If you are involved in softball, chances are you are familiar with Cathi Aradi. She is widely considered to be the foremost expert on softball recruiting and we were fortunate enough to catch up with her and get the inside scoop on (almost) everything a high school softball player and their parents should know about recruiting.
NCSA – You are recognized as one of the leading experts in softball recruiting. What got you to this point?
Cathi: I’ve worked as a recruiting consultant for twenty years. I started out as a parent going through the process who discovered there wasn’t enough information readily available to first time families. (These days–in one sense–there is too much information out there, and much of it is inaccurate at best, deceptive at worst.) My book, Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level, evolved from a booklet I wrote for my own clients. Although it is updated annually, the core message hasn’t changed in fifteen years. The book is straightforward, easy-to-use and covers all the bases. College and youth coaches recognize this as do the thousands of people who have read the book over the years. I built my reputation as a recruiting consultant on integrity and “telling it like it is.” Not every parent wants to hear the truth about recruiting, but I believe my success rate with players is so high because I don’t pull any punches. If playing collegiate softball is really her goal, I can help almost any player find a school where she can realize her dream.)
NCSA – In your opinion, where and when does the recruiting process begin?
Cathi: The recruiting process varies tremendously from player to player. Yes, some coaches will tell young athletes they need to start sending out resumes when they are freshmen in high school. However, in my experience, for the majority of players, the best approach is a 3-tiered one. As freshmen, they should make sure they are taking all the right academic core courses and getting the best grades they can. They should be playing competitive travel ball (if at all possible), and they should read my book so that they know what to expect, what to do, and when. Families also need to familiarize themselves with all NCAA recruiting rules when the player is a freshman.
As sophomores, they should continue what they started as freshmen with the possible addition of sending out postcards to colleges as a quick and easy way of introducing themselves to coaches. The postcard has an advantage over a big packet or email because you know it’s going to get read. Plus, it’s inexpensive and simple. For example, an athlete can use a postcard to let coaches know her travel team is playing at a major showcase event or a big tournament like the Colorado Fireworks or the Rising Stars in Florida. But remember, NCAA coaches can’t start writing prospects for recruiting purposes until the students starts their junior year. They can acknowledge receipt of inquiries, but they can’t initiate contact.
Between the sophomore and junior year, the player needs to develop a game plan for her college search, start thinking about the types of colleges she’s interested in, what kind of collegiate experience she’d like to have, and how important playing softball really is to her. She may want to schedule a skills video for her junior year as well as registering for the SAT and ACT–a must for juniors. I usually find that while a player can start to send out her introductory packets earlier, most of my clients are very successful when they start during the junior year.
Here’s a little “secret” that most families are surprised to learn. 75% of ALL college players are competing at D-II, D-III or NAIA schools. (And this doesn’t even factor in junior colleges.) Only 25% of high school players will go on to compete at a Div. I program. So while some D-I programs (mostly the more visible, most competitive teams) will be looking at prospects when they are freshmen or sophomores, the vast majority of college bound players won’t start to be actively recruited until after their junior year. D-II, D-III and NAIA coaches don’t start looking for recruits–or commitments–as early. (There are a lot of reasons for this, and I’ll gladly go into them in more detail if someone wants to email me.) But these numbers are irrefutable. 75% of all players won’t be playing at D-I schools. (I see this as good news, but I know a lot of families will be stunned to hear this!)
NCSA – How has recruiting changed within the last 5 years with technology as well as with softball coaches asking commitments from the students earlier and earlier?
Cathi: I’ll answer this in two parts. The major changes I’ve seen in terms of recruiting in the last five years has to do with the (limited) number of early commitments to major D-I programs and with the firestorm of information that the internet provides. I’m not personally a fan of early commitments, and nothing would make me happier than to see the NCAA prohibit them. But that’s not likely to happen because it would be a tough rule to enforce across all sports. Nonetheless, parents must understand that the early commitments they hear about represent only perhaps 10-15% of all players in a given graduating class. Because it’s the more visible D-I programs (and often players from more visible travel teams) who are involved in early commitments, and because web sites like SpySoftball.com and others report these early commitments, many families assume this is the norm. IT IS NOT! As I said in my answer to question #2, since 75% of all kids will play at D-II/III/NAIA schools, easily 75-85% of players won’t commit before the end of their junior year. (I know from personal experience that many D-I teams are also still actively recruiting seniors all the way through the senior year. It’s not always by choice, but it happens.)
Unfortunately, parents (and sometimes players) get hysterical when other parents ask them…”Hasn’t she committed yet?” “What offers have you had?” “Has she taken any unofficial visits?” ” Who is talking to her?” (And these questions may start when the player is six years old!) It’s completely nuts, and it would be funny if it weren’t for the confusion, anxiety and frustration it creates. Once a parent understands the realities of recruiting, and once the player decides she wants to play softball because she loves the game…not because someone else got a scholarship or because her folks want her to play…everyone can relax and move forward confidently. (If they have the right guidance and the correct information about the process, of course!)
As for the second part of the question, there’s no doubt technology has influenced the path of recruiting. There are both good and bad elements here. When web sites talk about twelve year olds being recruited (yes, I am exaggerating…a little), it only fuels the fire and feeds the frenzy of misinformation and fear. Most recruiting related web sites (other than mine) don’t talk much about the down side of early commitments, the hidden dangers, and the reasons that it’s perfectly okay–and safe–not to commit early. Let’s face it, if 80-85% of all 2012 graduates won’t commit before the end of their junior year, 2012 grads hardly need to be panicking right now. Since the internet has encouraged the propagation of recruiting related web sites, there is almost too much information for parents to absorb, and it can be hard to know which web sites to trust, which have accurate information, etc. On the plus side, however, within the last couple of years, web hosting sites such as YouTube have made it possible for players to post skills videos and for college coaches to access them easily. This saves money, postage, time, and is a blessing for cash-strapped parents who don’t want to spend $150 to have 50 videos made, let alone the added cost of mailing them to colleges. In addition, those families who are willing to take the time to sort through the morass of recruiting web sites can find the information they need to get their player’s college search started.
One added word of caution. Just because you send someone an email that doesn’t mean he or she will read it…or pay attention. Too often I hear parents or players say they emailed 40 coaches their schedule for the Las Vegas JO Classic (or some other big tournament.) What those families don’t realize is that some or all of the coaches they emailed may receive 200-300 emails with game times and field assignments in the week before that tournament. Most will not get read. While email is awesome, I generally encourage players not to rely on it as their sole source of communication with a coach until or unless that coach has proved that he/she will read and respond to all emails you send.
NCSA – Is it easier for the ‘middle tier’ schools to get top players that in the past were harder to recruit?
Cathi: I guess it depends on what you mean by “middle tier” schools. Certainly there are more good softball players out there than ever before. When I started as a recruiting consultant in the 90′s, many states still played slow pitch in high school, travel ball teams were scarce in some states, and just being from the West Coast was often enough to get you a serious look. These days, there are top prospects all over the country, and there are more opportunities at all levels of college softball for good players. I suspect to some extent, the “high visibility” D-I programs still get the majority of the very elite prospects. But it’s not a black or white issue. Talent/experience/motivation run along a continuum. So a player who might not be recruited by Alabama or Illinois might be an All-American at Caldwell College or Hawaii Pacific (both good D-II programs). There is no question whatsoever that college softball has improved at every level due to the terrific growth in the sport and a substantial increase in the number of quality players!
NCSA – Can you comment on the dynamic of club softball in recruiting and how it is balanced with the high school team?
Cathi: I get asked this question a lot, and unfortunately, my answer rarely pleases high school coaches. With all due respect to the many wonderful people who give tirelessly of their time and knowledge to help high school students earn a varsity letter, the majority of collegiate recruiting is more likely going to be based on a player’s achievements during travel ball. Now before you start throwing rotten tomatoes at me, let me add that high school softball has a very valuable place in the lives of every college bound player. On a very basic level, it gives the athlete an opportunity to work on her game. It keeps her in training, and it is very much a part of the social experience in high school. Knowledgeable high school coaches can help a player improve her skills, they can help mentor her college search by making sure she’s keeping her grades up and taking her SAT/ACT at the right time. Some high school coaches will work cooperatively with travel coaches (some even are travel coaches) to help the player and her family become educated about the recruiting process. However, the simple fact of the matter is that the majority of college scouting is done at travel ball tournaments rather than at high school games. It only makes sense. Travel ball goes on mostly in the summer and fall when college coaches aren’t in their competitive season. Travel ball tournaments offer college coaches the chance to see a lot of players on competitive teams in one place.
If a high school coach truly understands recruiting, he or she can be a huge help to players. If the coach can work with a player’s travel coach, everyone wins, most importantly, the athlete. But too often I hear directly from players–all of whom will go on to compete at some level of college ball–that their high school coach is contemptuous of travel ball, resents players who play travel ball, or does little or nothing to help his players pursue their collegiate goals. I know how hard it can be to coach at the high school level. I even have a chapter in my book that addresses ways high school coaches can help their players find a college team. I don’t minimize the efforts of high school coaches. I just hate to see turf wars and hidden agendas get in the way of any softball player who’d like to play in college.
NCSA – For an athlete who is underexposed, what advice would you give her?
Cathi: There are two types of “underexposure.” The first is due to circumstances beyond a player’s control. For example, perhaps her parents can’t afford for her to play on a competitive travel team, or perhaps there are none in her area and she can’t travel six hours to get to the nearest team. In that case, I would encourage her to contact a lot of schools during her college search and to focus on Div. II, NAIA and D-III teams. The reason for this is that D-II and NAIA coaches are allowed to have players come on campus and work out or “try out” with their teams. (D-II coaches have to wait until a player is a senior and it can’t be during her high school season.) But if a D-II or NAIA coach really likes a player’s resume, video, etc., he or she still has the chance to see the player in action. And since many D-III coaches are restricted when it comes to traveling because of limited budgets, they are somewhat more likely to pursue a player based on seeing her skills video, her resume, her transcript, etc.–even if they can’t see her in person. Most D-I coaches won’t actively pursue a player whom they can’t see in action at a tournament (or maybe a camp), so if an athlete can’t play travel ball, it may be harder for her to be seen by D-I colleges.
However, there is the other type of underexposure, and that is something every family can control simply by taking charge of the college search. Players and parents should not assume that just because their travel team goes to major showcase tournaments, or just because they’ve registered for a recruiting camp or registered with some online service that promises thousands of coaches will see her information, the player will automatically be recruited. There are no guarantees in this game. However, families can make sure that they know how the process works, and that they do all they can to help the player make herself more visible to colleges. This will include contacting them directly–and knowing how and when to follow up.
NCSA – What are some obstacles that college softball coaches face?
Cathi: The biggest obstacles college coaches face these days where recruiting is concerned include:
1) Inadequate budget and staffing for recruiting. Not being able to travel to scout–even locally–can seriously handicap a coach.
2) Misinformed families who believe that if a school isn’t D-I, it’s not worth talking to.
3) Misinformed families who don’t understand how scholarships work, are funded, are administered, etc.
4) Students who don’t understand that if you don’t have the grades and test scores, it really doesn’t matter how good you are.
5) Families who have spent $50,000 on seven or eight years of travel ball–and who haven’t put a penny aside for college–who now believe their player is “owed” a full ride.
6) Not enough hours in the day to coach their teams, handle administrative duties, manage their personal lives, and then worry about recruiting–which includes responding to players who contact them personally, trying to see videos, trying to decide which players to follow, getting out to tournaments, and so on. (Despite what some people might tell you, college coaches rarely spend their evenings and weekends pouring over web sites looking for prospects. A few might, but the majority just don’t have the time.)
NCSA – What are some of the common recruiting mistakes that softball players make?
Cathi: I’ve addressed a few of these in earlier questions, but a few other common mistakes players and their families make include:
1) Not taking the time to become educated about the process and therefore not understanding how it works.
2) Not being proactive–e.g., assuming recruiting will just happen because she’s a great kid and a great player or assuming her coach or a web site or dumb luck will ensure she gets recruited.
3) Not working to get the best grades possible. Many families don’t realize there is far more academic money available than there will ever be athletic money. Students with top grades often have more options and more opportunities.
4) Not accepting the limitations of athletic-based aid, and not being willing to investigate other financial aid resources. For example, a lot of families will write off a D-III school because it doesn’t give athletic scholarships or they will write off a private college because it costs more to attend. You never know what aid is available until you really look into it, and each school is a little different in how it administers its aid.
NCSA – What is the best single piece of advice you could give a softball recruit looking to play in college?
Cathi: Learn how recruiting really works! Understand that it’s not fair and probably never will be, and that your college search will not necessarily take the same path as your teammates. Be proactive and don’t leave your recruiting in the hands of someone else. It’s fine to get help, to get guidance, to use the resources available to you. But you need to stay in charge!
NCSA - Your book is a fantastic resource for softball players, can you tell us about that?
Cathi: My book, Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level, is published by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. It is a comprehensive, step by step guide to the college search, and it covers all the things a family needs to know and to do to help their player find the college and team that is right for her. It has been called “the Bible of Fastpitch Recruiting” by numerous coaches, and it is a must-have resource for any family contemplating or going through an athlete’s college search. For more information, you can go to here or to the NFCA website here (it’s sold in their online bookstore under Miscellaneous Books).
We thank Cathi for her time and hope all softball players and their families can learn from her experience. We encourage you to spread this education and Cathi’s message by clicking the “Like” button below.
