PLAYING SOFTBALL IN COLLEGE:

HOW TO GET STARTED:

First, consider what you want to study. Do you want to go to a large or small school, and how far away do you want to be from home? How much can you afford ? Remember pick a school for your studies because your competitive softball career may last another four of five years, but your vocation will last a lifetime.

Second, use a tool such as www.collegeboard.com to help you narrow your college choices to maybe 10 or 12 schools. Then go to the college web site and complete the player recruiting information form. This will let the coaches know your are interested in playing at their college. Make a player profile (you can hire a recruiting agency or you can do it yourself). The profile should have a softball photo of you; it should list your academic and athletic background. Also include extracurricular activities as well as community services. Make sure to include all your contact information as well as you high school and travel coaches contact information. I strongly recommend you have a skill video made with cd’s and can also be uploaded to YouTube. Then you need to write your introduction letter (There is a book called preparing to play softball at the collegiate level by Catharine Aradi). This is a great book and shows you samples of how to create an introduction letter.

Third, you are now ready to start contacting coaches at the schools you are interested in. After you have completed the recruiting information form, follow up with a phone call to the coach to be sure it was received. At this time ask the coach if you can send them your skills video. Then send a CD of the skills video along with your player profile sheet and introduction letter. Again after a week or so follow up with a phone call (remember unless it’s after July first of your junior year the coach cannot call you, but you can call them). Almost all college softball programs run winter clinics and you should go to that clinic and let the coach know you will be attending.

NCAA TIME LINE:

9^th and 10^th Grade: You become a prospective student athlete and NCAA recruiting rules go into effect. You may visit institutions at your own expense. The athlete can contact the coach, but the coach cannot contact the athlete.

Junior Year – Sept 1^st: Coaches may send athletes recruiting letters, emails, text messages. However coaches may not call until after July 1 for division  I or June 15 for division II.

Junior Year after July 1^st: Face to face contact can begin and coaches are allowed three off-campus contacts with prospect during her senior year. Student must enroll with the NCAA Clearinghouse (at the end of her junior year of high school). Coaches may call once a week, and this includes conversations with any family member.

Senior Year – First day of classes: Official on campus visits may begin. Prospects are limited to five official expense paid visits at five different institutions. Coaches are allowed unlimited phone calls during the five days prior to an official visit.

National Letter of Intent Day: Early signing begins the 2^nd Wednesday in Nov. of senior year. Late signing begins the 2^nd Wednesday in April of senior year.

NCAA SOFTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS:

There are very few players receiving full ride scholarships, because there simply is not enough to go around.

Many coaches will split scholarships so they can offer a partial to more student athletes.

Division I         12 scholarships per college for 272 colleges

Division II       7.2 scholarships per college for 273 colleges

Division III      No athletic scholarships for 400 plus colleges

TOURNAMENT TIPS:

Do not approach a college coach at a tournament:

NCAA coaches cannot speak to you until after July 1^st of your junior year, and even then, only after your tournament is completed. A coach can speak to your parents during the tournament, but that would count as one of the three face to face contacts.

Most college coaches will make the effort to observe you, but only after you contact them.

GREAT PLAYERS HAVE GREAT ATTITUDES:

During your tournaments, college coaches are not waiting to see if you hit a home run, or make a great catch. Usually nothing spectacular happens in the few minutes they are there. They are looking for sound fundamentals and will pay extra attention to your attitude and behavior on and off the field, especially when things don’t go your way.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO:

Stay on top of your grades!

You may be the best prospect the coach has, but if you do not have the grades you will never get on the field.

Make sure to set up meetings with your guidance counselor to make sure you are on track with your grades and you are taking the 14 or 16 core courses you need for division I and II schools.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Today social media is a way of life, and there are many forms of it ( face book, twitter, instagram )to name a few.

However it is also a new tool in the recruiting process for coaches. I have talked to coaches who tell me  they

will go to your page or account and see what you are really doing. Do not have photo's of you drinking at a party when you are under age. Do not say things there you would not say if the person was face to face. Remember every decision you make today can effect the rest of your life. For many prospective athlete's it has cost them a scholarship or event being accepted into the college of their choice.

PLAYING SOFTBALL IN COLLEGE:

HOW TO GET STARTED:

First, consider what you want to study. Do you want to go to a large or small school, and how far away do you want to be from home? Remember pick a school for your studies because your competitive softball career may last another four of five years, but your vocation will last a lifetime. Lastly ask your self, if I could not play softball would I still like to go to this school ?

Second, use a tool such as www.collegeboard.com to help you narrow your college choices to maybe 10 or 12 schools. Then go to the college web site and complete the player recruiting information form. This will let the coaches know your are interested in playing at their college. Make a player profile (you can hire a recruiting agency or you can do it yourself). The profile should have a softball photo of you; it should list your academic and athletic background. Also include extracurricular activities as well as community services. Make sure to include all your contact information as well as you high school and travel coaches contact information. I strongly recommend you have a skill video made with cd’s and can also be uploaded to YouTube. Then you need to write your introduction letter (There is a book called preparing to play softball at the collegiate level by Catharine Aradi). This is a great book and shows you samples of how to create an introduction letter. When you email the coach copy and paste a direct link to your intro letter, player profile, and skill video. This way the coach is one click away from viewing all of you info.

Third, you are now ready to start contacting coaches at the schools you are interested in. After you have completed the recruiting information form, follow up with a phone call to the coach to be sure it was received and be persistent, call until you ( the student-Athlete ) reaches  the coach. At this time ask the coach if you can send them your skills video. Then send a CD of the skills video along with your player profile sheet and introduction letter. Again after a week or so follow up with a phone call (remember unless it’s after July first of your junior year the coach cannot call you, but you can call them). Almost all college softball programs run winter clinics and you should go to that clinic and let the coach know you will be attending.

NCAA TIME LINE:

9^th and 10^th Grade: You become a prospective student athlete and NCAA recruiting rules go into effect. You may visit institutions at your own expense. The athlete can contact the coach, but the coach cannot contact the athlete.

Junior Year – Sept 1^st: Coaches may send athletes recruiting letters, emails, text messages. However coaches may not call until after July 1 for division  I or June 15 for division II.

Junior Year after July 1^st: Face to face contact can begin and coaches are allowed three off-campus contacts with prospect during her senior year. Student must enroll with the NCAA Clearinghouse (at the end of her junior year of high school). Coaches may call once a week, and this includes conversations with any family member.

Senior Year – First day of classes: Official on campus visits may begin. Prospects are limited to five official expense paid visits at five different institutions. Coaches are allowed unlimited phone calls during the five days prior to an official visit.

National Letter of Intent Day: Early signing begins the 2^nd Wednesday in Nov. of senior year. Late signing begins the 2^nd Wednesday in April of senior year.

NCAA SOFTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS:

Division I         12 scholarships per college for 296 colleges

Division II       7.2 scholarships per college for 291 colleges

Division III      No athletic scholarships for 415  colleges

ESTIMATED PROBABILITY OF COMPETING IN COLLEGE SOFTBALL BY NCAA RESEARCH POLL:

High school participants     374,528

NCAA  Softball participants  31,729

DI =   1.6%

DII =  1.5%

DIII = 2.0%

TOURNAMENT TIPS:

Do not approach a college coach at a tournament:

NCAA coaches cannot speak to you until after July 1^st of your junior year, and even then, only after your tournament is completed. A coach can speak to your parents during the tournament, but that would count as one of the three face to face contacts.

Most college coaches will make the effort to observe you, but only after you contact them.

GREAT PLAYERS HAVE GREAT ATTITUDES:

During your tournaments, college coaches are not waiting to see if you hit a home run, or make a great catch. Usually nothing spectacular happens in the few minutes they are there. They are looking for sound fundamentals and will pay extra attention to your attitude and behavior on and off the field, especially when things don’t go your way.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO:

Stay on top of your grades!

You may be the best prospect the coach has, but if you do not have the grades you will never get on the field.

Make sure to set up meetings with your guidance counselor to make sure you are on track with your grades and you are taking the 14 or 16 core courses you need for division I and II schools.