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. Members include coaches from colleges, high schools, and travel ball teams, 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. In the NCAA alone, more than 300 fastpitch programs have been added in the last 15 years. Overall, there are more than 1,100 collegiate fastpitch programs and almost 400 junior colleges playing fastpitch in the U.S.
Here are some key facts about college softball: Approximately 25% of those 1100 colleges compete as NCAA Div. I programs 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!) 90% of all colleges with softball teams are located east of Colorado, and the further east you go, the more schools you'll find. Approximately 4500 athletes will start college each fall as new players headed for a 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 junior colleges 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 60% scholarship, another might get 35%, while another might receive book or meal allowances. 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." Some teams only have 3 or 5 or 7 scholarships to divide among 16-18 athletes. And 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.
All athletic scholarships are awarded on a yearly basis. No matter what anyone tells you, all athletic scholarships must be renewed annually, and there are no guarantees for renewal. Before you commit to a program you should ask the coach about the school’s policies on scholarship dollars, and how they are awarded.
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, you must graduate from high school having successfully completed a core curriculum of 16 academic courses. You must also have a core-course grade point average and SAT or ACT based on a sliding scale. (Core courses include academic subjects such as English, math, history, language and science, etc. Your athlete's core GPA may be different than 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 have at least a 2.0 in 14 core classes and an 820 SAT or 68 sub-score total on the ACT. (Note: The Div. I core course requirement of 16 will probably be expanded to include Div. II schools within the next 3-5 years as the NCAA has already started the process to make this change.)
There are 3 components on the SAT--Math, Critical Reading and Writing- -with a possible maximum score of 800 on each test, or a total of 2400. Currently the NCAA determines athletic eligibility based only on your MATH and CRITICAL READING score total. However, individual colleges require all three sections of the SAT.
B. Registration with the Eligibility Center. To be eligible to compete at a Division I or Division II college, all athletes must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Your high school counselor should have registration forms, but you can also start the process online. The NCAA suggests players sign up after junior-year grades appear on the transcript. The process includes registering, sending transcripts and SAT/ACT scores, and providing proof of graduation. All SAT or ACT scores must be reported to the NCAA Eligibility Center directly from either the ACT or SAT Boards.
B. 1. Amateurism Certification. The NCAA also determines the amateurism eligibility of freshman enrolling at NCAA Divisions I and II schools. You can find out more about this process in this booklet
C. Some basic recruiting rules (See NCAA booklet for more details):
Printed materials can be provided to a prospective student-athlete as of September 1 of her junior year.
Phone calls from coaches or faculty members are not permitted until July 1 after completion of the player’s junior year or June 15 for Div II coaches). Calls are limited to one per week to the player or her family, except under special circumstances outlined in the guide. (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 coach may not have any off- campus contact with an athlete until July 1 following her junior year or June 15 for Div. II schools. Colleges are permitted only three off- campus meetings with a prospect or her family.
Coaches shouldn’t be talking to parents or players—about anything--before the permitted times, and even when they can legally talk to you, many coaches prefer to save contacts for when they really want to discuss recruiting details. Let them come to you when they’re ready.
Official Visits -- During a player’s senior year, she can have one expense-paid visit to any particular campus. A player can take no more than five official visits to five different schools.
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 to a particular campus.
National Letter of Intent -- If you have been offered an athletic scholarship by a Div. I or II school, you will be asked to sign a National Letter of Intent. In softball, 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 2009 will be November 12 through November 19.
5. Cathi Aradi's Book Before I take questions, 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.
So 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.
Plan your athlete’s college search carefully, and look for a college team where she can contribute and play while getting her education. Don’t rule out smaller programs or schools just because they’re Div. III or because you aren’t familiar with the team. Be prepared to investigate all types of financial aid, and don’t expect a full ride. Try to keep in mind, if your athlete plays in college for the love of the game she’s far more likely to be happy and successful. And in the long run, that will make you happier too!
7. Questions and Answers