When to start reaching out?

In addition to reaching out to D3 coaches with an introductory email, I suggest filling out the recruiting form on their websites. At the very least, that will get your daughter on the mailing list for upcoming camps, etc.

The amount of influence that a D3 coach has on the admissions process, as has been mentioned already, will very much vary from school to school. Additionally, it could be dangerous to assume that you can just show up at fall try-outs if you've not had any prior contact or recruitment from the school. At least with the schools that my daughter looked at (all D3), all said that while they theoretically allow any interested players to come out in the fall, their team is primarily set via recruiting. More than one coach has told us that she doesn't see the point of recruiting a girl only to cut her in the Fall of her freshman year. You've got to prove you belong there past that, and certainly need to earn playing time, but that is the same at any level. Of course with D3, since there is no athletic $ the coach doesn't really know which of their recruits will be there until they see who has officially enrolled.

TMD said:

In addition to reaching out to D3 coaches with an introductory email, I suggest filling out the recruiting form on their websites. At the very least, that will get your daughter on the mailing list for upcoming camps, etc.

The amount of influence that a D3 coach has on the admissions process, as has been mentioned already, will very much vary from school to school. Additionally, it could be dangerous to assume that you can just show up at fall try-outs if you've not had any prior contact or recruitment from the school. At least with the schools that my daughter looked at (all D3), all said that while they theoretically allow any interested players to come out in the fall, their team is primarily set via recruiting. More than one coach has told us that she doesn't see the point of recruiting a girl only to cut her in the Fall of her freshman year. You've got to prove you belong there past that, and certainly need to earn playing time, but that is the same at any level. Of course with D3, since there is no athletic $ the coach doesn't really know which of their recruits will be there until they see who has officially enrolled.

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Yes, I agree. DD plays DIII at a Pa. school. DD was recruited. DD had to try out in fall. DD 'committed' officially in the summer of junior year after being accepted to the school. DD's friend spoke with coach at DD's school about playing on team. Coach honestly said to DD's friend that he couldn't offer her a spot on that team but, she was more than welcomed to try out in fall. DD friend tried out and made the team. Players were cut(players that were on the team from previous years and walk on) . No recruited freshmen (5) were cut. DD was informed there will be try outs when team started back up. I assume for transfers if any girl was interested in playing softball. DD's coach did/does go to HS games when his scheduled allowed. Also attended tourney ball games. This is just my experience with one DIII school.

To answer a few questions.....

The HS team plays in spring. We are pretty much hoping right now that she will be good from her injury to play for HS. Most of the teams in my area either have rosters set right now, or will in the very near future, which is why we were thinking of taking this season off of travel ball. Right now, there is no way she would be able to attend a tryout and play. If we wait till the end of HS season to find a team, it will be to late. We wanted her to be able to basically ease back into playing, not go from nothing at all (right now) to practice everyday with HS plus travel on the weekends. I know it is kinda backwards, believe me its not really what I want to do, but seems like it would be better for her recovering from her injury. Plus, I don't want to pay a bunch of money to a team, only to have her not make it through the HS season and have to not play travel if her injury flares up again.

To add about her injury. She played field hockey in the fall. She started having pain in her rib cage on the sides, when doing pretty much anything. Took her to the doc and they said that her intercostal muscles, between her ribs and lungs, were inflamed. Long story short, this was in mid-September and there has been no improvement. After many tests, different docs, a trip to CHOP in Philly, nothing diagnosed and no improvement. They originally thought it was due to her scoliosis. Doc at CHOP said no. Took her to a different orthopedic and he says that she has tietze syndrome. Orders a bone scan and labs, waiting for results Friday. Fingers crossed this is almost over. New ortho also suggested that she not play field hockey due to scoliosis. Said that field hockey is a bad sport for girls in general due to the posture they have to have while playing and the way they twist, etc. She was fine with this as this was her fun sport for Fall basically to stay in/get in shape for spring.

Now, as mentioned, she has schools picked out that she wants to attend for academic reasons. If she happens to make the softball team, she will be happy. If the school doesn't have a softball team, right now she is ruling them out, but she isn't banking on making the team or getting any money from the school to play.

Should we inform schools now so they can possibly catch a HS game? The current pitcher for the team is trying to attend my DD's number 1 school choice right now, so I was thinking that we can inform them so they can keep an eye out when they come to watch the pitcher. As mentioned, we will fill out the interest forms on the schools website. This is a local school, so I figured we could just start with them now, then move on to others when she is all healed.

We are keeping our eyes open for what travel team she will want to tryout for in August if HS goes ok injury wise. We do plan on her playing travel then. These damn ribs are killing it for this season I think though.

rdbass said:

Yes, I agree. DD plays DIII at a Pa. school. DD was recruited. DD had to try out in fall. DD 'committed' officially in the summer of junior year after being accepted to the school. DD's friend spoke with coach at DD's school about playing on team. Coach honestly said to DD's friend that he couldn't offer her a spot on that team but, she was more than welcomed to try out in fall. DD friend tried out and made the team. Players were cut(players that were on the team from previous years and walk on) . No recruited freshmen (5) were cut. DD was informed there will be try outs when team started back up. I assume for transfers if any girl was interested in playing softball. DD's coach did/does go to HS games when his scheduled allowed. Also attended tourney ball games. This is just my experience with one DIII school.

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Mind if I ask what school?

If any DD out there are interested in playing softball at a High Academic school, I would highly recommend attending one of the Headfirst Honor Roll camps. My DD has rec'd a lot of correspondence from many of the schools that were there and a NESCAC coach called DD a few weeks back which totally freaked her out. I am still scratching my head that they would be calling a 2019. Oh and she rec'd 2 hand written notes from the same school too. Don't fool yourself into thinking that those schools won't look at you until after their Junior year. Get on their radar NOW, send emails, attend camps and make phone calls.

Orange Socks said:

If any DD out there are interested in playing softball at a High Academic school, I would highly recommend attending one of the Headfirst Honor Roll camps. My DD has rec'd a lot of correspondence from many of the schools that were there and a NESCAC coach called DD a few weeks back which totally freaked her out. I am still scratching my head that they would be calling a 2019. Oh and she rec'd 2 hand written notes from the same school too. Don't fool yourself into thinking that those schools won't look at you until after their Junior year. Get on their radar NOW, send emails, attend camps and make phone calls.

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Yes, Headfirst Honor Roll camps, while expensive, are a GREAT way to get in front of coaches of high academic schools at all levels. All but one of my daughter's target schools first saw her the NY Headfirst camp the summer before her Junior year. Lots of great follow-up contact...much of it initiated by the schools...led to camps, campus visits, eyeballs at exposure events, and ultimately offers (DIII-style offers).

While DIII coaches are generally looking at closing the "next year's" recruiting class of rising seniors, they definitely look at juniors and sophomores to build that pipeline. While the pressures and payoffs of DIII recruiting are different than DI or DII (or NAIA??), coaches are trying to build competitive winning programs and take it very seriously.

DIII coach at a school in PA told us that his process is once he finalizes his incoming recruiting class and knows who has enrolled, he turns to the next 2 years - rising juniors and seniors - and starts with a list of 1800 kids in his database (some who contact coach or fill out the recruit questionnaire and some that coach puts on list after seeing them play). Half of those are rising Jr. and Sr. He tries to pare that list down to ~300 by July and then down to ~50 by the fall. Some D3 coaches have a tier system for rating a player. Tier 1- starter who will make a definite impact on the team, Tier 2- starter with potential, Tier 3- player with potential but probably not a starter, tier 4- bench, tier 5- not interested. As you go through the process, you should definitely ask where you stand or are they considering you as a recruit.

With D3 it really depends on how good your DD is. D3 schools get everything from legitimate D1 girls who just really wanted to go to that school to girls who hardly made their HS team showing up at the fall tryout. If your DD is really good she can just show up. No D3 coach (I am talking coaches who have won D3 national titles) I have ever met and talked to disregards the fall tryout because there are a lot of really good players who just show up. That said, if your DD is going to be an average or below D3 player, she needs to do her due diligence and get on the radar of the coaches. It is really important to have an accurate assessment of how good your DD is.