What a Top SEC Coach Told Me About How She Recruits

[Southpaw729]

I had the pleasure of sitting next to University of Kentucky Head Softball Coach Rachel Lawson last July at the 18 Gold ASA Nationals in San Diego (if you recall Lawson's Kentucky Wildcats knocked Michigan from the tournament last year and came close to beating Cal to qualify for the Women's College World Series). During our game long 90 minute conversation I learned a whole heck of a lot about what a top SEC coach is looking for in a recruit.

Coach Lawson was there scouting, among others, two players from a Georgia based travel team she said she had seen play nearly 30 times. That's right...I said 30 times. I asked her why she had scouted them so many times in which she replied, "The decision to award any player at Kentucky a scholarship is such a big deal I can't afford to make a mistake."

Another interesting comment Coach Lawson made about her recruiting efforts is her emphasis on recruiting players who have a high level of mental skills. She indicated that they would teach new players the proper hitting, pitching or fielding mechanics once they got to Kentucky. However, if a player had a bad attitude or could not demonstrate the ability to focus, bounce back from adversity or play consistent softball they would be crossed off her list.

To Coach Lawson the rigors of playing in the SEC demand a high degree of scrutiny for all potential recruits to the program. Travel, academic commitments and the daily softball practices totaling four hours or more a day (including conditioning) can cause more players than not to fail under such pressure. Thereby Coach Lawson wants to have ample opportunity to observe potential players under all conditions.

Most interesting to me was when Coach Lawson told me that she observes how each potential recruit interacts with her teammates, her coaches, the umpires and her parents before, during and after the game. So prepare your daughter to be watched at all times by college coaches.

In short top college coaches are looking for skill, certainly, but they mostly want attitude, effort and composure; the ability to handle the pressure of the game, to be a consistent peak performer.

[sofbal1234]

Great post!!! Going to show it to DD's first thing in the morning! Thanks SP729

[jonriv]

I had the pleasure of sitting next to University of Kentucky Head Softball Coach Rachel Lawson last July at the 18 Gold ASA Nationals in San Diego (if you recall Lawson's Kentucky Wildcats knocked Michigan from the tournament last year and came close to beating Cal to qualify for the Women's College World Series). During our game long 90 minute conversation I learned a whole heck of a lot about what a top SEC coach is looking for in a recruit.

Coach Lawson was there scouting, among others, two players from a Georgia based travel team she said she had seen play nearly 30 times. That's right...I said 30 times. I asked her why she had scouted them so many times in which she replied, "The decision to award any player at Kentucky a scholarship is such a big deal I can't afford to make a mistake."

Another interesting comment Coach Lawson made about her recruiting efforts is her emphasis on recruiting players who have a high level of mental skills. She indicated that they would teach new players the proper hitting, pitching or fielding mechanics once they got to Kentucky. However, if a player had a bad attitude or could not demonstrate the ability to focus, bounce back from adversity or play consistent softball they would be crossed off her list.

To Coach Lawson the rigors of playing in the SEC demand a high degree of scrutiny for all potential recruits to the program. Travel, academic commitments and the daily softball practices totaling four hours or more a day (including conditioning) can cause more players than not to fail under such pressure. Thereby Coach Lawson wants to have ample opportunity to observe potential players under all conditions.

Most interesting to me was when Coach Lawson told me that she observes how each potential recruit interacts with her teammates, her coaches, the umpires and her parents before, during and after the game. So prepare your daughter to be watched at all times by college coaches.

In short top college coaches are looking for skill, certainly, but they mostly want attitude, effort and composure; the ability to handle the pressure of the game, to be a consistent peak performer.

This seems to be a common thread among college coaches- no matter the conference or the level- attitude DOES matter. How you interact with your parents and teammates DOES matter. How you handle adversity and failure can be as important as your abilities- character Does matter

[gunshy]

Great info that every player (and parents) who wants to play in college should read. These comments mirror what I have heard for the last 3 seasons on the exposure trail. I have not had a single coach ask me for a batting average, fielding average or an era for any of my players. The first questions asked are almost always; How are her grades?, Has she taken the SAT or ACT and what were her scores?, How long has she played for you?, Is she coachable? How is she in the dugout?, How is her work ethic with the team and on her own?. These same coaches spend just as much time watching us warm up from a distance as they do watching us play games.

[Gone in 2.6]

I had the pleasure of sitting next to University of Kentucky Head Softball Coach Rachel Lawson last July at the 18 Gold ASA Nationals in San Diego (if you recall Lawson's Kentucky Wildcats knocked Michigan from the tournament last year and came close to beating Cal to qualify for the Women's College World Series). During our game long 90 minute conversation I learned a whole heck of a lot about what a top SEC coach is looking for in a recruit.

Coach Lawson was there scouting, among others, two players from a Georgia based travel team she said she had seen play nearly 30 times. That's right...I said 30 times. I asked her why she had scouted them so many times in which she replied, "The decision to award any player at Kentucky a scholarship is such a big deal I can't afford to make a mistake."

Another interesting comment Coach Lawson made about her recruiting efforts is her emphasis on recruiting players who have a high level of mental skills. She indicated that they would teach new players the proper hitting, pitching or fielding mechanics once they got to Kentucky. However, if a player had a bad attitude or could not demonstrate the ability to focus, bounce back from adversity or play consistent softball they would be crossed off her list.

To Coach Lawson the rigors of playing in the SEC demand a high degree of scrutiny for all potential recruits to the program. Travel, academic commitments and the daily softball practices totaling four hours or more a day (including conditioning) can cause more players than not to fail under such pressure. Thereby Coach Lawson wants to have ample opportunity to observe potential players under all conditions.

Most interesting to me was when Coach Lawson told me that she observes how each potential recruit interacts with her teammates, her coaches, the umpires and her parents before, during and after the game. So prepare your daughter to be watched at all times by college coaches.

In short top college coaches are looking for skill, certainly, but they mostly want attitude, effort and composure; the ability to handle the pressure of the game, to be a consistent peak performer.

They all want different things. There are coaches that have offered full rides to players without having seen them play first hand.

Agree the stuff about attitude is big. I've talked to coaches that watch players interact with their parents between games. It can be very telling apparently

[NORCALGOLD]

Remember none of those traits mean anything. If first and foremost you don't have the
1. talent
2. ability
3. grades
to play softball at the level the this coach is recruiting for. These 3 traits are what matter most.
Everything after that is subjective and secondary to that particular coach.

[Battle]

Most interesting to me was when Coach Lawson told me that she observes how each potential recruit interacts with her teammates, her coaches, the umpires and her parents before, during and after the game. So prepare your daughter to be watched at all times by college coaches.

In short top college coaches are looking for skill, certainly, but they mostly want attitude, effort and composure; the ability to handle the pressure of the game, to be a consistent peak performer.

Good post...As the Tennessee coach told us “We are looking for character, not characters”.

[jonriv]

Most interesting to me was when Coach Lawson told me that she observes how each potential recruit interacts with her teammates, her coaches, the umpires and her parents before, during and after the game. So prepare your daughter to be watched at all times by college coaches.

In short top college coaches are looking for skill, certainly, but they mostly want attitude, effort and composure; the ability to handle the pressure of the game, to be a consistent peak performer.

Good post...As the Tennessee coach told us “We are looking for character, not characters”.

Great quote!

[jestwonder]

Thank you for this information not that we don't share this with our dd's but really are they listening. Sharing your post makes it sooo much more like true.

[rbi]

Remember none of those traits mean anything. If first and foremost you don't have the
1. talent
2. ability
3. grades
to play softball at the level the this coach is recruiting for. These 3 traits are what matter most.
Everything after that is subjective and secondary to that particular coach.

Well, with so many high level talented kids running around, you bet your ass you better have those other traits..... Sure 1,2 and 3 are crucial but, you better have 4 through 10 as well, such as seeing how you interact with parents and teammates, see how you react to failure, etc etc...

PARENTS are no exception to this rule as well.

Lots of very talented kids playing softball..

Like I told my kid, from the time you get out of the car at tournament until you get back in the car after day is done, your on candid camera baby, so its up to you how you act as they WILL be watching.