PLAYING FOR THE TOP GOLD PROGRAMS

[Sam]

Sam, I see you snuck in a token Pac 10 school.

You sure you didnt get some help from a real Gold program like the one NorCalGold's DD is on?

I coached her when she was younger....she eventually played for Myers and Marty. Awesome kid and player.

[DDG]

Sam, You just proved NorCal's point.

The Pac 10 kid - it didn't matter who she played for when she was younger.

[TXfastpitchsoftball]

Here in Texas you frequently will see a "top" Gold program taking credit for getting a kid recruited to the Big XII, SEC, Southland Conference, Conference USA, etc., when the kid actually was discovered and recruited while playing for a second-tier program. Only after an offer is made, or she has verballed, does she switch teams; usually at the request of her future college coach. Then the new team always takes the credit without every mentioning her prior travel team.

[ocdad]

Sam, I see you snuck in a token Pac 10 school.

You sure you didnt get some help from a real Gold program like the one NorCalGold's DD is on?

I coached her when she was younger....she eventually played for Myers and Marty. Awesome kid and player.

This is a question I have been wanting to ask for awhile now. Obviously this girl could play, which is why Myers would want her on his team, because she definitely had the potential to be a DI player. Am I to believe that if this girl, with all of her talent, wouldn’t have gone to a DI school without going to Myers & Marty?

Let’s say Sam kept her the whole way through, you guys are telling me she doesn’t get a sniff from the DI coaches.

JMO, but I have always thought the top organizations have always done a great job recruiting elite players from other organizations that help continue the theory that these organizations are the only way to a DI school. I have seen all the post on here of National winning teams changing over to the top organization, all those girls got there without the “top organization” now that top organization acts like the only reason that team & players are good is because they are with them and the only reason why those girls will go on to a DI school.

I was just curious about everyone’s thoughts on this.

Should I just put my girl in rec and just save all the money it cost to be in the "top organization" because I bet if you calculate it out, it might actually be cheaper. I have heard outrageous fees being collected by these organizations.

[Blind Squirrel]

If a kid is good enough to play on a "top" gold team, she can play for any team that goes to exposure tournaments and college coaches will go out of their way to see her, assuming the kid does the proper homework (emailing coaches with her schedule, etc.). When my kid started in 18G she played on an average team that routinely played at satellite fields. She was seen by coaches from the PAC-10, Big-10 and every other major conference. The most important thing is how a kid performs when being seen. (VERY IMPORTANT: you never know who may be watching at any point in time) Once sat near two D1 coaches from different schools. They were going through lists of players they had seen and were commenting on each one. If a coach is interested/curious about a kid, that kid will likely be seen regardless of field location or team/organization stature. Certainly kids on "top" gold teams will get more random looks. That I agree with.

John

[dodgerblue]

Fees for what, getting you recruited?

[ocdad]

Fees for what, getting you recruited?

Dues, any cost associated with playing for the organization. As someone suggested, you should get in those organizations early so it is easier to be a part of it at the older age groups. That is a lot of money to pay to get recruited, if you start at 12U or even 14U. I understand 16U & older.

[NORCALGOLD]

Oc dad,I would like to answer some of your questions.But,first I need to point something out that happens on this board alot it seems like anything anybody posts is taken as all or nothing.There is no variation it is either white or black no in between .Example you said " Am I to believe that if this girl, with all of her talent, wouldn’t have gone to a DI school without going to Myers & Marty?"
Sure she might have nobody knows.What I said in my original post was 2 or 3 schools div1 were looking at my DD (no offers) To in just a couple of weeks after we got on a top program 10 to 15 schools were very interested some with offers.
Also our coach was able to call the schools that we liked and find out how interested they were.
That top programs are expensive,the programs I have seen are all sponsered and we don't have to pay for bats ,cleats,uniforms,gloves ,sports drinks ect. I save a couple thousand every year on just those items.So I find some of these teams a bargain in comparison.With even lower dues than I had at 12s.
Also I did say top gold program which means anywhere in the U.S. not just socal.

[PlayingfortheOCB]

My advice would be to play on the best, most competitive team where your kid will get quality playing time.... she needs to be on the best team that she can make, playing in the big games late into tournaments, playing against the best teams....saying that, I would also say... for recruiting purposes... play on a Quality 16u team that will play "Gold" in the fall but will play 16s for Nationals. It worked for us.

We sent a lot of letters starting at 14u with the purpose of getting on the coaches radar. Every opportunity we sent "come watch her play letters", attaching games schedules and maps to the softball complex if it wasn't Huntington Beach... a few coaches came.

This past summer at 16s, DD got a ton of looks playing in Boulder and at 16 Nationals.... we had coaches talking to our coaches at Nationals and DD had 3 offers before leaving for home. When September 1st rolled around, the flood gates opened and the letters came in wanting us to set up unofficial visits. DD went our her visits, made her decision and hasn't looked back.

Over the course of our visits with the college coaches this past summer (camps) and fall (unofficial visits).... they all pretty much told us the same thing..... play 16s. They recruit 16s in Colorado and at nationals. With the college kids coming back to play and the Gold teams loaded with committed players, Gold Coaches go to 16 Nationals to recruit and Gold Nationals to watch their returning college players and their incoming recruited players who have already committed.

In the fall, when the college kids are in College and the committed players are not playing... the travel coaches are playing the younger players. The College coach knows this so they are out at the Gold Showcases watching the younger talent, knowing that the Big Kids will be back playing come qualifying time. So definitely want to be playing in the "Gold" exposure tournaments in the fall... Need to be on a good team that will be good enough to play Gold ball in the fall and still get on decent field assignment. Haning isn't going to put you in a premier location unless your team has some name recognition and it doesn't do any good playing "Gold" at a location that is 30 plus minutes away from the main complex. JMHO.

Anyways, just my observations and recommendations. My DD is done with her college recruiting. In the final analysis, no matter what team your kid plays on, she will still have to play the game, still have to make the plays, still have to come up big in the clutch and to perserve under the pressure.

Best of luck to all of our DDs!

[dodgerblue]

Dues, any cost associated with playing for the organization

My DD has been in TB since 10U and every single team has charged dues the only difference is as time goes on the dues do increase. So from average to the top programs the difference in "my case" not speaking for all was $10 more a month not a bad deal if you ask me.