The Recruiting Game: NFA Softball Championships preparing young players for next level (Also includes highlights from DBB 15U World Series)

RUSTON, La./STERLINGTON, La, ( KTVE/KARD) —

Included Within:

NFA SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS SERVE AS TOOL FOR YOUNG PLAYERS TO LEARN ABOUT RECRUITMENT

POOL PLAY WRAPS UP AT DBB 15U WORLD SERIES

Teams from Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee and Alabama are out on the diamond competing hard at the NFA Softball Championship—not only to be crowned champions—but also to grab the attention of many college coaches.

This softball event is no doubt a good opportunity to compete with some very talented teams—but it is also a chance for young players to hear first-hand what the recruitment process is like as well as a chance to get ahead of the game to find their next softball home.

“We’ll have the coaches speak on it to the kids on what they need to do and why they’re not getting an email. If you’re not already in September of your junior year, then we can’t communicate with you,” Palmer said. “Different schools have different guidelines. Junior colleges are different from Division I and such. So, it’s a learning experience and the more you can get on the field with close interaction with a college coach, the more comfortable you feel and the better chance you have of performing at a high level when they’re watching.”

The NFA Softball Championships are the perfect place to play against some of the best.

It is also a chance for players who may be flying under the radar to make their names known.

Executive Director Dale Palmer says everything about this event is to help put kids on the right track to get recruited to continue playing the sport they love.

“We got everybody’s home to first time, laser timed, we have everybody’s overhand throwing velocity, their ball exit velocity, their pitching speed, their pop time if they are a catcher,” Palmer said. “All of this stuff goes into a spread sheet and the numbers are entered that will go to every coach here and coaches we can send to all over the country that may be interested because those numbers say, yes this kid can play at Power Five or no she can’t.”

Softball recruiting is a bit different from other sports.

In Power Five football, it is uncommon to see athletes getting their entire schooling paid for solely through the game of football and the same goes for basketball and a few other sports as well.

That, however, is not the case with softball.

“There are no full rides, per say. Softball teams, if they are funded, get 12 scholarships in Division I,” Palmer said. “They carry 24 kids, 20 kids, 26 kids. Well, there’s only 12 scholarships to go around. So, they always are looking for kids who are good academically where they can pair the academic money with a little scholarship money and get as close to 100% as they can because if I give everybody 100%, I got 12 kids. It doesn’t work that way.”

When it comes down to it—it all falls back on education.

Palmer says education is ultimately the root to life success.

But when softball helps a student athlete get that education—one is simply living the dream.

“Softball is a means to an end,” Palmer said. “The education is the important piece. If you get to play a game you love to help supplement the cost of that education, it’s great. But there is no Major League Baseball or a $90 million contract for softball players. They’ve got a four-year window to go and do all they can to become what they want to become for the rest of their life. To be able to play a game you love, and it cost you less money is just the icing on top of the cake.”