What is the difference between Divisions I, II, and III?

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Updated 12/30/11

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Video Taping Your Softball Skills

Make a skills tape.
Have a parent or coach videotape you in action. It does not have to be fancy, or done by a professional.

VIDEO TAPING YOUR SOFTBALL SKILLS

Colleges want to see everything you are capable of doing. If you play several positions, show footage of different skills. Please keep in mind, though that they receive hundreds of videotapes each season and simply don't have time to view excess and unneeded footage. Here are some guidelines as to what they want to see and how many repetitions they would like to see. In what order you perform the skills makes no difference.

It is recommended to use the zoom feature rather than moving in a position you may disturb the fielder or hitter.

The entire tape should only be approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

HITTING

View from beyond opposite batters box, facing the batter as they are in their stance, close view. Full swings in this segment, if you have full swings from both right and left side, please show both.


BUNTING

Sac Bunts: View from pitching circle, left and right sides, if applicable.
Bunt for Hit: View from pitching circle, left and right sides, if applicable.
Drag Bunt: View from pitching circle, left and right sides, if applicable.
Slap Bunt: View from beyond opposite batters box, left and right side, if applicable.

FIELDING - THROWING (All Positions)

Fielding ground balls, some directly at you, some to your right and left.
Balls to your right and left should be approximately 15 to 20 feet each way.
Show the throw to a base. (Note) Always have an angle to show the throw.
DO NOT follow the ball with the camera.

CATCHERS (Full Equipment)

Block ball in dirt, some right at you, some to show lateral movement.
Field bunts and throw to all bases.
Pickoff, show throws to 1st and 3rd base.
Steals, show throw to 2nd and 3rd base, with the fielder on the move to cover the base.

CORNERS / 1B - 3B

Field bunts, throw to 1st, 2nd and 3rd bases.
At 1st base, taking throws in the dirt.
At 3rd base, taking throws from the outfield, making a tag.

MIDDLE INFIELDERS / SS - 2B

Double play, pivot and footwork.
Double play, feeds.
Shortstop, covering second on a steal.
Second, covering first on a bunt.
Fly balls overhead, Texas Leaguer.

OUTFIELDERS

Fielding fly balls, some directly at you, some to your right, left and forward. Show the throw to 2B, 3B and home. Right field also show throw to 1B.

PITCHERS

Two Angles:
>From behind pitcher.
>From side of the catcher.
Show 5 to 6 of each pitch you have from each angle.
Fielding grounders and bunts, throwing to all bases.

BASE RUNNING

Home to first, after you swing.
Home to home, after you swing.

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FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions For Our College Bound Students…

I’ve heard that if you’re a good softball player, the college coaches will recruit you. Is that true? Any college coach or recruiter will tell you that being good doesn't automatically give a player an edge in being recruited or being offered a scholarship to play college softball. There are thousands of good softball players who go unnoticed and unrecruited every year.

The coach or recruiter first has to know about you to be able to recruit you. In addition to talent, coaches recruit players based on a number of important factors including experience, grades, work ethic, team needs, and the player's ability to adjust to the demands of college softball.

How Many Player Positions Are Available to Incoming Freshman? On average, there are about 4 player positions per college team available to incoming freshman (and junior college transfers), or about 4000-4500 available positions on four-year college teams across the country every year.

How many players get “full-ride” scholarships? Very few players get a "full ride" (100% of college costs). It’s important for players and parents to know that colleges are allowed to divide scholarships. With an average roster of 18 players per team, there's not enough scholarship money for every player on the team to get a “full ride." Most college teams award half or three-quarter scholarships, in order to stretch their funds as far as possible and still be able to recruit quality players.

Which players get "full rides"? When available, full-ride scholarships generally go to top-notch pitchers, catchers, and hitters. Prospective college softball players should expect that scholarship offers will range along these lines: pitchers, 80-100% of “full-ride”; catchers, 50-80%; infielders, 30-70%; outfielders, 20-50%. Versatility, hitting ability, and team needs can make a player more valuable, and a scholarship offer will be adjusted accordingly.

What are my chances of being awarded a four-year scholarship? No matter what any player, parent, coach, or recruiter might tell you, there is simply no such thing as a "four-year scholarship" to play softball. Scholarships are awarded on a year-by-year basis only. The name of the game is performance. The best way to insure a “four-year scholarship” is to exceed expectations from each “one-year scholarship” to the next.

Will going to a recruiting camp or tournament guarantee that I’ll get recruited? Just attending a recruiting camp or tournament is no guarantee that you’ll be recruited. A college coach might never recruit some of the better players at a recruiting camp, or even get a chance to watch them play.

How can I improve my chances of being recruited at one of these camps? The best chance any player has of being noticed and possibly being recruited as a result of a recruiting camp is based on two important factors:

· Parents and players must do their “homework” and marketing preparation, including letters, “Player Marketing Package” (described in detail in the book), phone calls, emails, and so on, to the coaches who are expected to be at the camp.

· You must perform up to expectations while the college coach is looking at you.

Coaches don’t just show up at these camps and tournaments looking for players to fill any old position on their rosters. They go to the camp with a list of names of players they want to evaluate, and a list of positions that they need to fill. The players on a coach’s list are top-level players who are well known to coaches, players who the coach has seen before and wants to watch again, or players who have contacted them directly. Unless a coach knows about you, chances are that he/she won’t be looking at you. The way to get a coach to look at you is, first, to tell them that you’ll be there, and, secondly, to ask them to take a look at you.

When should I start my scholarship search? Searching for a scholarship is only part of the college selection process. Your first goal should be to find a school that’s a good match for your academic abilities and interests, and to find a team that's a good match for your softball skills. Then you can start thinking seriously about the scholarship search.

NCAA schools can’t begin actively recruiting players until their junior year. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should wait until your junior year to begin the college selection process or to start your marketing efforts. There’s nothing wrong with getting a head start on your college selection process in your freshman or sophomore year. It’s a simple matter to log on to a college’s web site, and find out all the information you need to know. If you start narrowing the field of prospective colleges early in your high school career, you'll be well ahead of the game (and ahead of other players) by the time your junior year rolls around.