High school softball

[kibadbo]

We are talking about whether it matters for recruiting, right? Not what matters to the person reading the bio..those may be two different things. By the time the Bio is put out..the recruiting is done

The coach values putting their players in the best light for the general public and they may view putting HS accolades as best accomplishing that task. So yes, the coach does value the HS stats/accolades in that respect. If they predominantly used TB as their recruiting tool, and decided to put that information in the bio, what would they put? Sally hit bombs against another P5 recruit during PGF Nationals? Suzy's footwork at SS during the 18U Sparkler Power Pool play was off the charts?

If you look at the OU bios, some have some pretty extensive TB accolades as well. They probably all have standard forms which they fill out for these bios which include both HS and TB stuff. The players fill out what think is going to put them in the best light.

They usually have their parents names in the bios as well. Is that somehow important? I don't mean to be argumentative, but I just don't see how bios indicate the importance of anything.

 

[Hillhouse]

HS doesn't matter...that's what many people here swear by.

When DD got to college (a Div I school), I started paying more attention to college rosters and the player bios, and something stood out. The vast majority that I've seen talk about HS ball, including details about where they played, how they did (including stats), and the athletic honors earned. If travel ball is mentioned at all, it usually gets fewer words. Look at the Oklahoma softball roster, read the bios, and you'll see what I mean.

If HS doesn't matter, then why does it get such detailed attention in the biographies of some of the best players in the sport???

I'll tell you why. Because many, if not all, TB National tournaments don't list an All tournament team. So, what is a school supposed to list under the kid's bio? They list the HS attended and that the kid was all state, state champion, or whatever. I know when I played in the ASA's Boy's fastpitch nationals (The only one that existed for boys at the time), they didn't give out All American awards, MVP or MVPitcher awards. Perhaps that's changed now?

And I'm not saying that hardware the kid gets, trophy, plaque, certificate of being HS All State should be meaningless to the kid.

What I'm telling you, as both someone who has recruited players for colleges and now gets phone calls regularly from coaches about pitching prospects is, not a single word of HS ball is mentioned in any case.

 

[_MIA_]

They usually have their parents names in the bios as well. Is that somehow important?

Depends..if your father's name is Bo Jackson that probably helped you get on somebodies radar..

 

[Strike2]

What I'm telling you, as both someone who has recruited players for colleges and now gets phone calls regularly from coaches about pitching prospects is, not a single word of HS ball is mentioned in any case.

So you're saying that if a sophomore pitcher leads a HS team to a state / regional championship in a state such as Florida, Texas, or California, that's not a worthy thing to discuss with a college coach? Again, if the HS playing doesn't matter, that means the awards don't matter. If the awards don't matter, why mention them?

 

[sluggers]

For 99% of the kids, recruiting is based on the player's "sales job" and the coach's "due diligence".

The reputation of HS softball teams and TB teams has about the same affect on recruiting. Your kid is the #1 pitcher for Chino Hills, the #1 HS softball team in California? Interesting. Your kid is the #1 pitcher for Carmi, IL, the top HS in White County, Illinois? Not so much.

Because the HS season in most states is the same as the college softball season, college coaches rarely show up for regular season games. They will show up at the state championship games.

HS stats don't matter unless it is something extraordinary...like setting a statewide HS strikeout or home run record. TB stats matter even less.

College coaches rely on:

1. Skills video.
2. Recommendations of people who know softball.
3. In person observation of the kid.

FOR RECRUITING--most of the other stuff is a "teaser" to get the coach to look at the video.

 

[uncdrew]

I agree. Many states have high schools that are Travel Ball all-star teams. California and Texas are two other states that come to mind. DD's HS was like that. There were some pretty good players who hardly got off the bench.

Georgia has a bit of that. Girls on top TB teams all get "softball" scholarships to same private school.

My girls will play HS softball because they love it. All about being with friends, repping the school, and forming bonds. And for the younger DD who has more promise, potentially breaking some HS records.

 

[Eric F]

So you're saying that if a sophomore pitcher leads a HS team to a state / regional championship in a state such as Florida, Texas, or California, that's not a worthy thing to discuss with a college coach? Again, if the HS playing doesn't matter, that means the awards don't matter. If the awards don't matter, why mention them?

Marketing. Space filler.

If HS mattered, college coaches would ignore players on low-level HS teams.

 

[_MIA_]

I will say this. I once went to a HS game because I wanted to see a particular kid play. She was clearly the best player on her team..and she acted like she knew it (and not in a good way). Of course an AC at the school she now attends was there so obviously he didn't care (probably because he knew she wouldn't hold that distinction when she got to his team ).

Edit: I guess my statement also showed that Big Name U sent an AC to a random HS game (doesn't hurt that Big Name U
was 5 minutes from the HS game which was played in the Fall)

 

[Westwind]

I don't see why anybody is relating what is put in a bio and what the respective coach valued in the recruiting process. Wouldn't the player dictate most of what is put in there?

Was a few days behind and I got this far before I had to respond…

Pattar is right, the college coaches don’t care. They might marginally like that a kid was on a hs championship team but it really isn’t what they are looking for.

The only reason *I* think hs stuff is in college bios is so there is something to put in bios.

College teams can’t look like they are schilling for certain travel teams. Totally bad form.

 

[Westwind]

Marketing. Space filler.

If HS mattered, college coaches would ignore players on low-level HS teams.

Then I saw this.

Eric F said it better than me.