| A Winning Attitude is Key to Being Recruited!
Many athletes and their parents will use the player's performance in game situations as an indicator of her recruitablity. If she goes three for four and makes a great diving play on a ball, they're convinced all college coaches will want to recruit her. If she goes "0" for the day, and boots a couple of balls, they're sure no coach will even look at her. The player's (and her parents') attitude towards the game is often tied to her performance. If she's hitting, fielding or pitching really well, she smiles, she's happy and her parents are ecstatic. If she has an off day, reactions can range from simply "getting down on herself" to "rage and tantrums". We have also seen where a player is doing very well in a game, but other team members are struggling and not "showing" as well as they would like. In this situation, parents (and occasionally the player herself) may get upset, talk about finding another team... complain about the other players or coaches... and create a very unhealthy environment. If you asked the parents why they were acting this way, they would tell you that the team's performance was hurting their player's chances for success. Performance is important... no one would argue that a player who can't hit or field will probably not make it at the college level. And it's equally true that college coaches look for a 'clutch performance' when scouting a prospect, but just as there are many different levels of collegiate competition and many different types of college coaches, there are many levels of success among players and their attitudes.
The "blue-chip" player, the girl in the top 1% of all players, will probably--even on a bad day--look better than a very average player does on a good day. But college coaches know that even top athletes have "off" days now and then. When scouting, how much attention a coach pays to any given athlete may also depend a lot on whether or not the coach has a context for that player. In other words, when a coach just randomly stops at a field for five minutes to watch a team he or she doesn't know, if your player is having a really bad game, the coach will probably move on and not pay her any more attention. However, if the coach had gotten a letter from her, seen her video and liked it, and knew your player was very interested in his or her college, that coach might still take the time to watch more than one inning. He or she might even come back for another game to see if this poor performance was the result of an 'off day.' It's also good to remember that college coaches don't just look at mechanics or skill level when recruiting athletes. Although these things are very important, most coaches also look closely at a player's attitude, work ethic, sportsmanship, and other qualities that can't be measured by 'statistics.' It's completely normal for young adults to get discouraged, depressed or frustrated when they don't perform up to someone's expectations--whether it be their own, their parents' or their coaches'.
Learning to deal with frustration is as much a part of being a successful competitor as is learning to hit a change-up or throw a curve. Softball is a team sport and failure is just sometimes part of the game. When recruiting, many college coaches will specifically try to look at an athlete's performance in challenging situations; and they will definitely be interested in how she copes with adversity.
When the umpire has an inconsistent strike zone, or the team isn't playing up to its potential, coaches want to know how the individual reacts. Does she throw her bat and helmet, stomp around angrily, sit and sulk on the bench, or in other ways fail to adjust to the situation? Or does she rise to the occasion, try to keep her teammate spirits up, try to perform to her best? Loving the game and being competitive enough to hustle even when it's ninety degrees and you're losing will tell a college coach a lot about how you will cope with the demands of college softball. In between innings if you drag out to your position at shortstop and just lob balls to the first baseman, laughing when you miss a ball, this may give a college coach the impression you lack intensity or that you can't stay focused. If you sit in the dugout and sulk when the coach pulls you for a pinch hitter or when the coach asks you to bunt, you pop up because you really want to hit away, this may tell a college coach you're not a team player and you're only interested in your own performance. Remember, you never know when a college coach or a scout is watching you.
From the time you show up at a tournament or game, you should be performing--in every sense of the word--to the best of your abilities. Whether you're just hitting soft-toss during pre-game warm-ups or making a leaping catch to save the game, coaches may be watching. When you're carrying gear after the game or sitting on the bench keeping stats for your coach, someone may be watching. And a decision to recruit or not recruit you could be based on how you handle yourself in these situations.
Finally, parents should keep in mind that the same cautions apply to you. While coaches are scouting your player, they may also be scouting you. Although it seems farfetched, there have been situations where coaches have decided not to recruit a good athlete simply because they watched her parents "act out" in the stands. The coaches saw the parents and realized the athlete would probably not fit in with their team--or at least her parents wouldn't! It may be difficult for some parents to understand, but the reality is when your athlete joins that college team, you have to say good-bye. Even if you've coached her for ten years, you will not have any input once she's in college. Where she plays, when she plays, what pitches she throws, whether she hits--these are all decisions the college coach will make without your help. And whether or not you like what the coach is doing probably won't matter a bit.
As a family, it's a good idea to talk about the emotional aspects of softball. Look at how you all handle pressure and try to gain some perspective. The more positive you can be during the tough games, the more likely you are to leave a positive impression on a coach!
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