Question about Guest Playing in a College Showcase

[Fastpitchmom27]

Good Morning everyone,

I am trying to get some opinions from everyone.

My daughter was asked to guest play with a team in a college showcase this weekend, and of course the team has their handout with all of the player information, but since my daughter is not a regular member of the team, she, of course, is not in their handout.

I was thinking about doing a business card for her. Like Headshot on the front, with her name and grad year and positions, and then all of her contact info, grades/SAT scores etc on the back. My husband thinks the idea of taking something with us on her behalf is good - a flyer or individual pamphlet, but not necessarily a business card.

What do you think? What have you used in a situation like this? Any opinions or ideas are welcome! Thanks

 

[Sparky Guy]

I would go with a letter size pamphlet to hand to coaches who are interested. Most coaches have a clipboard or something similar to store player information they pick up over the course of a tournament while looking at players. The pamphlet also gives the coaches room to write notes about a player on the sheet. A business card leaves very little room.

 

[AndyS]

I think having the info is a good idea. But maybe even more important is before the tournament emailing/calling the coaches that are attending and are from the schools that your DD may be interested in attending. Give them all the info you describe plus the reason for her interest and her schedule at the tournament. Communicating with the coaches before the tournament is critical.

 

[Fastpitchmom27]

Thanks Sparky and Andy.

I probably should have mentioned that she has been writing the schools that are planning on attending. She has sent letters, and most recent updates on her current team, as well as the schedule for the team she is guest playing with. I couldn't agree more that communication is key, and she is working hard at that.

The cards/pamphlet thing was almost an afterthought. We have been working hard on keeping in contact with schools, that we weren't really thinking about what would happen when we got there. Sparky, i think you are more on line with my husband, and he would have said - If we do a business card, where are they going to make notes about her if interested, well that would have made sense to me... Seeing you write was a total "A-HA" moment. So, now i am looking into pamphlets, or possibly oversized postcards. That was we can get all of her pertinent information on the card, and still leave a lined card for notes.

I just want to make sure that she isn't passed on because there is no information about her from the team/coaches that she is guest playing with. Thanks, and i love hearing everyone's suggestions.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Another option is printing your DD's info on a label and applying it to the team's handout. You could check with the team to see if they would accomodate that and what size it should be.

 

[JAD]

I would suggest you offer to provide some printed profile sheets to the coach of the team you are picking up with. They can hand them out to any college coaches who inquire about your DD.

 

[JAD]

Another option is printing your DD's info on a label and applying it to the team's handout. You could check with the team to see if they would accomodate that and what size it should be.

We leave a "notes" section on our brochures and it would be easy to print a page of Avery labels and add the extra players info in that area.

 

[riseball]

She is a guest player and not part of that organization so she should not be in their pamphlet. You need to make her information available to college coaches on your own. In addition she should be wearing her uniform not an extra from that team. This is very common scenario that will be played out next week at Diamond 9 at Disney's WWOS. We regularly pick up players so they can get seen by specific schools at showcases.

 

[Fastpitchmom27]

Riseball - just wanted to get some clarification from you. When you say "make her information available to college coaches on your own", do you mean that while the team representative is passing out their team brochure, i should be standing with them passing out my DDs info? and if so - what if they have questions - they can't ask us... right? so - who would they ask? how would something like that work? any info/help/clarification would be extremely appreciated!!

 

[riseball]

It sounds as though your DD is guesting with an organization that understands how to conduct themselves in a showcase. Unfortunately often that is not is not the case. Although it is a showcase many teams are obsessed with winning every game like they are in a quest for a holy grail of plastic. Even to the point where they post scores and their won loss records from the event. I have seen college coaches standing and watching prospects totally ignored by organizations who then complain that the event was not successful and a waste of time and money. The fact that the team you will guest with utilizes one or more team representatives is a very good thing. That said I would expect they would be more than happy to promote your daughter to anyone who might be interested. I would suggest possibly an insert into their brochure. We use a trifold and when we have a guest include a 1/3 page card with their particulars with each of our brochures. You may wish to take a similar approach. However, going to a showcase with expectations of success in the recruiting process without establishing at least a basic relationship with some college coaches will not be productive. Good luck to you and your DD. Appears that you understand the process better than most.