College Recruiting - Need Help Badly

I would suggest finding a team that plays 14U and 16U showcases. Coaches watching 18U showcases are watching players they have already signed or looking to fill an immediate need, neither of which helps your DD...

JAD said:

I would suggest finding a team that plays 14U and 16U showcases. Coaches watching 18U showcases are watching players they have already signed or looking to fill an immediate need, neither of which helps your DD...

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These are my thoughts too. Plus, it's still early for a majority of 2020's. Most coaches around here are getting done with 18's. 2019's are now in prime time.

JAD said:

I would suggest finding a team that plays 14U and 16U showcases. Coaches watching 18U showcases are watching players they have already signed or looking to fill an immediate need, neither of which helps your DD...

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Exactly this.

Go back and watch PGF 18u Nationals All-star game on YouTube with WA.

You will hear the commentators discussing how they play 12u and 18u together, and then 14u and 16u because those are the games most of the D1 coaches are scouting. Then you won't have to be the bad guy telling her stuff she might not hear as readily from dear dad.

DD was offer 18U and 16u this season. We chose 16u because she isn't committed. She has spent the late Summer and early Fall researching schools and doing her homework prior to showcases.

She has sent 100's of emails - NAIA, DIII, and DI. She is filling out recruiting questionairres and she did her video. She is also making calls and we'll be heading for Winter camps and unofficial visits over the Winter.

Our travel club offers pay to play opportunities, as the older girls sign and get committed, for younger girls to pick up and go be seen - but they advise us not to do that unless we are relatively certain that a specific coach is coming to watch.

I rely on our club to do some networking for us and explore level of interest.

It makes me kind of sad, because Showcase takes some of the team and competitive elements out of the game for me, with drop-dead times, girls playing because coaches want to see them, and an "every woman for herself" mentality - but it's the reality of the recruiting process. If WA wants to go DI, then yeah - I'd drop her down for maximum exposure, or ask if she can perhaps pick up with those teams when they're in front of schools she's looking at.

And fair warning about my advice: I don't know diddly, as DD is an uncommitted 2019 and we're all over the place about this. Just sharing my limited observations.

AndyS said:

And I have to add, I made that process sound much less painful than the reality we experienced. For example I said she sent lots of emails and she did. But in the early days getting her to send even one email was like getting her to climb Mt. Everest with no oxygen. With each one sent and getting responses made it easier over time...but it took TIME. More than one bucket conversation would go something like:

Me: "Did you email so and so your schedule yet?"
DD: "No Dad I will!!!"
Me: "Ok well the tournament is coming up and they are going to be there."
DD: "I know Dad!" And then grumble grumble something that I cannot hear 43 feet away and then the ball comes whizzing in with extra spin and velocity

So bottom line is it was not easy and they have to think about things at a very young age and "owning" the process is a process in and of itself and took us a while. I did not want to make it sound like it was all sunshine and lollipops!!

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It is challenging to get Fresh/Soph girls to keep sending out those emails and lack of motivation directly relates to rules preventing Coaches from reaching out, so they never really now if their emails are being read or deleted. Oh sure, they probably get the general camp emails from schools as a result of filling out the questionnaires but that doesn't get the heart racing.

One effective way I have been able to keep my youngest engaged is through the inclusion of you tube videos. Raw footage or skills videos. When the content is sent, you can go in to analytics in You tube and see the location(s) that have viewed the content....so if you sent footage to only Oregon and you have data that shows the video was viewed in Oregon, someone read your email. Instant feedback to know the emails are working. You can then target/customize further to those schools that viewed/clicked the video.

Of course, the wider the net, the more anonymous the analytics so you need to balance. For example, if you sent content to Oregon and Oregon St and there is a view from the state or Orgeon, you would won't know who but you will know where and at least it was read

AndyS said:

And I have to add, I made that process sound much less painful than the reality we experienced. For example I said she sent lots of emails and she did. But in the early days getting her to send even one email was like getting her to climb Mt. Everest with no oxygen. With each one sent and getting responses made it easier over time...but it took TIME. More than one bucket conversation would go something like:

Me: "Did you email so and so your schedule yet?"
DD: "No Dad I will!!!"
Me: "Ok well the tournament is coming up and they are going to be there."
DD: "I know Dad!" And then grumble grumble something that I cannot hear 43 feet away and then the ball comes whizzing in with extra spin and velocity

So bottom line is it was not easy and they have to think about things at a very young age and "owning" the process is a process in and of itself and took us a while. I did not want to make it sound like it was all sunshine and lollipops!!

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I would be lying if I told you my DD did all of her own emails. DW and I helped A LOT with the blast emails that provided her showcase schedule and skills video to coaches. DD did the hand written follow ups thanking coaches for coming to watch her play.

My daughter is a 2021 so we are just starting the process. She is attending a camp this weekend with multiple college coaches. D1, D2 and D3. I'm thinking she should email the ones she is interested in. Are they allowed to speak with her, other than the general coaching at camp? Would this be a good idea?


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IMO I would go the 14U or 16U route. 14U is the best option based on what I have seen so far. The Coach turn out at 14U Showcases this past Fall has been tremendous. A lot of the bigger D1's are looking at finishing up the 2019's, and even some 2020's. There are schools that have already verballed 2021's already. My DD (2020) has been fortunate enough to commit this past July after many visits, and camps, but she started the process on her own with emails, and phone calls early.

Me_and_my_big_mouth said:

You will hear the commentators discussing how they play 12u and 18u together, and then 14u and 16u because those are the games most of the D1 coaches are scouting. ...

Our travel club offers pay to play opportunities, as the older girls sign and get committed, for younger girls to pick up and go be seen - but they advise us not to do that unless we are relatively certain that a specific coach is coming to watch.

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It's fairly common for the well-connected coaches of perpetual 18U teams to help younger players in the org get recruited since most/all of their players are already committed, although your odds of getting that help in a mega-org with lots of teams are greatly reduced. 18U coaches like those are aware of what schools are seeking, make suggestions and, if interested, provide the player's team schedule and/or bring the player up to be seen - whatever works for the school to see them.

Pop time 44 said:

Are they allowed to speak with her, other than the general coaching at camp?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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No, they cannot talk recruiting at camps, even on their own campus. (At least D1 - not sure about the others). They can talk with you "outside" of camp, on their campus as much as they want to. i.e. they can ask you to stop by the office as soon as "camp" is officially over. They can ask general questions during camp, like: are you interested in this school? are you keeping up with your grades? etc.