If you have dreams of becoming a college softball player, these five tips will help. I was always told to put school first, which is why school is number one advice.
1. School will always come first. If it’s not the first now, let it be the first. At most colleges and universities, you must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) to not only stay on the list, but also to play. In most cases, your GPA should be between 2.0 and 2.5.
2. Know that you will make mistakes, but you will have to be able to rinse those mistakes. You have to keep going and not let a bad at-bat interfere with your next at-bat. You can think of it like you’re flushing the toilet, you’re not going to go to the bathroom, and you don’t flush. So if you have a bad at-bat or make a mistake, “flush” it like you’re flushing a toilet. Once you throw it away, it’s gone.
3. Practice does not make perfect, PERFECT practice makes perfect. I know you think and have been told that no one is perfect, but you can be PERFECT you. Be the best you can be.
4. You can get better or worse, don’t stay the same. There is no point in staying “as good as you are today”. Why don’t you strive to be better tomorrow than you are today? To improve you need to practice. That doesn’t mean you just show up to practice, it means you show up, work hard, and improve your skills.
5. Start contacting college/university coaches in your sophomore year in high school, the sooner you provide your name and information to the coaches, the better. Also, don’t limit yourself to contacting 2-5 schools at first. You need to make a list of each and every school you want to go to. Contact as many trainers as you can. Please note if you need to know your skill level. I’m not trying to crush any dreams of playing at a Division 1 (D1) University. But if your skill level is not at least equivalent to that of the current players, you may not want to contact the coach. Community colleges have excellent programs to offer student athletes. You can start at a community college and improve your skills and learn to play at a higher level than in high school. Then after playing community college, you can continue to attend a university.