While you will hear percentages offered, it is tracked in dollars. Coaches have an allotment of dollars to award to players - their offer can cover tuition, books, room and board (dorm and meals) and even include some for living expense. Coaches can also offer roster spots without offering dollars, that is referred to as a preferred walk-on. In this, case the player receives no monetary assistance but is rostered on the team and can compete for playing time and even be given scholarship money her sophomore and later years.

This is a good time to mention that athletic scholarships are annual. They are renewed each year and have the opportunity to increase or decrease annually. Often a coach will offer an incoming freshman $1500-$3000 and let them know that they can earn more each year that they are in the program and continue to work hard and contribute. Should a player get injured to the point they can no longer player their scholarship can be discontinued.

Many softball programs are not fully funded either. Depending on the school many will have less than the maximum 12 scholarships to offer.

Division 2 programs have a maximum of 7.2 scholarships to award. The same rules for awarding scholarship amounts at the DI level apply to D2.

Division 3 programs have no athletic scholarships to award. The coaches offer roster spots and in some cases hold tryouts in the fall to comprise their roster. Often DIII programs require the players to fund raise to pay for travel and expenses.

NAIA programs have a maximum of 10 scholarships to award. NAIA schools often have JV teams in addition to varsity.

Tip: There are recruiting rules college coaches must follow. For example, they are not allowed to reply to any communication (email, text) etc. until the start of the players junior year of high school. They can answer the phone and talk to the player but not call them during this time.

• Coaches may not contact prospective recruits before Sept. 1st of the players' junior year in high school. You can call or write but they cannot call you or send any promotional softball material about their program.
• Coaches may not contact you by phone or in person before July 1st after your junior year.
• Coaches may not talk to senior players at tournaments until their team has been eliminated. They can talk to a family member, which will constitute an official contact.
• Coaches may only call prospective student athletes once a week. (You may call them as often as you like.)
• Coaches can only have 3 in person official contacts with a player. (Parents talking to a coach is a contact.)
• A player can only have 5 official visits. (You must be in your senior year to take an official visit.)
• Early signing period is during the 2nd and 3rd week of November of your senior year; the next signing period is in April of your senior year.
• Coaches can email players of all ages generic camp awareness emails and flyers. They can also talk to the player and even make an offer to younger players will the player is on their campus.

Resources to Review

Players should spent their 14u seasons (As 8th graders and High School Freshman) building their profile sheet and online recruiting page in addition to:

• Begin to build their preferred college list. Start with 20 schools and work from there.


• Research potential majors and degrees. Some degrees will limit the schools you will have to choose from.


• Plan on attending summer and fall camps at local colleges of interest. This will allow you to see the school, get to know the coaches and players and get comfortable performing during camps.


• Register with various college softball programs on the schools softball web site. Look for links to 'recruits', 'potential athletes' etc. Complete the online forms and submit your information


• During your Freshman year it is a good idea to schedule and take the ACT in the spring. This will allow you to see what the test is like and know better how and what to prepare for in the future.


• Focus on your grades. Grades and ACT are the single biggest asset you have to getting money to attend college.


• Start your recruiting journal. List all your activities, emails sent, camps attended, etc. List anything that will be helpful in the process.

Why are grades so important?

Your high school GPA and attendance record are a big factor in your recruiting process. Remember, college coaches have a limited amount of money to award in scholarships. A player with a strong GPA and ACT score may qualify for over 60% of tuition or more in academic merit dollars,plus additional monies in grants and other scholarships. This will lessen the amount of athletic dollars the coach has to offer to you, allowing them more money to offer other players, building a stronger squad. All things being equal a coach will always offer the player with the lowest budget impact on their program.

Need based Financial Assistance

In addition to academic scholarships, schools can award grant monies (based on criteria like major, community service, etc.) and Need-based assistance. Need based assistance is determined by your families financial status and family income level. Check with the admissions department to determine if your family qualifies.

Resources to Review

Entering your high school years you must be prepared and have a plan to get recruited. At this point you should have attended several camps and visited schools. You have an idea of the size of school you prefer, the type (city, rural), and location of the country. During your freshman year you will need to target the schools that you prefer and begin to build a relationship with the coach and their staff.

• Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse - As you enter High School you should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse at NCAA Clearinghouse. Student-athletes must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to be eligible to play NCAA Division I or II sports in college.


• Scheduling Camps - You should register for 2-3 summer camps and 4-6 Fall camps as they are announced. These should be schools and programs you are highly interested in.


• Create your Skills Video - You will need a short, 5 min, skills video that showcases your athletic ability.


• Emails and Calls - You should be emailing your top 20 schools every 2-3 weeks with short updates on your high school accomplishments (athletic and academic), travel ball, and training. You should call and touch base every 4-6 weeks. Keep the call brief, just check in and re-affirm your interest in their program. If they are in season, you should be watching their games on-line at WatchESPN.com or following on their web site. Bring up a game, a play or a player - show them that you are actively following their team.


• Updating your Recruiting Page - You should have an established recruiting page. We like to use Facebook and create a Facebook 'Page' - under the Athlete category. You should post updates every couple of days. Invest in a good HD Sports camcorder and have your parents video every HS and travel ball game. Download and 'cut' out your best plays and hits and upload to your FB recruiting page.


• Focusing on Academics- You should take the ACT in the Fall and Spring. Know your target score! Each school has a range of ACT scores and the merit dollars associated with each range. If you are scoring under 21 on the ACT - seek out tutoring or classes. Stay on top of school work - your GPA needs to be as high as possible.

Note: The Number one thing that college freshmen say is the most challenging for them is not hitting the change-up, it is Time Management. With everything you have going on in the spring with softball, school, training, etc. - you must learn to manage your time!

Recruiting Tip! It is crucial that college programs recruit players for the long haul. They want players that they feel strongly will remain at the school for all 4 years.

• Grades Matter - a player that can not handle the college work load and study requirements will not perform on the field to their capabilities. If a player is on academic suspension they are hurting the program. If a player is struggling with their academics, they will be distracted and not able to perform to the fullest on the field.


• Majors Matter- if the school has an exact match to the students desired major, the odds of the player being happier and working harder increases.


• Attitudes Matter- college softball teams spent an extraordinary amount time together. Coaches want players that are positive, team oriented and that fit in with the team culture and dynamics.


• History Matters- If your mother, father or family has a history of attending the school, odds are great that you will want to as well and will work hard to be a successful graduate from the school.


• Relationships Matter- Coaches want players that want to be there. Do your homework - you should know the history of the school, the coaches Bio, the teams recent history, the teams roster makeup, and all details on the schools academic program for your major. Choosing your college is one of the top 5 or so major decisions you will make in your lifetime - do not take it lightly.


• Expectations Matter- Have realistic expectations of your athletic and academic abilities. Choose the school and softball program that best fits your level. You will have a much better college experience if you choose wisely. Seek the school and program that you want to attend - not mom, not dad or anyone else - you!


• Effort Matters- You get out what you put into the process. You have a 2 year window to find and get accepted into the school that will determine your future success. Work the process, this is your responsibility - invest the time and effort needed to be a success.


• Research Matters- Know the program you are targeting. If you are a 2019 grad and you see that the coach has other 2019 or 2018 players verballed that play your position then you may not have much opportunity to be recruited. Likewise, if you see that they have a large number of players on the roster that will be seniors or have graduated your freshman year - you know the coach will need a larger incoming freshman class to replace them. That is a great opportunity for you!


• Details Matter - Make sure you proof-read all emails and written coorespondence you sent to college coaches. Better yet, have a third party proof your email before you send it. Make sure you personalize each email and letter specifically to the coach. Mention specific, unique things about their program you like. Include your head shot photo in each email to establish a good visual for the coach to know you by your appearance.

Remember: Coaches want players that WANT to be at their school and in their program!

Resources to Review

In July leading to your Junior year in High School D1/D2 college coaches can begin to email and communicate with you. The Fall of your Junior year is critical to getting you offers from colleges. The summer of prior to your Junior year in High School it is critical to make your contacts and attend camps between travel ball tournament weekends.

For the majority of players you can expect to get your initial offers in the Fall of your junior year.

• Official vs Unofficial Visits - Any player can arrange an unofficial visit to a college campus. An unofficial visit is for those interested in athletic scholarships that is not funded by the college or university. The player arranges the visit with the admissions office and contacts the coach to let them know the day and time of their visit. You should ask the coach if you can see them in their office during the visit. During your visit you should arrange to meet with the admissions office to discuss admissions requirements, financial aid available and take a tour of the campus.
  
  There is no limit to the number of unofficial visits a player can make or limit to the time spent on campus. Offers can be made during an unofficial visit but typically only to players that the coach has seen at camps, playing during summer ball and has been in contact with for a period of time.
  
  Official Visits - these are arranged by the school/coach. A player is allowed only 5 D1/D2 visits and only 1 per school. D3 visits are unlimited. Official Visits are limited to 48 hours. The college may pay for travel expense, and the play stay on campus as a normal student would (dorm). Often a player in their Senior year will attend an official visit to the campus in the fall during Fall Ball to be around the team and interact with the coaches and players.


• Things to ask the College Coach - During your unoffical visit here are few good questions to ask the coach:
  • Where does the softball team stay? Do they room together?
  • Does the team have study tables? When?
  • Describe the strength and conditioning program the softball team uses.
  • What is the travel schedule like? How do players study on the road?
  • What is your recruting timeline for players in my grad year?
  • How would you describe your coaching style?
  • How many recruits are you looking for in my grad year?
  • What would you like to know about me?
  
  Have your list of questions ready in your visit log book. Do not be shy! Coaches want players that are confident and prepared. It is ok to be nervous, don't be afraid. If this is what you want, you have to step up and get it. Mom's and Dad's - this is your daughters visit - let her take the lead. If the coach has a question for you, they will ask you, otherwise, be supportive but do not speak for your daughter. Remember: The coach is looking to see how she reacts and interacts with him or her. Coaches do want to see how the parents interact as well but from a support angle only. If your daughther looks to you before responding to their question, that is a negative. Take a back seat on the visit, let your daughter's personality come out.
  
  It is a good idea to go on a few unofficial visits to local schools that may not be high on your list first - to make practice visits so that when you are in front of the college coach that you really want to impress you will be ready!


• Use your Travel Ball Coach - Your travel ball coach can reach out on your behalf via email and phone to talk to the coach about you as a player. He can usually call and get the coach to talk about how interested they are in you and facilitate your getting an offer, or determining that the coach will not be recruiting you. That is important! Knowing that a coach will not be offering you will allow you to move on and spent valuable time with the schools that have an interest. Don't take it personally, schools can't recruit everyone, in a typical year a coach may recruit 3-6 players at most. There are many reasons a coach may not offer - they have offers to other players at that position, you might not be a fit in their program, they are not recruiting your position, and the list goes on. It is always best to know so that you can move on.


• Expectations - Know that the majority of girls playing in college have athletic scholarships less than $5000. Many are not recieving any athletic financial aid. If you can attend a $30,000 a year college, play softball and get your education for $8,000-$10,000 a year that is a great deal.

Resources to Review

If you have not accepted an offer, it is not too late. This fall many schools at the DII/DIII and NAIA level are looking to close out their 2017 recruiting with a final player. Reach out to as many as you can, you will be amazed at how many are still looking.

Resources to Review

Successful recruiting is the result of the time the player and her family put in. CaptainU is somewhat helpful as a free service, but only marginally. Players need to be persistant in their research and contacts in order to have success. Bear in mind, college coaches don't have time to seek you out, you have to go to them.

Social media is a double-edged sword. It can be a great asset or it can kill your recruiting chances. Use it to your advantage, establish a Facebook recruiting page and keep the content current. Remember, once it is online, it never really goes away. Coaches look for solid character. A 'team' is a fragile thing, adding a negative influence to the team can spoil all their hard work. I tell my players, you are all very goodplayers, but you are one of many good players, don't put a college coach in the position to pass on you for your questionable judgement when they love your softball ability.

The golden rule is - if you would not want your grand mother to read or see it - don't post it.

Not very much. They may go looking for information on a player that they are tracking, but to just 'look' for a player to fill a need. No.

It is important to remember that college coaches get a ton of email and calls a week. There is no shortage of players reaching out to them, they rarely have to go searching.

Rarely. College coaches area all about being prepared and their process. They go to showcases having done their homework in advance and with a list of players that they want to see and evaluate. They make up their 'game-plan' in advance. While watching a game a player can 'flash', do something eye catching, that will get their attention.

It is critical that as a player you email your schools head coaches and assistants your upcoming showcase / tournament schedule as far in advance as possible. You should also let your travel ball coach know you may have schools coming to see you so that he / she can make sure to get you looks.