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Softball ScholarshipsEvery year hundreds of university and college coaches go searching for a new group of talented softball players to recruit. And every year, these schools award millions in softball scholarships. The smarter athletes do not wait. To increase their chance of being recruited, they will be proactive, making contact with college coaches, and promoting themselves by their Junior year, if not sooner.
GRADES
ARE IMPORTANT! Your DD may be a great player, but the fact remains;
there are very few fully funded softball scholarships. So, many schools
will put together an academic and athletic package. These packages
obviously go to only the smartest students with the most athletic
talent. Bottom line? If she
can't cut it in the classroom, she won't be playing college ball, no
matter how great she is on the field. NAIA Financial
Aid
Recruiting Services JUNIOR
YEAR CHECKLIST:
Involve your parents in
your decision-making process.
Decide how close you
want to be to your home.
Decide on what level
(Division I, II, III) you can compete in college. Ask your high school
and summer league coaches for an evaluation of your ability. BE HONEST
WITH YOURSELF!!
Write softball coaches.
Personalize each letter. College coaches are turned off by form letters.
Return softball
questionnaires sent by college coaches as soon as possible. Delay
indicates lack of interest.
Make a softball
videotape. Many college coaches will request a videotape of your
softball skills.
Send high school and
summer league softball schedules to college coaches.
Be conscious of your
high school grades, the level of courses you take, the correct number
of courses and your rank in your class.
Schedule yourself to
take the SAT's.
Decide on which colleges
have your areas of study or interest. Be aware of "college nights" in
your area.
Start your
initial-eligibility clearinghouse.
SENIOR
YEAR CHECKLIST:
Follow up on your
clearinghouse eligibility.
Take or retake your
SAT's.
Start collecting college
applications. Be aware of deadlines.
Complete and mail
applications early. Let coaches know you have applied.
Follow up your contact
with college coaches with a phone call or note.
Narrow your choice of
colleges to five or six.
Decide on what colleges
to visit (remember - you may only make five official (paid) visits. Do
not make a decision unless you have visited the campus and met the
coach.
TIPS
ON RECRUITING
Develop a resume just as
you would if you were looking for a job. Although it's never too late,
the ideal time to start putting this together is the summer before your
junior year.
Begin with the basics -
name,address, telephone number, social security number and school. Then
list your athletic and scholastic accomplishments, plus any honors
you've received. Add any extracurricular activities in which you've
participated at this point.
Do some research. Check
the libraries for college reference books, then look to see which
schools offer a softball program that suits your needs.
Write interest letters
to coaches. To find the coaches names, call the schools' athletic
departments. If you can't get a particular name, address the coach by
title:
Head Softball Coach
Athletic Department
University Name
City Name, State Zip
Note in each letter that
you're interested in the schools athletic and academic program and fill
the coach in on your background. Enclose your resume and, if possible,
a letter of recommendation from a high school or summer team coach.
You'll most likely get a letter back with a questionnaire to fill out.
Make a skills tape
Have a parent or coach
videotape you in action. It does not have to be fancy, or done by a
professional.
WHAT
TO ASK DURING RECRUITMENT
ATHLETICS:
What positions will I
play on your team??
It's not always obvious.
Most coaches want to be
flexible so that you are not disappointed.
Describe the other
players competing at the same position.
If there is a former
high-school all-American at that position,you may want to take that
into consideration.
This will give you clues
as to what year you might be a starter.
Can I "redshirt" my
first year??
Find out how common it
is to redshirt and how that will affect graduation.
Does the school redshirt
you if you are injured?
What are the physical
requirements each year??
Philosophies of strength
and conditioning vary by institution.
You may be required to
maintain a certain weight.
How would you best
describe your coaching style??
Every coach has a
particular style that involves different motivational techniques and
discipline.
You need to know if a
coach's teaching style does not match your learning style.
What is the game plan?
For team sports, find
out what kind of offense and defense is employed.
When does the head
coach's contract end??
Don't make any
assumptions about how long a coach will be at a school.
If the coach is losing
and the contract ends in two years, you may have a new coach.
Describe the preferred,
invited and uninvited walk-on situation. How many make it, compete and
earn a scholarship??
Different teams treat
walk-ons differently.
ACADEMICS:
How good is the
department in my major??
Smaller colleges can
have very highly rated departments.
A team's reputation is
only one variable to consider.
What percentage of
players on scholarship graduate in 4 years??
This will tell you about
the quality of their commitment to academics.
The team's grade-point
average also is a good indicator of the coach's commitment to
academics.
Describe the typical
class sizes.
At larger schools,
classes are likely to be larger and taught by teaching assistants.
Average class size is
important to the amount of attention you receive.
Describe in detail your
academic support program. For example: Studyhall requirements, tutor
availability, staff, class load, faulty cooperation.
This is imperative for
marginal students.
Find a college that will
take the 3.000 students and help them get a 3.500 GPA.
Describe the typical day
for a student-athlete.
This will give you a
good indication of how much time is spend in class, practice, studying
and traveling.
It also will give you a
good indication of what coaches expect.
What are the residence
halls like??
Make sure you would feel
comfortable in study areas, community bathrooms and laundry facilities.
Number of students in a
room and coed dorms are other variable to consider.
Will I be required to
live on campus for all five years??
If the answer is yes,
ask whether there are exceptions.
Apartment living may be
better than dorm living.
FINANCIAL
AID:
How much financial aid
is available for summer school??
There is no guarantee.
Get a firm commitment.
You may need to lighten
your normal load and go to summer school in order to graduate in four
years. You can take graduate courses and maintain your eligibility.
What are the details of
financial aid at your institution??
What does my scholarship
cover??
What can I receive in
addition to the Scholarship and how do I get more aid??
How long does my
scholarship last??
Most people think a
"full ride" is good for four years.
Financial aid is
available on a one-year renewable basis.
If I'm injured, what
happens to my financial aid??
A grant-in-aid is not
guaranteed past a one-year period even for injuries.
It is important to know
if a school has a commitment to assist student-athletes for more than a
year after they have been injured.
What are my
opportunities for employment while I'm a student??
Find out if you can be
employed in-season, out-of-season or during vacation periods:
NCAA rules prohibit you
from earning more than the value of a full scholarship during the
academic year.
INITIAL-ELIGIBILITY
CLEARINGHOUSE
Why do I need to
register and be certified??
If you intend to
participate in Division I or II athletics as a freshman in college, you
must be registered with and be certified as eligible by the NCAA
Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Please note that initial-eligibility
certification pertains only to whether you meet the NCAA requirements
for participation in Division I athletics and has no bearing on your
admission to a particular Division I or II institution.
When should I register??
You should register with
the clearinghouse whenever you decide you would like to participate in
athletics as a college freshman. It's generally best to register
anytime before participation. If you register late you may face delays
that will prevent you from practicing and competing.
How do I register??
You will need to obtain
registration materials from your high-school guidance counselor. These
materials include a student-release form and a red brochure titled,
"Making Sure You Are Eligible to Participate in College Sports". Fill
out the student-release form completely and mail the top (white) copy
of the form to the clearinghouse along with $18 fee. Give the pink and
yellow copies of the student-release form to your high school to
forward your transcript to the clearinghouse. The high school will keep
the pink cop of the form for its files.
What if I have attended
more than one high school??
If you have attended
multiple high schools since ninth grade, each school will need to send
your official transcripts to the clearinghouse. You should give the
pink and yellow copies of the student-release form to the counselor at
the high school from which you will be graduating. You also will need
to make copies of this form and send them to the counselors at the
other schools that you have attended.
Are standardized test
scores required??
Qualifying test scores
are required for participation at both Division I & II
colleges. If you intend to participate at either a Division I or II
school, the test scores may be taken from you official high-school
transcript.
Update: NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse) All high school athletes wishing to compete in college at a Division I or Division II institution must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Information about the eligibility center can be found in the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. The NCAA national office does not handle initial eligibility certifications. Please do not contact the NCAA national office with inquiries regarding an individual's initial eligibility status, including whether transcripts, student release forms, etc., were received or about when you will be cleared. The NCAA Eligibility Center maintains and processes all of the initial-eligibility certifications. See the NCAA Eligibility Center Web Site VIDEOTAPING
YOUR SOFTBALL SKILLS
We want to see
everything you are capable of doing. If you play several positions,
show us footage of different skills. Please keep in mind, though that
we receive hundreds of videotapes each season and simply don't have
time to view excess and unneeded footage. We have given some guidelines
as to what we want to see and how many repetitions we'd like to see. In
what order you perform the skills makes no difference.
We recommend using the
zoom feature rather than moving in a position you may disturb the
fielder or hitter.
The entire tape should
only be approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
HITTING:
View from beyond
opposite batters box, facing the batter as they are in their stance,
close view. Full swings in this segment, if you have full swings from
both right and left side, please show both.
BUNTING:
Sac Bunts: View from
pitching circle, left and right sides, if applicable.
Bunt for Hit: View from
pitching circle, left and right sides, if applicable.
Drag Bunt: View from
pitching circle, left and right sides, if applicable. Slap Bunt: View
from beyond opposite batters box, left and right side, if applicable.
THROWING
AND CATCHING: (All Positions)
Fielding ground balls,
some directly at you, some to your right and left. Balls to your right
and left should be approximately 15 to 20 feet each way. Show the throw
to a base. (Note) Always have an angle to show the throw. DO NOT follow
the ball with the camera.
CATCHERS:
(Full Equipment)
Block ball in dirt, some
right at you, some to show lateral movement.
Field bunts and throw to
all bases.
Pickoff, show throws to
1st and 3rd base.
Steals, show throw to
2nd and 3rd base, with the fielder on the move to cover the base.
CORNERS:
Field bunts, throw to
1st, 2nd and 3rd bases.
At 1st base, taking
throws in the dirt.
At 3rd base, taking
throws from the outfield, making a tag.
MIDDLE
INFIELDERS:
Double play, pivot and
footwork.
Double play, feeds.
Shortstop, covering
second on a steal.
Second, covering first
on a bunt.
Fly balls overhead,
Texas Leaguer.
OUTFIELDERS:
Fielding fly balls, some
directly at you, some to your right, left and forward. Show the throw
to 2B, 3B and home.
PITCHERS:
Two Angles:
From behind pitcher.
From side of the
catcher.
Show 5 to 6 of each
pitch you have from each angle.
Fielding grounders and
bunts, throwing to all bases.
BASE RUNNING:
Home to first, after you
swing.
Home to home, after you
swing.
SLIDING:
Stealing 2nd or 3rd:
Show different slides
you are capable of doing.
Figure four, slide by
and head first.
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