Softball bats continue to be a issue with the colleges. There have been numerous attempts to hold bats to certain standards. One of the challenges has been on how the bats are tested to see if they uphold the standards and what levels the standars should be set at.There is concern in the danger that bats can pose with their exit speed -how fast the ball comes off the bat. What speed is it safe for an athlete to be able to react to the ball?
The softball committee is now looking to do some on-site tests during the college championships.
It’s always great to hear from a student-athlete and gain some insight on their perspective during the recruiting process. The NCSA caught up with a softball player from Massachusetts who has recently committed to a top academic NCAA Division III school.This young lady began her recruiting process in January of 2008 and just signed this past May. We asked her what kind of work she had to put into the process in order to be successful. She answered, “The work I put in mostly to respond to inquiries from coaches and providing details on my summer schedule.”
When asked what the most challenging part of the recruiting process was, she mentioned two of her biggest challenges. First, “Time Management in your senior year was much more challenging than I anticipated. I was a starting player in three varsity sports (Soccer, Basketball and Softball). We made the State Tournament in all three and were rated 7th in Eastern Massachusetts in Basketball (highest ever for our school) and 5th in Softball. We were eliminated by the EMASS finalist in hoop by 3 points and The State Champions in Softball (2-1 in extra innings). Going deep into the State playoffs and dealing with local media both newspapers and television required unexpected preparation on top of schoolwork, the powder-puff bowl, the prom, senior night, awards and recognition nights, community service and finally graduation in addition to the recruiting process.” And secondly, “Prioritizing which school among the choices had the best balance of “level of play”, playing time and the best educational opportunity.”
The best part of the recruiting process, according to this softball player was, “The availability and persistence of the NCSA coach helped me stay focused on the goal. The website was an easy reference tool for coaches.”
When asked how the NCSA impacted her recruiting process, she answered, “I think the best part of the NCSA coaching was the reminders both by phone and through email. It forced me to think about what I wanted not just what the school’s assistant coaches wanted.”
Lastly, we asked her to offer some advice to student-athletes who are still in the midst of the recruiting process. She had a lot of great thoughts to share. “Start early. Do as much “prep” work as possible in your “off-season” or in the summer. Do NOT get hung up on DI, DII or DII – that is secondary to your education. Do not procrastinate like I did and then get swamped with multiple schools and coaches all calling at the same time. If the “log” is too cumbersome make a simpler “excel” spreadsheet and then update the “log” after you edit and prioritize your school choices. Visit schools you are interested in while you are in the area playing in “Exposure” Tournaments. Pick the best fit academically and do not be afraid of a “stretch” school. You’ll be surprised the doors that are opened for athletes – especially female athletes strong in math and science.”
Summer is officially upon us! And for college softball coaches, that means the busiest and most important recruiting time. They are in the midst of their most active evaluation time and a majority of them will spend this time at college exposure tournaments throughout the country. Coaches can see a huge number of athletes in one quick weekend, at one major tournament. For NCAA Division I coaches, rules and regulations limit them to a certain number of dates they can go out and recruit.
So, what does this all mean for you? The greatest advantage you can give yourself at this time of year is letting these coaches know who you are BEFORE they leave for tournaments. Their time is limited and they can only see so many games and so many players in one tournament. If you desire to be one of those players, then give the coaches a reason to find you and watch you play!
Have a complete resume of who you are as a student-athlete and get that into the hands of the coaches you would like to play for. This resume should include your summer tournament schedule, statistics and contact information for you and for your current coaches. You should also have a sample of skills available in a video format (DVD). Your academic information should also be included. Once you have all of that ready to distribute, you need to identify what schools you are most interested in and familiarize yourself with their softball programs. Look at their roster and see if you would be a good fit. Check out the background info on current players. This will help you get a good idea as to whether or not you have the skills and resume to compete in their program. It’s great to aim high, but being realistic is important so you will have options of schools where you can be a contributing player.
It is vital for you as a student-athlete, to be realistic about your skill level and to seek out schools and coaches you can truly play for. Keep in mind that by this time, approximately half of NCAA Division I softball coaches/colleges have identified their top recruits of to-be seniors. If you are a top softball player, the summer going into your junior and even sophomore years of high school are when coaches will be evaluating you. During those summers, it would be most beneficial to you to be playing on up level teams such as U16 and U18. If you are a higher level player and can compete at the Division I level, be sure and include all of your awards and accolades in your resume (being one of the top players in your area and state, playing at the varsity level, etc.).
Have a game plan this summer! Get your resume set up and be sure to include all of the info listed above. Identify colleges you can play for. Let those coaches know of your interest in their programs and be prepared to have a skills DVD for them to view. Lastly, let them know where and when you are playing so they can get out to see you. Be proactive. Out of all of the athletes that coaches will see and hear about, be the one they are going to recognize and remember!
If you’re a student-athlete who wants to play your sport in college you will have to work very hard to become the best student and the best athlete you can be. It’s too competitive for you not to give 100% effort in both of those areas you have total control over. If you give any less, there are plenty of others who are out-working you today. Now that is a very challenging proposition in which you expect to be rewarded for that hard work. Unfortunately, after all of that hard work, you DO NOT get to choose your school. The school chooses you.
Now there are exceptions to this reality. One percent of student-athletes are “blue-chippers” who are recruited by the top-tier, name-brand schools. However, the vast majority will not be able to choose their number one choice school. This harsh reality is more harsh for those of you living west of the Mississippi River. The vast majority of athletic programs at 4-year colleges and universities are located east of the Mississippi River. As an example, there are only 28 four-year colleges who play football in California. Whereas, in Pennsylvania, a state with less than half of California’s population, there are 82 four-year colleges who play football. There are a lot of talented football players in Arizona. However, that state only has 3 four-year colleges who play football.
A student-athlete can find a GREAT school that is the perfect fit. But they have to be willing to play anywhere that has their required academics. If you are not willing to play at any school that matches your academic needs, you’re really not serious about playing in college. You should quit spending your parents money on travel ball, camps, lessons, equipment, etc. The flip side, if you’re serious, you need to be involved with hundreds of schools – just so you’ll have a chance. Are you serious about playing in college? Are you sure?
I’m always amazed at what people’s definition of recruiting is. Some think they are getting lots of interest when in fact they are among thousands on a college coach’s mailing list. Below is a list of check points to see where you are. If you’re a 2010 student-athlete and you’re not at a 4, 3, 2, or 1, you’re behind your peers. If you’re a 2011 graduate and you’re not at a 7, you’re behind your peers. If you’re a 2012 grad and you are not at a 10, you’re behind your peers. If you wish to catch up, click here.
YOU means the student-athlete, not the HS coach or club coach.
Have YOU received a full or partial scholarship or grant & aid offer in writing from your dream school?
Have YOU received a full or partial scholarship or grant & aid offer in writing from any school?
Have YOU received a full or partial scholarship or grant & aid offer made verbally from any school?
Have YOU been offered or taken an official visit?
Have YOU received a video and/or transcript request from a college coach?
Have YOU received phone calls from college coaches?
Have YOU been offered or taken un-official visits?
Do YOU receive personal, handwritten letters from college head coaches on a regular basis?
Do YOU receive emails from college coaches on a regular basis?
Have YOU received questionnaires or camp information from college coaches?
The College World Series of softball is underway at Oklahoma City where the top eight teams are playing for the championship over the weekend. If you have it in your dreams to be playing softball at the college level – are you following the games? There are some great individual stories of the players how they had to overcome odds to make the teams as well as how teams progressed through the season. There is Georgia who is making their first appearance in the world series with the youngest NCAA D1 team with 10 freshmen players and only two upperclassmen.
There is a great story about the University of Florida, catcher Kristina Hilberth took to get where she is today. She began as a freshman walk-on to now a school record holder in career fielding percentage (.995). Learn about how she ‘earned and worked’ her way to the starting catcher role.
Don’t miss on supporting and watching the Women’s College World Series games over the weekend and championship early next week.
Listening to the Arizona wildcats softball team describe their Nike Athena bat you might think they were discussing steroids.
“It’s like standing on the tee box and having the Tiger Woods driver.”
“It’s definitely going to make you feel better, and that’s half the battle now in athletics.”
“The very first time we swung the bats and hit a little grounder, it was like ‘Wow, I hit that so hard, and I wasn’t even trying.’”
The comments by the players coupled with their dominant performance this season, an NCAA record 134 home runs (50 more than the closest team), have many in the softball community openly wondering if the “Wonder Bat” should be illegal.
Kidding aside many critcs are calling foul. If so many are upset, wouldn’t the logical conclusion be to create a more uniform stand? Currently bats must not ball speeds in excess of 98 mph, but perhaps further regualtion is needed to ensure an even playing field.
Then again, maybe not. Arizona was blanked 3-0 yesterday managing only 3 singles.
As a review, you know the need to market your child in order for her/him to be recruited. You know that you could do this yourself or you could use an expert. In either case, you’ll have to invest time and money into the process. The need for this service is even greater than it was in the 1980’s for several reasons. Among these are:
the cost of college today
the even greater restrictions the NCAA has placed on college coaches.
The internet.
The accelerating recruiting calendar.
The misinformation about recruiting from so called experts like HS coaches, Athletic Directors, and parents who went through it 15-30 years ago.
But whether a family chooses to navigate the recruiting waters by themselves or chooses to hire professional help, they are going to have to spend time and money on this process. They are also going to have to coach their kids on how to speak to college coaches. No college coach will offer any student-athlete a college scholarship without knowing that child. So where do you allocate your marketing dollars?
You could choose to go to a lot of college camps. As you’ve learned from the 5 things you need to do, your child must be involved with at least 100-200 realistic possibilities. How many camps will you be able to attend? Are they the right ones? How much will they cost including transportation? What makes you think your child will stand out from others at that camp in a college coach’s eyes? My child received recruiting interest from 145 college coaches. She never attended a college camp after the 8th grade. We went to one and that was all it took to realize that the camps are money makers for the coaching staff at the school. Can a kid improve their skills? Maybe. But don’t expect to get your child recruited by attending camps.
You could market your child on our own. You’ll have to research 100-200 realistic college opportunities. You’ll have to determine if they have roster openings. You’ll have to get your child’s information in front of that coach. You’ll have to hope that information is believed and isn’t trashed. You’ll have to put video together and do it the right way. I’ve seen college coaches turn video off after 5-10 seconds of viewing. Would you want that to happen to your child’s video? You need to update coaches as your child makes progress. And, Mom and Dad, the most important thing you need to do is to teach your child to be the “front” person with the college coach. If you are the one calling and writing college coaches on behalf of your child, that raises a huge red flag in the coach’s mind of how serious this is for the child. A coach will recruit a lesser athlete that is articulate, serious, and a team player over a child who relies on mom and dad to do the talking.
As you navigate the process, how are you going to advise your child on maximizing his financial aid package? How are you going to advise him on what happens if a college coach ceases communications? How are you going to advise her/him on how to make the best choice for them? All parents want their children to make the best choice. Empowering a child to make that choice is the best gift a parent can give their child. Do you want amateurs who have never been through recruiting in the internet age advising your child? Or do you want a professional, whose expertise is navigating this process and have seen over 25,000 recruiting situations, advising your child? If you choose to navigate this yourself, you must read this book.
Finally, you could choose professional help. If you choose a recruiting company, find out the following:
1) Are they organized as a franchise? Are you speaking with the franchise owner? How long has the owner owned his franchise/territory? If they are not a franchise organization, what year was the first recruiting class they worked with? (Hint, if 2005 or later, they haven’t been in business long enough to develop an impact with the college coaching community.)
2) How are their student-athletes marketed to college coaches? Is it a targeted approach to the right schools? Or, is it a shotgun approach to all colleges? Is 21st century technology used, or is it still snail mail and faxes? Can you track which college coaches reviewed your child’s resume and video?
3) What is that organization’s true relationship with college coaches? If that organization doesn’t attend college coaches’ conventions, do they really have relationships with those college coaches? College coaches are not allowed by the NCAA to endorse recruiting companies. But those coaches do request student-athletes from those companies. Ask to see a list of those college coach requests with dates.
4) Who are the partnerships of that recruiting company? Companies who partner with recruiting companies do a lot of due diligence before putting their good name with someone. See who those partners are.
5) Find out about the client service after signing up. Find out the contact information and expected response times to your questions.
6) Find out about the financial aid advice the recruiting company offers.
7) Find out about the standardized test preparation a recruiting company offers.
8) Find out how your student-athlete can determine what college coaches are truly interested in your child.
9) Find out about what happens if a child suffers a career ending injury and can’t play in college. Do you get your money back?
10) Some recruiting companies like to do the “up-sale”. They’ll entice you with a low price and then constantly ask for more money as you move forward. Make sure your recruiting company spells out exactly the service you’re receiving and the time frame that service is available.
11) As with all businesses, make sure the company has been in business long enough to ensure that it’ll remain in business. If the company has been in business less than 5 years, be careful.
Doing your due diligence with any decision involving your child is important. The most important due diligence a parent can help their child with is their college choice. Getting professional help is a great way to help your child with their college decision. To choose the right professional help ask those due diligence questions listed above.
Good luck to all of you who have the good fortune to be the parent of a talented student-athlete!
There is recruiting help found all over the web.There are companies who assure everyone that they’ll get your child recruited.Some are free.Some are not.You know the need for help and, as with any service, there are good providers of help and those who aren’t as much help.To understand the market, it’s best to understand the industry.The recruiting industry started in the 1980’s when the NCAA started putting restrictions on the number of scholarships available for sports.These restrictions were caused by 2 main factors:1) the implementation of Title IX (passed in 1972) that mandated equal opportunities in sports for women.2)the NCAA’s desire to create a more level playing field for its member institutions.To demonstrate the impact consider that in 1972 Coach Johnny Majors at Pitt, in his first year as head football coach, gave full scholarships to over 100 players in that recruiting class.One of those recruits, Tony Dorsett, led Pitt to the national championship 4 years later.In order for institutions to be in compliance with Title IX, they had to reduce scholarships in football.The recruiting impact was that the relationship between HS coaches and college coaches became more distant.As time went on, the rules restricting contact between college coaches and high school football players became stricter.(As an aside, trends in football recruiting are duplicated in all other college sports.)The high school coach had less influence because he couldn’t help as many kids get scholarships – there weren’t that many to be had.College coaches wanted to feed their families.In other words, they had to recruit players that would help their program win.Since they didn’t have as many scholarships, they couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.Therefore a need developed for college coaches to recruit nationally.There was an equal need for high school athletes to be introduced to college coaches.Thus the recruiting service industry was born.
Those companies evolved as franchise organizations who had a back office that could put recruiting resumes together and mail them to college athletic departments.They relied on the college athletic department secretary to put the resumes of lots of players from many sports into the correct sport coach’s mail box.Prior to email and the internet, this was a great way to get a kid’s name in front of a large number of college coaches.The company found these kids by selling territories or franchises.A franchise owner qualified because they liked sports and had some money to give to the franchisor or territory salesman.Some of these owners were really interested in a student-athlete’s success.Others just wanted to make their investment back and would sign up any kid.The problem begins when that package put together by the back office is sent to the college athletic department.To save money in postage, the back office sent hundreds of resumes to every college in the country at one time.As time wore on, college coaches realized that not all of the resumes they were looking at were of student-athletes qualified for their program.As such, college coaches began to ignore the resumes.In time, qualified student-athletes were ignored by colleges because they were packaged with many non-qualified student-athletes.Still, in spite of this inefficiency, student-athletes received mail in their mailbox from college coaches.When a student-athlete received a letter from a college coach, parents felt their investment in the recruiting company service was paying off.But is receiving a letter from a college coach being recruited?
As they still do, in the 1980’s and 90’s, college coaches, depending on the sport, sent out thousands of letters annually.They are marketing to large numbers in hopes of finding the best few student-athletes for their program.So even though these student-athletes who used a recruiting service were getting letters, they weren’t getting recruited.Because of the franchise organization structure, there was no one to advise a student-athlete on what to do with those recruiting letters.Today, getting letters, emails, contacts from college coaches is an important first step.A child can’t get recruited without these.But it’s only 20% of the game.The other 80% of the game is a child converting those contacts into personal relationships with college coaches, and converting those relationships into scholarship dollars.And that’s all the responsibility of the student-athlete.Mom and Dad can’t do that for the child.The child has to interact with the college coach(es) and convince that coach they are a good fit for that program.All recruiting services you see on the web will put some letters in your mail box. But are they from the right schools?I’ve talked to a kid who used a recruiting company who got letters from Ivy League schools even though he had a 2.4 GPA and an ACT score of 17.No way that Ivy League school had any interest in that kid.But the kid thought he was being recruited.Clearly something had to be done to address what was not being done to help the families.Among these issues are:How are parents going to target the right colleges for their child?How do parents guide their children through this process?How can parents maximize the scholarship package their child receives?If parents decide they want help to give their child a competitive advantage, where do they find the best help?
Stay tuned for Part 4 for the answers…..it’s not what you think.
The importance of knowing the playing rules in your sport can lead to a win or a key loss. Do you know the important softball rules that pertain to disqualification of runners? What is the rule on the offensive runner celebrating with teammates before crossing home plate? This situation had a major ruling in the state games recently in Minnesota.
