Fastpitch Softball Recruiting Myths Exposed

Today's world of fastpitch softball is an extremely competitive market. The explosion in the amount of young athletes now participating in our beloved sport is unbelievable! With that comes the added pressure of competing for the beloved college scholarship.

In today's discussion I will talk about some common myths in the recruiting process. As a travel ball and high school coach for the past decade I have first hand experience in the recruiting world and have dealt with many recruiting adventures!

Myth #1: College Coaches will find you if you're that good. As I said in the opening, the number of young females now playing fastpitch softball is mind boggling. Now consider how many college coaches there are out there. Many coaches don't have the time to "stumble" upon the next great player. Showcase tournaments have become prime spots for college coaches to set up recruiting bases. At many of the premier showcase tournaments (Surf City, Fireworks, etc) there can be upwards of 100+ teams playing in one weekend. Many of these teams have girls who are recruitable playing. But that's not enough! The girls who are driven to get seen have been in contact with coaches, emailed schedules and even called. So to expose the first myth today: even if you are "that" good, you still need to market yourself to coaches.

Myth #2: If you get a scholarship it's a full ride. Colleges are only given a certain amount of scholarship money each year. Depending on what division they can get anywhere from 13 full scholarships to a handful. Now we all know it takes more than 13 players to make up a college team. Many carry upwards of 20-25 players. So what this translates into is coaches becoming smart with their money and splitting it over those 25 players. Yes, the full ride is out there but it's not a common practice among coaches.

Myth #3: If you don't play perfect they won't recruit you When a coach actually does show up to finally check you out, many players feel like they must hit homeruns or strike out every batter. That is simply not the case. College coaches most likely know what you're capable of on the field before they even take the time to watch you. What the coaches are looking for now are the small things: how do you interact with the team, how do you respond to adversity, how do you treat your teammates and even coaches/parents. If you do happen to blast a couple of balls or strikeout the side then the coach will likely feel it was a trip that was worthwhile!

Myth #4: Letters=Recruiting So you've opened the mail and found a letter from your favorite University. This doesn't necessarily mean that they are actively recruiting you. A school will have a list of potential players and send out "generic" letters to all of those players who they might be interested in. A player is being recruited when coaches actually contact players or take time to come watch you play. Letters=Interest!

Myth #5: Freshman year is too early to start the process. It's never too early to start looking at schools you might be interested in. The recruiting game has become so much more competitive that you don't want to ever fall behind. Girls are committing to schools earlier and earlier and it won't stop. The key is to set realistic goals and find schools that suit your interests in the classroom and on the ball field!

Myth #6: I have to be the best on my team to get a scholarship. How many times have we heard the story of a scout heading out to watch one player and ending up signing a different player. Coaches head out to find players they feel will fit the best into their program.

Myth #7: My coach will get me a scholarship. While many times it does come down to a coach, travel ball or high school, being able to help sell an athlete to a college coach, it is still up to the player. The player must make a video, contact coaches, promote herself as much as the coach does.

Hope you can take some good from these 5 major myths exposed! Till next time!