How to evaluate a TB organization for helping with college placement

This thread is about how to evaluate TB organizations for *COLLEGE* placement. This thread is not about whether to play on a team 30 minutes away or 2 hours away.

My short list of way to evaluate a program for college placement:

1) Start by reviewing a list of previous players who are playing in college. The questions are (1) how many and (2) where are they playing.
2) Does someone in the organization actually have "real" contacts with college coaches?
3) What is their schedule?

Other ideas or thoughts?

Are the players that go to a particular college ACTUALLY on the roster and how many years? I see all sorts of local teams listing a large number of schools their players go to but are not on the softball rosters. For many, they only play one or two years.

1) Does the prospective TB organization have a track record of placing players at the schools that fit the interests of your DD?

I have found quite a few programs are great at getting players committed to D1 schools regardless of the best interests of the player. These are the same teams that relentlessly brag about their won loss record at showcases and how all of their players are committed to D1 schools. Once you peel back the layers you find that many of the D1 schools are bottom of the barrel and many kids got very little money. But they are going D1 so they have the bragging rights!!!!

2) Do the players actually play once they get into the college program and for how long?

There are a few TB teams in my area that are notorious for getting girls into programs where they are in way over their heads. When you follow their college careers many are either one and done or they spend their careers chasing foul balls and charting pitches. If your DD is only there for the educational experience that may be just fine. However, most like to get some trips to the plate and maybe collect some grass stains instead of splinters.

3) Does the team work with other TB organizations/coaches to get girls placed?

If your DD wants to go to a specific school, your very best asset is the TB coach or parent of player who has gone there and been successful. We regularly work with coaches from other organizations to get girls placed. One is a good friend of mine who is especially well connected in the high academic Ivy/D3 world. He is more than willing to help out my players and I do the same for his. When we are at the same showcase our players will often guest for each others team. And we are behind the backstop, in the dugout, or even out at 3rd base during each others games. You need to find an organization that is first and foremost concerned with getting your DD into the right school and not constrained by the coaches ego or the reputation of the organization. Personally I do not care who a kid plays for, if she has the goods, and is respectful I will do all I can to help her out.

4) Does the schedule actually fit your recruiting needs?

My team is based out of Central Florida. When it is all said and done most of my players will stay within an easy 1 day drive of home. Yet I have had many a coach and parent ask why we do not play PGF, or go to all of the out of state showcases in California, Colorado, etc. Why would we when we can get the job done playing in Florida and Georgia? If your kid is an average player, flying around the country and spending the family fortune is not going to get them onto an SEC or PAC12 roster. I will never forget the conversation I had with a parent who lamented/bragged about the thousands of dollars they spent over a couple of summers traveling from showcase to showcase, wearing it like a badge of honor. Noticed a few months later his DD signed with an NAIA school about an hour away.

Lots of factors I would think on this.

Reputation is a factor. What kind of impact does the TB organization have with colleges? For instances if the organization is well known with colleges for putting out good caliber players, then I would lean towards the TB program.

Something was said the other day about my dd's travel team. When asked what team is she on, the coach of a college was "Oh... ABC123 Team ??? Never heard of them?"
All this is local too us too,so my thoughts were just like "dang!" LOL

sluggers said:

1) Start by reviewing a list of previous players who are playing in college. The questions are (1) how many and (2) where are they playing.

Click to expand...

Many players switch teams/orgs after they verbally commit, so you need to look at whom the org actually helped get placed (i.e. check announcements rather than rosters). Verbal lists can be misleading too since some orgs send in updates when they bring in previously committed players.

2) Does someone in the organization actually have "real" contacts with college coaches?

And do/will they help your team? Some orgs are too large for all teams to get help (e.g. Rico/FC) or their teams operate like independents. I prefer medium-sized orgs whose coaches are familiar with other players in org and they help each other out by directing colleges to players - including getting players into their games.

3) What is their schedule?

And do they get on the better fields or relegated to boondocks?

Other ideas or thoughts?

Name recognition is a factor - like it or not.

Great question and even tougher answer. But here goes it.

1. Does the Manager have a player on the team?
1a. If no did she play and did she play in college?
1b. Did he coach her when she played?

2. What type of facilities do they have

3. How well do they run a practice

4. What is the vibe around the area about the team

5. What is their track history for getting girls into college (this is last for me because not everyone is an established organization, someone was the first Firecracker, OC Batbuster etc...

You almost have to evaluate the offshoot clubs as an independent. Yes, there are some resources from the big org that will spill over, but in the end they are treated differently with tournament invites and game day field placements. The big org name helps early on, but it isn't long before the teams and players learn to ask which ABC team is this before giving any "credit". It doesn't help when the area directors are hell bent on separating themselves with name add ons (STX, NTX, AZ, LA, ..etc) as if to proclaim "look what I have done".

The big orgs are sprouting all over the country and really sprouting here in Texas.

Will the XYZ off shoot of ABC organization work or not?

It's important to remember that the team you are on is ultimately more significant than the organization you are in. I've seen some dysfunctional and ineffective after-thought teams in otherwise good organizations, and I've seen some quality flagship teams (quality coaches, good schedule) in organizations that aren't that well known. Have to weigh the pros and cons and make sure you're evaluating teams within organizations.

SoCal_Dad said:

Many players switch teams/orgs after they verbally commit, so you need to look at whom the org actually helped get placed (i.e. check announcements rather than rosters). Verbal lists can be misleading too since some orgs send in updates when they bring in previously committed players.

Click to expand...

This seems to be more prevalent as more and more college teams are creating "feeder" TB teams for their players that are verballed.

CoogansBluff said:

It's important to remember that the team you are on is ultimately more significant than the organization you are in. I've seen some dysfunctional and ineffective after-thought teams in otherwise good organizations, and I've seen some quality flagship teams (quality coaches, good schedule) in organizations that aren't that well known. Have to weigh the pros and cons and make sure you're evaluating teams within organizations.

Click to expand...

A lot of organizations with name recognition have expanded as a $$$ grab by the leaders of the organization and the expansion has diluted the talent level. And college coaches are aware of it...so be weary if you think playing for a name brand organization is your DD's ticket to a scholarship.