- I do think video is being used more to identify recruits. I am not talking about the traditional 3 or 4 minute skills video. I am talking about shooting some swings at batting practice or a hitting lesson, pitches at a pitching lesson, game highlights (but not long sequences that include pitch taking and foul balls), etc. Video analysis is used so much now in college softball I believe coaches have become more comfortable in identifying prospects through video clips.
- I think exposure on X (formerly Twitter) can be over-estimated because many recruits don’t have coaches following them. I think it is fine to post skills clips on X, but I think it is more targeted to send your clips directly to schools. Just posting on X is lazy in my opinion.
- I still think personal communication through email is more effective than just posting on X. Email is targeted and it tells the school you are interested in them. They read emails even though they can’t respond until you are a Junior. Write to the schools you are interested in 2x a month off season and weekly when you are in season. Keep it brief, upbeat and informational. Include some video clips from a recent hitting, fielding or pitching lesson.
- Get an honest assessment of how your skills look on video. Prior to posting or emailing skills clips, ask your coach his or her opinion. I like to critique our players video clips before they are posted or emailed. Some good players just don’t look their best on video.
- Metrics are emphasized much more now in recruiting. I have used metrics for 15 years to help drive my player selection. Colleges definitely have gone more in that direction now. I am not just talking about the independent groups who take metrics like OnDeck. Many schools now take metrics on their campers to help them identify exceptional bat speed, arm strength, exit velo, etc.
- I do believe many high schoolers are now training to do better with their metrics which I think is a logical response to the recruiting trend. Getting faster, throwing and hitting harder, never seems like a bad idea, right? If you don’t know what good metrics for D1 candidates look like you should educate yourself. The info is out there. Pull up the OnDeck site and look at some of the measurements from the Elite Camps and see how yours compare.
- Remember, metrics are nice, but you still have to be able to play good softball. There are plenty of show ponies out there that can’t hit a moving pitch. The better college programs evaluate in game performance before moving on a recruit.
- Nothing helps your recruiting process more than having multiple schools interested in you. This is hardly a revelation, but schools generally only move on a recruit as fast as they have to. If only one school is recruiting you it is hard to leverage your position. Unfortunately, things aren’t that easy in practice. All you can do to ensure multiple schools will be interested is (1) be real good; and (2) make sure you are communicating with multiple schools.
- Camps can be useful for recruit identification purposes, but they seldom finish the job for the recruit. Get on a good team and play in tournaments that coaches attend. Good competition makes you a better player if you take the clues about what needs improvement. There are kids with such compelling physical skills and size that they can shortcut the process a bit by focusing on camps rather than competition, but it is not that common IMO. Still no substitute for good performance in front of coaches against good competition.
- I do believe with the passing of the covid year there is more money in the system for high schoolers. However, the transfer portal is being utilized so many schools are not committing all available money to their high school recruiting classes. I think things are generally getting better for high schoolers than it has been, but I believe it varies on a school-by-school basis.
- Roster sizes in college are still large so players have to be prepared to compete when they get to school. Trying to get a read on the roster that you might be joining is difficult to do when you factor in the transfer portal. Rather than looking for the perfect path to playing time, your best bet is to keep skill building and expect the unexpected.
- I do think that truly elite players can be recruited to just about any school in the country no matter where they come from. This has changed quite a bit since I first got involved in softball. In the early 2000s, most great national recruits came from CA. Now just some do. There are a lot of reasons for that, but camps, indoor training in colder climates, and video/internet have opened up the landscape quite a bit for kids from our area.
- Good grades are always a plus.
- Passion emanating from the player for softball and improvement make a big difference. As the competition increases as you get older in club, a player has to welcome the challenge and the grind to be better. It can’t be strictly parent driven, that won’t hold up over time. We have all seen talented kids give up the sport at 16 or 17 because it isn’t what they want. That’s fine, free country. Getting recruited is hard, playing in college is harder. If you don’t want it badly, it probably won’t happen. Even if you get recruited, it will be hard to succeed in college.
- If you have been doing this 28 years like I have, it is almost startling how much more skilled players are now than they used to be. Not necessarily at understanding and playing the game, but faster bats, stronger overhands, etc.
- This has become an expensive “hobby”. Tournament entry fees are quite high compared to even 5 years ago. Everyone is doing private lessons. Some are hiring personal trainers. Hotels and rental cars have been caught up in the inflationary spiral. As a general rule, I won’t ask our teams to jump on airplanes unless we know there will be coaches there. If you have money spend it however you’d like, if you are on a tight budget get in a club program that knows what it is doing. That way if you have to spend some money you will get the most bang for your buck.
