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.

We at Full Count Softball are big fans of Cathi and all she does and strongly encourage players, parents and coaches to listen to her advice if you’re serious about bettering yourself in softball now and in the future!

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 Full Count Softball to help players and parents navigate the tricky waters of the recruiting process.

Today’s article covers a checklist of things to do to prepare for the best possible summer club ball experience!

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I like to run this article every spring since this is the time my readers–sophomores and juniors in particular–are gearing up for summer and really getting into your college search.

As a reminder, here are some things you should do before and during the summer:

1. If you’re finishing your junior year (and for sophomores who are reaching out early to D-I colleges), start and/or update the NCAA Eligibility Center Certification Process. Juniors should have your high school send a 6th semester transcript to the EC when June grades are posted.  Also be sure your SAT/ACT scores are sent to the EC directly from the testing agency. You can link from my web page to the NCAA and NAIA Eligibility Centers.
2. If you haven’t already done this, get your video shot/edited and uploaded to YouTube. This is vital regardless of whether or not your team attends tournaments where a lot of coaches scout.
3. Send snail mail letters/resumes to a wide variety of colleges. Keep track of everyone you write so you can follow up if you don’t hear back from them by this fall.  Follow up the snail mail letter with an email update just before travel ball starts. (Many of these emails won’t be read, but it never hurts to back up the snail mail letters–e.g., doubling your efforts.)
4. Over the summer, if you have questions about what you may or may not do at tournaments in terms of talking to coaches, recruiting legalities, and so on, please refer to your NCAA handbook or to my book, Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level. Parents, be sure you understand when and under what conditions you may talk to coaches.  (It’s a good idea before summer starts to visit the NCAA web page to check on any recruiting or academic guideline changes.)

Here are some additional things players may want to keep in mind when you are out there on the travel ball circuit:

1. You never know who’s watching you.  Some coaches may watch you when you’re warming up, particularly if you play a position like outfield where you may see limited action during a game. Consequently, you need to be on your toes from the moment you get out of the car at the ball park. It doesn’t matter if you’re hot, tired, grumpy, had a fight with your boyfriend, pulled your quad muscle, or haven’t been doing well at the plate, “Put on a happy face.” Coaches want players who can be positive under the worst conditions-e.g., kids who can face adversity and still love the game.
2. Playing travel ball this summer, you’ll encounter tons of other good players. Every time you look at another player, remind yourself that only about one out of twenty of you will actually end up on a college team. While top travel ball players and top students do have a slight advantage over kids who don’t play travel ball or who don’t get seen by college coaches, there are no guarantees. Recruiting is a very competitive business.
3. If you look at the list of seniors committing to colleges or signing Letters of Intent to play at a college next fall, you’ll see that college players come from everywhere these days. No matter what anyone says, don’t assume you’ll be recruited and offered a scholarship because you were All League in high school or because your team attends a high profile tournament.
4. 4) When college coaches go to major tournaments, you never hear them say, “I’m going to look at every player here.” They don’t just wander around hoping to discover YOU! They don’t have the time. They go in with a list, and you want to be on that list of “must see” players if at all possible. Do kids get discovered as a result of dumb luck? SURE. But it usually happens because they do something that’s more outstanding than the other kids on the same field. They hit a couple of home runs, or throw a 1-hitter with 12 strike outs, or make three diving catches, or go four for five against a top-notch pitcher. You get the idea. Making the routine plays, going one for three, and so on–while exactly what you’re supposed to do–will not necessarily make you stand out so much that a coach says, “Who is that player? I have to see more of her!” However, if a coach you’ve written comes to see you in action, and you make all of the routine plays and go 1 for 3 with a clutch RBI hit, there’s a good chance that coach may decide you’re worth watching again. But if this coach is unaware of your existence before taking a seat in the bleachers, he may just see you as one of many good players on the field.

5. 

   Accept in advance that recruiting is not now, and will never be fair!!! It doesn’t really matter to the coach at Alabama or Fresno or UCLA or Northwestern or Florida State or Oklahoma that you could be as good as any of his or her players if you only had the chance to get a scholarship and work with the coaching staff. Those coaches can recruit the best kids they see. They may not notice you, or they may see you, but choose not to recruit you. However, somewhere out there, there are plenty of terrific coaches who do want see you, and who might love to recruit you. Find those coaches and everyone will benefit!

6. Your parents also need to accept the fact that recruiting is not fair. They are almost certainly going to have to pay something towards your education. Yes, top athletes occasionally get full ride scholarships, and some players–particularly those with outstanding grades or demonstrated need–may get terrific aid packages. But statistically-speaking, the majority of families will have to contribute a good portion of their player’s college costs even if she is getting some scholarship money.
7. For most coaches, coaching (and by default, recruiting) is a business. No matter how nice they seem, no matter how much they talk about your skills, until you actually commit to a college, nothing is set in stone. Don’t take things for granted; ask questions; understand the rules; understand the strategies and the realities; and make the best of your opportunities. It’s a game of musical chairs. There are too many people playing the game and not enough seats for all of you. Sometimes, you have to choose between quitting the game (Hey, it’s softball not life and death, right? If you don’t want to play, don’t!) and taking the first (or last) available seat.

Have fun this summer. Remember that practicing hard pays off in the form of clutch performances, and that’s often what catches a coach’s attention. But no matter what happens, you should be enjoying it all. Your love of the game is your best asset in your college search!

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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!