ODDS and ENDS...BITS and BAUBLES! by Catharine Aradi www.fastpitchrecruiting.com
At this time of year, I always like to give you some things to think about when it comes to playing college softball. So, here goes!
1) The question to ask yourself whenever you get ready to go to a practice, a game, a pitching or hitting lesson, to work out at the gym, or to write a coach is this: Do I still love softball and do I really want to play softball when I go to college? Your answer might not always be a resounding yes, but it should definitely be a yes! College softball will be more challenging and demanding than any ball you have played to date. It may also be more rewarding…but only if you love what you’re doing and if you can’t wait to get to the field to work on your game.
If your answer to the above question is a no, then maybe it’s time to have a serious talk with your folks. As unlikely as it may seem right now, life will go on for you (and for everyone else) if you decide to stop playing ball.
2) If you’re a senior who plans to play in college, are you on track to meet NCAA/ NAIA eligibility guidelines? Have you registered with the NCAA and NAIA Eligibility Centers?
This may seem like a “Duh!” question, but you’d be surprised at how many players and/or parents seem to think the coach who’s recruiting the player will be able to “get around” those pesky requirements for athletic eligibility or even admission to a college. If you’re not on track, you will likely be looking at attending a JC or at not playing as a freshman at the 4-year college.
3) If you’re a 2024 (or early starting 2025) grad, have you decided what you’ll do this spring to put yourself in front of college coaches?
In other words, are your grades in order? Do you have (or have scheduled) a skills video? Are you working on creating a profile/resume and an introductory letter? Now is the time to make sure you’re on track to qualify by the time you graduate. See each organizations’ website for details. (2024s need to take the SAT/ACT by next spring…just to be on the safe side.)
Wait! What’s that you say? You were just planning on emailing college coaches and asking them to recruit you? Then clearly, you haven’t read my book…or even this website!
Remember—and I got this straight from the horse’s mouth—almost all coaches get emails non-stop unless their email addresses are unavailable. Coaches at smaller programs might get 30-50 emails a week, but coaches at the big names schools you’re probably writing often receive 300-400 a week. And they get even more in the summer and fall before big tournaments. (As one coach said to me a couple of years ago. “It’s just TOO many!”)
Email is great once a coach has shown that he/she will read and respond personally to your emails. But you also might want to read Chapter 5 in my book, Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level (it makes a great holiday gift!) where it talks about introducing yourself to college coaches through the United States Postal Service. I guarantee you that the coaches you want to contact aren’t getting 250 or 300 letters a week. Letters take focus, determination, good grammar and the desire to stand out. And standing out is what it takes to get recruited. Don’t you want to stand out????
4) Finally, November and December are months where we should focus on gratitude. Let us hope as 2022 draws to a close that we have more to be grateful for than we did last year and that 2023 becomes your best year ever.
And while you’re thinking of things to say thanks for at the Turkey Day dinner table, here is a thought. Softball is a team sport. Remember to thank your teammates, your coaches, the people who make sure your playing fields are safe and the people who make your equipment.
Most importantly, give thanks for the people who pay your softball (and other) expenses, who drive you (and sometimes fly you) to tournaments, who cheer for you in the stands, and who ignore you when you growl and grumble and complain on the way to an 8 am game or driving home at 10 pm from an 8 pm game…those sometimes-annoying people known as your parents!
Happy Holidays however you celebrate them. May the end of 2022 be healthy and joyful for all of you!