Slow am at work , so a word about getting recruited .

[ManitouDan2]

I've had this discussion with several parents and thought I'd throw it out there . It hopefully will help some parents not make some very common mistakes , that are made over and over again. I'm a rambler and dont have any notes , just firing from the hip so to speak .

Whatever you do DO NOT WAIT TIL YOUR JUNIOR OR SENIOR YEAR TO START THE PROCESS !!!!! And the higher level you think your kid might go the earlier it must start . If you think ( please attempt to ask an experienced person who has been around) your DD is a legit D1 prospect in the 7th and 8th grade you should have at least attended a camp and started emailing the coach/univ where you think she may want to attend. Having said that think about just how good you have to be to make a D1 roster ( let alone succeed there ) So many have dreams of playing for a Marshall or OU or OSU , whatever -- Parents ,those programs recruit nationally , unless you are all state player and have some success in high level travel you DD isnt going to end up there . I encourage players and parents to dream - if you are highly talented and play your cards right it can happen. But attempt to be realistic . Think about how many successful 4 year D1 players Scioto Co/Pike Lawrence has produced . Not a lot . And thats taking in a TON of great talent that didnt play or succeed at that level .

When you hit HS , freshman year , have a list of a couple dream schools , schools that might be a stretch , for most ( 90% or higher) that would a MAC school , Miami O , Kent , Akron , Toledo , BG , Morehead etc . Remember that unless you kid is a total star those schools are not going to be interested. The good news is Ohio is loaded with D2 , D3 and NAIA choices . Pick several of those , 3-5 that are fit geographically and academically . If Dennison or Cedarville etc etc doesnt have your area of expected academic choice , mark them off the list . YOUR DEGREE MUST TAKE PRECEDENT OVER THE SOFTBALL TEAM ! Do not ... DO NOT go to any school because you like Coach Jones or Assistant Coach Smith .. yes its important to like the coaching staff .. but staff's come and go . Pick a SCHOOL , not a softball team . You could get injured , you could struggle academically , you could find he desire at age 19 isnt the same as at 16 . all sorts of things happen , be sure you love the school , because in 4 years the softball is over and you need the degree for life .

Camps -- GO . I know they take time , they take some $$ , but camps are super important . I promise you -- your kid is a good player and attends a teams camp multiple times the staff takes notice . Even at small schools such as Rio Grande or Shawnee the interest in getting a spot on that team is ENORMOUS . If you attend camps and the coaches are familiar with your name you are more likely to get offered a spot . Its a chance to talk to the staff , to see the staff interact with players , a chance to have your daughter or your self ask players tough questions ( Dont be afraid , be SMART) What are the best things about playing here , whats the toughest thing about playing here , does the school support you with mandatory study tables ? do you have free tutoring when needed , do you loose many players each year , how many catchers or pitchers are on the roster ( or whatever position you are looking into) Look into, or ask about roster size . Some schools take 30-40 kids and have a JV team . Its not a crime to ask up front " do you see me being in the lineup as a freshman " Some players are OK with growing into a role , some are not .

Lastly Parents don't push it on your kid , it will fall apart on you , making her and you unhappy . Enjoy the ride , Attempt to get fired up over stuff that really is more important than softball . Like grades , friends and family ( oh yeah if you want a great package the GPA / ACT score must be good) . I made all sots of mistakes thru this process ,So dont be like me. Hopefully this helps someone .

[ManitouDan2]

PS .. Players .. YOU must be the one that emails a coach , they dont want to hear from your parents ! And no need to send a ton of HS stats , they are taken with a grain of salt .

And get your summer schedules out to the college coach . If you dont invite one to come see you personally its extremely unlikely that a coach just happens to walk by your field , and see you make a great play or get a big hit . Invite those schools to come see you play .

[BobcatBall]

Great read!

[SEOhio]

Lastly Parents don't push it on your kid , it will fall apart on you , making her and you unhappy . Enjoy the ride , Attempt to get fired up over stuff that really is more important than softball . Like grades , friends and family ( oh yeah if you want a great package the GPA / ACT score must be good) . I made all sots of mistakes thru this process ,So dont be like me. Hopefully this helps someone .

This is the most important part of your post! Your grades will most likely get you money for school and not sports. An ACT score is guaranteed money for school and remember you are a student before an athlete. I enjoy watching my kid play but I know now that she isn’t going to be on a college team. She needs to enjoy playing with her friends and all the exciting events like prom because it will all but over way too soon.

[Chieftain2009]

Great post, I coach at an NAIA school (not softball, but I coach track). I do pretty well in recruiting, but I don't want a kid unless they are seriously interested in our school itself, not just the track program. And yes!! to the GPA/ACT scores. That will get you way more money than you think it will. A kid at our school, if you have a good enough score on the ACT/SAT or GPA could get up to half of their school paid for just for that!

[SEOhio]

Great post, I coach at an NAIA school (not softball, but I coach track). I do pretty well in recruiting, but I don't want a kid unless they are seriously interested in our school itself, not just the track program. And yes!! to the GPA/ACT scores. That will get you way more money than you think it will. A kid at our school, if you have a good enough score on the ACT/SAT or GPA could get up to half of their school paid for just for that!

This is my whole point!!!! Great post!

[formerfcfan]

Great post, I coach at an NAIA school (not softball, but I coach track). I do pretty well in recruiting, but I don't want a kid unless they are seriously interested in our school itself, not just the track program. And yes!! to the GPA/ACT scores. That will get you way more money than you think it will. A kid at our school, if you have a good enough score on the ACT/SAT or GPA could get up to half of their school paid for just for that!

QFT, and I’ll go one step further: get at least a 3.5gpa and a 24 ACT. The higher you raise your academic profile, the more doors that open. Even if the GPA track may be too late in the game to reach 3.5, the ACT is very manageable to improve upon.

[SEOhio]

Great post, I coach at an NAIA school (not softball, but I coach track). I do pretty well in recruiting, but I don't want a kid unless they are seriously interested in our school itself, not just the track program. And yes!! to the GPA/ACT scores. That will get you way more money than you think it will. A kid at our school, if you have a good enough score on the ACT/SAT or GPA could get up to half of their school paid for just for that!

QFT, and I’ll go one step further: get at least a 3.5gpa and a 24 ACT. The higher you raise your academic profile, the more doors that open. Even if the GPA track may be too late in the game to reach 3.5, the ACT is very manageable to improve upon.

Definitely the #1 priority... a score of 26 or higher on the ACT is guaranteed money! You don’t have to worry about getting 1 of just 12 scholarships that a team may have.

[softballfan2112]

And be very selective about what you post, like, share, tweet, or retweet on social media. College coaches WILL look, and if you make posts that show you to be of questionable character or tend to be caught up in drama 24/7 they will pass on you.

[KSW]

With the new contact rule changes going to camps is even more of a must if you want the coaches to know you are interested. Everyone's goal seems to be D1 and I guess it should be, but don't dismiss D2,3, and NAIA. There is a lot of money and opportunity to play at all levels. Extending your playing years is awesome but at the end of the day a diploma should be the goal.

[Gopher]

No athletic money at DIII, but ways around that. I would suggest NAIA over DIII for many reasons. Money, seems to be a lot more school choices than before, and they are not governed by the same recruiting rules as NCAA.

4 years of playing in 5 year period. Make the most of it academically if you can (16-18 credit hours a semester). I know a player that will get her BS degree in December and begin MBA graduate classes in the spring under scholarship while finishing out her 4th year of eligibility.

[KSW]

No athletic money at DIII, but ways around that. I would suggest NAIA over DIII for many reasons. Money, seems to be a lot more school choices than before, and they are not governed by the same recruiting rules as NCAA.

4 years of playing in 5 year period. Make the most of it academically if you can (16-18 credit hours a semester). I know a player that will get her BS degree in December and begin MBA graduate classes in the spring under scholarship while finishing out her 4th year of eligibility.

There are some awesome NAIA schools and opportunities out there, many more than I ever thought until my daughter went through the recruiting process.