Core Training

College Coaches Recruit Parents Too

College coaches don’t just pay attention to the players on the field when they are out recruiting; they are also keeping eyes and ears on the parents in the stands. Parents play a significant role in a softball players development on the field, in the classroom, and in other areas of life. Even without meeting a player, a college coach can learn a lot by watching the player compete on the field and by profiling or studying her parents in the stands.

There are many different types of softball parents. There are the quiet ones who don’t say much and who attend games to enjoy a day at the ballpark and to watch their daughter play. There is another group of parents who are positive and cheer and encourage. Then some parents try to coach their kids from the stands; these parents are usually the ones who will yell things at the umpires and coaches from the sidelines as well.

College coaches will typically take note of the last category of parents listed, just as anyone would. These parents make it a point to draw attention to themselves. Not only are these parents drawing attention to themselves, but they are also taking attention away from their kid.

College coaches may be quick to write off a player who has a loud mouth parent. More often than not, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Even if this isn’t necessarily always the case, it’s easy to make the assumption. If a parent is getting worked up over a travel or club ball game, imagine how they will be in a college conference championship matchup. College softball games are a friendly and fun experience for spectators; nobody wants a loud negative mouth in the stands distracting everyone from the game.

In college softball, coaches and parents have zero interaction. The only time a coach and a parent may interact is at the end of the year team banquets or any off the field team functions. From the second the player steps on the college campus, the coach is in charge. This may be a hard adjustment for some parents, especially those who have played a significant role in their daughter’s softball career up to this point.

College coaches will have zero tolerance for parents trying to coach from the stands. They will make this point clear to the players on the first day of practice and in the first game. It will be up to the players to relay that message to their parents. This can often be a hard conversation for players to have, but it’s part of the growing up process, and with less parent involvement or distraction gives players a chance to spread their wings.

It’s easy for softball parents to get caught up in the moment on game days. They have put countless hours of time, money, and energy into developing their softball player so that she can live out her dreams. College coaches understand this, and will more often than not, give a parent a free pass. If it occurs more than once when the college coach is present, this could make an impact on the college coaches decision to recruit the player.

Just like players, softball parents make mistakes too. Everyone is human, and college coaches understand that. If you are a parent and find yourself overly excited on a game day, find a way to manage these emotions without being vocal. Taking a walk either away from the field or to the fence and back when something doesn’t go as planned is a great start. If you are a parent who thinks travel and club softball is stressful, wait until the four years of college ball.

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