Softball Recruiting: Common Mistakes

Hi. I'm Carie Dever-Boaz, and I'm here to talk to you a little bit about a lot of common mistakes that I saw made in recruiting. First one I want to talk to you about, I think it's imperative that parents and athletes do their homework. When you're looking at several of the programs that you're interested in, you need to look at their rosters. What do they have on there? And then you have to compare it to what you are and what you do and what you want to do. If you're a great pitcher and in the classes before you, they signed three, four, five pitchers, I'd love the confidence for you think that you're gonna come in and beat 'e... Read More of this video transcriptm all out, but you might not. And they might just not have the money for you. Maybe it's not the right timing, and timing is everything. So you might want to look at that and at least discuss it with those programs if they see you playing another position or they see you coming in and sitting or red-shirting, are those all things that you're okay with and happy with? But doing your homework, I think, is huge. Don't just get flattered by them contacting you and recruiting you. What do they have? What do they want? And where are they trying to go? The next thing I've seen a lot of parents do, a lot of athletes do that I think is just a shame is that very young ages, 10, 11, 12, they believe it's time for these kids – and I do say kids and I stress kids, because that’s what they are – is to choose a sport. And I think that's just an absolute shame that’s happening. I think they need to be well-rounded. I think they need to be athletes. I know a lot of the 10 and 11-year-olds that I am coaching and working with right now are so small. And then I see them six years down the road, and they're six foot two or three, and maybe if they'd played basketball or volleyball, they would have had it. But for me as a softball coach, I want an athlete. I can tell you there's only really one position I ever recruited and that's all they ever did, and that was a pitcher. If I went after a pitcher, they were a pitcher for me in college. I didn't take an outfielder and make 'em a pitcher. But I would say 90 percent of the other athletes I recruited, they might have been an outfielder in high school, and they ended up being my first baseman. My first recruit, Brett Erickson at Arkansas, I recruited her as a third baseman, and she literally in four years played every position, but I didn't let her pitch. So I would recommend be very, very well-rounded. I think it's good for them to play multiple sports through high school. They've got more chance of getting hurt in their everyday life than they do on an athletic field. I think doing your homework is the next best things. Those are the two tips I would definitely do, definitely ones that I'll use with my daughter. Have a great day and I'll see you on the diamond. Best of luck to you and I hope you find the right match.