Recruiting - Check Status With College Coaches

[Fastpitch86]

My older DD plays on a competitive regional travel team. Her coach is in process of establishing relationships with college coaches. We have several D1 schools that have told her at camps that they are interested in her. Her travel coach has tried to contact the college coaches but hasn't had much luck getting responses back from them. She's a 2024 graduate and understand that this is part of the recruiting process, but the fall and winter camps conflict with these schools. My question is there any way for my DD to email the coaches to try and get a status of interest? These camps are a lot of money and trying to pick one camp over another is hard.

 

[radness]

My older DD plays on a competitive regional travel team. Her coach is in process of establishing relationships with college coaches. We have several D1 schools that have told her at camps that they are interested in her. Her travel coach has tried to contact the college coaches but hasn't had much luck getting responses back from them. She's a 2024 graduate and understand that this is part of the recruiting process, but the fall and winter camps conflict with these schools. My question is there any way for my DD to email the coaches to try and get a status of interest? These camps are a lot of money and trying to pick one camp over another is hard.

1. What exactly does that mean the travel coach is in process of establishing relationships with college coaches?
Does that mean the coach has never had players play for that college before?
(Who knows what is actually being said to the travel ball coach and what the travel ball coach is interpreting from the college coach. There can be a gap in between what is really being discussed.
Definitely comes a time IF the college is actually interested in the player they would be making direct contact with the player. Travel ball coach becomes irrelevant.

2.Regardless if 1. is happening or not
The individual player themselves should be reaching out relentlessly to college coaches calling them and emailing them and you can even use snail mail to contact them. Btw keep contacting all the colleges on your list relentlessly.

3. When she was already at their camps the college coaches showed interest what exactly did they say? Did the college speak directly to her?
~ keep in mind college coaches generally say thank you for coming to the camp... as a general term they say to just about all Camp attendees. And yes they encourage players to come back because this is a money maker for them.

4. Yes College camps will be on the same day as other college camps and you have to make a decision which is your priority and which is most realistic within your priority list.

Remember there are only certain parts of the Year where D1 coaches can make these communicative connections but players can always be contacting them.

99% of a player making connection with colleges is all about what the player is doing to make that connection happen.

 

[Vertigo]

My older DD plays on a competitive regional travel team. Her coach is in process of establishing relationships with college coaches. We have several D1 schools that have told her at camps that they are interested in her. Her travel coach has tried to contact the college coaches but hasn't had much luck getting responses back from them. She's a 2024 graduate and understand that this is part of the recruiting process, but the fall and winter camps conflict with these schools. My question is there any way for my DD to email the coaches to try and get a status of interest? These camps are a lot of money and trying to pick one camp over another is hard.

I just want to clarify - your dd is a current HS junior, correct? If so, she can absolutely call these coaches herself and they can now talk to her over the phone. She can send them an email (or text if they’ve shared their cell# with her) and request a good time to talk over the phone. Or she can just cold call them and see if they answer or leave a message.

Let me backtrack a bit - has she even reached out to these coaches yet at all via email? If so, have the coaches arranged calls? Just trying to better gauge the level of communication at this point.

 

[benjey]

My older DD plays on a competitive regional travel team. Her coach is in process of establishing relationships with college coaches. We have several D1 schools that have told her at camps that they are interested in her. Her travel coach has tried to contact the college coaches but hasn't had much luck getting responses back from them. She's a 2024 graduate and understand that this is part of the recruiting process, but the fall and winter camps conflict with these schools. My question is there any way for my DD to email the coaches to try and get a status of interest? These camps are a lot of money and trying to pick one camp over another is hard.

The short answer is yes your DD can always contact a coach but more importantly as a 2024 graduate your DD can, as of September 1 2022, receive replies from them as to their interest in her as a PSA.

In addition to direct replies from a coach you can pick up on clues to gauge their interest. The first clue is if these are schools where she has attended camp and was sending them her schedule, did they come watch her play? That to me was always the first sign of some interest. Especially pre September 1 when they were not yet allowed to contact you. If a coach is willing to take their valuable time at a tournament to come watch your DD play they are at least potentially interested.

The next clue for D1 coaches is did they contact her when the recruiting window opened on September 1? If yes they are definitely interested if not it doesn't mean your DD can't get on their radar but as of now she has not done so. Usually during these September 1 calls they will try to set up an on campus visit.

Based on your original post I am going to assume these coaches did not contact her on September 1. As I mentioned earlier this does not mean it is too late to get on their radar but it should make you widen your recruiting net if you have not done so already because the hard truth is they saw her at prior camps and did not see enough to contact her initially. Having a plan and casting a wide recruiting net increases the odds your DD will find a school that is a good fit for her.

 

[Fastpitch86]

1. What exactly does that mean the travel coach is in process of establishing relationships with college coaches?
Does that mean the coach has never had players play for that college before?
(Who knows what is actually being said to the travel ball coach and what the travel ball coach is interpreting from the college coach. There can be a gap in between what is really being discussed.
Definitely comes a time IF the college is actually interested in the player they would be making direct contact with the player. Travel ball coach becomes irrelevant.

2.Regardless if 1. is happening or not
The individual player themselves should be reaching out relentlessly to college coaches calling them and emailing them and you can even use snail mail to contact them. Btw keep contacting all the colleges on your list relentlessly.

3. When she was already at their camps the college coaches showed interest what exactly did they say? Did the college speak directly to her?
~ keep in mind college coaches generally say thank you for coming to the camp... as a general term they say to just about all Camp attendees. And yes they encourage players to come back because this is a money maker for them.

4. Yes College camps will be on the same day as other college camps and you have to make a decision which is your priority and which is most realistic within your priority list.

Remember there are only certain parts of the Year where D1 coaches can make these communicative connections but players can always be contacting them.

99% of a player making connection with colleges is all about what the player is doing to make that connection happen.

Thanks for the response will try to address all your points:
1. To keep our teams as strong as possible, our organization has one "premier/national" team in 14U/16U/18U. They had a guy who was the recruiter for these teams, he had college coaching experience and already had relationship with the colleges. The travel coaches are like the middle person, they did talk to the college coaches while at games but the recruiting guy was also at the games and spent most of the time with the coaches. Unfortunately this guy left due to health reasons. Good or bad, this is the current situation and can't change anything, just our travel coaches are now trying to ramp up the relationships and not getting the feedback like our recruiter was getting. Enough on this subject.

2. My DD is reaching out as usual with her emails on a regular basis but doesn't know how to find out status of the interest.

3. This is a loaded question, after camps she's getting a lot of good feedback and during camps the coaches seem to gravitate to her and just talk. I don't have any specifics to provide right now.

4. Yes camps are on same day, we were just looking to get additional information. Lets say at one college DD was 3rd on depth chart and other college has her 10th on depth chart, then if camps were on same day then we would select the camp that DD was higher on depth chart. (FYI all the schools we are writing to she would be happy to attend, we've already done academic visits and toured the campus multiple times)

What I'm asking is it appropriate for a player to contact a college coach to get more specific "status/depth" on her as far as recruiting since she is in the 2024 class. If so, how should she work her comments, if not, that OK will just keep doing our part to email coaches and try to attend camps.

 

[Fastpitch86]

The short answer is yes your DD can always contact a coach but more importantly as a 2024 graduate your DD can, as of September 1 2022, receive replies from them as to their interest in her as a PSA.

In addition to direct replies from a coach you can pick up on clues to gauge their interest. The first clue is if these are schools where she has attended camp and was sending them her schedule, did they come watch her play? That to me was always the first sign of some interest. Especially pre September 1 when they were not yet allowed to contact you. If a coach is willing to take their valuable time at a tournament to come watch your DD play they are at least potentially interested.

The next clue for D1 coaches is did they contact her when the recruiting window opened on September 1? If yes they are definitely interested if not it doesn't mean your DD can't get on their radar but as of now she has not done so. Usually during these September 1 calls they will try to set up an on campus visit.

Based on your original post I am going to assume these coaches did not contact her on September 1. As I mentioned earlier this does not mean it is too late to get on their radar but it should make you widen your recruiting net if you have not done so already because the hard truth is they saw her at prior camps and did not see enough to contact her initially. Having a plan and casting a wide recruiting net increases the odds your DD will find a school that is a good fit for her.

Thanks for the response. She's had a couple colleges contact her on 9/1 and went on a couple visits, but no offers they told us still wrapping up the '23 class and first '24s are pitchers. They told us this in advance. Following their social media 23's are still committing. Were just running into conflicts with camps because the 4 top schools, two weekends both are having winter camps on same day and trying to decide which camp to select.

 

[Orange Socks]

Thanks for the response. She's had a couple colleges contact her on 9/1 and went on a couple visits, but no offers they told us still wrapping up the '23 class and first '24s are pitchers. They told us this in advance. Following their social media 23's are still committing. Were just running into conflicts with camps because the 4 top schools, two weekends both are having winter camps on same day and trying to decide which camp to select.

Were these "official visits" where the coach organizes the tour, admissions, dean of major, dorm tour, etc? Most of the time, when you go on a visit there is an offer at the end.

The coaches for the most part won't tell you where you fall on their depth chart, because it is always evolving.

 

[Fastpitch86]

I just want to clarify - your dd is a current HS junior, correct? If so, she can absolutely call these coaches herself and they can now talk to her over the phone. She can send them an email (or text if they’ve shared their cell# with her) and request a good time to talk over the phone. Or she can just cold call them and see if they answer or leave a message.

Let me backtrack a bit - has she even reached out to these coaches yet at all via email? If so, have the coaches arranged calls? Just trying to better gauge the level of communication at this point.

Were these "official visits" where the coach organizes the tour, admissions, dean of major, dorm tour, etc? Most of the time, when you go on a visit there is an offer at the end.

The coaches for the most part won't tell you where you fall on their depth chart, because it is always evolving.

Unofficial visits

 

[LW23]

Thanks for the response will try to address all your points:
1. To keep our teams as strong as possible, our organization has one "premier/national" team in 14U/16U/18U. They had a guy who was the recruiter for these teams, he had college coaching experience and already had relationship with the colleges. The travel coaches are like the middle person, they did talk to the college coaches while at games but the recruiting guy was also at the games and spent most of the time with the coaches. Unfortunately this guy left due to health reasons. Good or bad, this is the current situation and can't change anything, just our travel coaches are now trying to ramp up the relationships and not getting the feedback like our recruiter was getting. Enough on this subject.

2. My DD is reaching out as usual with her emails on a regular basis but doesn't know how to find out status of the interest.

3. This is a loaded question, after camps she's getting a lot of good feedback and during camps the coaches seem to gravitate to her and just talk. I don't have any specifics to provide right now.

4. Yes camps are on same day, we were just looking to get additional information. Lets say at one college DD was 3rd on depth chart and other college has her 10th on depth chart, then if camps were on same day then we would select the camp that DD was higher on depth chart. (FYI all the schools we are writing to she would be happy to attend, we've already done academic visits and toured the campus multiple times)

What I'm asking is it appropriate for a player to contact a college coach to get more specific "status/depth" on her as far as recruiting since she is in the 2024 class. If so, how should she work her comments, if not, that OK will just keep doing our part to email coaches and try to attend camps.

I would phrase it as "are you looking for MI in the 2024 class? If so here is my schedule for the month of October, I would love for you to see me compete this fall. Please keep me informed on any upcoming camp opportunities" Then send them a private message on social media with the game times and fields info. Include your jersey number, and all the details. I would only be attending camps where there was legit interest. Your coach should be able to get this type of information for you!!

Your coach should be following up with every coach watching games this fall. If a coach shows up he should walk out give them a team flyer ask what they are looking for, establish that relationship gauge interest level, and provide feedback to players. Then follow the tourney up with a phone call to the coaches who were there to make sure no opportunity was missed. We have players coaching bases at times while this is going on its about getting the kids opportunities. You have time, but your DD needs to be hitting coaches up frequently.

You can check depth by looking at roster size online. DD researched the roster of every team that was interested in her, and how many kids came in the portal or left in the portal. Keep working the process, and try to keep your DD from getting stressed. It will work its way out, each players stories are different.

 

[Orange Socks]

Unofficial visits

Let me back track as well. Official D1 visits are usually done with the incoming "committed" class before the NLI is signed. These players have already committed . Usually involves an overnight stay and a football game. I know 2 girls who were actually decommitted after her official visit. One decided bringing weed on her visit was a good idea and the other couldn't control herself and was way too cocky.

Most players these days only use 1 "official visit" as opposed to players back in the day taking all 5 officials.