emailing coach after attending camp

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Jun 17, 2014
97
8
My DD attended a college camp and wants to send a follow up thank you email. She is a 2018 and this is a mid-level D1. This is a school she would definitely be interested in attending but the response from the coaches was nothing that stood out - no clear indication of interest. They asked her to send her schedule but she said they asked everyone to do that. DD's TB coach knows the college coach and AC and sent the coaches a note prior to the camp telling them to keep their eye out for her. So after the camp, the HC also told her that she would talk with her TB coach.

What I'm wondering is this: Now that she's attended the camp, in the follow-up email that she sends, would it be OK if, along with thanking them for the camp and how nice it was to meet them, to say something like "I am definitely interested in attending your school and playing softball there. Do you have any feedback after seeing me at the camp to let me know whether you think this might be an option for me?"

Or is it too early and just better to just keep emailing with updates on her schedule, etc. -- will they ever say 'no' if it's 'no'?

Or, would it just be better for us to ask the TB coach to contact them to see what they thought and just send a simple thank you from DD without any questions about their thoughts on a future there.

Thoughts?
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Sending a follow up thank you note after a camp is always a good idea, but I would like to suggest a hand written note. It will stand out from the 100's of emails a college coach receives every day. When my DD was going through the recruiting process we had some postcards printed with a collage of pictures on the front. It allowed her to catch the coaches attention and the limited writing space kept the notes short and sweet.

KCH - thank you postcard no email.jpg
 
Jun 17, 2014
97
8
Sending a follow up thank you note after a camp is always a good idea, but I would like to suggest a hand written note. It will stand out from the 100's of emails a college coach receives every day. When my DD was going through the recruiting process we had some postcards printed with a collage of pictures on the front. It allowed her to catch the coaches attention and the limited writing space kept the notes short and sweet.

Thanks, I like that idea. What about asking them flat-out about their interest - would you suggest that or not?
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
Thanks, I like that idea. What about asking them flat-out about their interest - would you suggest that or not?

Good question. I would think that a mid-major D-I team is either full for the class of 2018 or down to 1-2 spots and could give a pretty good answer of what they're seeking and whether your DD is a realistic option.

Was at a mid-major D-I camp last month where a 2018 pitcher flatly asked the coach after the camp whether she was still recruiting 2018 pitchers. Coaches said no, that she thought this player could pitch at that level but isn't on her radar unless something changes unexpectedly. Kinda liked how that worked.

So I would say yes, ask away. But not saying that from first-hand experience.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
I'll also add that how well they can answer might depend on how many they are taking in the '18 class. Some schools plan to take a very specific number, say 5-6, and they will be able to tell you pretty specifically where you stand if you're a junior. But others will haul in 9-12 players. That's going to be more up in the air.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Thanks, I like that idea. What about asking them flat-out about their interest - would you suggest that or not?

I think your DD can inquire with the coach on their level of interest. My DD's top-10 list was constantly changing based on schools that showed interest and ones that waned. While we hated to eliminate any schools from contention, there is only so much time and money, and we needed to spend both wisely.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Was at a mid-major D-I camp last month where a 2018 pitcher flatly asked the coach after the camp whether she was still recruiting 2018 pitchers. Coaches said no, that she thought this player could pitch at that level but isn't on her radar unless something changes unexpectedly. Kinda liked how that worked.

While no one likes to be told "no", in the long run a player is much better off spending her time and effort on schools that have a genuine need and interest in her skill set.

I would also like to point out that a schools recruiting requirements can change at any moment. A mid-major D1 may think they are set for a 2018 pitcher, when all of a sudden the player they had committed changes her mind and goes a different direction, opening up a spot. There is a "domino effect" that always seems to take place right before NLI's are signed.
 
Last edited:
Jun 17, 2014
97
8
It seems to me that it would help everyone - players and coaches alike - to be upfront about someone's status at a school. That way the coaches aren't getting a bunch of email from a kid that they aren't interested in, and the kid isn't spending time barking up the wrong tree!

edited to add: I wonder if the pitcher hadn't asked the question, whether she would have been told that or not.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
It seems to me that it would help everyone - players and coaches alike - to be upfront about someone's status at a school. That way the coaches aren't getting a bunch of email from a kid that they aren't interested in, and the kid isn't spending time barking up the wrong tree!

edited to add: I wonder if the pitcher hadn't asked the question, whether she would have been told that or not.

Unless a coach has a player verbally committed, they probably have a "wish list" with 3-5 players on their white board. They would love to get their #1, but if they don't get her they would like #2, then #3, ect. Unless your DD is #1 on a teams white board and they are "all in" on recruiting her, it is in a coaches best interest to string a player along until the chips fall into place.
 

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