When it comes to fastpitch softball and recruiting, one of the trusted experts in the space is Cathi Aradi, who has helped thousands of players and parents better understand the recruiting process through her clinics and consulting work.

She works individually with athletes to guide them through the recruiting journey and if you contact her, tell them Full Count Softball sent you! I

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.  To learn more, email her at info@fastpitchrecruiting.com or call 415-456-6449.

Cathi has also written and published the book “Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level 2015 Edition” considered the No. 1 book covering high school softball and the 2015 edition of her book is now available from the NFCA.  It’s got the latest recruiting info, including the new Div. III contact guidelines and the pending academic changes for both Div. I and Div. II.

Cathi has graciously agreed to contribute recruiting articles to help players and parents navigate the tricky waters of the recruiting process.

Today’s article covers her thoughts on this wonderful time of the year: watching the Women’s College World Series!

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This is an exciting time of year for softball, and hopefully, many of you will catch the NCAA championship play on ESPN.   It’s wonderful to see these athletes excelling at the highest level, and as you watch the games on ESPN, you’re bound to experience a lot of thoughts, ranging from “Wow!!!!” to “Gee, I could do that,” to “My kid is way better than their starting 2nd baseman.” But let me interject a word of caution at this point: it’s never as easy as it looks!

When you’re watching these games, pay attention to the “subtext” of the game–e.g., listen to the things the commentators say that would normally go in one ear and out the other.  If you really listen, you’ll hear that the work load of most players at the very top of the collegiate softball pyramid is tremendous.  Their coaches are tough.  They expect, if not demand, an intense commitment to winning.  This includes hours of conditioning–both mental (psychological) and physical–extra time working on skills and drills, as well as the willingness to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve both team and personal goals.

Being good is a gift to appreciate, but it’s not nearly enough. There are lots of good players out there.  Yes, you should celebrate your All-League achievements in high school, and yes, you should be very proud of everything you’ve accomplished so far. But keep these things in perspective.  Ask yourself if you are the kind of player who truly lives, eats, breathes, and sleeps softball?  If softball is your life, then you should pursue the kind of championship team where that’s a given–whether it’s at a D-I, D-II, NAIA or D-III school.

And if softball isn’t your whole life, that’s okay too!  There is still a great place for you in college ball…just as long as you really love the game!  There are all sorts of programs out there; you simply need to find the one that’s right for you. All college ball at all levels of competition will demand more of you than you expect.  And that’s a good thing.  It’s the only way you’ll grow.  You should want to work hard, to get better, and to set new goals for yourself, because while making a college team is the culmination of all your efforts so far, it’s also the beginning of a new chapter in your game.

No matter how good you are, there are other players out there who are just as good, if not better. And just between us, most of those players feel they deserve a spot on a college team more than you do! How are you going to react to this? You’ve got to have “game”, of course! You’ve got to want it! You’ve got to be willing to fight back and show some coach that you are the one who deserves a chance! And maybe most importantly, you’ve got to be smart about it.  Get cagey, get competitive. Understand how the process works, and make it work to your advantage!

Meanwhile, here are some suggestions for getting the most out of the next few weeks of watching college softball on ESPN:

1. When you watch the games, notice that almost all of these athletes hit for power. Even the slappers can drive the ball into the gap.

2. When you watch the games, notice that most of the pitchers are big, strong girls and that most of them throw consistently over 60 mph.  Many throw in the high 60s and even the low 70s. Yes, they might throw a change-up at 49 or an off-speed at 54, but most of them can bring the heat. At the same time, they don’t rely solely on the heat…they add movement and spin, the kind of movement that ties batters up in knots!  The best quote I heard from a commentator was at a recent SEC tournament game.  This commentator, a former D-I All American, said–in effect that every pitch needs to have a purpose.  Your goal shouldn’t be to make every pitch a strike, but to make sure it has a purpose and that you have a plan.

3. When you watch the games,  notice that everyone makes mistakes. Fielders misplay balls, runners leave early or get caught between bases. The trick is to get over it and move on.

4. When you watch the WCWS, remember that getting there was the result of many months (if not years) of preparation. Getting there took a lot of hard work during a very long season. And these young ladies had to go to class, take exams, and do their laundry too!

So, what lessons can you learn from this?

Lesson #1: If you’re a slapper, learn to hit.  If you’re a “singles” hitter, turn those singles into doubles or double the number of singles you do hit.  Study hitting, study pitching, and learn to recognize the rise ball, the drop ball and the curve ball before they reach the plate. Learn to go with the outside pitch and to lay off the rise ball. Learn to let the ball get deep into the zone so you can explode on it with your bat. (I’m not a fan of tattoos, but if you get one, it should say, “See ball, hit ball–hard.”)

Lesson #2: Condition and strength train. I can’t stress this enough. You won’t survive a 58-65 game season if you’re out of shape.

Lesson #3: Pitchers…use your pitching skills to your advantage. Learn to recognize the kinds of hitters you can most effectively and consistently challenge, and then look for the colleges that are recruiting those kinds of players. I guarantee those coaches will want to hear from you!

Lesson #4: Develop study habits that will carry you through a long season of college ball.

Lesson #5: Understand and accept that sitting the bench isn’t nearly as much fun as playing–even if your team is on TV. (Maybe especially if your team is on TV!)

Lesson #6: Know that you can have a wonderfully rewarding, awesomely fun college career…even if ESPN never visits your campus!  It’s all about finding the school where your hard work and determination will be rewarded, and where you can spend the better part of four years knowing everything you’ve done until now and all the sacrifices you’ve made were worth it.  The memories you generate during those four years should be memories that last you a lifetime!

NOTE: You can check your local listings or go to my web page for information on how to find the complete NCAA Div. I playoff schedule. And if you have a device that lets you download the Watch ESPN app, you should be able to see the super-regionals, and of course, all of the WCWS games!

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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.  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!