At Fastpitch Scout, College coaches inform us they are most interested in athletes who show interest in them and their softball program. if a player shows interest in their program they will in turn respond if that player meets their program needs. It makes sense, right? Coaches are like everyone else, everyone wants to be wanted, and college coaches are no different.

Athletes that show interest with proactive and consistent communication with the coaches by sending emails with a marketing flair are going to have the most interest and success in their recruiting. Make no mistake, Softball Recruiting is a competitive process, and coaches want to know who wants to compete for them and their program. Keep in mind, if a coach is looking for a Ferrari (a very expensive high-performance sports car) then you have to look like a Ferrari and perform like a Ferrari). Approximately .0025% (250) of the top players in the U.S. and the World fall into this category and go to the top schools you see on TV each year. The good news is there are ~980 schools that give athletic softball scholarships. Market to schools that match your skills and there will be a scholarship with your name on it.

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We commonly hear from college coaches about how the parents, players, and most travel ball coaches do not understand softabll recruiting and what it takes to become a Collegiate Softball Recruit. This lack of understanding puts the player at a disadvantage when they are expecting their parent and or coaches to be the ones guiding them on how to get recruited. Players looking to get a softball scholarship must understand the recruiting process and how to set themselves apart from the other 100,000 softball players with the same year of graduation, competing for a collegiate scholarship.

While having the right skill set is an important element in recruiting, if a player does not properly market themselves to the college coaches, those coaches will never know who that player is. Players must do their research on the school, coaching staff, and softball program to identify the programs where they will be a fit. Once the right programs are identified, players must reach out to those programs and begin to market themselves consistently to those coaches. One very common error that players make is limiting the amount of schools they reach out to, and reaching out to schools where they are not a fit. All too often we find that players are only reaching out to a small number of schools (10 - 15) and those schools are the ones they see on TV. Players and Parents must realize that the top schools (we call them the TV schools) usually start recruiting players very early (freshman and earlier) and those schools are focused on the top elite players in the nation. If you start the process too late or do not meet the elite player requirements, your chances of getting any attention from those schools will be extremely limited. There are ~980 D1, D2, NAIA, and NJACC schools that offer softball scholarships so only looking at D1 schools extremely limits a player's opportunity to play in college. In the end, what is your goal, to play softball at college where you might make it on TV during the World Series or to get the best education you can?

The Fastpitch Scout program and it's extensive and always up-to-date Coach/School database allows players to find and communicate with all schools that offer softball scholarships. Fastpitch Scout has the tools and knowledge to help and guide players to successful recruiting results.

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What exactly does "branding" mean?
Simply put, your brand is the promise to your customers (Coaches) to deliver. It tells them what they can expect from your product and services (you as a softball player), and it differentiates your offering from that of your competitors (other players with like skills and age). Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be, and who people (coaches) perceive you to be. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in the increasingly competitive Softball Recruiting process and market.

Who you are should be based to some extent on what your target customer (coaches) want and need you to be.

Are you bigger, stronger, and faster than everyone else at your position? Or are you more experienced, reliable, and consistent in your play? Are you the high-end recognized player on an ESPN list or FLO Softball List? Or a high-quality option that no one knows about yet? In most cases, we find the player falls in the - good value option.

Just remember that you can't be all things to all coaches. Based on the above, should dictate your focus on your target schools and coaches. Because your brand "meaning you" meets that market segment that can best use your services (Division I, II, NAIA, or JC). If you create your BRAND and market to the RIGHT MARKET (schools that match your measurables) you will be successful in the recruiting process.

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