Get Recruited to Play College Softball
You must be active and contact college softball coaches if you want to find a scholarship to compete at the NCAA or NAIA level as a softball player. Softball programs have small recruiting budgets, meaning coaches cannot afford to go out and find athletes. The softball recruiting process relies on athletes who take the initiative to contact coaches themselves. Building a great resume is the first step in getting looked at by college softball coaches.
You Will Need Statistics
Be sure to keep accurate statistics throughout your high school career. Softball coaches will want to know your batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, runs, and stolen bases. Softball pitchers should include ERA, innings, record, WHIP, strikeouts, and opponents’ batting average. In addition, don’t combine statistics from the different leagues you compete in; keep the stats separate from your travel teams and high school teams.
Research Softball Programs
Start researching softball programs to assess specific needs. You can learn a lot by going to the team’s website and by looking at graduating classes and incoming recruiting classes. If you are a shortstop, look for schools that are graduating middle infielders and have yet to replace them with their current recruiting classes. If you contact schools that have multiple underclassmen or signees that play your position, it is less likely you will be offered a scholarship from them. Find the schools that are loaded with seniors at your position and have yet to sign recruits to replace them.
Keep Each Resume Cover Letter Personalized
Personalize each resume you send by using the information you gathered while researching college programs. Highlight the skills you know will directly contribute to a particular coach’s team. For example, if a coach just lost a significant amount of home run and RBI production, make sure in your introduction to highlight your home run and RBI totals as well as your slugging percentage.
Softball coaches want to know what travel and club teams you are playing for outside your high school team. Describe your highlights and achievements from your travel career. If you are playing in any upcoming softball tournaments, be sure to let coaches know. If you have your future playing schedule, organize it in a table and include it in your resume. Give coaches the dates, locations, and times of your future games.
Make a Highlight Video
How else can you use your resume to generate interest from coaches? Compile a highlight video of your 20–25 best softball plays from your game film. You can generate interest from coaches by uploading your softball highlight reel to a website such as YouTube and including that link in an e-mail.
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