Introduction Letter - Prior to camp

[riseball]

What are stamps? What's a mailbox?

Exactly!!!

 

[riseball]

Before you hit 9th grade is extremely important (as the coaches can more freely talk to you) and many players are verballing in 9th grade, based on what they have done in 8th and 9th grade. Look at the list of verbals and joins the organizations you see there.

If you want to wait, your choices will be limited at the D1 level. You can wait if you will be happy with D3 or JUCO. I have no idea about D2 as we don't have any of those near me.

Every kid should be able to express what academics they are interested in and something they have accomplished in that realm, such as I went to a summer program at the local xxx for future xxxes or I submitted my xxx project and won the xxx award. Come on.

Ok, there is no doubt that you do not coach, and you are definitely trolling this site.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Hello everyone - I was looking for some input / critiquing on my daughters introduction letter prior to attending camps & clinics


Hi Coach XXXXXX,

My name is XXXXXXX; I am a freshman at XXXXXXX High School in XXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX.

Last year as an eight grader I was the starting XXXXXXXX for the XXXXXXXX Junior Varsity Softball team and I led the team with a XXXXX batting average.

I have played travel softball for the XXXXXXXXXXXX for the past XX years, my primary fielding position is XXXXXXX and my primarily position in the batting order has been fourth.

My head coach is XXXXXXXXX and my hitting instructor is XXXXXXXXXX

I will be attending your hitting clinic on XXXXXXXXX and I look forward to meeting you.


Have a great day!


XXXXXXX

The only thing interesting about this email to me as coach of Central College is that you're coming to my camp. So I would recommend starting off with that. That might get me interested. Otherwise, it's just one of hundreds that I get. I might not have time to read about every 8th grader who emails me. I might read a sentence or two and file this in my folder with the others that come to me out of the blue, or I might even delete it if I'm a coach who gets lots and lots of these every week. I don't know you. So unless you can give me a reason to want to know you very quickly in the email, I might move on with my day. ''I'm coming to your camp'' might do it.

btw, that is not meant to diminish the player's accolades. Sounds like a very good player. But if this is a D-I school, it will take a LOT from a player they don't know and might never know to get their attention. "I'm coming to your camp'' might earn you 15 more seconds of their day.

 

[Maxx]

I agree with Coogans Bluff......college coaches get hundreds of these emails a week. Other than you are coming to theirr camp, there is nothing personal in that email that attracts their attention. It's a bit different that you are attending the camp, but when coaches get that type of email prior to a tournament or showcase, it usually gets deleted. Instead of sending out an email to every coach that is going to be in attendance at an event, players should research the schools and only contact those that they are sincerely interested in, and then make the email very personal. Coaches cannot go and watch every kid who emails me prior to an event due to the sheer volume of emails that are received. Coaches typically go to an event with a short list of kids that they have identified on their own, and then go to see who stands out with their play on the field.

 

[FP26]

Post on College Softball board:

I would suggest to you that every Top 100 Div. I program "recruits" or "takes notice" of 8th graders. In fact, I know of one 5th grader who at least one SEC school has already "taken notice." Recruiting is out-of-control. The on-campus clinic is going to be the major point of recruiting contact for 80 percent of softball players within the next 2-3 years. Showcases will serve only for the purpose of college coaches watching players who they have already seen at their college on-campus clinics.

This is an excellent point. DDs pitching coach talks about this often.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Ok, there is no doubt that you do not coach, and you are definitely trolling this site.

I'm impressed that she has 4 posts in this thread today but 10 few overall posts than she had yesterday.

 

[JAD]

Whenever we corresponded with college coaches we titled the email "Players Name, 2017 RHP - XXXXXX" where the X's were the subject of the email. These was recommended to us by several college coaches.

I would also like to recommend that you have your DD's TB coach write an introduction letter to the college coaches of the camps you plan to attend. You can also get her HS coach to write a letter if you think it would help. Pitching coaches and batting coaches are also a good option.

 

[Softball_2]

1) Out in Left Field is not trolling. At least not with that post. Pretty spot on that talent is being closely watched at the middle school level. Bigger time schools have offers out to (and accepted by) 2019 graduates. Mid-major Division I schools no doubt have a list of middle schoolers that they are keeping an eye on and that they want to come to camps to start developing a relationship with them.

2) As other posters said, the email is generic. It will be glossed over. That being said, you probably don't need a stand out email before the camp. Instead, work on her eye contact and her handshake. Have her introduce herself to one of the coaches or the players in person. Follow that up the next day with a thank you email with specific names of players and specific teaching points that she remembered and walked away with. That will set her apart.

 

[JAD]

Go to a stationary store and get a box of generic thank you notes and a book of stamps. Take them to every clinic and showcase. At the end of the event have her write a hand written note to coaches who expressed interest. Find the closest mailbox so the postmark is that day from the location of the event. That will set her apart form the minions spamming the coaches inbox.

A twist on this idea that we used for my DD, we had postcards made (Vistaprint.com) with a collage of pictures on the front. On the back we had her tournament schedule and enough room for a hand written thank you note. We took them to every showcase and right after my DD got out of the shower, she wrote a thank you note to every college coach we knew watched her play that day.

 

[SB23]

Jad - that is a fantastic idea !!