Where to start recruiting process?

[JJsqueeze]

I'll admit that I have no desire to wade into the recruiting process just yet but I figure now is a good time to get my bearings and develop a rough plan for the next year. I started to look on the web but figured asking our senior folks about where to start might be more efficient.

DD will be targeting Mid Majors and below with a long list of schools from NAIA to DII as well. I would use the term "low majors" if such a thing existing because we are thinking more Santa Clara University and not USC Upstate if you get my drift, so when I say mid major, I mean schools with great academics and softball programs but where the focus is academics.

As a 2020 I think there is plenty of time on the clock for schools like this since it seems only the power 5 really recruit and verbal athletes at this age, but I am really curious if there is an advantage to getting on one of these types of schools' radar early.

 

[riseball]

Have you nailed down the geographic region? That may simplify things. FWIW I have found that the sooner you get on the first schools radar the better. Even if her interest is mediocre at best.

 

[JJsqueeze]

Have you nailed down the geographic region? That may simplify things. FWIW I have found that the sooner you get on the first schools radar the better. Even if her interest is mediocre at best.

We have, western third of US, New Mexico up to Montana with a preference for CA, OR and WA. There may be a school or two back east that get on the list as Hail Mary's but I doubt it, this DD wants to be somewhat close to home, far enough that we aren't all up in her business but close enough that visits are not too expensive and we can see games. Other DD wants to attend college solely based on the furthest geographic distance form her parents, but that is a problem for a few years down the road.

 

[Eric F]

We have, western third of US, New Mexico up to Montana with a preference for CA, OR and WA. There may be a school or two back east that get on the list as Hail Mary's but I doubt it, this DD wants to be somewhat close to home, far enough that we aren't all up in her business but close enough that visits are not too expensive and we can see games. Other DD wants to attend college solely based on the furthest geographic distance form her parents, but that is a problem for a few years down the road.

My older DD felt that way a few years ago. As HS graduation got closer and things got more real, her attitude changed and the geography got closer. Next fall, she will be attending Cal State LA, and living with her mother.

 

[JAD]

It is never too early to get started, even if it is just to attend the summer camps of the schools that she may be interested in. Getting on campus and seeing how different coaching staffs operate and interact with the players is important.

 

[riseball]

Funny how things change as they get older. Jake's first school was in the Florida panhandle about 4+ hours from home. When I was asked why she was going all the way up there I would tell people because she never heard from North West Alaska State. After she drove home from Chipola a few times she decided 4 hours was far enough. One of the reasons she did not end up at Mizzou was the distance. And even Columbia SC at 6 hours was at the edge of her comfort zone. Now this summer she is staying in JAX with DD#1 so she can bounce around between Columbia, Orlando, and Marianna. Most players really like having family at the games. And you are spot on that they want it to be close enough to come home, but far enough where people do not just show up.

As you have probably heard me and others say, it is a process of elimination not selection. Which is why I tell folks to look at geography first. By going with the Western third of US you just cut down the 1600 or so schools that have programs by about 75% to a much more manageable list. If you start tossing out other attributes you will soon get down to about 50-75 schools that she might consider. You said mid-majors and below, but you never know? I was always hopeful Jake would end up in the SEC but it was not until her second year in JUCO that I thought it might actually happen. So I would never sell your DD short and include some big schools.

One of the other things to help separate the wheat from the chaff is the thickness of your wallet as some schools are silly expensive. If you have to get a second mortgage, sell your toys, or worse yet she has to get a ton of student loans it may be best to look elsewhere.

Then there is grades. Of course you want her to get a great education but at the end of 4 years she needs to be able to graduate. If she squeaks in academically she may find herself over her head. You want her to work hard on and off the field but if she struggles academically she will be miserable.

Intensity the program. Jake went the first two years to Chipola. Last year when she was a Sophomore they won their 2nd National Championship. This year they came in 2nd. They are a program that is always in the hunt, but the regimen is insane. Which is why they are always in the hunt. They actually do the proverbial 6am lifts. Starting in mid-August you will practice every day and twice on weekends and not have a day off for 30 days. You will run, swim, bike, flip tires, lift and probably at some point puke. There will be 10pm curfews and regular bed checks. If it sounds like Parris Island that is probably a fair comparison. That said it is not for everyone and they have a high attrition rate. However, they are a very extreme example. You need to find what works for your DD and make sure she gets into a program with the right intensity that will challenge her. There is no right or wrong, they are all different. Make sure it is a fit.

How important is winning? I have some former players at schools that are well below 500 and they could not be happier. Other former players would be miserable on a team that was not in the 600-800 range. Again you need to find what fits.

How important is playing time? I tell girls you can chase fair balls or foul balls. If you go to Big Name State you may not really see the clay until you are a Junior. Are you good with riding the pine until you get a shot? This is one of the reasons Jake went JUCO. She wanted to go somewhere she would get innings, rise to the challenge, and ultimately make a difference. She did well her first year, and phenomenal her second year. Had she gone somewhere else who knows what would have happened.

And of course there is the "intended major". Does she really know what she wants to do when she grows up? I am pushing 60 and still trying to figure it out. If she is one of the few that does, great. Otherwise keep the options open. Schools with a diverse curriculum are a great idea.

What about ideology? Progressive vs Conservative? A schools with a religious foundation? Like their parents my 4 DD's are pretty conservative. Jake is loving the atmosphere at SC. But remarked that with the shenanigans at Mizzou she is glad that did not end up there.

I am sure others will have more things to consider that will help whittle down the list to good core. Then go after them all and see what shakes out. One thing is for sure - 92.6% of all players end up at a school they never expected.

 

[Cannonball]

Riseball, that was a very thoughtful post.

As you all know, my dd played at a D-II. She could have played at a dozen or more mid major D-Is mostly in the Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley Conference. She had one Big 10 (B1G) school that was very interested. Why the D-II then? One question she continued to wonder was whether the schools recruiting her could ever make it to a national championship? The answer, with the exception of the B1G school was no. While UMSL was terrible at the time, they had a new enthusiastic coach who really wanted her there. As Riseball said, geography was so important and UMSL was 34 minutes away. Other family issues played a part. My mom was on hospice when she signed her NLI. Who are the other recruits? That was important. BB was one of 5 that coach was very high on and he told her that if she came, they would change the university. They did. That was important to her.

There are other issues that helped us determine where she would go. For example, BB's ACT. (I know a lot of you are SAT) With BB's ACT, Class Rank and GPA, she would qualify for a lot of academic money. At another university, she would have had to raise her ACT by one point and that one point would result in $10,000 more dollars. We had her take the ACT until she qualified for that money. What percentage will the school offer in her athletic scholarship and for how long? BB was offered a great deal. However, it never increased. Still, it never decreased. You do know that certain positions get more monies most of the time. We were lucky that Coach wanted BB pretty badly. Since her education is the most important part of this, what are the rules for freshmen and those who are not doing well in the classroom. For BB, all freshman had to report to a study group, use their "card" to enter and all activities were monitored by tutors. It was ideal. Then, at some point, the person that oversees that signs students off and they don't have to attend unless their grades go bad.


I just had another thought about one of the mid majors we took a visit to. The dorms were horrible. Make sure you check that out. Well, I am rambling now and so, jumping around a lot. I hope this post helps some.

 

[JAD]

Then there is grades. Of course you want her to get a great education but at the end of 4 years she needs to be able to graduate. If she squeaks in academically she may find herself over her head. You want her to work hard on and off the field but if she struggles academically she will be miserable.

Grades are important, but I would like to point out that most schools offer a number of free resources to their athletes. One of the biggest bonuses of Title IX is the support a school offers their football and basketball players must also be offered to the softball players! While tutoring is no guarantee to academic success, if your DD is willing to take advantage of the resources offered to her, she will increase her probability of success.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Imo the process is simplified and the target list of possibilities whittled down to a manageable number if your first cut considers all the non-softball factors.

 

[Orange Socks]

JJ Your subject line reads "Where to start the recruiting process?" My reply to you is DFP!!! Thankfully, you are already here. As a dad that is only one year ahead of you with a 2019 we started the process last year. This community has some very good resources who have are ahead of us by many years with DD's graduated, DD's at school, and DD's with verbals in hand and there are the rest of us that are in the midst of the process. Many thanks to Riseball, JAD, GM and CB who have been consistent contributors to this very topic.

In talking with other parents who have kids that are the same age and even older than DD I find that they don't have a clue and are not taking ownership of the process. I really think that they are hoping their TB coaches will get their kids noticed, and they complain that no coaches are showing up at the fields they are playing on. The complaint list grows. I ask them, what are you doing about it? They just give me that far away look.

My advice is to start now and be consistent. Tiny bites at a time, otherwise it is overwhelming. Make a list, fill out questionnaires, focus on school work, email coaches, attend camps with many coaches with schools that DD is interested in, focus on school work, make a skills video(free-windows movie maker), make a youtube page, focus on school work, take ACT, SAT, PSAT to set bench marks. I am finding out that there is no magic bullet. It's like cooking. A dash of this, a pinch of that, a handful of this, stir, taste, add another dash of this, repeat. Make sure to keep the heat on.

DD was a having a conversation with a mom that has twins(one going to an Ivy the other to a high academic in Tx) She said instead of taking that extra hitting lesson or catching lesson, take an SAT prep course instead. That has really resonated with me and I am excited to say that DD just found out that she finished her freshman year with all A's. The only thing I worry about is that she has 3 years to mess that up.

Curious to read other posters comments that are having success. My question is always to those parents: What do you think was the main contributing factor that sealed the deal?