Five Ways To Raise Your Recruiting Stock This Fall
With autumn here and fall ball in full swing, uncommitted club softball players around the country are attempting to raise their recruiting stock in front of the college coaches who are scouting them this season. How are they doing so? In myriad ways, but we’ve found that the five ways listed below are relatively foolproof in terms of helping players get noticed and stay on the radars of the coaches they want to be seen by.
See below for five ways to raise your recruiting stock on the softball field this fall.
Use Your Voice
While your playing abilities can certainly attract the attention of college coaches, your voice and how you use it on the field can also let them know the type of player you are. Are you constantly reminding your teammates how many outs there are, cheering them on whether they are pitching or hitting, or bringing your team together in a huddle before the start of each half inning? If so, you are doing all the right things to help your voice be heard and remembered by onlookers and college coaches alike.
Be THAT Teammate
Sometimes coaches will remember how you treat others on the field more than how you perform on it. You want to be known as the kid who brings out the best in her teammates by being a constant source of support, no matter how you personally perform in a particular game. This type of behavior on the field also shows college coaches that you are mentally tough enough to compartmentalize your own personal performance for the good of your teammates, and thus, your team’s overall success.
Stay Persistent
Be sure to email your tournament schedule to the coaches you want to come see you play, as soon as you possibly can. College coaches often have dozens of players on their lists to see at each tournament they attend, so providing advance notice can make it easier for them to come see one or more of your fall games. It also shows them that you are organized, respectful of their time, and responsible, which will definitely bode well for you in the recruiting process.
Attend Camps And Clinics
Tons of college softball programs around the country host camps and clinics for prospective recruits to attend during the fall season. Attending a camp or clinic in the fall is a great way to get on the radar of the coaching staff of a college program you are interested in, and also to see the campus and get a feel for the team dynamics of a particular program, since the players from the hosting program typically work at camps and clinics as well. Ultimately, attending a fall camp or clinic shows the hosting college softball coaching staff that you are seriously interested in their program, and, at the very least, it shows them that you thought highly enough of their program to want to learn from them and their players.
Go The Extra Mile
Does your dream school have a fall game close to where you live? If so, go out and support the team. When a coach sees you in the stands at their team’s game, that shows them that you are willing to go the extra mile to support the team you hope to play for someday. A little extra effort can go a long way in the recruiting process.
