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COACHES RECRUITING GUIDE
The information below is a treasure trove of insights we've gathered from coaches, parents, and players, designed to inspire and guide everyone involved. We've organized THE content by player and coach for easy navigation, and you'll spot eye-catching icons throughout the guide that highlight essential tips and action items. Let's make the most of this journey together!
Player
Content
Coach Conte
Timelines
Action Items
Important Tips
Downloadables
Thank to the following coaches for sharing your tremendous insight and experience in the recruiting process to help build out the material below. Your commitment and dedication to supporting our female athletes will leave a lasting legacy.
Coach Chad O'Neal, Coach Ryan Carver, and Coach Kerry Holcombe
Discover the menu below for easy access to fantastic content! Be sure to visit regularly as we share experiences from our players, parents and coaches, making them available for those who are just beginning or currently navigating the recruiting process.
Starting the Recruiting Process
It's important to start considering recruitment earlier than you might expect. Your team's recruiting process will begin to take shape once you identify the kind of team you wish to coach or the team you're currently coaching. It's important to develop a plan and be purposeful in the decisions you make for your team
Team Meeting Idea! Challenge your players to come up with various activities that contribute to the recruiting process in a team setting or individual and ask them to weight those items. Review and discuss
The PDF contains a diagram that lists various factors that will influence a players recruiting journey.
Sites/Links to help you in your recruiting journey
2024-25 NCAA Softball Recruiting Calendar and Rules
Ryzer - Search and Sign up for College Camps
Recruiting timeline, dead/quite periods, etc.
, Comprehensive list of Colleges, Set up free profile
, Comprehensive list of Colleges, Set up free profile
Additional source to find college camps
Check out our list of College info, social media, emails, etc for a growing list of colleges
Team Identity
12u-14u is the optimal time to determine your teams path
Team Identity
Coaches Only
As a coach, it's crucial to define the type of team you want to lead and make early choices that align with your coaching objectives. While there is no absolute right or wrong path, your decisions around tournaments you play in, your willingness to acquire new players and part with current players will
Timelines to consider:
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12u: Take control of your journey—start determining the team's direction, whether it will be a National Schedule or a Regional Schedule.
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14u: It's time to make a choice.
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16u/18u: Work with your current roster and maximize the potential based on the team's skill.
For those coaches that have kids on the team, the first evaluation you need to make is on the skill set of your child. This will be a barometer for the level of players you will acquire and retain. Your daughter does not have to be the best player on the team but she can't be the worst, or it will create perceptions of 'Daddy Ball', which can hamper your ability to
get good players.
Choosing a specific direction may cause some players to leave your team and it may cause you to have to part ways with current players as you build your ideal team.
Tournament Schedule
The type of tournaments your team is playing in will heavily influence the type of schools players from your team will likely be recruited from.
Coaches
Probably one of the most important aspects of assessing talent, is the tournaments you're participating in.
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Colleges generally attend the same events annually so look for past participation of your players target schools.
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Power 4 Schools - If you're not playing at the highest level of competition you don't have the ability to rate your players across the larger talent pool. Power 4 schools spend the majority of their time watching the big tournaments.
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D1 schools in smaller conferences may not have the budget to travel which means a number of their recruits will be local (unless potential commits travel to them)
Evaluating Skills
14u and ongoing
Create a list of Target, Reach and Safety Net schools
One of the crucial elements in recruiting is aligning skill levels with potential colleges.With over 1,500 college softball teams across five different divisions—NCAA Division 1, Division , Division 3, NAIA, and NJCAA—each division and institution offers a distinct experience for student-athletes
Players
Coaches
As coaches this is where your medal is truly put to the test. While it’s not your role to shatter dreams, it's essential to be realistic with your players and help them concentrate on schools that align with their skills and academic capabilities.
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In grades 7 to 8, athletes are still in their developmental stage;
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Top-tier players often display exceptional qualities such as speed, height, and home-run potential.
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However, this does not mean that players who may not possess these attributes cannot qualify for D1 Power programs, nor does it guarantee that those who do will have the skills required for D1 Power 4.
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By grades 9 to 10, players should have a clear understanding of their skill sets and how they align with the athletic programs they should pursue.
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The recruiting process for D1 Power 4 programs begins much earlier than for other divisions Colleges typically start expressing interest in potential recruits by 9th grade, often through coaching channels, so if a player isn't on their radar by this time, it can be difficult to gain their attention later on.
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After you've made the decision to play softball at the college level, it's time figure out where you would like to play.
Players
Every athlete starting from the age of 12 should compile a list of colleges they aspire to attend. This list will be adjusted as their recruiting journey progresses. It is recommended that players identify a mix of colleges they would like to attend that fit the following criteria:
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Target Schools: The best matches the player in terms of both athletics and academics.
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Reach or 'Dream' Schools: Programs that may present a challenge academically or athletically.
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Safety Net Schools: Institutions where the player may be somewhat overqualified.
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Safety Net Schools are important to build a relationship with the coach early on, that way, if your target schools don't pan out, you aren't starting over in your junior or senior year to get on coach's radars.
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When assessing potential schools, remember to look beyond just the softball program. Consider factors such as location (in-state or out-of-state), climate (cold or warm), academic and athletic matches, and the majors available at the college.
There are a number of resources on the web as well as our own website that can help you narrow down your College list.
Coaches
Coaches owe it to their players, as well as to prospective colleges, to provide an honest and realistic evaluation. If a player isn't suited for a D1 Power 4 or Ivy League school, it's perfectly acceptable to categorize those colleges as 'Reach' options. However, it's important to encourage the player to focus more on colleges within their Target list.
Player Marketing
For all but the elite athletes, getting recruited requires you to put in the time and effort to promote yourself and make it happen. In other words, you have to market yourself.
Players
In addition to tournaments that college coaches may or may not attend, utilizing social media, sending emails, and participating in camps are the best tactics to help you get noticed by a coach.
Coaches
Coaches have a key responsibility in marketing their players by accurately evaluating the talent on their team and selecting the right venues to maximize exposure to their players.
Social Media
As early as 12u, by 14u players should have a social media presence
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Set up social media accounts
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Create email account
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Get a Headshot
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Set up team social media accounts, start building followers
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Use X Lists to follow your players
In addition to tournaments that college coaches may or may not attend, utilizing social media, sending emails, and participating in camps are the best tactics to help you along your softball journey. Is social media required? No, but it's a huge bonus and without it, you put yourself at a disadvantage against everyone that is using it.
Players
Your social media accounts are like a resume - they provide a platform for you to highlight milestones throughout your softball journey and Recommend players have a Twitter account / email set up before entering into 1st year 14u to begin showcasing their achievements and building followers.
Note: College Coaches are prohibited from publicly commenting on a recruit’s social media profile until after the athlete has committed to their program, so players should not expect comments from coaches but they should be watching if a coach follows them on social media.
Note: College Coaches are prohibited from publicly commenting on a recruit’s social media profile until after the athlete has committed to their program, so players should not expect comments from coaches but they should be watching if a coach follows them on social media.
X (Twitter) Profile:
A profile should contain the basics about the player.
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Full name
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Graduation year
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Position (s)
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High School
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Travel team
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Headshot (up-close picture to allow viewers to see the players face)
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Position # (this makes it easier for coaches to identify the correct player in videos/clips)
Be sure your profile is public. Coaches are not likely to request access and if your profile is private they will not see any posts in their social media feed.
Your profiles don't have to be 100% about softball - it's ok to show a little personality outside of softball - but always keep it appropriate for the audience.
Coaches
What do I say to a Coach?
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Set up social media accounts
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Create email account
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Get a Headshot
1st year 14u - 18u, frequency changes as players get closer to recruitment age
Great news! Now that you have your email and social media accounts set up, how can you make the most of them? What exciting content should you be sharing? And how can you grab the attention of those coaches? Let’s dive in and get creative!
Players
Ideas on ways to stay in contact with coaches:
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Introductory email
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Tournament schedule, Game Schedule
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Camp visits (before and after)
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Travel/School recognition (scholastic or sports)
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All State, Player of the Year, Ranking (Line Drive/Softball America)
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Workouts/lessons
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Academic recognition
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End of season stats / highlight reel
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Volunteer / Charity Work
Things to remember:
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Coaches will not respond to players but that doesn't mean they didn't see it. Continue to send regardless if you can a response or not
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During the college softball season, coaches will not be coming to see your games. Instead, include a link to your teams You Tube channel or other on-line source so that the coaches can watch on-demand
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Always personalize your communication for the receiving school when sending emails
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Ideally the communications, whether through social media or emails should be written by the player but the important part is that they get sent
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Repetitiveness is the key. It's ok if the coach doesn't respond - that doesn't mean they didn't read your email and take note of your name/who you play for/etc.
Coaches
Email Etiquette
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Keep it short but informative
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Repetition is the key!
Players should start emailing coaches as early as 14u
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Monitor players email activity
Provide coaches with exciting updates on their high school season!
Introduce yourself to prospective college coaches
Provide tournament/ game schedule
Great news! Now that you have your email and social media accounts set up, how can you make the most of them? What exciting content should you be sharing? And how can you grab the attention of those coaches? Let’s dive in and get creative!
Players
Writing an effective email:
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Have a goal in mind for the communication. What do you hope to achieve? Is it introduce yourself to the coaches, share an accomplishment, etc.
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What do you like about the school and include in email? This helps to ensure the coach knows this isn't a form letter but is directed to them.
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Do you have a common connection with a coach, a player, the school, etc
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Read the Coach's bio, review the roster of the school, etc.
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Include a headshot (especially helpful if you are email prior to attending a camp - facial recognition!)
Subject Line: Name, Grad Year, Club/Team Name, Position
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When emailing colleges, be sure to include multiple coaches at the target college, don't throw your eggs in one basket by only reaching out to the head coach.. And frankly, head coaches tend not to get involved until later in the 'courting' process,
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If you have a unique nickname - using that in your subject line could help a coach remember you (if you don't have a nickname, don't make one up for these purposes!)
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Upper Classman - ask questions within the email to encourage a 2-way dialogue with the coaches.
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Reference previous camp attendance (if applicable)
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Demonstrate your softball intelligence by understanding dead periods, college seasons, and the timing of when coaches can contact you via email. For example, if you're in 9th grade, avoid saying "I hope to hear from you soon," as coaches cannot respond until you've reached the recruiting age for their respective divisions.
Coaches
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Have players copy you (CC) on all email correspondence so you can monitor the players activity, content relevancy, etc.
College Camps
Begin attending camps 8th/9th grade
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Send emails to coaches /staff pre/post camp attendance
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Post on social media
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Be strategic about camp selection
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Evaluate your performance (checklist)
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Reach out to college coaches in advance
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Promote players social media posts
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Work with players on targeting the right camps
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Track camp attendance for players
Attending college camps is a critical part of the recruiting process. This is where coaches are allowed to talk to players, provide 1:1 feedback and get to know the personality of the player, etc.
Players
Where to find Camp Information
Ryzer
College Athletics Website
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Try our College Contact list where we've collected information on over 300 colleges including X handles, emails, conference, division, and links to Camp Sites/Softball website
X (Twitter)
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Search the name of the college and add "softball camps)
Pre-Post Camp:
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Send email communication in advance of attending camp with player information
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Post upcoming camp attendance on Social Media
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Post camp picture(s) on social media (Twitter) / tag coach's Send email communication to coach / assist coach's after attending camp
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See list of colleges / emails below or perform internet search, most colleges have their coach's email addresses on the Roster pages (Coahing Staff section)
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Personalize thank you emails/social media post
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Cite something said/done by the coach/staff at camp (something about the campus, instructions/tips, fun-fact, etc.)
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Players can self-evaluate performance at camp using the attached checklist in the left panel
When to start attending camps:
Players can usually start attending camps when they are 13 (some colleges may have camps for younger participants as well), however most start attending in their freshman year, some as early as 8th grade, and ramp up attendance in their sophomore year and beyond.
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Recommend the player attend 1-3 schools target schools fall/winter as freshmen to develop name recognition/Relationship with the HC.
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By Sophomore year, prioritize schools that have asked about you during Showcases, tournaments, or have started following you on social media.
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1st Year 16u Fall/Winter camps are critical - players should attend college camps that have expressed an interest in them during showcases or other means, in addition to 1 or 2 of their target schools, if the list is different.
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If a D1 Power 4 school has not expressed interest in you as a player at this point, it is not likely but not impossible!) to get on their radar as they typically start their recruiting process much earlier than D2, D3 and even D1 (non-power 4) programs.
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Coaches
Don't expect feedback from college coaches on every (or any) player that attends a camp. In many cases the coach will reach out to you in some manner if they noticed/liked the player.
Showcases
A softball showcase tournament is a multi-day event where softball players compete in front of college coaches from various universities. These tournaments are designed to give players the opportunity to showcase their skills and get noticed by coaches who are looking to recruit players for their teams.
Begin Attending Showcases at 14u,
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Email coach's pre/post showcase
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Social Media post pre/post showcase
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Generate roster sheets for printing.
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Bring an item for hanging roster sheets on fence
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Send schedule to targeted colleges
Examples (can be created in Canva, Microsoft Word/Power Point, etc.)
Players
Attending a showcase?
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Do your research on the type of showcase you are attending so you know the type of colleges attending (D1 Power 4, D1, D2, etc.)
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Ask your coach about the colleges who stopped by your fields and especially any coaches that inquired about you.
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Email
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Send email to target/reach/safety schools that may be in attendance at showcase early enough so prospective coaches can plan their schedule
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Keep in mind, colleges have varying travel budgets and some colleges have none. Giving a coach enough time to plan will not guarantee their attendance but not giving them enough notice won't either.
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Email coaching staff of targeted colleges with game schedule
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Email coaching staff post showcase with clips or highlights of game
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Social Media
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Post game schedule in advance
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Post game highlights, tag applicable coaches
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Coaches
[Participating in events where colleges are likely to seek players of a similar caliber to those on your team.
Emailing Coaches
It is recommended that coaches email or call (if you have a relationship with a coach, etc.) your prospective showcase/tournament schedule to coaches that will be in attendance and that match with your players target, reach or safety schools.
Roster Flyers
Roster flyers should be placed on the fence behind home plate. Bring more then you think you should - it's better to have extra's then run out.
There are several items that can serve as a holder for your flyers
- Be sure to think about inclement weather days - have something you can put the flyers in to keep them dry
What player/team info should be on a roster page?
- Player Name, #, Position, Graduating Year, Social Medial (Twitter), and an Email
- Be sure to include the Coach's name and contact information
- Add your team webpage on the GA Impact website to your flyers (or QR Code)
- Upcoming schedule
- Identify existing commits on team
- Notes section
Showcase Role Reversal
Get comfortable behind the fence. Your role moves from coach to manager during showcases. It's important for a representative to be standing outside the fences, ready to engage with coaches that may be watching your game.
Rankings
Examples of Ranking/Rising Star Write's Up's
EIS Template (data required for submission - recommend preparing in advance for all players)
EIS, Line Drive Media, Legacy and Legends, and Softball America are among the growing number of media outlets that now offer some form of annual player ranking recognition.
Are these rankings accurate? Are they meaningful? Well.... yes, no, sometimes. A ranking doesn't guarantee a player will be recruited by their dream school, it doesn't even guarantee that the player is good, and coaches know this. But if you have a player that is ranked top 10, they probably will get a look by the top colleges. Whether it blossoms into an 'interest' is up to how the player performs in live situations.
Even if your player doesn't come out in the top 10, going through the ranking process does have some intrinsic value for the player, for parents and to some extent, the team and enhancing your team's reputation.
Be aware that this task is challenging and often thankless, as parents and players may be upset if rankings don't meet their expectations. With over 300 players ranked per graduating year, there are a lot of considerations that go beyond the player that will influence ranking position and many are outside of your control as a coach.
Coaches
It's important to evaluate players realistically. Giving a ranking of #10 to a player who should ranked #100 can lead to disappointments down the line, so staying objective and grounded in your assessments is vital.
The process for submitting rankings has become more rigorous over the past year. To streamline this process, some pre-organization is advisable:
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A subscription is not necessary to submit a ranking, but it is required to access the rankings for both Line Drive and Extra Innings.
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Utilize the reference sheet on left to identify the information needed for a submission. Please note that data requirements may change at any time, but the reference sheet will provide a solid starting point for the required information
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Keep track of your players rankings from year to year, they will be needed when submitting in the future.
Recruiting Platforms
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Set up a free profile on NCSA, Sports Recruits and other online recruiting platforms
Players
Many platforms exist for athletes to build profiles and display their talents. A few recommended platforms are commonly utilized by college coaches for profile creation and maintenance. However, it's important to note that there no single platform adopted by all coaches While each platform may claim to be favored by coaches, verifying the accuracy of such claims can be challenging
Many popular platforms offer both free and paid access to their services. We suggest creating a free profile first, allowing the player to assess if a paid version is worthwhile. These sites can serve as a one-stop shop to share information with college coaches, recruiters, and others interested in learning about the player.
NCSA is the largest college athletic recruiting platform, with over 40,000 college coaches using NCSA to find athletes across 31 sports.
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Access to college coach directory (links to websites, email address (no Twitter/X)
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Track college coach activity
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Camps - not a comprehensive list but does offer search capabilities
Players enter information about their teams, High School, Academics, Events played in, tag favorite colleges to track college activity (account/profile views or searches)
Set up free profile, upload videos and other standard player and team details. This application is used for Top Gun Events (e.g., Top Gun Invitational)
AGL offers a scoring and live streaming platform, along with player profiles where college coaches can view clips and access essential player information.
FYI - Steaming and Scoring on AGL is free, however player profiles are only available to subscribers.
Player Recruiting Myths
My phone is going to ring on September 1st
Unless you are in the top 1% of players in the country, don't expect a phone call. The recruiting period STARTS on September 1st of an athletes junior year, but that's not when it ends. It may take weeks, months or even until their Senior year before they find the right home.
My Coach/the Organization will get me recruited
Coach's and the organization DO have an impact on a players recruitment effort. But it doesn't take the place of the Athletes commitment to their recruiting efforts. Read that again.
I don't need to start recruiting efforts until my Sophmore year
Start your recruiting efforts early, for a smoother journey! The recruiting activities will vary as you get older but all the activities are aimed at creating awareness of you as a player. The sooner you begin, the easier it will be when it's time to find your future home.
I will get noticed if I go to camps
D1 Power 4 coaches often already have players in mind for camps, so athletes must stand out to get noticed. Typically, camps serve as a chance for coaches to confirm their impressions from games or videos of players they are interested in.
I will get noticed by colleges if my team wins tournaments
College coaches typically do not focus on a team's win/loss record. So while winning is enjoyable, it generally has minimal effect on recruitment. Coaches want to see how you compete and how you handle adversity. Now if your team wins PGF Nationals, you are likely to get some free marketing and notoriety but even that doesn't guarantee recruitment for any players.
I don't have to pay for camp if I get invited
That's not true. All participants are required to pay to attend camps. Some might receive invitations through the mail, which typically reflects the coach's interest in them as players and their desire to confirm what they've observed in games, videos, and so on. But they are still paying if they chose to attend the camp.
Coaches Recruiting Myths
My players need to do all the work to get recruited
Most of the onus is on the player however there are so many ways you support their recruiting efforts:
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Attending the 'right' tournaments
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Assessing your players talents and encourage colleges that match skill
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Networking w/College Coaches or other coaches to identify needs
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Market your players via social media
I don't need to worry about recruiting until High School
Don't delay, or you'll fall behind. Start building habits and focus as early as 7th or 8th grade. Motivate your players to begin self-promotion early, preventing from having to figure it out later. Create muscle memory from the start, so when it's time fully commit, they'll already be pros.
College Coaches will find my players if we win tournaments
Winning is always plus, but college coaches focus more on skill, talent, and standout qualities rather than just wins and losses.
Parents Recruiting Myths
My daughters coach will do all the work to get my kid recruited
Each coach has their own experiences and varying amounts of time they can commit to recruitment. Nevertheless, the key element in the recruitment process is the player seeking to be recruited. Even if a coach has a vast college network and dedicates all their efforts to recruitment, the player must have a deeper investment in their own recruiting journey than anyone.
I need to get a recruiting service to get my player/daughter recruited.
Yes, No, Maybe. Is it necessary to spend $2500 on a recruiting service to get your player noticed? Likely not, as most of the tasks performed by recruiting services can be handled by parents and players themselves, especially with the guidance of a coach. While recruiting services can promote your player and may have knowledge of college roster needs, activities like attending the right camps and communicating with colleges can be managed by the player and their family.
As an organization, we do not promote or advocate against recruiting services.
We don't need to focus on recruiting until my daughters junior year
Start your recruiting efforts early, for a smoother journey! The recruiting activities will vary as you get older but all the activities are aimed at creating awareness of you as a player. The sooner you begin, the easier it will be when it's time to find your future home.
Should I be concerned if my daughter does not receive any mail from colleges?
No. The majority of players won't receive any mail from their perspective colleges. This is typically a tactic for D1 Power 4 colleges to use when they are interested in a player and since they aren't allowed to communicate directly until Sep 1st of their junior year, they send marketing pieces to select players.
Playing a National Schedule is the only way to get recruited by D1 Power 4 schools
There's no absolute's in recruiting. However, there is some truth to this. Colleges will recruit based on the events they attend. D1 Power 4 colleges are typically attending 'national' type events.
If my daughter is a good player, colleges will reach out to my daughter
Many families are under the mistaken impression that college coaches will just “find” their student-athlete. And for most athletes, this isn’t true. The average recruit needs to do the legwork to find the school and coach that matches their academic and athletic needs, or risk slipping through the cracks in the recruiting process.
Recruiting Profiles
Tell us about your recruiting experiences
We'd love to hear from you