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The biggest key is to realize that you must become a really good sales person. In other words you have to let them know you are out there don't expect them to show up at your door, and don't think your coaches are going to do it for you.

For lack of a better analogy consider yourself like a new soft drink. The coaches already know about Coke and Pepsi (two players on other teams), you must let them know that you are now on the shelf. Coke and Pepsi are running ads on tv, on the radio etc so you need to do the same. You need to email, call and leave messages about how you've made improvements to your product (camps, clinics, reading etc) so that they'll know. The best way to make them thirsty for your product is by offering a free sample to convince them you are better than Coke and Pepsi. You do that by showing up for their camps and visiting their school so that they "sample" you. Your job over your 4 years of high school is make them forget about Pepsi and Coke and become thirsty for you.

On my website you'll find my top 10 specific suggestions on how to sell yourself.

Best of Luck,

Great question.

College coaches want to recruit girls that want to become the best in the country. They want to see those that challenge themselves to be the best and that can only happen by playing against the best. They have a limited time when they are allowed to recruit, and limited money with which to travel and do the recruiting. So it is possible that you could be so good on your video, and when you go to one of their camps that they would come to a high school game just to see you play, but the odds are much better that they would want to see you as 1 of 15-20 players they might want to look at during a huge exposure type tournament. That way they spend the travel money 1 time and see multiple girls, all playing against the highest level of competition.

That doesn't rule out the fact that you could go to one of the top high schools in your state/country and the coach is highly regarded and they end up helping you a great deal through their referrals. But for the most part the college coaches are going to recruit where the best group of girls is assembled to play the best group of girls.

Hope that helps

When should I start making my tape? I'm going to be a sophomore this year and I had people tell me that this is when I should start putting my tape together – is it too soon or should I have already started??

thanks! that makes me feel so much better! does it need to just be game footage or can it be practice too?

softballjunkie12 said:

thanks! that makes me feel so much better! does it need to just be game footage or can it be practice too?

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Great question. Glad you are really thinking this through. I could give you a simple answer, but that would be too easy   So I'm going to try and use your question to illustrate a bigger point in life. (But bear with me, I will answer the question)

In anything that you do in life, it's good to get into the habit of thinking as though you were the other person. In this case … the college coaches that will be receiving your videos. So there you are with 1,000 videos to go over how do you choose which one(s) to look at in the first place?

The first thing you need to is figure out a way to convince them to choose to watch your DVD, so that instead of being in the pile, it will get into the DVD player. Or get them to click a link to your profile page where they watch it online. A friend of mine actually had some of his players send their DVD's to the coaches inside of small toy trash cans with a note that said "I think I'll be a strong assett to your program, but I realize that you have thousands of players who think that so the odds are strong my DVD may end up in a trash can. I thought I'd save you the time since I know your's is so valuable." Certainly very catchy, and the odds are strong that every coach/asst coach in the school ended up seeing that small trash can and the DVD inside of it. My best advice, short of something crazy like that, is to take the time to build a relationship with the coach first. Write to them often. Do your reasearch on the team. On the players. On the coaching staff. Convince them that you've spent your time on them, so that they feel you are worth spending their time on you. If they feel like they are just another school in 600 you are writing to, then the odds are that they won't even watch your video. But if they feel like you are really studying them, they will want to study you. Hope that all makes sense.

Now that they are sticking it in, what is that you think will get them to want to keep watching it? Again you have to think like you are them. You've been around this game for 25 years now. You've seen the best of the best of the best from Maine to California and several over seas countries as well. So what is it that you are looking for? With their experience level, and the time that they have available they are really looking to see what you have to offer in about 2 1/2 minutes. That's your window to convince them that they should continue pursuing their relationship with you or not. You need to show them your strongest stuff first. If you are a great hitter, let them see about 10 swings from soft toss or even off of the tee. All they are going to look for is your mechanics. They want to see that you are consistent and have solid fundamental mechanics. If you show them game footage they may think that you edited it and only showed the 1 good swing that you had the entire at bat, but when you film 10 straight swings they can see exactly what they want to and they know you are consistent with your mechanics and approach. If you are stronger fielding than you are hitting, then show your defensive section first. Again, they want to see your approach and mechanics. If you are an infielder charge 2-3, go to your glove side for 2-3 and your throwing side for 2-3. If you are a middle infielder have a friend work with you so that they can see your release and footwork around second base. If you are an outfielder, show them 2-3 coming on on the bal, then 2-3 going back (again each side). If you can lay for the ball, then by all means demonstrate that. The easiest way to demonstrate fielding (infielding or outfielding) is to use a pitching machine. It will put the ball in a consistent spot and then you just place yourself on the field accordingly to demonstrate what you are looking to demonstrate. If you are a good baserunner then add a small section on that. Show yourself sliding or diving into a base, and video yourself going from home to hom so that they can time you. Unless you are a pitcher you can show them your hitting, defense and base running in 2 and a half minutes or less. The only time you need any sound at all is during the intro: "Hi my name is Softball Junkie and I graduate in 2012. I play varsity for the Small Town High School Polar Bears, and I play travel/club ball for the Other Town Heat Waves. I can play all 12 positions on the field but my primary position is Shortstop. During the intro let them see your personality. Are you the kind of person they are going to want to spend 20+ hours with per week, for 4 straight years? Be yourself for that intro. If you are bubbly, then be bubbly. If you are more serious then be serious. You don't know what they are looking for, but you sure want to find the coach that is looking for you, and not the pretend picture you painted by being something else for the camera. (Hope that makes sense.)

So the long answer to your short question is: Take the time to film about 2 1/2 minutes of an introduction, your hitting, fielding and baserunning. No need to film games and spend 2 months editing it down. No need to add cheesy soundtrack music to the background. Just show the coaches, exactly what you would want to see if you were the coach, and build a relationship first so that they will want to see what you send them.

That's some great advice – thank you!!