Congratulations on your daughter's commitment and thanks so much for sharing your story! I know you were getting antsy from earlier posts. It is really a tough process. My DD is late (in Junior year now), but does want to play DI if she can. I know that DI goal is common and will probably evolve as reality may dictate a change in mindset, but that's where she is now. Working it harder now than ever before, but it may be too late to find a school she's happy with. I sure wish I had a crystal ball!
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Congratulations on your daughter's commitment and thanks so much for sharing your story! I know you were getting antsy from earlier posts. It is really a tough process. My DD is late (in Junior year now), but does want to play DI if she can. I know that DI goal is common and will probably evolve as reality may dictate a change in mindset, but that's where she is now. Working it harder now than ever before, but it may be too late to find a school she's happy with. I sure wish I had a crystal ball!
Thanks learning.
Tell your DD not to give up. But to keep an open mind to all the possibilities. Example: We have a new HC for a local very competitive D2 that's scrambling right now because the old HC took all the 2017 recruits with them.
Good Luck!
Tell your DD not to give up. But to keep an open mind to all the possibilities. Example: We have a new HC for a local very competitive D2 that's scrambling right now because the old HC took all the 2017 recruits with them.
Good Luck!
What year/time of year did your DD verbally commit (fall of HS junior year, summer after junior year, fall of senior year etc.)
October of Senior year
What Division is the school?
D3
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that?
After hearing about the school's reputation with medical schools, DD researched the school, loved the location, size, etc. She emailed the coaches in June between junior/senior year (included links to videos and schedule), the volunteer asst coach responded - said the tone/interest of her email caught his eye. First watched her late June.
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?)
Tournament/Showcase
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested?
Not really - just a reply to email.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year?
Total attention July-October between junior/senior year - in ascension by coach rank - first volunteer coach, then asst coach, and finally head coach (who came by himself twice and watched ALL of her games)
if you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to?
Hustle, attitude, skills - LOL - can't pick one thing...pretty sure it was the whole package. Volunteer coach loved her attitude and play; asst coach liked her pitching and competitiveness; head coach liked her competitiveness and hitting.
October of Senior year
What Division is the school?
D3
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that?
After hearing about the school's reputation with medical schools, DD researched the school, loved the location, size, etc. She emailed the coaches in June between junior/senior year (included links to videos and schedule), the volunteer asst coach responded - said the tone/interest of her email caught his eye. First watched her late June.
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?)
Tournament/Showcase
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested?
Not really - just a reply to email.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year?
Total attention July-October between junior/senior year - in ascension by coach rank - first volunteer coach, then asst coach, and finally head coach (who came by himself twice and watched ALL of her games)
if you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to?
Hustle, attitude, skills - LOL - can't pick one thing...pretty sure it was the whole package. Volunteer coach loved her attitude and play; asst coach liked her pitching and competitiveness; head coach liked her competitiveness and hitting.
DD#1
What year/time of year did your DD verbally commit (fall of HS junior year, summer after junior year, fall of senior year etc.) Winter of senior year after she knew her academic financial aid package
What Division is the school? D3
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that? The school is an in-state private school with a very good softball program. Their HC is at many area showcases and qualifiers. I would guess the first time he saw her play was in the fall of her junior year when she was playing 16U. She first connected with the HC through her TB coach during her senior year.
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?) Like I said he had seen her play at several tournaments. She was accepted to the school and talked to her TB coach about the possibility of playing there. TB coach talked to the HC who knew who she was from seeing her play several times. HC called her after talking to TB coach.
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested? No.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year? Not until senior year when she reached out to them after being accepted to the school. When she had her first meeting with him he talked to her about watching her play in a tournament 2 summers prior
if you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to? She wanted to go to school close to home. She played on a good team with good players that plays in the local tournaments that a lot of local coaches (D1 through D3) go watch but also had players good enough (P5 D1 through D3 commits) that a lot of coaches watched her team's games . She wanted to stay in the area so she did not waste her time (or my money) on a team that was playing all over the country. She did not care about contact from XYZ State from three states away.
Anything else you'd like to note about your experience or what you've heard from others? I saw a great resource that I found from this site where a bunch of coaches were surveyed about how they find their recruits (and a number of other things) . From that it looked to me like attending camps was really really important. She picked the school that she wanted to go to (regardless of softball) and got the non-athletic scholarships to make it extremely affordable to get a great private school education. She was not even seriously considering this school (because of cost) until she got accepted and got her financial aid package. She is attending school for far less money than what it would have cost to attend our largest public university in our state. If a good player on a good TB team who has very good grades and ACT score wants to go to a very good private D3 school it is far more affordable than many think. The player has to be patient (wait until well into senior year) to find out what the actual cost will be, but if she is a good player the D3 coach will happily take her.
What year/time of year did your DD verbally commit (fall of HS junior year, summer after junior year, fall of senior year etc.) Winter of senior year after she knew her academic financial aid package
What Division is the school? D3
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that? The school is an in-state private school with a very good softball program. Their HC is at many area showcases and qualifiers. I would guess the first time he saw her play was in the fall of her junior year when she was playing 16U. She first connected with the HC through her TB coach during her senior year.
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?) Like I said he had seen her play at several tournaments. She was accepted to the school and talked to her TB coach about the possibility of playing there. TB coach talked to the HC who knew who she was from seeing her play several times. HC called her after talking to TB coach.
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested? No.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year? Not until senior year when she reached out to them after being accepted to the school. When she had her first meeting with him he talked to her about watching her play in a tournament 2 summers prior
if you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to? She wanted to go to school close to home. She played on a good team with good players that plays in the local tournaments that a lot of local coaches (D1 through D3) go watch but also had players good enough (P5 D1 through D3 commits) that a lot of coaches watched her team's games . She wanted to stay in the area so she did not waste her time (or my money) on a team that was playing all over the country. She did not care about contact from XYZ State from three states away.
Anything else you'd like to note about your experience or what you've heard from others? I saw a great resource that I found from this site where a bunch of coaches were surveyed about how they find their recruits (and a number of other things) . From that it looked to me like attending camps was really really important. She picked the school that she wanted to go to (regardless of softball) and got the non-athletic scholarships to make it extremely affordable to get a great private school education. She was not even seriously considering this school (because of cost) until she got accepted and got her financial aid package. She is attending school for far less money than what it would have cost to attend our largest public university in our state. If a good player on a good TB team who has very good grades and ACT score wants to go to a very good private D3 school it is far more affordable than many think. The player has to be patient (wait until well into senior year) to find out what the actual cost will be, but if she is a good player the D3 coach will happily take her.
What year/time of year did your DD verbally commit (fall of HS junior year, summer after junior year, fall of senior year etc.)
January of junior year.
What Division is the school?
D2
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that?
DD started emailing the coaches the summer before freshman year and attached a link to her skills video. Received the standard, "hey, can't talk to you yet" response.
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?)
Tournament/Showcase summer before junior year.
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested?
Yes, DD attended a winter prospect camp after an unofficial visit fall of junior year. They were close to offering her during the visit, but wanted to have a chance to work with her at a small prospect camp and see how she meshed with the team.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year?
Summer before junior year.
If you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to?
Communication! DD emailed the coaches regularly and included video, both skills videos and game footage from the previous weekend or school ball games (her grandfather videoed every at-bat and some defensive plays). The emails turned into phone calls, and phone calls turned into regular texts. She built up a good relationship with the coaches and some of the girls on the team (through Snap Chat and texts). DD made it clear she was very interested in the school--academically, socially and for softball. The school is about 6.5 hours away and we've visited about 6 times between the beginning of her Junior year, up until her official visit last weekend.
It's been a roller coaster ride, but she stayed the course and achieved her goal. We're in a smaller organization and the process has been somewhat trying, but if you keep working and communicating with coaches, you can get there! Follow the advice on this board and you can't go wrong.
January of junior year.
What Division is the school?
D2
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that?
DD started emailing the coaches the summer before freshman year and attached a link to her skills video. Received the standard, "hey, can't talk to you yet" response.
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?)
Tournament/Showcase summer before junior year.
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested?
Yes, DD attended a winter prospect camp after an unofficial visit fall of junior year. They were close to offering her during the visit, but wanted to have a chance to work with her at a small prospect camp and see how she meshed with the team.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year?
Summer before junior year.
If you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to?
Communication! DD emailed the coaches regularly and included video, both skills videos and game footage from the previous weekend or school ball games (her grandfather videoed every at-bat and some defensive plays). The emails turned into phone calls, and phone calls turned into regular texts. She built up a good relationship with the coaches and some of the girls on the team (through Snap Chat and texts). DD made it clear she was very interested in the school--academically, socially and for softball. The school is about 6.5 hours away and we've visited about 6 times between the beginning of her Junior year, up until her official visit last weekend.
It's been a roller coaster ride, but she stayed the course and achieved her goal. We're in a smaller organization and the process has been somewhat trying, but if you keep working and communicating with coaches, you can get there! Follow the advice on this board and you can't go wrong.
What year/time of year did your DD verbally commit (fall of HS junior year, summer after junior year, fall of senior year etc.)
My daughter is a 2018 and she committed in the fall of her Junior Year
What Division is the school?
D2
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that?
DD started sending out a lot of emails at the end of her freshman year to a bunch of different schools.
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?)
I don't think they saw her play at a tournament. My dd sent out a lot of video of her playing in games. We knew they were watching her from the hits she received on her website.
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested?
The school started contacting my daughter when they could per the NCAA rules. Once they could contact her they invited her out to a camp.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year?
My daughter is a 2018. I believe schools started really watching our daughter during her Sophomore year and continued to watch her.
if you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to?
Send out a lot of emails and video. One coach told my daughter she felt like she knew her because she sent so many update emails with video.
Anything else you'd like to note about your experience or what you've heard from others? I saw a great resource that I found from this site where a bunch of coaches were surveyed about how they find their recruits (and a number of other things) . From that it looked to me like attending camps was really really important.
We used Fastpitch Scout, which was a huge help in contacting coaches and being able to see what schools were possibly interested. The interest my daughter received was from going to camps, emailing coaches and a couple of schools saw her playing at tournaments and approached our coaches about her. So, you never know where the interest will come from and when it will come. In the fall of my dd's junior year she received four offers within a month and that's when she decided on a school.
you have to find out what works for your family as far as recruiting goes. Some families use recruiting services and some do it on their own and they end up in the same place. Don't give up. I truly believe there is a place for every girl that dreams of playing college ball.
My daughter is a 2018 and she committed in the fall of her Junior Year
What Division is the school?
D2
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that?
DD started sending out a lot of emails at the end of her freshman year to a bunch of different schools.
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?)
I don't think they saw her play at a tournament. My dd sent out a lot of video of her playing in games. We knew they were watching her from the hits she received on her website.
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested?
The school started contacting my daughter when they could per the NCAA rules. Once they could contact her they invited her out to a camp.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year?
My daughter is a 2018. I believe schools started really watching our daughter during her Sophomore year and continued to watch her.
if you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to?
Send out a lot of emails and video. One coach told my daughter she felt like she knew her because she sent so many update emails with video.
Anything else you'd like to note about your experience or what you've heard from others? I saw a great resource that I found from this site where a bunch of coaches were surveyed about how they find their recruits (and a number of other things) . From that it looked to me like attending camps was really really important.
We used Fastpitch Scout, which was a huge help in contacting coaches and being able to see what schools were possibly interested. The interest my daughter received was from going to camps, emailing coaches and a couple of schools saw her playing at tournaments and approached our coaches about her. So, you never know where the interest will come from and when it will come. In the fall of my dd's junior year she received four offers within a month and that's when she decided on a school.
you have to find out what works for your family as far as recruiting goes. Some families use recruiting services and some do it on their own and they end up in the same place. Don't give up. I truly believe there is a place for every girl that dreams of playing college ball.
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My DD (#2) just got her first offer after a recruiting camp this past weekend. Coach attended the camp, worked a bit with her, and contacted our org's recruiting coordinator and told him immediately after the camp was over. She's a high school freshman, and the school is a mid-major D1. It's a little early to be making a commitment, I think...but she's thrilled to have the offer. We will be visiting the campus soon.
Her older sister committed as a sophomore after being recruited at one of the local showcases. Another mid-level D1. She's a 2017, she might be playing against her sister in the future.
Her older sister committed as a sophomore after being recruited at one of the local showcases. Another mid-level D1. She's a 2017, she might be playing against her sister in the future.
What year/time of year did your DD verbally commit (fall of HS junior year, summer after junior year, fall of senior year etc.) January of Sophomore Year
What Division is the school? D1 with a dozen of so NCAA Regional appearances (but not farther) and 8-10 conference championships. One of K's top 2 schools
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that? Sent emails with link to YouTube video (we only did highlight videos, with a few being an "entire at bat" and some only showing her throw). Coach first came to see her and another TB teammate in June and watched them play for 6-8 games. They verballed the other girl first (a stud pitcher) and things died down for us until the Fall, when they came back and watched 2-3 more games and invited us to Fall Camp. All contact was through the TB Coach. IM me if you want to see any videos
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?) First at Scenic City Showcase tournament, and a few more showcases after. They never came to a non-showcase. Attended 2 camps at the coaches request.
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested? Yes, the Head coach texted the TB Coach to request that she come to camp.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year? Between Freshman and Sophomore year during TB season.
if you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to? I would probably pick camp, even though it usually not one single thing. I know the video and email got them to initially come watch her. Interestingly, she was rarely on top of her game when they were watching, but as soon as they would leave she would do something awesome. She performed well at the camp and showcased her talents there. Like others have said, it's all a process unless you are a one-of-a-kind pitcher or hitter. I'd say K is on top of the heap athletically, but they still vetted her a lot and wanted to get to know her and see her up close.
Anything else you'd like to note about your experience or what you've heard from others? I saw a great resource that I found from this site where a bunch of coaches were surveyed about how they find their recruits (and a number of other things) . It sure seems to me that attending camps was really really important. At one of the camps, the coaches talked to the bunch of girls about how they view the recruiting process. They said to be sure an keep communicating with them - out of sight is out of mind. Be creative in the subject line and put something that stands out.. like, "Your starting Short Stop in 2020" and be sure to put your position and graduating year in the subject line. Also, be sure to call them by their name and not some other coaches name, i.e. they would put mass mailing in the trash. I heard the coach ask K several times when talking to her, if this is a place she would like to be, so make sure your DD see's themselves playing there and let them know.
What Division is the school? D1 with a dozen of so NCAA Regional appearances (but not farther) and 8-10 conference championships. One of K's top 2 schools
When did your DD first connect with the coach of the school? Did you send a video and did you get a response from that? Sent emails with link to YouTube video (we only did highlight videos, with a few being an "entire at bat" and some only showing her throw). Coach first came to see her and another TB teammate in June and watched them play for 6-8 games. They verballed the other girl first (a stud pitcher) and things died down for us until the Fall, when they came back and watched 2-3 more games and invited us to Fall Camp. All contact was through the TB Coach. IM me if you want to see any videos
Where did the coach initially see your DD, after which they let her know they were interested? (e.g., camp, showcase, tournament?) First at Scenic City Showcase tournament, and a few more showcases after. They never came to a non-showcase. Attended 2 camps at the coaches request.
If you went to a camp or showcase did you have any communication from the coaches ahead of time to let you know that they might be interested? Yes, the Head coach texted the TB Coach to request that she come to camp.
When did that ‘notice’ take place in relation to your DDs graduation year? Between Freshman and Sophomore year during TB season.
if you could pick one thing, what do you think was the most important thing your DD did to help her get noticed by a school she wanted to go to? I would probably pick camp, even though it usually not one single thing. I know the video and email got them to initially come watch her. Interestingly, she was rarely on top of her game when they were watching, but as soon as they would leave she would do something awesome. She performed well at the camp and showcased her talents there. Like others have said, it's all a process unless you are a one-of-a-kind pitcher or hitter. I'd say K is on top of the heap athletically, but they still vetted her a lot and wanted to get to know her and see her up close.
Anything else you'd like to note about your experience or what you've heard from others? I saw a great resource that I found from this site where a bunch of coaches were surveyed about how they find their recruits (and a number of other things) . It sure seems to me that attending camps was really really important. At one of the camps, the coaches talked to the bunch of girls about how they view the recruiting process. They said to be sure an keep communicating with them - out of sight is out of mind. Be creative in the subject line and put something that stands out.. like, "Your starting Short Stop in 2020" and be sure to put your position and graduating year in the subject line. Also, be sure to call them by their name and not some other coaches name, i.e. they would put mass mailing in the trash. I heard the coach ask K several times when talking to her, if this is a place she would like to be, so make sure your DD see's themselves playing there and let them know.
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