By Adam Diorio
From the desk of: Joyce Wellhoefer
The spring can be a very overwhelming period for softball players who hope to play at the next level, especially those who have yet to commit to a college or university. With the increased attention on the early signing period, those student athletes who have not committed as of April feel added pressure heading into spring. While the process has started earlier each year, there is a great deal of hope for the student athletes who do not sign early.
According to softball recruiting expert Cathi Aradi, “Most families would be surprised to learn that if you took all the players who eventually sign at or commit to play at a college somewhere – including DIII and NAIA programs – you would find that the majority of the athletes do not sign in the fall.”
While there are a good number of student athletes who sign early, those tend to be the most highly visible D1 prospects which make up the minority of the total number of girls who ultimately find a program to play for. As NCSA has always preached, if you find a college that is the right fit athletically as well as academically, then you should make your selection regardless of the signing period. However, if the right fit does not come along during the early signing period there are plenty of opportunities left.
If the spring season rolls around senior year and you have yet to develop relationships from coaches at the higher level D1 programs (meaning they are calling you), it is time to be realistic. You might want to shift your efforts to the DII, DIII, or NAIA levels if you are truly serious about playing in college. Keep in mind that the college season also takes place in the fall so the college coaches tend to be extremely busy which takes time away from recruiting efforts. This means it might take more work on the student athlete’s part to initiate some of the contact through phone calls or emails.
“I have seen players stick to their college search with dogged determination, through the winter, into the spring and even into the summer,” says Aradi, “and it’s almost always paid off if only because most other kids gave up!”
The key to being successful as a senior during the spring recruiting period is to be realistic. As long as your ability both academically and athletically align with your expectations then success is always within reach.
Source: http://www.fastpitchrecruiting.com/archived%20posts.html
