Resistance, Doubt, Success..uh-oh, now Nervous!

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Feb 4, 2015
641
28
Massachusetts
DD just completed her freshman season. Before the season, we talked about this being the time to start researching and introducing herself to college coaches via email.

Enter Resistance. This is new, intimidating and she wasn't sure how to go about it. We worked together and she got her profile built, I put together a basic skills video from games and cage work, and she put together an intro letter. With much prodding she got her letters out.

The Doubt. She didn't believe coaches would actually read or respond to a lowly freshman who's not a stud pitcher. Surprise! Some D3's wrote back with encouraging words and asked her to keep in touch to let them know how her season was going. A couple were even her top tier stretch schools.

Success! Next weekend, she'll be in her first summer showcase. So she started letting schools know where she'll be playing, including her schedule, with a nice little update on her HS season. BAM! She got a bunch of responses and the coach of her top 3 school said she's going to come to DD's games on a specific day!

Nervous! As DD read the email, her eyes grew wide with excitement which quickly transitioned into "Oh no, now I'm nervous!!" lol I don't think she believed that she could actually get a coach to watch her this year and that she was just "practicing" the letters and building correspondence for when she got to sophomore/junior years.

I'm not sure either of us are quite ready for this new part of her journey!!
 
Apr 12, 2016
316
28
Minnesota
DD just completed her freshman season. Before the season, we talked about this being the time to start researching and introducing herself to college coaches via email.

Enter Resistance. This is new, intimidating and she wasn't sure how to go about it. We worked together and she got her profile built, I put together a basic skills video from games and cage work, and she put together an intro letter. With much prodding she got her letters out.

The Doubt. She didn't believe coaches would actually read or respond to a lowly freshman who's not a stud pitcher. Surprise! Some D3's wrote back with encouraging words and asked her to keep in touch to let them know how her season was going. A couple were even her top tier stretch schools.

Success! Next weekend, she'll be in her first summer showcase. So she started letting schools know where she'll be playing, including her schedule, with a nice little update on her HS season. BAM! She got a bunch of responses and the coach of her top 3 school said she's going to come to DD's games on a specific day!

Nervous! As DD read the email, her eyes grew wide with excitement which quickly transitioned into "Oh no, now I'm nervous!!" lol I don't think she believed that she could actually get a coach to watch her this year and that she was just "practicing" the letters and building correspondence for when she got to sophomore/junior years.

I'm not sure either of us are quite ready for this new part of her journey!!
Exciting stuff! Let us know how it goes!





Sent from my LG-H820 using Tapatalk
 
Jun 11, 2012
741
63
Good luck to her!!! It's definitely nervewracking. C's #1 choice came to a game early last season and let's just say it wasn't one of her best games, but the coach liked her attitude when things went wrong and came back the following weekend and then twice more last summer. The other 3 times C had great games and made an impression.

Tell K it's okay not to have a great game but not to get down on herself if it happens, part of what the coaches look for is how the players handle it when things go wrong.
We have a friend who is D2 committed and right before they offered the college coach asked her TB coach to sit her for an entire game because they wanted to see how she'd handle it. She cheered on her team, was the first one out to warm up the outfield between innings and the coach liked her attitude along with her talent.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
One of my players was going to guest for a pretty good TB team. She already plays for a good TB team. She said she was nervous. I told her what I tell every player about being "nervous." Nervous is for players who don't practice. She hit a bomb on the first pitch she saw. So, I see her and she says, "Nervous is for players who don't practice." #7sDad, I'm positive that your dd practices.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
Good for you guys- Enjoy the ride!
on the other side of the coin is my DD who is a junior, has contacted some schools she's interested in and except for one initial response, is hearing nothing but crickets.
 
Apr 16, 2010
924
43
Alabama
Good luck. The one thing I always remind my DD is that "It's just softball." She has spent the majority of her 14 years playing and regardless of who is watching or whats on the line it is still the same game.
 
Feb 4, 2015
641
28
Massachusetts
Showcase Weekend Update. Two of DD's top schools came to watch her play, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Friday she did well in the field, but not as well at the plate. She had some nice aggressive at bats, it just didn't result in hits. The coach told our HC she liked what she saw and for DD to keep her updated.
Saturday was a different story. DD had a strong day defensively in LF and ran down a shot in the gap to make a nice grab. Offensively, she laid down a beautiful bunt and then scored from 1B on the next play which helped show off her speed. In her last at bat the defense was playing in since she had been slapping and bunting. She power slapped passed the RF and the foot race was on. She touched them all before the RF could chase it down and get it back in.
Saturday night she said she liked playing in front of the coaches and it didn't make her nervous like she had thought it would. I told her she deserved to be confident because of all the hard work she puts in.
The cherry on top was the amazing email she received Sunday afternoon from the coach. She was so gracious and complimentary, and her praise is not something DD will soon forget. Regardless of where DD plays, I need to thank this coach someday for taking the time. I know it's part of her job, but her recognition gave a young ballplayer even more inspiration to keep working hard and getting better.
 

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