OUTLINE FOR PARENTS TALK -- NFCA Recruiting Camps --
1. NFCA Welcome Hello, everyone, my name is ______and I’m the (Position)______at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The NFCA is the professional growth organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Founded thirty years ago by college coaches, the NFCA now has over ______members. Members include coaches from colleges, high schools, and travel ball teams, as well as umpires and families like yours who are interested in fastpitch softball. We keep our members informed through our newspaper -- Fastpitch Delivery, which is printed 12 times a year
We also publish the book Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level,
2. Growth of Softball / Facts You Should Know Softball is really growing -- at all levels. Overall, there are more than 1,150 collegiate fastpitch programs and 400 junior colleges playing fastpitch in the U.S.
Here are some key facts about college softball: v Approximately 25% of those 1150 colleges compete as NCAA Div. I programs v The remaining 75% of all 4-year college teams compete as NCAA Div. II, Div. III or NAIA members. (This means 75% of all college players are not competing at Div. I programs!) v 90% of all colleges with softball teams are located east of Colorado, and the further east you go, the more schools you'll find. v Approximately 4500 athletes will start college each fall as new players headed for a 4-year college softball team. 3. Scholarship Availability NCAA Division I and Division II, NAIA schools, and junior colleges are allowed to offer softball scholarships. However, NCAA Division III and some JC’s cannot offer them. NCAA D-I programs are allowed a maximum of 12 total scholarships, while D-II may have a total of 7.2. Most players who are offered athletic money will receive partial scholarships. One player might receive a 50% scholarship, another might get 30%. As a rule, full-ride scholarships are rare and usually will be offered to the athlete who is considered a major “impact” player for that team.
In addition, not all programs are what is called "fully funded." A college might only have 3.5 or 7.2 scholarships to divide among 18 athletes. Some D-I and D-II programs have no athletic scholarships at all. In today’s economy, most families have to look for creative ways to fund their student’s education—and softball scholarships shouldn’t be the only avenue you explore. Remember that there is more academic money than athletic money available; and virtually all colleges have other financial aid— e.g., need-based grants, work-study, loans, and so on.
Softball scholarships are generally awarded on a yearly basis. At the Div. I level, schools are allowed to award multi-year scholarships. But it’s not a given, and most students will have to renew their scholarships annually. As you go through the recruiting process, you should ask about the coach and the school’s policy on scholarships and how they are administered.
4. Basic Recruiting Facts Here are some things you need to know as you start the recruiting process. These are mostly NCAA Division I facts, since the process in Division I is the most complicated. However, I strongly recommend you learn about academic and recruiting guidelines for all types of college programs… because again, 75% of players will not be competing at D-I schools.
A. Academic Eligibility. To be certified eligible to play NCAA Division I, your player must complete a core curriculum of 16 academic courses with a specified core-course GPA and SAT or ACT based on a sliding scale. (Core courses include English, math, history, language and science. Your athlete's core GPA is determined by averaging grades from those courses only, and it may not be the same as her cumulative GPA.) The core GPA/SAT-ACT sliding scale is listed in The Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete
NCAA Division II does not use a sliding scale, and as of now you must carry a 2.0 GPA in 14 core classes and have an 820 SAT or 68 sub-score total on the ACT.
NAIA eligibility requires a 2.0 GPA, an 860 combined SAT or 18 ACT, and/or graduating in the top 50% of your class.
The SAT has 3 components--Math, Critical Reading and Writing--with a possible maximum score of 800 on each test, or a total of 2400. The NCAA and the NAIA determine athletic eligibility based only on your MATH and CRITICAL READING score total. However, many colleges require all three sections of the SAT. The ACT uses a composite score that is the average of all 4 components of the test.
B. Registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center. To compete at a D-I or D-II college, all athletes must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Your high school should have forms, but you can also start the process online. The NCAA suggests you register as a junior, and then update your file after your junior-year grades appear on the transcript. The process includes having transcripts and SAT/ACT scores sent to the EC, and providing proof of graduation, and most importantly, having at least one D-I or D-II coach list your name on their school’s Institutional Request List (IRL). This has to happen before the EC will process your player’s certification. (We recommend including your 10-digit NCAA # on all written communications with coaches.) If you player doesn't complete the process by having a final HS transcript sent when she graduates, she will not be able to practice or play at a Div. I or II school.
B. 1. Amateurism Certification. The NCAA also determines the amateurism eligibility of freshman initially enrolling at NCAA Divisions I and II schools. You can find out more about this process in this booklet
B. 2. NAIA Eligibility Center. As of 2011, all athletes entering NAIA colleges must be registered with the NAIA Eligibility Center. This process also involves sending transcripts and test scores, and it can be started online at the NAIA web site. This is new and it is completely separate from the NCAA’s eligibility certification process.
C. Definitions of key terms you’ll hear as you go through the process:
Prospective Student-Athlete -- A player who has started 9th grade.
Printed materials can be provided to a prospective student-athlete as of September 1 of her junior year for Div. I and June 15th following her sophomore year for Div. II (as of June 2012).
While players may write a college coach at any time, Div. I coaches may not initiate contact until the student begins her junior year. They may acknowledge receipt of your letter, but that’s all.
Phone calls from Div. I coaches or faculty members are not permitted until July 1 after completion of the player’s junior year. Calls are limited to one per week to the player or her family, except under special circumstances outlined in the guide. You'll want to read this to ensure you understand and follow all NCAA rules governing electronic & telephone communication.
Div. II coaches may initiate written, phone or in person contact beginning June 15 following the player’s sophomore year.
(REALLY EMPHASIZE THE NEXT SECTION!!!) Contacts -- A contact is defined as any face-to-face meeting between a college coach and the player or any family member, during which any of you say more than “hello.” A Div. I coach may not have any off- campus contact with you or your family until July 1 following your junior year. Div. II coaches may begin contacts June 15 following your sophomore year. Div. I coaches are permitted only three off-campus meetings with a prospect or her family. Div. II coaches, however, may have unlimited contact with players after your sophomore year.
Do not be offended if a coach doesn’t talk to you at a tournament or during a chance encounter. Coaches shouldn’t be talking to parents or players before the permitted times, and even when they can legally talk to you, most coaches prefer to save contacts for when they really want to discuss recruiting details.
Official Visits -- During a player’s senior year, she can have only one expense-paid visit per college and no more than five total official visits. These official visits may not start until Sept. 1 of your senior year. The official visit cannot exceed more than 48 hours, and the school may provide transportation, meals, lodging and complimentary admissions to athletics events. Note: Not all colleges, particularly Div. II, III and NAIA schools, can afford to provide transportation. It is not uncommon for a coach to ask you to pay your own transportation costs to a school, even on an official visit.
Unofficial Visit -- An unofficial visit is a visit to a college campus initiated by the student-athlete at her own expense. There are no restrictions on the number of unofficial visits a student-athlete may take. On an unofficial visit, you can meet with the coach and team, so you might want to call ahead to set up a meeting.
National Letter of Intent -- If your player is offered an athletic scholarship by a Div. I or II school, she will be asked to sign a National Letter of Intent. There are two NLI signing dates — an early period, which is one week in November, and the traditional signing period which runs from mid-April through August 1. The early signing period for scholarships awarded in the fall of 2012 is November 14-21.
5. Cathi Aradi's Book I want to remind you about the book that thousands of families have found extremely helpful while going through the recruiting process. It’s called Preparing to Play Softball at the Collegiate Level.
It will help your athlete determine her collegiate priorities, identify her “target zone” schools, and put together her complete marketing package, including her skills video. It gives you a list of schools with teams, covers NCAA recruiting information, provides models for letters and resumes, and more. It will ensure you stay grounded through this stressful time and give your daughter a competitive edge when it comes to her college search. We have the book available here for $34.95, and you can also order it through our web page at www.nfca.org.
Recruiting gets more competitive and complex every year. More players are hoping to be recruited; and everyone has a different experience to tell you about. Statistically speaking, there’s about 1 spot for every 15 athletes who hope to play in college, and only about 100-150 players total will end up going to Top 25 Div. I schools each year.
Don’t listen to just one source. Learn as much as you can about the process ahead of time. Don't be passive, and don't assume that just because your player is good, lots of coaches will hear about her.
7. Questions and Answers
ADDENDUM
[NOTE: If early commitment/recruiting comes up as a question, add this.]
At this time, there is a trend among some Div. I coaches (and a few Div. II or NAIA coaches) to push for early commitments from prospects—e.g., as juniors or even sophomores. Since coaches can’t legally call any of these athletes or even write the sophomores about recruiting, you may wonder how this happens. Generally, the coach will see the player somewhere— often on a high profile travel team—and talk to the coach about the prospect. The college coach may ask the travel coach to encourage the prospect to call the college coach at any time to talk. The coach may suggest the player visit at her own expense—e.g., an unofficial visit. It’s important to remember these points: v Not all college coaches pursue early commitments—most will not. Although D-II and NAIA coaches can have earlier contact with players, most of them won’t pursue commitments before you end your junior year. This may change, but at this point, most D-II and NAIA coaches don’t have the budgets to recruit 2 or 3 years ahead. Since 75% of college players will compete for these schools, the early commitment process won’t affect the majority of prospects. v Any commitments given are verbal, and while they may be ethically binding, they are not legally binding. In other words, the college or the prospect can back out at any time until the player is a senior and required to sign her NLI. v Students should not feel pressured to commit early, particularly if they don’t feel ready. v Of all students in a given graduation year who will commit to or sign at a school, only a very small percentage will do so as juniors or sophomores.
Despite what anyone tells you, your athlete shouldn’t feel she’s behind the 8-ball or missing out if she isn’t asked to commit before she is a senior. There is a school and a team for almost every player who really wants the collegiate softball experience. Look for schools where your athlete will make an impact, where she will have a strong “wow” factor, and where she will be able to play rather than sit the bench. Success for most families going through the college search process boils down to their ability to adjust their expectations—athletic, economic, geographic—to fit their player’s personal reality! Good luck!