About College Softball Scouting

Recruiting is done to sign high school athletes to college scholarships so they can play for that school's team. Baseball players are not the only athletes who play with a bat and a ball who are offered scholarships to college. Softball players from high schools across the country have the opportunity to attend college and play softball while receiving financial assistance in the form of a softball scholarship. The money provided in a softball scholarship does not have to be paid back to the school at any time; instead it serves as a grant to offset the softball player's expenses of attending the college while playing softball.

  1. Significance

    • College softball scouting is not just an opportunity for skilled softball players to potentially play softball in college and beyond, but it also provides an opportunity for many players to attend college who could not afford it on their own. The lure of big major league contracts don't exist as they do for baseball. College softball scholarships give the college student a chance to enjoy the sport they love while attending college. Some of the top college softball players have had the opportunity to play in the Olympics for the U.S. Olympic softball team.

    Features

    • If a player wishes to get a college softball scholarship as a pitcher, some advice is provided by John Garris, the former softball coach of Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on the Shelton State Community College website. Garris is currently an assistant softball coach at Samford University. Garris indicates that the average softball pitching speed for community college is in the upper 50s to low 60s in miles per hour. Division I four-year college softball teams have pitchers averaging low to mid 60s, according to Garris. He also indicates that pitchers making the Olympics for softball tend to pitch in the upper 60s or low 70s. These are abilities that softball pitchers wishing to be scouted for the ability to receive college softball scholarships must strive for in their training.

    Types

    • There are college softball scouts for more than just the nationally recognized softball teams seen on television. College softball scholarships can be offered for different types of colleges. Community colleges offer scholarships to fill their softball team, and four-year colleges offer scholarships as well. Just because a player does not receive a scholarship offer does not mean she cannot try out for the team as a "walk-on." If that player makes the team, the college may then offer her a scholarship as well, as long as the college has not offered its maximum number of scholarships for the season.

    Considerations

    • College softball scouts are looking for players to whom they can award a limited number of scholarships to. According to Athleticscholarships.net, each school in Division 1 and Division 2 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association can offer between 7 and 12 scholarships. Athleticsholarships.net reveals that this does not mean 12 players on the team receive full scholarships. The school may choose to award 12 full scholarships, or can divide some of the scholarships in half, giving more players financial assistance on the team through partial scholarships.

    Benefits

    • Softball scouting does not only help the athletes, but it helps the colleges fill their teams with skilled softball players. There are a large number of college softball scholarships available. According to the Athleticssholarships.net website, there are 262 Division 1 colleges that offer softball scholarships and 253 Division 2 colleges that offer softball scholarships. Division 1 colleges can offer 12 scholarships, more if they are divided into partial scholarships. Division 2 programs can offer 7.2 college softball scholarships each, again more if they divide them into partial scholarships.

    Time Frame

    • According to the Achieveyoursoftballdream.com website, starting in 9th grade coaches cannot contact players to recruit them directly. Players may contact coaches via phone calls and can visit the college at their own costs, but the school cannot pay for these visits, and meetings with coaches can only be on campus.
      During the player's junior year, coaches can contact players using mail and Internet to recruit them. Phone calls cannot be made until July 1 after a player's junior year for recruitment purposes by a Division 1 college softball coach, or after June 15th if the school is Division 2. After July 1st, players and coaches that are recruiting them can meet off campus. Only one call to a recruit is permitted per week by a coach; this includes speaking to the recruit's family members, according to the website. On campus recruiting meetings between players and coaches cannot occur until the first day of classes for that player's senior year of high school.

    Geography

    • On campus visits are limited to five per softball player at five colleges, according to the Achieveyoursoftballdream.com website. The coach is permitted to contact the player via phone an unlimited number of times five days before the official visit to the college. These official visits are paid for by the college for the purpose of recruiting the softball player to play for them.