The College Recruiting Myth Even I Fell For
Yes, I believed this myth when I was going through the college recruiting process and I know that there are many, many families and players and coaches out there who still believe it today.
I recently mentioned that one of the most frequently asked questions I get here at AllAboutFastpitch.com is, “What should I do to get my daughter noticed?”
I had a coach respond that he gets that question all the time too and it drives him crazy. He felt that if a player is good enough and has the talent, they’ll get noticed.
But that’s not the myth. (You thought maybe it was right?)
Actually, I AGREE with this coach to a certain extent.
He’s right. If a player is phenomenal on the field and is a great player and athlete, chances are very good that they will get “noticed.” HOWEVER (and this is a BIG however)…
“Getting Noticed” and getting a scholarship offer are two completely different things. In fact they can be so far apart that often times they are pretty darn close to being at opposite ends of the spectrum. Getting noticed can sometimes be right up against Not Getting Noticed in the grand scheme of things.
What the heck am I talking about? There are sooooo many athletes out the that “get noticed.” College coaches find out about them. They will even admit that the players is a great player. Great arm, great speed, can really hit the ball. Sounds great right? This player “got noticed” college coaches recognize the talent. That’s awesome! Until you find out that those college coaches are already DONE recruiting for the class that player is in and has no more scholarship funding left.
So yes, these players got noticed, but did it really matter? They still didn’t get a spot on the team much less funding for that spot. So “getting noticed” didn’t get them much further than the student-athlete next door that didn’t get noticed. They are still both in the same boat: not sure of what the future holds and hoping to find a place to further their education and hopefully continue playing ball.
You see, getting an offer is a completely different animal from “getting noticed.”
Here’s the myth I was talking about…
MYTH: If you’re good enough to play college ball, coaches will find you and want you on their team.
When I was in high school I believed that myth. I thought that if I was good enough to play at the college level, the coaches would find me. I had no idea how they would do that, but for some reason, that’s how I thought it worked. It wasn’t that someone had told me that’s the way it was, it’s just what I thought.
But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Yes, I got offers and yes, I signed with a DI school, but I consider myself extremely fortunate given the fact that I did NOTHING to put my name out there. I’ll tell you more about why I fell like I got lucky in another post.
Right now I want to tell you about a softball mom that recently e-mailed me. Her daughter is going to be a junior. They started contacting coaches over spring break only to find out that most of the coaches they contacted had already locked up their scholarship money for her class. These coaches were just about done doing the recruiting for her class and she’s going to be a junior. That means this family started contacting coaches during spring break sophomore year in high school and Mom is feeling frustrated that they started this process too late.
If you are already past spring break of your sophomore year in high school and you haven’t started yet, there is a chance that you will also feel some of the same frustration that this softball mom, player, and family are feeling right now. If you are in high school and you’re not ready right now to hang up your cleat forever - GET STARTED NOW!
I understand that you may be unsure of how to start or what to do next if you’ve already taken the first few steps. One thing is certain, you DO need a plan if you want to avoid unnecessary stress, disappointment, and frustration AND give yourself the best chance at a successful journey through the college recruiting process.
If you’d like someone contact you one-on-one to start creating your personalized plan visit this link to Get started now .
If you run an organization/club/tournament/clinic/camp and would like me to come and speak with the families in your organization or at your event and share the 5 Things You Must Know and the 5 Things You Must Do in regards to the college recruiting process, contact me and I’ll do everything I can to get that set up. e-mail: staciemahoe [at] gmail.com
Get to camps at schools you want to attend, or other camps that have multiple college coaches instructing. Camps will help out the average kid much more than summer exposure tournaments!!!