Thinking of College?

[obbay]

seeing some threads about skills videos piqued my curiosity as to what College coaches were looking for in Skills Video, so I e-mailed a DI coach to ask what they wanted to see. the cut and paste response below:
1) Skills video - seriously, how long is too long? Everyone likes to watch their own daughter play, but what do you as a coach really want to see?
*Skills video really doesn’t need to be that long 5-6 minutes max. I would say throwing pitches, ground balls, no bunting, some running, and some hitting. Keep it very simple for us (and you!).
2) At what age do you start looking at players?
*Right now I am recruiting the 2016 and 2017 class. I usually don’t take a verbal from a kid unless they are a STUD throwing 70….I feel that age is so young to be really making a big move like this and I want them to get to know me, my university, and my program.
3) If her team (U14) is playing in an exposure tournament, should I let you know?
*Yes, let me know. I usually don’t go to 14u unless the grad year is playing there. A lot of 2016-17 kids are playing 16 gold or 18 gold.

Not trying to define what is right and wrong, just trying to help get started. This is one coaches opinion, if you haven't started thinking abpout it yet, this may help you start in a good direction. My DD will be Class of 2018, so I have time to not screw it up.

 

[slingnit]

Stud throwing 70? Kind of a reach even for a college coach to say. imo lol

 

[Jquick823]

Slingnit, i agree. How picky are you as a coach that you need to see 70? Unless this is a Top 25 team i'm thinking an 8th grader throwing 60 is getting a lot of mail. Goldfastpitch.com proves the 2018 class is being recruited. You can youtube most of the verbals on the site and see them in action. 70MPH??? I guess rickets grow on trees.

 

[Eric F]

Stud throwing 70? Kind of a reach even for a college coach to say. imo lol

I think the point was that they won't take a verbal unless the kid is at the very top of exceptional.

 

[obbay]

I thought it was clear but I guess not- her point about recruiting was " that age is so young to be really making a big move like this and I want them to get to know me, my university, and my program." which is a good, healthy, player-oriented approach. this is just one school's position on recruiting. even then, they're looking at HS Freshmen which is still pretty young.
My purpose for posting wasn't to say this is the way it is, period. It was to share what I found out from someone who is not a softball parent on the internet but actually does this as part of her real job.

That's fine that some schools will verbal 8th graders - what's a verbal worth (especially 5 years before enrollment)? I think it's not wise for parents to allow their 13 or 14 YO to commit to a college.

 

[Lenski]

Out In Left Field......a college coach can talk to any aged athlete during an unofficial visit. An unofficial visit is when an athlete is on a college campus at the players/parents expense. A college coach can tender an offer to an athlete during an unoffical visit. The only time a college coach cannot talk to an athlete on their campus is during a dead period. Here's a publication for your reading enjoyment.

http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/CBSA.pdf


Edited to fix incorrect sentence

 

[Lenski]

A camp or clinic at the school is treated as an unofficial visit. In reality this is where a kid can get noticed, then needs to follow up with emails, video's, etc. Combine this with coaches doing some leg work and now you have something. Also, the parents, coaches, and even the kids need to know the true ability of the athlete. This is where the biggest mistakes are made. I've heard way too many times how a kid is a D-1 talent, only to find out that kid heard nothing but crickets from D-1 schools. Happens all the time.