Showcase Behavior

I want to tell our girls how they should act at a showcase tournament. Most of them are freshmen and sophomores, so, they haven't had a lot of experience of what to do. Can someone give me a check list of things that the college coaches are watching and looking for, and to-do's and what NOT to-do!

Thank you!
NJ

They shouldn't act a certain way. They should be a certain way. That would be the first point I'd make to them. If they behave differently at showcases, then they're faking it, and coaches don't want fakers. They want kids who are hustlers, who are positive and encouraging, who are good teammates, who are into the game (and pregame) at all times, who are leaders. If you are not those things, don't try to fake it. Try to figure out why you aren't and reconcile that with your goal of playing college softball.

Other advice I'd give is that coaches don't expect players to get hits and make great plays all the time. A player's mechanics and movement will tell the coach more about ability and skill than the result of one or two plays. So don't worry too much about performance. What's more important is the player's reaction to performance. Do they hang their heads? Do they get angry? Do they make excuses? Do they roll their eyes at the umpire for a call they didn't like? Do they blow off the coach when they come back do the dugout? Are they the last one back on the field after a strikeout?

CoogansBluff said:

They shouldn't act a certain way. They should be a certain way. That would be the first point I'd make to them. If they behave differently at showcases, then they're faking it, and coaches don't want fakers. They want kids who are hustlers, who are positive and encouraging, who are good teammates, who are into the game (and pregame) at all times, who are leaders. If you are not those things, don't try to fake it. Try to figure out why you aren't and reconcile that with your goal of playing college softball.

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So true - a few other things:

Good scouting coaches watch WARM UPS like hawks. If they are looking at a player for her fielding capabilities, the ball may not come her way in the game, but it will when warm ups are happening. Take it seriously. People are watching.
Coaches are also watching interactions with parents/others before and after the game. Just assume that if you are near a field you may have someone looking at you - even between games.
How do you behave on the bench and when you are not playing?
99.9% of coaches turn up to watch the game because they were invited to. If you are hoping to be 'discovered' that rarely happens. Lots of pre-work before the showcase. If your players are not inviting coaches - don't expect them at your game to watch your players.

Parent prep is probably as important:
The team should have a recruiting coordinator for coaches to talk to and coordinate contact, things coaches want to see, hand out player profiles/team recruiting sheet, etc, etc. Not every players mom and dad (or though it is normally one of the parents in this role). Parents are normally new at this as well. You can say 'Hi' to a coach, but they control what they say to you and others (often because the NCAA rules control them and you don't know them).
If a scouting coach wants to see a player play somewhere, the coach better put them there. That might not be the best thing for the team in terms of a win - that isn't what showcases are all about. This can be weird.

One last thing I started seeing more of last year - if the tournament doesn't have something to indicate graduation year they give to players, then you should do it. I started seeing teams with armbands or even printed on their uniform arms '2018' or '2019' to make it easy for coaches to see what year player they are looking at.

Last note: Parents, please don't stare at the coaches who come to watch. I know it is hard. Resist.

Could write books on this, mostly don't after years of this here is what I have learned:

* Kids have to do their homework, send emails to schools they are interested in, that have interest in them and the position they play. Coaches will not come looking for them if they do not know when and where they are playing and if it is a player they are looking for. Recruiting is the kids responsibility.

* Coaches are looking for good players that treat their coaches and parents with respect. Carry their own bags. Help their teammates. All things said above.

* Pregame is important. Lots of Coaches will sit up in a tower if the complex has one and watch you warm up. Did you warm up, is your kid a leader. Is the Coach leading all of the drills in pregame or are the players doing it themselves. All things Coaches look for before they come sit down. They want leaders.

* Coaches are looking for how the kids handle failure. Did they hustle to a dropped ball or after an error. Did they pick up a teammate after an error, did they hustle. Did I mention did they hustle. All things I am sure you have told them.

* Play like any other game. I generally do not let the kids know if someone is there to watch them. It has a tendency to make them perform worse. Have Fun.

Now on the Coaches side of Coaching in showcases:

* Remember to showcase your kids, you are not trying to win the game.... Don't bunt runners over unless the batter is a speedy slapper / slasher that does those things. Make sure if a coach is coming that you give the kid time at multiple positions. Coaches are looking for versatile players who can play multiple positions. Unless they are pitcher only. Take chances, let your faster kids try to stretch singles to doubles, try to steal bases on good catchers even if they get thrown out.

Let hitters swing away at 3-0 if the pitch is a strike. Coaches are not there to watch you walk, they want to see you hit.

Play to show off your kids strengths not to win the game. I know that is a hard thing to do, but it is about getting the kids seen and noticed by the Coaches, not about our Win loss record.

We run our pitchers on 2 inning rotations, unless the Coach wants to see more. Even if they struggle, coaches want to see them react to adversity.

After all our game is one of failures, not successes. They fail 60 - 70 percent of time when they hit, and 30 - 40 percent of time when they pitch.

*IMPORTANT* Keep your parents away from the Coaches..... They cannot speak to them at the NCAA level. JUCO can speak with them, but probably will not. Coaches can only speak with you or your teams recruiting coordinator. Not to the kid or parent. It is a violation. I have in the past had coaches get up and leave due to parents wanting to chat with them. We spent 2 years of emails and text messages getting a SEC National Champion Coach to come out to look at 2 of our kids, only to have parents from our younger team run them off chatting and autograph seeking......

* Make sure your parents have realistic expectations. While we all want our DD to play for Tim Walton at UF, that is just not realistic. The most important thing when selecting a College or University is the education and degree. That is why we do all of this. To help offset costs of College education. There are almost NO 100% rides. grade are almost more important that Softball skill.

*When the coaches do come and sit down, ask them what they are looking for, what year, what position, what role. If you have what they are looking for that tell them about the kid, and give them a flyer for the team if you have one. Even if a Coach is there to look at a specific player it is an opportunity to sell him on other good players as well.

*Have the kids and yourself follow up after the weekend with an email Thanking the Coach for stopping by and watching them does he have any questions. You will be surprised how many responses they will get by text or email if a Coach has an interest.

Our Organization has gotten over 70 young men and women College offers in the last 5 years using these techniques. Good Luck to your Organization, have fun. If they are all Freshman the journey is just starting as most offers will not come until Junior year for the super talented, and Senior year for the good solid players.

Good Luck, Play hard.

Your first 2 sentences..."They shouldn't act a certain way. They should be a certain way." i love that! I hadn't really realized i worded it that way! Thank you! Those are some really great points! Thank you very much! Great advice!

Great points! I didn't think about the warm ups either! This is really our first year going to showcases and i want to have everything in order and explain to the girls what they have to do! Thank you so much! This information is awesome!

Thank you so much for your information! Most of our team are freshmen and sophomores. This is our first year really getting to showcases. Your information is very helpful, and we will use all of these! I really like the Coaches Side! That is information that I will give to our coaches! I am the Team Coordinator and this information is very useful!!! Thank you!

One other thing we have found that the College Coaches tell us catches their eye. We have our warm up area set up with bats and gloves in a line all gloves to the same side of the bat. Shows organization and speeds up warm ups. No running back and forth to get things during time that is used to get ready to play or practice. We make our entire organization from 8 - 18 boys and girls do this. Shows discipline and organization. Make them do it every practice and every game and showcase. It will become a habit.

Look like this. Not our straightest line ever, need to tighten that up.

One thing I have read, and it makes a lot of sense. Catchers need to perform a proper throw down between every inning. She might not get to show off her arm or her POP time during the game, but the college coach there to see her knows that after the last warm up pitch they will get to see the catcher throw to second. Make it a good throw, be serious about it, no goofing off, no rainbows, no stopping to say something to the ump between catching and throwing... make it a good POP.

That does look good! I can see that being something that is very eye catching! Thanks, especially for the images!