Does your DD do a post when she attends college camps?

[softballgirldad]

First off, when my daughter attends a college camp that she chose to attend or got invited to attend, she will email the coaching staff a thank you. That is the priority.

My question is whether it make sense or not if daughter posts photos of herself at the camp: whether that is photos with the coach, on campus, or even some video clips. Is this good for recruiting or visibility?

Or is this a bad look to college coaches if your daughter is looking at various schools where it looks like your daughter is shopping around? And in some cases, the schools compete against each other in the same conference.

Does anybody have insights or experience with this?

 

[BRsoftballDad]

I would say to absolutely post videos and pictures from the camp. As for the "shopping around" aspect, your DD is trying to get recruited. If she is too young for coaches to talk with her then you really don't have much feedback to go off of. What they can talk about is limited. My DD posted from big camps with many different coaches, small camps, and D1 Power 5 camps. We shot for the moon and eventually found our fit. I say go for it.

 

[Vertigo]

Going to be honest - never quite understood the purpose of doing it. I have also overheard a couple of coaches decline to take photos with camp attendees (not sure why). Always just came across as trying to create FOMO in my opinion, although I’m sure that’s not why they post the pics. I can’t say if it has an impact on a coach either way.

 

[Orange Socks]

Do we think coaches are scouring the social media to make sure their pictures with the players get posted? The most important pic is the one taken after you accept a verbal offer with HC and AC showing the hand sign of the school.

 

[softballgirldad]

Thank you all for the reply.

BRsoftballdad: She has done some posts for camps and majority of her teammates do the same. It's been good to share that journey. But we're also trying to discuss whether it helps with recruitment and how other colleges would feel about.

Vertigo: I hear you, for some players, it could be like look where I'm at. All of the coaches she has been at camps at, had gladly taken photos with players. It seems like such a big thing, and she has stayed in lines for a long time to spend time talking to coaches and taking a photo. But, it could be just for an experience and not as much for the recruitment part.

OrangeSocks: no, I don't think they are looking for their photos. But I'm wonder what's the general vibe to coaches, when a player is super active in looking at being recruited and if that's a big help.

 

[Orange Socks]

The pics that get me are the pics with all of the mail from colleges. My kid had 18" stack of mail. None of that means anything! What matters most are the phone calls, texts and conversations done in private.

 

[4Martini]

The pics that get me are the pics with all of the mail from colleges. My kid had 18" stack of mail. None of that means anything! What matters most are the phone calls, texts and conversations done in private.

What is in the mail? I see these pictures a lot too. Is it just a brochure about the program? How do they determine who to send it to?

 

[Orange Socks]

What is in the mail? I see these pictures a lot too. Is it just a brochure about the program? How do they determine who to send it to?

In all reality, it's marketing mail from the colleges. You will get on a mailing list either through ACT/SAT signups, filling out a recruiting questionnaire or some other Dark Web sorcery.

 

[BRsoftballDad]

In all reality, it's marketing mail from the colleges. You will get on a mailing list either through ACT/SAT signups, filling out a recruiting questionnaire or some other Dark Web sorcery.

I'll somewhat disagree with this. Generic school mail...yes, due to ACT's and such. However, mail from a school's softball program is different. I believe D1's are allowed a 1 time mailer to prospective recruits. They usually have info about the softball program, some stickers and such, and a camp invite. It's a lot different from marketing mail.

 

[Orange Socks]

I'll somewhat disagree with this. Generic school mail...yes, due to ACT's and such. However, mail from a school's softball program is different. I believe D1's are allowed a 1 time mailer to prospective recruits. They usually have info about the softball program, some stickers and such, and a camp invite. It's a lot different from marketing mail.

This is true. But the pictures that kids are posting aren't just softball related. It's like taking a picture with a fish. You always extend your arms toward the camera to make the fish appear bigger than it is.