Is college softball for you?

[ BRAVES - There are many outstanding threads about it (recruiting) in our archives...some threads authored by college coaches.[/quote]

You know.....THAT would be a great resource to have available on the board, condensed and orgainzed of course. Have to consider that for sticky status.

 

You know.....THAT would be a great resource to have available on the board, condensed and orgainzed of course. Have to consider that for sticky status.[/QUOTE]

I agree---it would be a great time to bring those out

 

....sorry to bring up the rules of recruiting but I can tell you this for sure. A D1 college coach (and maybe this applies to all levels), can have a total of 3 conversations with a parent of a recruit.
If you go up to a "recruiting your DD coach" and ask him/her, "hey whats up with the football team getting waxed yesterday?"......Bam! thats one of your free 3.
Best thing you/we as parents can do is leave the coaches alone, period.
When the time to talk to them is right, you'll know.
Good luck.
Fish

 

I had an embarrassing moment a year or so ago at a Walnut Creek tournament involving a D1 coach. I was having a conversation with Donna Papa who, along with her pitching coach, Beverly Smith, are my favorite college coaches. (Although my favorite college player attends a different UNC school.) Anyway, while we were talking a HS player walks up and I said "here is that girl I was talking about." Donna immediately turned her back and walked away. It didn't take long for me to find out why. I apologized to her later.

Maybe it would be a good thing to hand out information sheets with "Do's and Don't's" concerning contact with coaches in attendance. I have a difficult time sometimes just navigating from one field to another without running into someone wanting to talk. And I'm insignificant; imagine the difficulty a college coach has.

Maybe someone could list those Do's and Don't's on here and maybe they'll get handed out at tournaments.

 

The answer is really simple

If you are a parent of a recruitable player at a tournament only speak to a coach when you are spoken to by that coach. The other rule is not to do anything to bring attention to yourself. Parents can get their DD unrecruited!!

 

As always Dukedog is right on the mark. Not only can you jeopordize your DDs prospects of getting recruited by talking to a coach you can jeopordize that coach's program and school. The absolute best rule of thumb is to not speak until spoken too and definately do not get into a conversation unless you're invited too.
As far as the bringing attention to yourself thing...again right on the mark. Here is an example...was at Dynamites in Columbia and was sitting in the stands talking to Beverly Smith from UNC. Sitting below us was the coaches from Campbell, Newberry, and i believe either Gardner-Webb or St. Augustine. We were playing against a team from Fla. (the Renegades i think). Early on in the game 2 dads(from the Fla. team and who were sitting beside 2 of the coaches) started to gripe about the strike zone. As the game progressed they got louder and more obnoxious to the point where the umpire said something. Nothing none of us haven't seen before. Well the umpire eventually had to threaten to throw them out so they went behind the dugout and continued to jaw. The ump mistakenly threw the coach out who was sitting in front of them and hadn't said anything (that we could hear) and one of the dads. Well in the mean time ALL the coaches had left the game but one. Beverly made this comment "Well someones kids aren't getting looked at today". Not only had those 2 dads ruined their teams chances of getting looked at but mine too (even though ALL of those coaches have came back since).
Bottom line is this, YES you have to market yourself (as the player). Don't let your parents do it. The college wants the player not the parent or the coach. (Have also heard a college coach say "do not argue calls, it takes time away from me seeing that kid"). BUT, you can hurt your DD's chances w/ a school by acting a fool at the field (or in the parking lot, or at the hotel or at the restaraunt, but that's a story for another thread)

to me here is a short list of Do's and Don'ts
Don'ts:
Make yourself the center of attention (for parents and coaches)
Carry your DD's equipment
Interject yourself in your dd's dealings w/ the team (i.e. moving their place on the field, hanging around dugout, talking to them ALOT before the game)
Walk up and start talking to a college
Make yourself bigger than the game
Act a fool at anytime during the weekend (you never know who's watching or when)
and as a player:
follow the above rules PLUS
Don't argue w/ coaches, players, or parents
Don't make out w/ your boyfried before a game behind the bleachers
Don't drag yourself around like you have no desire to be there
Don't beat yourself to death if you make a mistake...learn from it and apply it later
Do's:
Do support your DD to your fullest extent
Do support your DD's team and coaches (problems can be discussed later away from everyone)
Do handle yourself in a proper manner
Do be polite to a college if they choose to talk to you
Player:
All of the above PLUS
Support your teammates
Have confidence but not arrogance (they can tell the difference)
Hustle - ALWAYS
ENJOY the game!!!

JMO and i probably missed some

 

....PDaddy nailed it on the head! Nice info pal!
Fish

 

You never know....

Heard a story two weeks ago. College coach was watching a game and started talking to the team representative. College coach says they are looking for a 2010 'athlete'. Team representative points out one of the girls on the team and says you need to check her out, she has a good glove, great arm, works hard, and has decent speed. When the girl comes up to bat, the college coach gets out their stopwatch. Girl hits a pop fly to second base and jogs down to first. College coach puts stopwatch away, walked away, and didn't return...

I have also been told that college coaches can see more than enough simply watching the prospect(s) warming up with the team before the game.

As others have said, you never know who is watching or when. ALWAYS HUSTLE ladies!