2.     Showcase profiles

Often the tournament directors of showcase request that team supply a team profile that is to be put into a book for the college coaches.  Usually this is in a spreadsheet format and requests information about individual players.  These should be completed and timely submitted.  Many people will put the players in order of their last names or by uniform number.  I suggest that they be order of years of graduation.  That will make it easier for the college coaches to identify girls in the graduating class that they are looking at.   For a sample of what a showcase profile looks like, please go to the handouts page.

3.         Websites

 Virtually all teams have websites these days.  However, I don’t think that many of them are being used as well as they could be for marketing purposes.  The website should:

a.       Look Professional, with no mistakes if possible

b.      Be easy to read.  It should not be too gimmicky and should use a font that is appropriate in size and color.

c.      Be easy to navigate

d.       Include profile information for each player.  We put a copy of the full profile book on the website that can be downloaded and we have a link to each player’s individual profile pages.

e.       Display the team's schedule

f.        Give contact information for the coach and the players that is current and accurate

g.       Tell something about the team's history and where the alumni have played in college.

h.        Kept current

We encourage the girls to put a link to the team website in emails that they send to the college coaches to give them a flavor of the team and the type of players we have.  Now this may not be necessary if a girl plays for the OC Batbusters, the Shamrocks, or the AZ Hot Shots, but it could be important for players who play for teams with a less prominent national reputation.  For an example, go to www.heartbreakerssoftball.com.  

4.       Delegate responsibility  

Most head coaches on travel teams already have enough on their plate.  They should delegate responsibility for things like creating the profile books, doing the website, and making sure that the showcase profiles are completed and submitted timely.   

A person should also be designated to communicate with college coaches at showcases.  The head coach should be available to talk between games, but during the games, someone needs to be available to hand out profile books.  However, the person doing this can do so much more by creating a dialogue with the college coach and direct attention to specific players.  So the person designated to talk to college coaches should:

a.                   Be knowledge about the players and their skills (know what level of ball they are capable of playing in college)

b.                  Be honest

c.                   Be personable and have the ability to communicate

d.                  Be diligent

e.                   Be prepared to answer questions

f.                    Know when to walk away

g.       Always assume that the college coach, who makes his/her living as a coach, knows more about the game than you do and can make his/her own evaluations

h.       Don't be rude.  If a coach is on the phone or talking to another representative, be patient and wait.

Anyone can simply hand out profile books.  Teams that can direct coaches to look at certain players who may fit the needs of that coach are giving their players an advantage. However, this should not be done without actual knowledge of the players or even the programs that the players are being directed to.  A college coach that I respect told me very recently that travel coaches who recommend players to college coaches without knowing anything about the college programs are doing a disservice to the players and creates a situation where there is a lack of trust, for want a better word.  Travel coaches, and especially the people who are designated to talk to the college coaches at showcases, need to become more and better educated in the rigors of college ball and the difference between players who can play at an upper level Division I program and those who can't.  It will also help if more is known about the individual schools.  And this is important from more than an athletic standpoint.  The travel coach should know something about the academic standards of the schools.  It makes absolutely no sense to recommend any student to a college coach when that player cannot meet the entry requirements of the school.

All of this can be accomplished in a number of ways.  There is information about the schools on the website.  In addition it is easy to track down and talk to former players.  Lastly  there is certainly nothing wrong with simply talking to the coach and asking about the program to become more educated.  The more educated the travel coach is, the more efficient the process is.  I am not suggesting that every travel coach learn about every college program in the country.  That would be virtually impossible.  However, schools tend to show up at the same showcases every year.  So travel coaches pretty much know in advance which schools will be around.  Take some time, educate yourselves, and make sure that the right information is going to the right people in the right way.

Do not discuss players with college coaches within ear shot of any parents or other players.  EVER.  There is simply no good that can come of that. 

5.   Always be honest with college coaches

Never oversell or lie to a college coach about a player or her skill set.  The first time a coach is caught doing that is the last time he/she will have any credibility with the college coach.  So I suggest that answers always be honest, but with a positive spin.  

For example, I was once asked about the arm strength of a particular player.  Her arm was average at best.  So I answered the question this way:  Her arm is only average, but she always hits the cut off man and her speed lets her play shallow and catch balls that other outfielders only dream about.  That way I was able to be both honest and turn a potential negative into a positive.

I was talking about this very subject with a well respected person in softball and he suggested to me that sometimes a college coach will ask these types of questions AFTER they have made their own evaluations in order to test the travel coach's honesty.  This was later confirmed by a college coach that I know. 

College coaches are insulted by the idea that they think the travel coaches think they are stupid or unable to make their own evaluations.  They are going to do their own evaluations no matter what you say or don't say about a player.  So make sure you are right and honest or it is the last time the coach may even speak to you.  College coaches have precious little time at showcases.  They will not waste it talking to people who they believe do not know what they are talking about or worse, who are not honest. 

     6.         Help girls with the skills video

Most parents don’t have the first clue about how to set up the skills video.  The travel coach can be invaluable in setting this up.  He/she can arrange for multiple players  to be there to assist in taking the video and perhaps doing more than one at the same time.  This can reduce costs to players.  I have found that the optimum number of players to video at the same time is three.  This allows plenty of time for shooting the videos without rushing anyone to finish.

Players should be encouraged to bring copies of the videos to showcases to give to the person designated to give out the profiles for any coach who may want one.

7.      General Stuff

The travel coach should also be sending out reminders and information to the players on a regular basis about emailing college coaches, encouraging them to stay on top of the process, identifying clinics and camps for them to attend.  If possible, the travel coach can send out a list of college coaches who will be attending upcoming showcases.  We have also emailed full copies of the player profile books to college coaches in advance of showcases such at Rising Stars.  He/she should also be able to answer questions and assist the players in obtaining information about college coaches, such as email addresses.  Mostly the travel coach has to remember that the school that a player ends up is her choice, and not his, and that everything reasonable should done to assis the player in making that choice.

8.    Be Fair

Everyone wants to win, and no one wants to win more than I do.  When teams are coming through the ranks and trying to build a reputation it is important to play well and win at showcases.  But the needs of the players individually should not be ignored during this process.  Be fair to the players by making sure that they are showcased and get appropriate playing time in front of college coaches. 

Recruitable players should, if at all possible, get playing time over non recruitable players at showcases.  In addition, try to accommodate the requests of the players who know that a particular coach will be watching a certain game.  Also, if you have a specific player rotation in mind at showcases, communicate that to the players so they know before the showcase starts when they will be playing. 

Lastly, try to place the players in the best possible chance for success.  For example, it would be unfair to showcase a drop pitcher in a game using a weak defensive catcher.