PRIOR TO JUNIOR YEAR
Develop a resume and skills video tape and include your high school and club team schedule. (Game times and maps to the fields if available.) Send the resume and skills tape to schools you may be interested in attending.
NCAA Division I and II college coaches may only respond to letters requesting information as long as the written response does not include information that would initiate the recruitment of the prospect or information related to the institution’s athletic programs. This does NOT apply to NAIA member institutions nor Junior College member institutions. They have no limits on their contacts.
* A questionnaire, non-athletic publications, and summer camp brochures may be sent prior to September 1. ( A reply will include a referral to the admissions department.)
Phone calls initiated by the student-athlete to the athletic department may only respond regarding the university in general, at no time may a coach talk about the athletic program to a prospective student-athlete prior to July 1 following their Junior year. Again this only applies to NCAA Division I and II colleges and NOT to NAIA member institutions or Junior Colleges.
BEGINNING OF JUNIOR YEAR
NCAA Division I and II college coaches may write prospective student-athletes after September 1. You may receive general correspondence, a media guide, a schedule card, questionnaire, and NCAA Educational information. Coaches may have only four evaluations of a prospective student-athlete during the academic year.
SEPTEMBER – FEBRUARY
College coaches:
____ First correspondence: Write prospective student-athletes regarding interest.
Student-athlete:
____ Order a NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. (913)339-1906 (optional)
____ Register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse for Division I and II Universities. Request a student release form and the brochure titled, “Making Sure You Are Eligible to Participate in College Sports” from your high school official or school counselor. Send the white copy of the student release form along with the registration fee to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Give the yellow and pink copies of the form to the high school official who then sends the yellow copy, along with an official copy of your high school transcript and a 48H form to the Clearinghouse. When filling out the student release form be sure to check “Option 1″.
____ Take the SAT and\or the ACT tests and report scores to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Have your test scores sent either directly from the testing agency (code 9999) or have your scores reported on your official transcript.
____ Update your resume along with your high school and club team softball schedule. Include game times and maps.
MARCH – JULY
College coaches:
____ Send letter requesting update information on game times and locations for club teams.
Student-athlete
____ Develop a skills tape and send top 10 schools. Be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelop with your video tape.
____ Send official transcript with test scores from Junior to NCAA Clearinghouse and college coaches.
____ Check academic eligibility requirements for the NCAA Clearinghouse. GPA, ACT/SAT, and required Core Courses. Make sure your on track for an official visit.
JULY – NOVEMBER
College coaches:
____ Set up home visits with top recruits.
____ Set up official (paid) visits to campus for top recruits. Student-athletes may take up to five official paid visits but only one per university. The university is required to contact the student-athlete in writing prior to the official visit. The student-athlete may take unlimited unofficial visits.
* A prospect may not be provided an expense-paid visit earlier than the opening day of classes of the prospect’s senior year in high school.
____ Coaches may make one phone call per week to their prospective student-athletes, after July 1 following their junior year. Student-athletes may call as often as they wish.
____ College coaches may contact (face to face) prospects, parents, or legal guardians on no more than three occasions. During tournaments a coach may contact a prospects parents of legal guardian during the contest but may not talk with the student-athlete until after the coach has released them from the last competition of that tournament.
Student-athlete:
____ Select top five colleges/universities to make your official visits and select open weekends for you visits. Let other coaches know if you are or are not interested in their school.
____ Send in your application for admissions into the top 5-10 colleges/universities.
____ The NCAA requires you to send a copy of your official transcript with test scores to the college coach or college academic advisor prior to official visit. (Transcript may be a copy and faxed to the university. Test scores do not need to be passing for an official visit.)
____ November is the early signing period. Coaches will ask you to sign a National Letter of Intent and/or financial aid award letter. Be sure to read through the NLI before signing. The NLI is a one year contract with the university.
NOVEMBER – APRIL
If you did not sign early, do not worry. The recruiting process continues and the next signing period begins in April.