you have from each angle.
Fielding grounders and bunts, throwing to all bases.
BASE RUNNING:
Home to first, after you swing.
Home to home, after you swing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR OUR COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS
I've heard that if you're a good softball player, the college coaches
will recruit you. Is that true?
Any college coach or recruiter will tell you that being good doesn't
automatically giv a player an edge in being recruited or being offered a
scholarship to play college softball. There are thousands of good
softball players who go unnoticed and unrecruited every year.
The coach or recruiter first has to know about you to be able to recruit
you. In addition to talent, coaches recruit players based on a number of
important factors including experience, grades, work ethic, team needs,
and the player's ability to adjust to the demands of college softball.
How many players get "full-ride" scholarships?
Very few players get a "full ride" (100% of college costs). It's
important for players and parents to know that colleges are allowed to
divide scholarships. With an average roster of 18 players per team,
there's not enough scholarship money for every player on the team to get
a "full ride." Most college teams award half or three-quarter
scholarships, in order to stretch their funds as far as possible and
still be able to recruit quality players.
Which players get "full rides"?
When available, full-ride scholarships generally go to top-notch
pitchers, catchers, and hitters. Prospective college softball players
should expect that scholarship offers will range along these lines:
Pitchers, 80-100% of "full-ride"
Catchers, 50-80%
Infielders, 30-70%
Outfielders, 20-50%
Versatility, hitting ability, and team needs can make a player more
valuable, and a scholarship offer will be adjusted accordingly.
What are my chances of being awarded a four-year scholarship?
No matter what any player, parent, coach, or recruiter might tell you,
there is simply no such thing as a "four-year scholarship" to play
softball. Scholarships are awarded on a year-by-year basis only. The
name of the game is performance. The best way to insure a "four-year
scholarship" is to exceed expectations from each "one-year scholarship"
to the next.
Will going to a recruiting camp or tournament guarantee that I'll get
recruited?
Just attending a recruiting camp or tournament is no guarantee that
you'll be recruited. A college coach might never recruit some of the
better players at a recruiting camp, or even get a chance to watch them
play.
How can I improve my chances of being recruited at one of these camps?
The best chance any player has of being noticed and possibly being
recruited as a result of a recruiting camp is based on two important
factors:
· Parents and players must do their "homework" and marketing
preparation, including letters, "Player Marketing Package" "described in
detail in the book), phone calls, e-mails, and so on, to the coaches who
are expected to be at the camp.
· You must perform up to the expectations while the college coach is
looking at you.
Coaches don't just show up at these camps and tournaments looking for
players to fill any old position on their rosters. They go to the camp
with a list of names of players they want to evaluate, and a list of
positions that they need to fill. The players on a coach's list are
top-level players who are well known to coaches, players who the coach
has seen before and wants to watch again, or players who have contacted
them directly. Unless a coach knows about you, chances are that he/she
won't be looking at you. The way to get a coach to look at you is, first
to tell them that you'll be there, and, secondly, to ask them to take a
look at you.
When should I start my scholarship search?
Searching for a scholarship is only part of the college selection
process. Your first goal should be to find a school that's a good match
for your academic abilities and interests, and to find a team that's a
good match for your softball skills. Then you can start thinking
seriously about the scholarship search.
NCAA schools can't begin actively recruiting players until their junior
year. That doesn't mean, however, that you should wait until your junior
year to beging the college selection process or start your marketing
efforts. There's nothing wrong with getting a head start on your college
selection process in your freshman or sophomore year. It's a simple
matter to log on to a college's web site, and find out all the
information you need to know. If you start narrowing the field of
prospective colleges early in your high school career, you'll be well
ahead of the game (and ahead of other players) by the time your junior
year rolls around.