For nearly five years I handled recruiting duties for a top tier travel softball organization in southern California. I did my best to help our parents, athletes and coaches to understand the recruiting process; to identify a good fit academically, geographically and athletically...then get those schools to take an active role recruiting the athlete. And although I was highly successful getting many, many of our student athletes recruited into top universities and softball programs we had several athletes who ended up at colleges, in my opinion, beneath their academic or athletic potential.
Today in 2017, now as an assistant coach with Georgia Tech softball in the “Power 5” Atlantic Coast Conference, I stand by all the advice I provided my travel families. However, the view from the other side of the fence has shown me so much more about how the process really works, and why so many athletes fall short of their “ideal” school while leaving plenty of scholarship money on the table. Here’s an inside look behind the curtain with five powerful insights:
1. Be a Game Changer - Whether with your bat, legs, arms, brain or voice...be someone who can come into a college program and make an immediate impact. Part of being a “difference maker” is confidence. So in showcases show a little “swag” on the field in warm-ups, during the game, at camps. As a freshman college can be awfully intimidating, so be that student athlete that plays the game FEARLESS! Do ANYTHING to stand out.
2. Focus on ACADEMICS - Nothing is sadder than a talented athlete slacking off in school and CRUSHING her opportunities to attend a good university and have it partially or fully paid for. The truth is the better her academics the more highly recruited she will be. Why? Because in many schools higher academics can yield academic scholarships or need based aid...freeing up more athletic scholarship money to be spread around to more student athletes. So athletic talent being equal the prospect with higher grades/board scores gets the scholarship. Not to mention no college coach wants to take a chance on an athlete that may become academically ineligible!
3. COMPETE! - In college roster sizes are generally 18-25 players, so show your competitive side! In showcases always play as if you are working your rear end off for playing time. College coaches love to see high effort players with GRIT, willing to do whatever it takes to help the TEAM win. This is particularly evident in games your team is losing badly. Always play the game as if the score is 1-1 in the seventh inning. Battle each at bat, get dirty every opportunity in the field, be a threat on the bases, pitch with conviction and determination no matter what the score.
4. BODY LANGUAGE - The last thing a college coach wants is DRAMA and IMMATURITY from their athletes, so be extra mindful of your on the field body language before, during and after games; particularly after a game event that might cause a negative emotional response. Mental toughness means not letting past events carry forward into future events. Demonstrating resiliency after a tough at bat, play or pitch will often make a bigger impression to a college coach than getting a hit or striking someone out. The athletic and academic rigors of college are infinitely more intense than high school, so any sign of emotional immaturity on the field will likely get your name crossed off the prospect list quickly.
5. BE CONSISTENT - This is the single biggest flaw of most high school players that causes college coaches to hold back from offering a scholarship. No college coach is willing to risk a roster spot to a player who may or may not pan out. A lack of consistency can generally be traced to specific physical or mental deficiencies that short circuit game day performance levels. Confidence and competence are attached at the hip, so work on skill specific weaknesses to make them strengths and disregard proper mental game training at your own peril. The game is and will always be 90% mental...especially at the college level. Whether for reasons of fear, over-thinking, or lack of focus/mental toughness the game will punish those players without a solid physical and mental game plan.
In the end analysis there is no short cut to athletic greatness or a scholarship to the academic institution of your choice. Hard work and relentless preparation always win the day. Do anything and everything to STAND OUT when in front of college coaches. Do the LITTLE THINGS, the intangibles coaches love. Work harder than you ever thought possible. Have definitive outcome (long term) goals backed up by specific process (short term) goals that you work on EVERY DAY. Challenge yourself to be faster, stronger, for precise in every area of your game. Never be satisfied!
Determine then remind yourself often why you want to play softball in college. This WHY will motivate, inspire and drive you to be your best, especially when you are tired or mentally fatigued.
This attitude and work ethic will ALWAYS be rewarded in recruiting and in life! Follow these five insights I have developed and watch your “recruitability” skyrocket!
Thanks for reading! --John Michael Kelly
Today in 2017, now as an assistant coach with Georgia Tech softball in the “Power 5” Atlantic Coast Conference, I stand by all the advice I provided my travel families. However, the view from the other side of the fence has shown me so much more about how the process really works, and why so many athletes fall short of their “ideal” school while leaving plenty of scholarship money on the table. Here’s an inside look behind the curtain with five powerful insights:
1. Be a Game Changer - Whether with your bat, legs, arms, brain or voice...be someone who can come into a college program and make an immediate impact. Part of being a “difference maker” is confidence. So in showcases show a little “swag” on the field in warm-ups, during the game, at camps. As a freshman college can be awfully intimidating, so be that student athlete that plays the game FEARLESS! Do ANYTHING to stand out.
2. Focus on ACADEMICS - Nothing is sadder than a talented athlete slacking off in school and CRUSHING her opportunities to attend a good university and have it partially or fully paid for. The truth is the better her academics the more highly recruited she will be. Why? Because in many schools higher academics can yield academic scholarships or need based aid...freeing up more athletic scholarship money to be spread around to more student athletes. So athletic talent being equal the prospect with higher grades/board scores gets the scholarship. Not to mention no college coach wants to take a chance on an athlete that may become academically ineligible!
3. COMPETE! - In college roster sizes are generally 18-25 players, so show your competitive side! In showcases always play as if you are working your rear end off for playing time. College coaches love to see high effort players with GRIT, willing to do whatever it takes to help the TEAM win. This is particularly evident in games your team is losing badly. Always play the game as if the score is 1-1 in the seventh inning. Battle each at bat, get dirty every opportunity in the field, be a threat on the bases, pitch with conviction and determination no matter what the score.
4. BODY LANGUAGE - The last thing a college coach wants is DRAMA and IMMATURITY from their athletes, so be extra mindful of your on the field body language before, during and after games; particularly after a game event that might cause a negative emotional response. Mental toughness means not letting past events carry forward into future events. Demonstrating resiliency after a tough at bat, play or pitch will often make a bigger impression to a college coach than getting a hit or striking someone out. The athletic and academic rigors of college are infinitely more intense than high school, so any sign of emotional immaturity on the field will likely get your name crossed off the prospect list quickly.
5. BE CONSISTENT - This is the single biggest flaw of most high school players that causes college coaches to hold back from offering a scholarship. No college coach is willing to risk a roster spot to a player who may or may not pan out. A lack of consistency can generally be traced to specific physical or mental deficiencies that short circuit game day performance levels. Confidence and competence are attached at the hip, so work on skill specific weaknesses to make them strengths and disregard proper mental game training at your own peril. The game is and will always be 90% mental...especially at the college level. Whether for reasons of fear, over-thinking, or lack of focus/mental toughness the game will punish those players without a solid physical and mental game plan.
In the end analysis there is no short cut to athletic greatness or a scholarship to the academic institution of your choice. Hard work and relentless preparation always win the day. Do anything and everything to STAND OUT when in front of college coaches. Do the LITTLE THINGS, the intangibles coaches love. Work harder than you ever thought possible. Have definitive outcome (long term) goals backed up by specific process (short term) goals that you work on EVERY DAY. Challenge yourself to be faster, stronger, for precise in every area of your game. Never be satisfied!
Determine then remind yourself often why you want to play softball in college. This WHY will motivate, inspire and drive you to be your best, especially when you are tired or mentally fatigued.
This attitude and work ethic will ALWAYS be rewarded in recruiting and in life! Follow these five insights I have developed and watch your “recruitability” skyrocket!
Thanks for reading! --John Michael Kelly
