Each week we take a question from a softball player, parent or coach and pass on to our long-time contributor, Cathi Aradi, one of the most knowledgeable pe
Dec 12, 2015 by Brentt Eads
Each week we take a question from a softball player, parent or coach and pass on to our long-time contributor, Cathi Aradi, one of the most knowledgeable people in softball when it comes to the recruiting process.
Today, Cathi covers recruiting services and the pluses and minuses of using one…
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Recruiting Question : Hi Cathi, I bought your book and it’s awesome, I try to read at least a little bit every night! I’m just starting the recruiting process and after the fall am getting some schools asking about me (according to my club coach)! My question is: what do you think of recruiting services? I’ve looked online and found several that look good and some go from $25 all the way to $5,000! Do they work? What do you think about someone like me using one? — Ryan S., Waco, Texas.

Cathi’s Answer: Hello Ryan, thanks for the nice compliment! I'm glad my book is helping you. Frankly, there is no simple answer to the question of whether or not you should seek outside recruiting help.
But here are a few things to keep in mind. First, most college coaches like it when the player reaches out directly to them if she's interested in their schools. (As I recommend in my book.) And they are more likely to respond to a personalized contact from the player.
With many of the online recruiting services, college coaches either have to search online through hundreds players or they are sent information on hundreds of players which can be overwhelming. If you want your profile to be at the front of the line or the top of the list, you may well have to pay the big bucks. And that still doesn't guarantee a coach will want to know more.
For some, a recruiting service isn't needed while for others, it can open doors--especially with smaller programs.There's also a bit of a Catch-22 here in that many players who sign up for a service do so believing the big name schools will hear about them and recruit them. Or the players (and their parents) assume once they have paid their money, they will not have to do any more work to get recruited. By the time they realize this may not be the case, they're way behind in the process.
Then there's this. I have found that most of the bigger college programs rely on camps, tournament scouting of familiar teams, and contact from the player herself to create their prospect lists. Since they tend to hear from a lot of interested players, it's less likely they're going to need to sit and surf the net looking for recruits.
Where you're likely to have some luck using a recruiting service is with coaches at smaller or lesser known colleges. Online options allow them to broaden their recruiting radar to include players from all over the country and this can be appealing to them.
If you want to use some sort of service as an adjunct to your own efforts, that's fine. If you're sending out letters/resumes/videos by snail mail, following up with emails and phone calls, then any leads you get from a service will be a bonus.
But the best way to guarantee you find a good college fit for you is to consider lots of schools at different levels of competition, approach them yourself, and be open to talking to a variety of coaches.
One thing usually holds true. If you are likely to end up being a strong candidate for a good Div. I team, for example, you should be able to generate interest from these types of schools regardless of whether or not you look for outside help. And if you're likely to be more successful at a Div. III or NAIA school, then all the recruiting services in the world won't get you a serious look from a Top 25, D-I program. (And since 75% of all college teams play D-II, D-III or NAIA, that's where the majority of prospects will end up competing!)
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.
Detailed information is available on her website www.fastpitchrecruiting.com. Cathi can be reached by e-mail at info@fastpitchrecruiting.com
