By: Joyce Wellhoefer
NCSA recently had a chance to attend the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Convention held in Marco Island, Florida. The time at the convention allowed me to network with the college coaches and find out what they are looking for to round out their 2009 and 2010 rosters. NCSA staff member Kelly Bowman joined me in attending the convention where we met hundreds of coaches during the two days of the exhibitor event.
A topic that peaked interest with many of the college coaches was communications during the recruiting process. Everything coaches said reinforced what we at NCSA teach our student-athletes during our Educational Huddles and Personal Coaching Sessions:
College coaches want to hear from the student themselves - the high school athlete needs to be prepared to communicate with the college coach by answering questions thoroughly and having some questions of their own to ask. Some coaches have mentioned that they have stopped recruiting students when parents are too involved and the students are not the ones communicating with the colleges.
- Coaches look for student-athletes who respond in a timely manner and provide the information that the coaches request.
- Grades are essential and coaches emphasized the importance of students taking the honors and AP classes through out high school.
- Be honest in communication – hear the coach out before saying ‘no’. Coaches say that many players are too quick to rule out opportunities. Learn enough about the college and softball program before declining an invitation for a visit.
- Coaches said intangibles such as character, maturity, leadership and how players treat their teammates are often the best way to separate potential recruits.
- It is more about overall fit with the student-athlete and the college than just about how much money that the school gives them to play softball. They want student-athletes who want to come to their school and want to be a part of their softball program for all the right reasons.
Much of the information we received from the college coaches reaffirmed the value of finding the right overall fit. This means looking at the college for the right fit athletically, academically, socially and geographically – not just choosing the college who offered the best financial package. Coaches said they were pleased when athletes came for a campus visit and were prepared with a notebook and questions to ask on the visit. Be sure to utilize NCSA to help you be most prepared for the recruiting process and make the most of your opportunities to interact with coaches.
Overall, the time spent networking with the college coach community was an overwhelming success. We will continue to build on these contacts and be able to help the coaches best utilize our searchable Recruit-Match database. There already have been several follow-up calls from the coaches to our NCSA office about our database and seeking some potential recruits to fill their openings for the upcoming recruiting years.
