Each week we take a question from a softball player, parent or coach and pass on to our long-time contributor, Cathi Aradi, one of the most knowledgeable people in softball when it comes to the recruiting process.

If you’d like to ask Cathi a question, e-mail us at brentt.eads@flosports.tv and we’ll pass it along.

Today, Cathi talks about the pros and cons of being a walk-on player at the college level…

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Recruiting Question: I love your advice to players and hope you can help me! I’m a 2016 player and I’ve been offered a walk-on spot by two mid-level schools and wanted to see what you thought about doing this.

My concern is being a walk-on would mean I wouldn’t be given the same chances as the “scholarship” players. I don’t know all that walking on to a team means, is there a decent chance if I work hard and play a lot I could get a scholarship later?

Does this happen very much? Should I take one of the spots now or wait hoping to get a scholarship. Would love to hear what you think!
— Jaiden, middle infielder, Illinois

Cathi’s Answer: This is a complicated question (as are so many about recruiting!) Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict in advance what your personal experience will be if you decide to accept a recruited walk-on spot.

However, your instincts are right in that it can indeed be difficult for a walk-on player to knock a scholarship player out of a starting spot. This is particularly true at a school that is fully funded–e.g., a Div. I school with 12 scholarships.

In that situation, chances are good that the scholarship kids will be given more opportunities to go into the field than walk-on players may be. (And this makes sense. No coach wants to be paying an athlete to sit the bench.)

On the other hand, at a school that only has a few scholarships, being a walk-on player doesn’t preclude getting playing time, particularly if you work hard and deliver in clutch situations. So it might help to know which scenario you’re looking at.

It may be smart to have a frank conversation with the coaches at these schools and ask them what they see your role being, what it would take for you to earn playing time, if you might be able to earn scholarship dollars down the road, and so on.

It also might be smart to chat with team members at these schools and ask them how walk-on players are treated and if they ever earn starting spots.

Finally, you may want to you step back far enough to look at the big picture. After college, your softball days will be over. It will be your comprehensive college experience and your degree that really matter to you (and that you’ll remember).

So if you want playing to be a big part of that experience, you should try to find a college team where your skills and experience will make you an impact player–e.g., one who’s recruited to play, not sit.

On the other hand, if you feel one of these two colleges is your dream school, and mom and dad can afford to send you there, and you feel you can be happy even if you sit the bench, then this may be a choice worth considering.

In the end, it all comes down to being realistic and to knowing what you want out of the experience.

Hope this helps!

— Cathi Aradi

Catharine Aradi is the author of Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level, published by the National Fastpitch Coaches Assoc. (www.nfca.org). She has over 20 years of experience working as a recruiting consultant with athletes and colleges around the U.S and Canada.

If you would like knowledgeable, one-on-one guidance through the often bewildering labyrinth of recruiting, Ms. Aradi’s company, Collegiate Softball Connection, offers “concierge” recruiting services. Unlike corporate websites that rely upon mass marketing of hundreds and hundreds of athletes, Ms. Aradi works with the individual player and her family to ensure a successful college search.

She works individually with athletes to guide them through the recruiting journey and also offers Skype workshops on the college search process for groups of all sizes.

Detailed information is available on her website www.fastpitchrecruiting.com. Cathi can be reached by e-mail at info@fastpitchrecruiting.com or by calling 415-456-6449. Remember: if you use the code “fullcountsoftball” when signing up with CSC, you will be entitled to a $100 discount off her Fast Track or Elite options!

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