There are 298 Division One College Softball schools in the nation. When weighing the 298 teams individually, each team can hold up to 22 players on their active roster. Typical coaching staff on each of these teams will consist of a head coach, an assistant coach, a pitching coach, and a few additional graduate assistant or volunteer coaches. Some programs carry two co-head coaches who share the responsibilities, while other dynamics may also look different.
Over the years, the recruiting process for college softball has changed and evolved. Today there are many different ways to get recruited in our sport.
Self-evaluation
Playing college softball at the DI level isn’t for everyone. However, it is the dream of many. Before you begin your recruiting process, sit down, and talk with your parents. Decide whether or not playing in college is something you want to commit to doing. Please do some research, talk to some athletes you know who have been there, it’s not a decision you have to make overnight, but it’s the start. At the end of this step, start thinking about what you want your college experience to be. Do you want to go to a big school, or keep it small? Do you want to stay close to home or go far?
Make a List and Check it Twice
Make a list of five dream schools and three reasonable school choices. The list will start you off with eight options, which is a good start. It’s essential to include dream schools on the list; it gives you a target. Ever heard the saying, “shoot for the moon because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars?” Add three reasonable choices to your list. Reasonable could mean any of the following factors; cost, location- close to home or far from home, the size of the school, majors offered, and additional clubs. At this point, you will start to consider where you could potentially see yourself fitting in.
Research
Start researching the schools on your list: A massive piece of advice, don’t just research the softball program. Softball is only a small part of your college experience. Make sure the schools you are looking at have your major or an area of study that you wish to pursue. Your college softball career only lasts four years, and after that, only a small percent of athletes move on to the USA and Pro level. You will have a job outside of softball, so you must study and prepare yourself for that as well.
Now keep that list handy and accessible for a few weeks or even months. It’s incredibly reasonable for that starting list of eight schools to change over time. You may find yourself crossing off or also adding more schools to the list as you go. Once you feel like your list of schools is locked in, rank them one to five or one to ten, whatever your list may be. You will now have a good starting list.
