The Ending Sophomore, Beginning Junior Year Checklist:
1. Involve your parents in your decision-making process.
2. Decide how close you want to be to your home and parents.
3. Decide on what level (Division I, II, III) you can compete in college.
4. Ask your high school and summer league coaches for an evaluation of your
ability.
5. Write introductory letters to college softball coaches.
6. Personalize each letter. (College coaches are turned off by form letters)
7. Return all softball questionnaires sent by college coaches as soon as
possible. Delay indicates lack of interest.
8. Make a softball skills videotape. (Many college coaches will request a
videotape of your softball skills)
9. Send high school and summer softball schedules to college coaches.
10. Be conscious of your high school grades, the level of courses you take,
the correct number of courses and your rank in your class.
11. Schedule yourself to take the SAT's. Have your PSAT scores available.
12. Decide on which colleges have your areas of study or interest.
13. Be aware of "college nights" in your area.
14. Start your initial-eligibility clearinghouse.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
6201 College Boulevard
Overland Park, Kansas 66211-2422
913-339-1906
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The Ending Junior, Beginning Senior Year Checklist:
1. Follow up on your clearinghouse eligibility.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
6201 College Boulevard
Overland Park, Kansas 66211-2422
913-339-1906
2. Take or retake your SAT's.
3. Start collecting college applications. Be aware of deadlines. Complete and
mail applications early.
4. Let coaches know you have applied. Follow up your contact with college
coaches with a phone call or note.
5. Narrow your choice of colleges to five or six. Decide on what colleges to
visit (remember - you may only make five official (paid) visits)
6. Do not make a decision unless you have visited the campus and met the coach.
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NCAA Division I & Division II Rules to Follow:
1.Coaches may not contact prospective recruits before Sept. 1st of the
players' junior year in high school. You can call or write but they cannot
call you or send any promotional softball material about their program.
2.Coaches may not contact you by phone or in person before July 1st after your
junior year.
3.Coaches may not talk to senior players at tournaments until their team has
been eliminated. They can talk to a family member, which will constitute an
official contact.
4.Coaches may only call prospective student athletes once a week. (You may
call them as often as you like.)
5.Coaches can only have 3 in person official contacts with a player. (Parents
talking to a coach is a contact.)
6.A player can only have 5 official visits. (You must be in your senior year
to take an official visit.)
7.Early signing period is during the 2nd & 3rd week of November of your senior
year; the next signing period is in April of your senior year.
Please remember it's great to receive letters from schools and coaches, but
most schools send out hundreds of letters to athletes. This is only the first
step in the recruiting process. So don't slow down on marketing yourself
because you are receiving some letters, no matter how interested the coach
seems. They are sending the same letter out to a lot of other athletes. There
are some athletes that will receive 50 to 100+ letters from different
colleges, and some schools do heavy recruiting knowing they don't have enough
scholarship money to go around. Most programs will only be recruiting 3 to 4
players a year.
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What To Ask During Recruitment Visits
Playing Softball for your College:
1.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.
2.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.
3.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?
4.What are the physical requirements each year?? Philosophies of strength and
conditioning vary by institution. You may be required to maintain a certain
weight.
5.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.
6.What is the game plan? For team sports, find out what kind of offense and
defense is employed.
7.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.
8.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:
1.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.
2.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.
3.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.
4.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.
5.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.
6.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.
7.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:
1.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.
2.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??
3.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.
4.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.
5.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.
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Videotaping Your Softball Skills
College Coaches want to see everything you are capable of doing. If you play
several positions, show footage of different skills. Please keep in mind, that
these schools receive hundreds of videotapes each season and simply don't have
time to view excess and unneeded footage. I have some suggestions as to what
they will want to see and how many repetitions.
In what order you perform the skills makes no difference. The entire tape
should only be approximately 5 - 9 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.