There was a famous actress in the 1930s-1980s named Lana Turner. The story goes that in 1936, when Turner was 15, she was discovered while purchasing a soda at the Top Hat Malt Shop in Hollywood. At the age of 16, she was signed to a personal contract by Warner Bros. director Mervyn LeRoy, and her career took off from there.

 

Many parents and student athletes think that is how recruiting works. You will just be playing, perhaps at some high-profile tournaments, and a coach will discover you playing softball and sign you to a letter of intent. If only it were so.

 

Recruiting is really marketing yourself to coaches. That requires a lot of outreach. When you have a profile and a video, you can begin emailing coaches and expressing interest in attending their colleges and playing for them. Attach a copy of your profile and include a link to your video on YouTube or Vimeo. It does not hurt to attach an unofficial copy of your high school transcript, either.

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To help players in this quest, we include some resources to help you in that marketing of yourself:

• NCAA/NAIA registration

• Skills video

• Emailing coaches

• Directory of schools

• Schools attending upcoming showcases