Help preparing for DD's first showcase

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May 22, 2019
170
28
Rural northeast
DD1 first showcase in three weeks. I know the most important thing for me to do when we arrive at the showcase is to stay out of the way. What should I be doing now? DD has created a list of the colleges that she will be emailing later this week. I told her she has to write the emails, and I will help proofread them. Anything else I should be doing now?
 

TMD

Feb 18, 2016
433
43
...and the fun begins...;)

Very little that you should be doing, but a few thoughts come to mind on things she should be doing:
  • If possible, emails to coaches should include her game schedule (time, field, etc.).
  • Depending on the division level of the coaches, direct contact at the event may be limited to non-existent. DI, for example, can't have any direct recruiting conversations until Sep 1 of junior year in high school (I'm assuming your daughter is younger than that).
  • Related to that, coaches may not respond to the email, so she shouldn't be discouraged by that.
  • Coaches watch everything. They look for how the player behaves when on the bench, when things go wrong, when things go right. They look for how she reacts to her her teammates and coaches, how she interacts with her parents (she better be carrying her own bag), etc.
  • Easier said then done, but she should try to relax and just play hard. Coaches aren't turned off because she strikes out or makes an error. Coaches are turned off if she reacts poorly to mistakes or if she her attitude, effort, and energy are lacking.
  • Send follow up emails afterwards

One thing for you...if you see a coach from one of her schools watching the game, please leave them alone. Hopefully your team will have a designated coach/parent who can approach a coach and ask if they'd like a player or team profile sheet or if they want information on any player. Also, do not walk by the dugout and tell your daughter that Coach So-and-So is here watching...just let her play.
 
May 22, 2019
170
28
Rural northeast
...and the fun begins...;)

Very little that you should be doing, but a few thoughts come to mind on things she should be doing:
  • If possible, emails to coaches should include her game schedule (time, field, etc.).
  • Depending on the division level of the coaches, direct contact at the event may be limited to non-existent. DI, for example, can't have any direct recruiting conversations until Sep 1 of junior year in high school (I'm assuming your daughter is younger than that).
  • Related to that, coaches may not respond to the email, so she shouldn't be discouraged by that.
  • Coaches watch everything. They look for how the player behaves when on the bench, when things go wrong, when things go right. They look for how she reacts to her her teammates and coaches, how she interacts with her parents (she better be carrying her own bag), etc.
  • Easier said then done, but she should try to relax and just play hard. Coaches aren't turned off because she strikes out or makes an error. Coaches are turned off if she reacts poorly to mistakes or if she her attitude, effort, and energy are lacking.
  • Send follow up emails afterwards
One thing for you...if you see a coach from one of her schools watching the game, please leave them alone. Hopefully your team will have a designated coach/parent who can approach a coach and ask if they'd like a player or team profile sheet or if they want information on any player. Also, do not walk by the dugout and tell your daughter that Coach So-and-So is here watching...just let her play.

Thanks. The one thing I really know is to stay out of the way and keep my mouth shut.

She is already organizing to send the coaches her game schedule. Time and field makes sense of course, will mention that to her.

I will remind her that coaches may not respond to emails, important to remember.

She hasn't let me touch her bag since she was 12, and I'm glad for that for many reasons.

Something I have been telling her since she went to a tryout for a new team, thought she didn't do well, but was offered a position on the team anyway. I've told her, and I hope I'm right, a good coach can tell a strong player having a bad day, from a mediocre player having a good day.

She's even said to me, coaches want to see what a player does after a mistake, so at least she understands that intellectually.

Send follow up email. Excellent. I don't know if she knows to do that.

Walk by the dugout and talk to my DD? I haven't been allowed to do that since she was in Little League, her rule.

Thanks!
 

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