Mr. Bucket Article Vol. IV--That Elusive College Scholarship

[Mr Bucket]

Getting that elusive College Scholarship, how is it done?

I have been asked this question over and over again over the years and have really put some deep thought into how it is done by all of us layman of the game of recruiting. There are those of us who kind of know and kind of have experience in helping players and parents do what will get them a college scholarship. But know this, there is no book on how to be recruited, no rules to read. It is an inexact science
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So coach how do I get recruited? Where do I start?

Your daughter better have good grades. It sure helps as some universities look at grades on the player profile sheets when they receive them first. Not saying you have to all be a 4.0 students but it sure helps as it could help your chances in getting a college scholarship. That is because with a 4.0 or around 4.0 the colleges can use some Academic Money for your daughter to offset Athletic Scholarship money and that gives a college more Athletic Scholarship money to give to other recruits. So STUDY HARD and get good grades. Colleges like good grades.

Got it, good grades really helps. What next coach?

Silly answer by me here really. Dad/mom your daughter must be a good softball player. Lessons, lessons, lessons. Whether they be pitching, hitting, fielding, catching, etc.. Lessons, get your daughter better. Practice, practice, practice. Get your daughter better. The college coaches are looking for players that can help them win games.

We are done with the basics, Get good grades and get good.

Grades are great and my daughter is playing great.

Where do I go from here?

FIND A REALLY GOOD TEAM THAT GETS COLLEGE EXPOSURE

Best now to find a team to play on that will get you in front of the College Scouts. This is not always easy to do. So many good players but not enough Elite Teams from Elite Organizations that get on the good fields at Showcases. Kind of the Good Ol’ Boy Network at work and that network is hard to crack.

Really have not found that ‘Team’ that will take care of getting my daughter on the best fields etc.. She is on a good team but the coaches are not really helping. What can I do?

Now you are where the flat out majority of players are who play Fastpitch Softball and are looking to get a college scholarship. You are on your own.

Now my article starts on how the layman unknowing parents help their daughter get a college scholarship.

COLLEGE CAMPS

You have to go to College Camps. Best way to be seen up close and personnel by a college coaching staff of a college your daughter wants to attend. You’ve already learned that you are not getting any looks from colleges at any of the tournaments or showcase tournaments you’ve been to. Now it is time to take charge getting your daughter in front of the college coaches. You must identify the colleges that your daughter wants to go to, that have her major, and are the part of the country she wants to be in for her four years of college.

Go to their website and find out what their schedule of Camps is. They can be anytime of the year. The camps can be cohosted by several colleges which can be good. Lots of college coaches. Or it can be only the college your daughter wants to attend. Make sure and not go to the camps that have 200 campers mostly 10years old. Those are money makers for the colleges. Find out if they have an Elite Camp of 40 or so campers with older and better players. Most colleges offer these camps. You must write your emails and show interest in the college you want to go to. This helps get invited or attend a college camp.

If your daughter does well at a college camp and attracts with her talent the coaches eye NOW you will see the college coach(s) at your showcase games, no matter where you play. Don’t have to be with a Big Boy Organization as you have done your work. And if they are there at your games that is a great sign. They are interested in your daughter for a college scholarship. The camp did it for her. Now she has to perform during her games. Relax. Deep breathes. Know that the college coaches were all in the same shoes themselves and understand how she feels. But she must perform as harsh as that sounds. They want to see her in real game conditions. Perform and she has a great chance of a COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP!

So camps are a great way to go?

Yes, and you control your daughter’s destiny not someone else if she performs. Know this route can be expensive.

Give me some other suggestions on how to get my daughter recruited?

RECRUITING SERVICES

Not a fan myself. Very expensive. But some can really get it done. Mostly scholarships to NAIA or lesser known universities.

EMAILS

I like this method. Start with an introductory email including your Profile and Player Skills Video Link. They may or may not read the email. Chances are they won’t. Now is the kicker to get them to hopefully notice you. You now send an email every Monday with your stats and hopefully a video of your game highlights of how you did over the weekend. Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease formula. Hum? Says the college coach. I keep getting these emails every Monday from this person. Must be very interested in attending our university. I am going to start taking a look.
Now you must perform again. Perform is really becoming a key word of this article. If you do well every weekend hopefully, and the coach starts looking at your emails, you have made a connection. You will most likely at some point hear from that college. Make sure and attend their camp, right!

RECRUITING TOURNAMENTS

There are a ton of these that promise lots of college scouts. These tournaments are not the showcases but tournaments put on by different Recruiting Companies around the country. They are businesses so they are making money off of you. But, they also provide college scouts an opportunity to see players and visa versa. These tournaments do lead to college scholarships.

My favorite is Max Preps. They do a great job getting college scouts to their events. For the precamp and tournament it can be expensive. College coaches are in the dugout for the games and run the precamps. So good exposure with the colleges. Many scholarships have come out of these company run tournaments.

PRE TOURNAMENT CAMPS

These camps are kind if hit and miss. These camps are one day and usually proceed a Showcase Tournament. They seem to be mostly another income for the tournament organizers. But some are good and have many college scouts. Perform and you may get some college scouts interested in your daughter and they may attend her games. This is a hit and miss method of college recruiting. Will cost money of course.

BEST OF THE BEST PRE TOURNAMENT CAMPS—THE ALLISTER ONDECK CAMPS

These OnDeck camps are run by Derek and Joann Allister. They are the best. They run camps that are well organized and because they do such a good job of running their camps they get the most college scouts you will see at a camp. Its amazing how many colleges attend their camps.

But there is a catch. You have to tryout for their OnDeck Camps and be invited to attend the camp. It is well worth doing the tryout and highly recommended to do so. Cost is low and if your daughter does well and performs she may be invited to the OnDeck Camp with tons of college scouts. Tryouts are listed on their OnDeck website.

Lastly you have noticed the word PERFORM many times in this article. It is my experience that as a parent you can talk all you want about how good your daughter is and how she deserves a college scholarship. But you as parents in the end do not control the getting of a college scholarship, your daughter does. She must perform to earn the college scholarship. As a coach it is very frustrating to hear parents complain that the coaches are not helping their daughter get a college scholarship. And why are all the other players on the team getting college scholarships when my daughter is not. It is all a matter of performance.

Do it at the right time, and be in the right place, and you have your college scholarship.

[Dowhatulike]

I must say this is probably the best explanation........I must say that I found out that schools also want video especially if you are getting recruited from the east coast or just trying to get in touch with a program in the east. VIDEO A MUST THESE DAYS, too many teams these days so stick out. I would say find a team that has coaches who have experience in the scouting area because it definitely is embarrassing watching a rookie Coach make a fool of himself in front of coaches who don't know how to showcase. Mr BUCKET GOOD JOB and good luck to everyone out there.

[NumeroUno]

Thanks for the article is has lots of great info.

[softball65]

I'm not an expert on this topic but I do have experience in the process. I'd concur with everything originally posted.

Only thing I have a slightly different perspective on is using a third party. My opinion is the more people that are talking to a coach about your kid, the better. If Coach A gets 5 calls in a week from 5 different people on Player A, seems to me that they would have a heightened interest. Don't fool yourself, your travel coach cares about his/her kid and if convenient they MAY reach out to a coach on your behalf IF they feel like it. Seen it up close more times than I can count. At least the paid recruiter service will call and often times they have cell numbers and direct lines and relationships. Most travel coaches have few relationship and if they have any at all its typically local or regional. National teams are different, most fo those coaches are former collegiate athletes and/or coaches and have a roledex. Their roledex is what you are interested in. Our Head Coach this past season was not a good coach at all, but she knew everyone int eh recruiting world. So if you can afford it, elicit every any any service you can to get people talking about your kid.

Another perspective to consider, who has the greatest vested interest in the outcome of the recruiting process? Answer is you and DD. So mom/dad, be actively involved in the process. Camps to me, should be the top of the list. Girls can talk to the coach, coach can talk to DD, and they can decide if they like one another. Can not happen anywhere else. Also if you ID a school, go to multiple camps over time, the coaches will base line the player and will measure their progression and ultimately assess their opinion of their trajectory. I think this is key. Go to camps, many and often.

A strong National program is #2 so that they can see DD play the very best. Good coach at this level is irrelevant and unlikely. They are leading a National team because of WHO they know, not what they know.

Have DD do things no one else is doing. Meaning EVERYONE is emailing and calling. Send personally hand written letters (as an example). Who doesn't like receiving one of those now a days? It shows interest and commitment and separates DD, at least initially, from the pack.

I hear stories of girls writing a coach once and their feelings being hurt that the coach, who gets 200 emails a day from 198 girls he/she does not know at all...because the coach doesn't write back and the player quits reaching out because the coach didn't respond. All I can say is grow up! If this is how you are going to feel, save yourself the time and energy and don't even bother writing a coach because DD is not recruit-able if she thinks she is the most important thing in the coaches day. A coach will write back if and when they feel like it and then only if it benefits them, because if they wrote back 200 girls a day 7 days a week, they'd be able to do nothing else. Keep at it, update the coach on who you are and your accomplishments. What can YOU bring to the program that should make them listen? 98 out of 100 coaches will tell you they care (obviously) what you can do for them as a player but they care more about WHO you are and if you are going to fit the culture of their team and contribute to the growth of the program. IF DD is so self absorbed to think that Coach X owes her a response because she wrote once.....do not waste your time in the recruiting process.

This last one is a bit cynical but I highly recommend it. If DD commits to JUCO, feel free to tell anyone you want. D2 or NAIA, same thing....these won't fire up the jealousy emotions. D1.....start being careful who you tell. SEC/PAC12....or any of the big 5 conferences (PAC 12, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, and ACC) don't tell anyone about the commitment, it will make life sooooooo much easier for you. It will amaze you how many people, once you tell folks that DD is going to Alabama or LSU or UCLA, etc. just how they will break DD down mercilessly and justify why their kid isn't going there. And it will come in numbers that will shock you. Don't beleive me....just try it. The higher up the softball food chain she commits, the more negative BS you will receive. I wish someone had told me this.