Recruiting - how much does coach watch you play?

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radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
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I'm curious about how much a college coach watches a girl they're considering recruiting? For instance, one coach has come to 2 of DDs games but has only stayed 2 innings each time. Is that typical? Can they see everything they need to in just a couple innings? I had thought they would stay for the whole game.
Good topic!

Part of the answer includes how much the player is showing interest in the college.
* Specifically~ regarding going to the college camps.

Have noticed consistently that best connections are made
when players invest their time in the college,
by attending camps.
That interest by the player can gain interest by the college.
Which can create interest by both parties.
*Have noticed then college coaches will invest their time coming to watch!

Additionally if there is more than one player on a team that is interested in the same College coaches will invest more time to seek out watching all of the players of Interest.

That is one of the major reasons it's important to have an entire team that has the same goal and is actively pursuing it. Meaning emailing/camp attendance encourages the college coach to be able to come out and spend their time in a quality way.
All the players don't have to want to go to the same College but if there are several that are interested in the same College it certainly can influence.
 
Last edited:
Jul 14, 2018
982
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She should email the coach with information concerning her grades (assuming they are good), it's a good excuse to get in touch.

This is good advice. When you’re in the offseason, there’s not much to communicate softball-wise. But potential student athletes need to be admitted to the school, so anything that helps with the admission process should be of interest to a coach. This includes marking period grades, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, even other sports.

Always good to have a reason to reach out. I forget who it was, but an Oregon player giving recruiting advice last spring was quoted saying ‘Stalkers get schollies’


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radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Another part of the answer is the time
college coaches have available to them in a one or two day visit watching a tournament. Unfortunately they might have to split their time watching teams games on different fields.

Pending the position of the player it's easier to watch pitchers and catchers because they are actively participating pretty much in every inning. While other positions defensively they may not even get to see a player make a play during a game. This is where being a hitter and a good hitter is critically important because that time you come up in the lineup might be within the 20 or 30 minutes they have to watch that players game.

Because of the unexpected reliability of being able to see a player in their defensive capabilities this is where going to a camp can be an influence. Because they will get to see that defense in action.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
The coach did mention a camp but it's several months away and I'm a little worried if we wait till then it will be too late because she does have a couple 2024s committed already. She has not had a phone call with the coach. Coach has not specifically asked for any academic information but DD has mentioned a couple times her classes and grades.
I wouldn't worry about being left behind. D3's will keep getting commits the summer AFTER Seniors graduate. DD committed fall of Jr year, which was more common 5 years ago than today. Believe it or not college coaches kept asking about DD even though they knew she had already verballed. Even some D1's during her Senior year. Had me second guessing for a while.

Ball is in your DD's court. Keep texting coach. Establish rapport. Set up a phone call to express interest. You will know if the love is reciprocated.

As far as coaches watching a few innings here and there. That's what they do. The original coach that saw DD, he saw a few swings and some catching work. That's all he needed to see. Asst coach would be at 2 more showcases following her around. Coach needed to know that she could easily get accepted to school (Top 10%) before he would grant an on campus tour. Before we drove up to the school, TB coach asked me if she got an offer would she accept. TB coach and college were talking behind the scenes. There is tremendous value with a tenured TB coach who knows all the college coaches on a personal basis. Pretty cool when he would call up D1 coaches to look at a player and they show up.
 
Nov 15, 2019
324
43
I wouldn't worry about being left behind. D3's will keep getting commits the summer AFTER Seniors graduate. DD committed fall of Jr year, which was more common 5 years ago than today. Believe it or not college coaches kept asking about DD even though they knew she had already verballed. Even some D1's during her Senior year. Had me second guessing for a while.

Ball is in your DD's court. Keep texting coach. Establish rapport. Set up a phone call to express interest. You will know if the love is reciprocated.

As far as coaches watching a few innings here and there. That's what they do. The original coach that saw DD, he saw a few swings and some catching work. That's all he needed to see. Asst coach would be at 2 more showcases following her around. Coach needed to know that she could easily get accepted to school (Top 10%) before he would grant an on campus tour. Before we drove up to the school, TB coach asked me if she got an offer would she accept. TB coach and college were talking behind the scenes. There is tremendous value with a tenured TB coach who knows all the college coaches on a personal basis. Pretty cool when he would call up D1 coaches to look at a player and they show up.

Yeah, with the other D3s and NAIAs that DD is talking to they're not as far ahead in the process as her 1st choice school is. To our knowledge none of the other schools have any 2024s verbally committed yet. So we really weren't worried at all until we saw 2 committed to her top choice on twitter. Twitter is so anxiety provoking!!

DD has been trying to come up with reasons to text the coach but how often do you text? I don't want to appear like she's going to be a high needs player. I think after Thanksgiving she is going to ask about a phone call. Are these usually regular phone calls or over zoom?

Thanks for sharing your dd's experience!
 
Mar 8, 2016
313
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In talking with with several D3s regarding the players on the team I help coach they are completely full for 23s and mostly full for 24s. There is always room for a pitcher or very talented player. I am not sure why they are so far ahead of the typical recruiting time-line. Most of these teams have rosters in the high 20s or low 30s. They also have 2 more years of potential super seniors.

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May 27, 2013
2,353
113
Yeah, with the other D3s and NAIAs that DD is talking to they're not as far ahead in the process as her 1st choice school is. To our knowledge none of the other schools have any 2024s verbally committed yet. So we really weren't worried at all until we saw 2 committed to her top choice on twitter. Twitter is so anxiety provoking!!

DD has been trying to come up with reasons to text the coach but how often do you text? I don't want to appear like she's going to be a high needs player. I think after Thanksgiving she is going to ask about a phone call. Are these usually regular phone calls or over zoom?

Thanks for sharing your dd's experience!

Dd had both - regular phone calls and Zoom calls. My ds who just went through the process had both, as well.
 
May 27, 2013
2,353
113
In talking with with several D3s regarding the players on the team I help coach they are completely full for 23s and mostly full for 24s. There is always room for a pitcher or very talented player. I am not sure why they are so far ahead of the typical recruiting time-line. Most of these teams have rosters in the high 20s or low 30s. They also have 2 more years of potential super seniors.

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2023’s make sense but 2024’s for D3? They still have a whole summer of recruiting left so I’m extremely surprised by that. Also, roster sizes of 20-30+? That means some will never see the field nor travel to away games. Just sounds a little odd to me. There was a college that was recruiting dd and the roster size was close to 30. Once we saw that it was an easy decision to cross them off the list. The coaches wound up leaving after one season - I had heard many players were not happy.
 
Mar 8, 2016
313
63
In my opinion, I think private D3s are "encouraged" to carry large rosters by the administration. There is a girl on the travel ball team who is hitting .150 for the fall season and just committed to a middle tier D3. According to her, the coach really likes her and really wanted her. You are correct half of the girls on the schools that carry a large roster will not see any significant playing time and a very high percentage will not stuck with it through 4 years.
I just looked through the 2023 rosters for several schools and only VWU had less that 25 on their roster.

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