Just wondering if anyone's has any idea how girls are getting seen? Some girls are obvious but how do most girls get noticed?

My opinion is 85% Exposure travel( AAU) 15% High school. All the high school visits come off Travel Ball. Recruiting sites are based 99% off summer travel ball, or the big ones anyway.

Thanks Jesse James, players, coaches and parents need to know this. I think kids need to show initiative as well! Coaches want to hear from the players directly and not just coaches or parents.

Ok, I don't have a dog in the fight at this time, have a younger girl, how do girls get picked up on these AAU teams? I have seen the listings for some tournaments and there are what seems like a hundred teams. Do they have tryouts? Do girls not play together in the summer from the same school?

Some of these tourneys have over 500 teams in it. Alot of different divisions ,so you have to be careful of what team she is on and exactly what division they are playing in. Just because a team says we are gonna play 17U does not mean thats a good thing. This year our second 15U team mowed down alot of so called top 17U teams.

 

As to how they get picked up Catchtheball, you can contact a team or if your daughter is good, they will usually find her. We recruit 365 days a year. Especially young kids. We are working on 2021 and younger kids right now. My advice to you is work work work on her skills. There are no shortcuts for becoming a great player. Heart, hard work is the only way along with her athleticism will determine her path. No way around not being fundamental. Pass, Shoot, Dribble Rebounding the right way wins. Footwork. All these things need to be taught at a early age. You can PM me also if you want to talk more and I will give you my cell. Always try to help everyone.

Ok, I don't have a dog in the fight at this time, have a younger girl, how do girls get picked up on these AAU teams? I have seen the listings for some tournaments and there are what seems like a hundred teams. Do they have tryouts? Do girls not play together in the summer from the same school?

 

On the high level teams there are usually posted tryouts that charge a small fee. If your daughter is good enough they will find her. Younger ages start with a lot a school teams but typically play in low end leagues and tourneys. Great opportunity for the kids to work on their skills. That's when the fun begins. As you start to weed out those less talented the feelings start to get hurt. As they improve the higher level comes calling to a handful. As Jesse says get the fundamentals down first. Driveway time is where the kid is made.

On the high level teams there are usually posted tryouts that charge a small fee. If your daughter is good enough they will find her. Younger ages start with a lot a school teams but typically play in low end leagues and tourneys. Great opportunity for the kids to work on their skills. That's when the fun begins. As you start to weed out those less talented the feelings start to get hurt. As they improve the higher level comes calling to a handful. As Jesse says get the fundamentals down first. Driveway time is where the kid is made.

 

Agreed with both. When I coached and trained bball, the first thing I tell the kids "I can't make you a great basketball player. But I can show you how you can."

Some high school programs also participate in NCAA sanctioned events during the summer and over Christmas that have college coaches attend.

I know in my daughter's specific case, her recruitment has been based a 100% on exposure tournaments with her travel team (and I think Jesse James is being generous to high schools with his nod to their 15% role in recruitment, though I'm sure it is more important in some locations than others). The travel program run by Jesse James, et al., also very honestly educates their players about the recruiting process. As an example, my daughter decided to look at D 3 schools because of her high academic profile and proposed fields of study, Biomedical Engineering major, Russian/Eurasian Studies minor, which would have been extremely difficult to pursue at a D 1 school, of the few that even offered that combinations.

I know in my daughter's specific case, her recruitment has been based a 100% on exposure tournaments with her travel team (and I think Jesse James is being generous to high schools with his nod to their 15% role in recruitment, though I'm sure it is more important in some locations than others). The travel program run by Jesse James, et al., also very honestly educates their players about the recruiting process. As an example, my daughter decided to look at D 3 schools because of her high academic profile and proposed fields of study, Biomedical Engineering major, Russian/Eurasian Studies minor, which would have been extremely difficult to pursue at a D 1 school, of the few that even offered that combinations.

 

You are a good man. Was a pleasure to have your family with us.

I know in my daughter's specific case, her recruitment has been based a 100% on exposure tournaments with her travel team (and I think Jesse James is being generous to high schools with his nod to their 15% role in recruitment, though I'm sure it is more important in some locations than others). The travel program run by Jesse James, et al., also very honestly educates their players about the recruiting process. As an example, my daughter decided to look at D 3 schools because of her high academic profile and proposed fields of study, Biomedical Engineering major, Russian/Eurasian Studies minor, which would have been extremely difficult to pursue at a D 1 school, of the few that even offered that combinations.

 

That's very interesting as my daughter has the exact same interest as a major. So where did your daughter end up going to college? I am curious what she decided in light of thinking D1-D3. My daughter is in same boat for softball currently as a Senior.

My opinion is 85% Exposure travel( AAU) 15% High school. All the high school visits come off Travel Ball. Recruiting sites are based 99% off summer travel ball, or the big ones anyway.

 

 

Non-high school season is the answer to almost every sport now.

Non-high school season is the answer to almost every sport now.

 

That's sad but completely true!

Unfortunately, Clyde and Rocket you are both correct. The problem is probably 90% of the exposure goes to the top teams, (like EYBL) which encompasses only probably only 10% of the total of all the total teams at a big tournament like Battle in the Boro for example, meaning the remaining 10% is spread around to the other 90% of the kids that play in them. Not very good odds for the kids in the 90% bracket. And with little to no opportunity to even compete for a spot on one of those top level teams, I think a lot of players and parents begin to wonder if it's worth it. And to be honest, I am one of those parents. It's disheartening to see my kid go out there and leave it all on the floor, score, defend, play team ball, and see MAYBE one college coach sitting there IF ANY AT ALL watching. You can say that I'm just looking at it with "daddy goggles", but the numbers don't lie. Fortunately, we have spent the time gathering video, emailing coaches, and having my daughter call coaches, so that she is garnering interest from several schools. So I guess partly what I'm saying is don't rely solely on summer ball to generate interest from colleges for your players.

Unfortunately, Clyde and Rocket you are both correct. The problem is probably 90% of the exposure goes to the top teams, (like EYBL) which encompasses only probably only 10% of the total of all the total teams at a big tournament like Battle in the Boro for example, meaning the remaining 10% is spread around to the other 90% of the kids that play in them. Not very good odds for the kids in the 90% bracket. And with little to no opportunity to even compete for a spot on one of those top level teams, I think a lot of players and parents begin to wonder if it's worth it. And to be honest, I am one of those parents. It's disheartening to see my kid go out there and leave it all on the floor, score, defend, play team ball, and see MAYBE one college coach sitting there IF ANY AT ALL watching. You can say that I'm just looking at it with "daddy goggles", but the numbers don't lie. Fortunately, we have spent the time gathering video, emailing coaches, and having my daughter call coaches, so that she is garnering interest from several schools. So I guess partly what I'm saying is don't rely solely on summer ball to generate interest from colleges for your players.

 

A lot of what you say is true. The girls in the 90% you speak of do get the opportunity to play against good competition and the chance to play with different players. That being said I too have experienced the games with no coaches in the stands and tried to focus on the fact that my daughter was improving her skills and that SHE WAS ENJOYING THE EXPERIANCE.

 

No one workers harder for our daughters than we do and yes they should be the ones reaching out to the colleges. If anyone thinks that they can rely solely on the AAU leaders to get that offer for your daughter, then you are going to be disappointed.

 

My daughter played the circuit for 3 years and while there where times of frustration, she(and I) enjoyed the journey.