What do you do after a verbal?

[AndyS]

Once your DD commits then what do you do? This question may sound dumb but it is kind of weird for both of us. She is a 2016 so we have another two full travel seasons and one more HS season so it is a long way off. For those that have been through this what did you do? Specifically she is obviously staying in contact with the coaches but did others continue cultivating plan Bs in case something happens like a coaching change? She does not want to because she is worried about her current coaches thinking she is still looking and willing to go back on her verbal. And she absolutely loves the school, softball program, etc. But the paranoid in me wants to keep as many options warm as possible while being very honest with her commitment. She said ask on that forum thing you always read. So that is what I am doing!

Anyway just curious what others have done or are doing now?

 

[RubberBiscuit]

I kept DD into her exposure team BUT we did not do any "courting" with other schools. (some others pull their DD into a cheaper local team). All the coaches that came courting we honestly said we are "verballed" and they said "keep me in mind if anything happens". To me this was the right thing to do.

 

[riseball]

You keep showcasing and have a contingency plan. That way when the head coach retires and they hire a high school coach who hires his high school pitcher who never played college ball as his pitching coach you can go somewhere else. Not that that has ever happened to one of my players. You are verballed not signed. The verbal along with $2 will get you Coke. Keep after it!

 

[AndyS]

Thank you rise and RB. And riseball that is what I am worried about, things just happen. So she is going to continue on a national level team and continue being very upfront on the commitment but keep the dialogue going with other coaches. I just hope it all works it out because she really does love this school and after her visit kind of shutdown the process. I mean she went on her other visits but you could tell she felt like she had found her home. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Specifically she is obviously staying in contact with the coaches but did others continue cultivating plan Bs in case something happens like a coaching change?

I'm not sure what you meant by "staying in contact with the coaches" - hopefully it is more than simply sending periodic updates because that isn't enough. They really need to cultivate their relationship with the coach(es) and that requires some personal interaction on the phone and/or in person. This also allows them to sense if there is a change in the coach's attitude towards them that may indicate trouble.

Pay close attention to what the team is doing on the field and recruiting. Be concerned if the team is going in the toilet and/or the coach isn't recruiting as much as they were. The good news is you have less than a year until signing.

Other than that, she needs to prepare herself for college both academically and athletically. Being on a team that plays against an appropriate level of competition for what she'll encounter in college ball is important. It is very difficult to catch up after arriving because they won't get many game reps if they're not performing.

Anyone pursuing a plan B better have an answer prepared for if/when her coach finds out they're still talking to other schools. It would be safer for the TB coach to do it as a general 'looking out for their players' thing.

 

[AndyS]

I'm not sure what you meant by "staying in contact with the coaches" - hopefully it is more than simply sending periodic updates because that isn't enough. They really need to cultivate their relationship with the coach(es) and that requires some personal interaction on the phone and/or in person. This also allows them to sense if there is a change in the coach's attitude towards them that may indicate trouble.

Pay close attention to what the team is doing on the field and recruiting. Be concerned if the team is going in the toilet and/or the coach isn't recruiting as much as they were. The good news is you have less than a year until signing.

Other than that, she needs to prepare herself for college both academically and athletically. Being on a team that plays against an appropriate level of competition for what she'll encounter in college ball is important. It is very difficult to catch up after arriving because they won't get many game reps if they're not performing.

Anyone pursuing a plan B better have an answer prepared for if/when her coach finds out they're still talking to other schools. It would be safer for the TB coach to do it as a general 'looking out for their players' thing.

SoCal, thanks for the post. What I meant by contact with the coaches is email updates, phone conversations about twice a month, and she is visiting the campus again and attending their camp in January. I will talk to her though about your broader point about making sure she cultivates a relationship. Great points as well around making sure you arrive as prepared as possible.

Your Plan B points were the exact reason for this post. I will really stress staying close with the coaches both on the phone and in person to detect changes to my DD. Thanks again.

 

[JAD]

DD plans to continue working hard and make her college coaches glad they chose her! She also still has a chip on her shoulder for a couple of softball programs that decided not to offer. Our motto for the off season is "REGRET"....DD wants to make the coaches who decided not to offer her "regret" their decision!

We are still playing on a high level TB team with the goal of earning playing time as a freshman. We will play in showcases, but other players who have not verballed get preferential playing time. We will only attend the camps/clinics of the school she is verballed to. She sends periodic updates to the coaches to let them know what she is up to. Next update will be the first semester report card later this month.

 

[riseball]

DD plans to continue working hard and make her college coaches glad they chose her! She also still has a chip on her shoulder for a couple of softball programs that decided not to offer. Our motto for the off season is "REGRET"....DD wants to make the coaches who decided not to offer her "regret" their decision!

We are still playing on a high level TB team with the goal of earning playing time as a freshman. We will play in showcases, but other players who have not verballed get preferential playing time. We will only attend the camps/clinics of the school she is verballed to. She sends periodic updates to the coaches to let them know what she is up to. Next update will be the first semester report card later this month.

Although verballed, do not underestimate the ability of an elite level pitcher throwing heat to bring coaches in to see her teammates.

 

[29dad]

DD (2017 grad) and DW keep in touch with the coach. They talk on the phone every other week or so. We're planning a trip to campus to watch them play a few games next April. DD still has three full travel ball seasons so the wait will be difficult, but we're committed to having her play at the highest level against the best competition so that she enters college well prepared. We can't imagine things going south so we really don't have a plan B and DD is definitely done contacting other coaches, attending other camps, etc. DD will attend the summer camp at "her" school every year unless there is a conflict. DD will also go back every fall for an unofficial visit where she will get to know the other recruits, attend a football game, attend a class, etc. Her senior year that will turn into an official visit. So we're pretty much all in.

 

[slingnit]

Pretty much been covered.
-keep in contact with coach
-play at level that will prepare you for the college you will attend
- attend school's camp(s)
-keep taking ACT, SAT,.... Better score may mean more scholarship $$
-keep applying for scholarship money elsewhere. Any money you receive over 100% of college expenses will come off athletic scholarship. In return will help out a teammate(s). 2% will pay for books and can give a kid the experience of signing NIL.
-get in touch with girls in her recruiting class, players on the team, etc.... Social media makes it easy and there is a relationship before school starts.
-as a parent you can also reach out to other parents. Getting to know them ahead of time you get a feel for what kind of kid they raised and who your daughter will be spending the majority of their life with for the next 4 years.