Is high school team a "must" to play in college?

[TheTownUSA]

Catcher is the most valuable position? You just verified that u don’t know much about softball or the recruiting process.
You can write a letter to explain........
If you’re writing letters to explain yourself the red flag has already been risen.
Sure I’ve had kids that played in College and didn’t play for their HS. team and the questions were asked. No it didn’t affect that process (D3- NAIA) but who knows who may also had been in that pool.

I don't mean to open old wounds, but I thought this might provide some valuable 3rd party insight if your daughter is looking to play college ball when her high school/TB days are over. This is right off the Chapman University website, under their athletics program. It pretty much reiterates what I said months ago. If your daughter wants to play college ball, it really isn't necessary to be recruited or even be scouted at showcase tournaments. There are PLENTY of good schools out there that don't offer athletic scholarships and don't spend a whole lot of time flying coaches all over the country to scout recruits.

Most college teams carry 20+ players and don't offer financial aid based on athletic performance, like Chapman University for example. Chapman is a private Division 3 college in beautiful Orange County. As it states in the attached advice from their athletic department, if you want to play sports for them, or ANY college/university for that matter, it all begins with a well-written and compelling letter to their coach, explaining WHY you want to attend that particular college/university. If you have the grades, aptitude, talent, grit and a good reason for wanting to be there, they will most likely find a spot for you on their team. You may not be a starter, but at least you will have some new friends to hang with.

[eclipse09]

College Coaches don't care about HS stats or performance, they do care about loyalty and participation. Several of the coaches my daughter visited asked about her high school softball experience.

If you have a good reason not to play, it's not a big deal. Not liking the coach or the players isn't a good reason, probably more so now in the these times of players transferring so often, they look for loyalty. Handing out a scholarship to Susie and passing on Betty only to have Susie transfer out a year or two later has to be a concern.

HS ball is what it is, a chance to hang out with school friends, play softball with them, many you probably played rec ball with before turning to travel ball. No one uses it for recruiting.

Great points!

I have seen JC coaches recruit at my kids high school games and talk to our head coach. Doesn't happen a bunch, but so far every year at least one or two JC coaches have come to our games (Div III high school).

Please note the ones that were recruited were playing on smaller travel ball teams and didn't have plans on playing at the next level until talking to the JC coaches.

[eclipse09]

Catcher is the most valuable position? You just verified that u don’t know much about softball or the recruiting process.
You can write a letter to explain........
If you’re writing letters to explain yourself the red flag has already been risen.
Sure I’ve had kids that played in College and didn’t play for their HS. team and the questions were asked. No it didn’t affect that process (D3- NAIA) but who knows who may also had been in that pool.

I don't mean to open old wounds, but I thought this might provide some valuable 3rd party insight if your daughter is looking to play college ball when her high school/TB days are over. This is right off the Chapman University website, under their athletics program. It pretty much reiterates what I said months ago. If your daughter wants to play college ball, it really isn't necessary to be recruited or even be scouted at showcase tournaments. There are PLENTY of good schools out there that don't offer athletic scholarships and don't spend a whole lot of time flying coaches all over the country to scout recruits.

Most college teams carry 20+ players and don't offer financial aid based on athletic performance, like Chapman University for example. Chapman is a private Division 3 college in beautiful Orange County. As it states in the attached advice from their athletic department, if you want to play sports for them, or ANY college/university for that matter, it all begins with a well-written and compelling letter to their coach, explaining WHY you want to attend that particular college/university. If you have the grades, aptitude, talent, grit and a good reason for wanting to be there, they will most likely find a spot for you on their team. You may not be a starter, but at least you will have some new friends to hang with.

Actually most of the smaller Div III teams have needs at multiple sports and allow walk ons without even a letter. They ask some players that were recruited if they want to play multiple sports. One girl from my kids softball team also plays for the school's tennis team. Heck even their soccer team was looking players. I will say softball was not allowing walk ons even with a nice letter since they were full with recruits.

[TheTownUSA]

I never said anything about writing nice letters. Let me tell you what happens to nice letters, or emails that come from people you don't know. They get thrown in the garbage can. I said a compelling letter, one that differentiates you from the pack and commands the attention of the coach.

The difference between a nice versus a compelling letter could determine whether or not you get a response. People like to be intrigued, not bored. Trump didn't get 74,000,000 people to vote for him because he was nice.

The letter won't guarantee you a spot on the team, but it can get you a look from a coach that is too busy to travel all over the country looking to recruit players for a program that doesn't offer athletic scholarships.

It worked for a friend of my daughter. She got a coach from the top engineering school in the country to come take a look at her and an invite to their winter camp. Of course there was more involved, but it all began with the letter.