Input on hiring a scouting/recruiting organization like NSR???

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Feb 17, 2015
318
18
USA
I think one of the big things that people on this forum forget is that most of the more active posters on this forum that give a lot of the recruiting advice are parents of pitchers. Not all but a lot. Everyone knows that pitchers attract more attention and are able to get seen easier than your position players. If you have pitcher in your email title you are most likely going to get your email opened. I have seen mediocre pitching get looks and offers before above average position players. Bottom line is that we all know that it starts in the circle. So if you're kid is not a pitcher or a bonafide stud position player that Tim Walton is drooling over when they are 6th graders it may be in your best interest to hire a recruiting service. But be realistic with your options and your DD's potential. Like someone said earlier this lets you cast a wider net and possibly give you more options, or it may not. It's your decision. If choose a recruiting service, choose wisely.
 
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obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
Thanks to girliesmom's advice, I spoke with Cathi Aradi today and it was the best $30 I have spent! DD is a 2018 and we have done our homework and while some f what she said I already knew, there was important content that was specific to our case that I was not aware of. We are in a difficult situation, but now we are armed with what we need to know for our specific situation so we may be able to pull out of this nosedive!
 
Jul 4, 2014
141
0
Thanks to girliesmom's advice, I spoke with Cathi Aradi today and it was the best $30 I have spent! DD is a 2018 and we have done our homework and while some f what she said I already knew, there was important content that was specific to our case that I was not aware of. We are in a difficult situation, but now we are armed with what we need to know for our specific situation so we may be able to pull out of this nosedive!

That's great to hear! Glad you were able to get some good advice and glad that I was able to pay it forward. Good luck to you and your daughter.
 
Dec 28, 2014
117
16
Save your money. They are used car salesman. Lol

Email coaches, go to targeted college camps (be realistic in what your child’s abilities are.), play in the right showcases.

Talk to any college coach and I’ve talked to plenty. They delete emails from services. They want to see your kid invested in the process. It’s not hard, just be dedicated. Make your child own the process. Not you nor a service.
 
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Sep 11, 2017
43
6
Seattle, WA
Save your money. They are used car salesman. Lol

Email coaches, go to targeted college camps (be realistic in what your child’s abilities are.), play in the right showcases.

Talk to any college coach and I’ve talked to plenty. They delete emails from services. They want to see your kid invested in the process. It’s not hard, just be dedicated. Make your child own the process. Not you nor a service.


THIS!

I signed my DD up with an NSR scout that "wanted" her on board after he saw her play. He hounded us almost every day for weeks. $3500 later we are found doing most of the work ourselves through their website. We have gotten some good response from Ivy league and higher academic institutions through NSR because her grades are on full display on her profile. But to be honest, we have received even better response from schools that she emails the coaches directly.

I have taken it as a learning experience because it has taught us about the process, which is good, but my younger DD will not be signing up and we will be doing it ourselves.

My DD is a 2020. As someone else in this tread pointed out, this tool might be best served for seniors that have been lightly, or not recruited at all.

Contact coaches yourselves. Go to camps.

Cheers.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
Not to go off topic, but this relates to another aspect of self-recruiting.- in other threads I have whined about my DD doing things right but wound up falling in love with a school where she hadn't met the coach, the coach hadn't seen her play and seemed indifferent in what little email contact they had.
Last Saturday, DD and I attended the World Softball Coaches Convention at Mohegan Sun (Connecticut). It is always a learning experience for both of us, but this year had an added bonus- DD recognized the coach at the school where she wants to go, tracked her down and introduced herself! The coach was impressed and clearly happy to see her and the two of them had a delightfully animated conversation about Softball and what they had both seen so far at the convention. She was very encouraging and I believe impressed that a potential recruit took it upon herself to seek her out.
Now DD is looking at this not as a negative because she wasn't recruited but as a positive as the path she is on is a common route taken by players on this team!
Also, the info in Cathi's book and what was discussed in our phone conversation helped this meeting go as well as it did. In the worst case, It wouldn't have gone badly, but this went better than anyone expected!
It is good to drive your own destiny whenever you can.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
if you have $$$ burning a hole in your pocket and want to cast a wide net over the recruiting landscape, nsr may be a good fit. If you want to keep your hard earned money, and don't mind putting in a little time/effort, then you and your dd can run a very effective recruiting campaign yourselves. A word of caution, even if you do decide to go the nsr route, take ownership of the recruiting process.

this!^^^^^^^^^
 
Jul 1, 2010
171
16
We didn't use one of these, but I've watched several friends go down this road. They seemed to end up doing just as much work and spending just as much time and money on emails, phone calls, showcases, and camps that we did plus the fees.

During our journey I talked to several coaches, P-5, mid-major and DII, that expressed great disdain for these organizations. Their comments were on the line of "I need to see the girl play and I want her contacting me, not parents or anyone else".

Also, I feel that several girls were sold short. What I mean by this is that they were convinced to go to a school because "that is your level" when in fact I believe they could have gone to a school at a playing level closer to their dreams.

I'm sure the adage "your mileage may vary" applies.
 

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