TOP 5 RECRUITING THINGS TO DO
1. Develop a recruiting plan and get evaluated by a third party.
What are you currently doing to get evaluated for college softball scholarships? What results has your current plan produced? If you are not currently being contacted by college coaches at least once per week, then you are not being actively recruited.
You need to be evaluated by as many college coaches nationwide as possible to maximize your scholarship opportunities and securing a college roster spot immediately!
Utilizing a third party like AASR is an important first step in the recruiting process.
Attending several softball camps and showcases also increases your evaluation exposure to coaches.
2. Create your FREE MyScoutingReport NOW!
Online profiles are the fastest way for college coaches to evaluate a prospects academic qualifications, athletic attributes, highlight/game videos, review game schedules, news articles and how to contact you. Create your FREE MyScoutingReport immediately for scholarship evaluation by college coaches nationwide!
3. Take charge of your game, highlight, or skills video!
DO NOT wait around for someone else to burn game DVD's or edit a highlight video for you! Take control of your recruiting process by taking action each day until your video(s) are complete and accessible by college coaches.
When making a highlight video, separate yourself from other softball recruits by including plays that highlight your foot speed, weight shift, arm strength and accuracy. For batting, hit line drives to all fields.
4. Be realistic about your projected college level.
Too many college prospects get focused on playing ONLY for major NCAA Division I programs, that they miss out on opportunities to play at a lower level and possibly on a scholarship.
5. DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF!
Time and again college prospects limit themselves to only wanting to play at a certain level, local area, in-state, U.S. region or certain conferences. The fact of the matter is that college coaches get to choose which players they want on their roster and which to offer scholarships to. It's not the players or parents that choose...once again, it's the college coaches. By limiting yourself to only certain areas for recruitment, you can bet your life that there will be some college coach around the country that could use a student-athlete like you!
SOFTBALL RECRUITING FAQ
1. When does the softball recruiting process begin?
The first day a student-athlete attends a high school class, they are considered a college prospect by the NCAA. In particular, softball recruiting starts early because competition for softball scholarships is extremely high.
2. How do I get discovered?
College coaches can recruit prospects on third-party evaluations from a trusted neutral source like AASR. If you don't have a discoverable or marketable profile for college coaches to evaluate, then they won't know about you. Remember, if college coaches are not calling you at least once per week, then YOU ARE NOT BEING ACTIVELY RECRUITED! Whatever you have been doing to get evaluated by college coaches has not been working, then it's time to change your strategy!
3. How do coaches evaluate prospects?
The fastest way to get a college coaches attention is with a tryout skills video for them to evaluate your raw skills while at their desk or on their mobile device. Online skills and highlight videos can speed up the recruiting process for both you and college coaches.
4. Where am I qualified to play?
With nearly half a million high school softball players, less than 5% will play at the NCAA I level. Most of the college baseball programs compete at the NCAA II, NCAA III, NAIA or JUCO levels.
5. What is my high school or travel coach’s role?
Most high school coaches also teach classes, coach other sports, teach classes and have families, so earning a baseball scholarship is your responsibility. High school coaches that are fortunate to have established relationships with college programs, are usually with a handful of college coaches within their local area or U.S. region.
WHAT ARE COLLEGE SOFTBALL COACHES LOOKING FOR BY?
Grades: 3.0 GPA + 24 ACT + 1000 SAT
Create a list of college programs you are interested in
Rules/Tips to Remember:
Rules/Tips to Remember:
Rules/Tips to Remember:
SOFTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS
Softball is an equivalency sport which means all scholarships are not full scholarships. For example, in NCAA I, coaches can divide the value of the 12 scholarships available between as many players as they see fit.
Programs Scholarships
NCAA I: 286 12
NCAA II: 264 7.2
NCAA III: 392 0
NAIA: 205 10
NJCAA: 470 24
TOTAL: 1617
NCAA III do not offer athletic scholarships, but offer academic scholarships and financial aid.
FILMING YOUR SOFTBALL SKILLS VIDEO
A well-made recruiting skill video is an essential tool for high school softball players trying to earn college softball scholarships.
College coaches don’t have the time to see softball recruits in person. That’s why a good skills video is one of the most important parts of your online resume.
It takes just a few minutes for a recruiting video to show softball coaches what a high school recruit has to offer.
For your skills video to be effective, you need to know specifically what softball coaches are looking for. In terms of recruiting videos, every sport is different. For example, a softball skills video should show skills clips specific to your position, but doesn’t require any in-game footage.
If you follow the guidelines you’ll create a solid skill video.
SAMPLE SOFTBALL RECRUITING VIDEO