How Important Is Travel Ball?

Today, there are lots of softball prospects who decide not to play high school softball. It’s an ongoing discussion that will continue to evolve as the college softball recruiting world continues to evolve. When you ask the question of “how important is travel ball” in college softball recruiting, it’s huge. That’s not to say you should totally forget high school softball. But it is to say that travel ball has become a staple in softball recruiting for various reasons. The bottom line comes down to NUMBERS.

Let’s say a college coach has a “hot list” of recruits for several classes that he/sghe needs to evaluate. In high school softball, that would mean going to several 1-on-1 games of this high school vs. that high school in order to see one prospect play. And there’s no guarantee of the level of competition she’s playing against and, therefore, no guarantee she can perform the same against higher-level competition. However, if she’s playing on the right travel team and going to “Showcase XYZ” in let’s say Dallas, Texas, we know there are going to be:

• 20 teams per age group.
• 18, 16, 14 age groups equals 60 teams.
• Of those 60, there are seven prospects on the coach’s “hot list.”

So, in one day in Dallas, the coach not only can scout the seven prospects on his/her hot list, but he/she also can check in on five verbal commits and possibly catch a kid or two whom he/she learned about the week prior.

The bottom line? Travel ball presents a number of advantages for the college softball coach, including:

1. More legitimate players at one venue in one day means less recruiting days (D-I only).
2.  Before a mid-major D-I school (for example) will offer a big-time hitter, the coach needs to see her hit against a legitimate D-I committed pitcher to prove she can hit like that in the coaach’s college conference.
3.  Multiple opportunities during a weekend to see the prospect against more legitimate competition and make a quick determination if needed.

High school ball has a strong purpose in helping the development of future prospects, including more at-bats, playing alternate positions, etc. However, when it comes to showcasing your ability to a college coach, travel/showcase softball will be the king of opportunity for evaluation IF the college coach ALREADY knows who you are from a reliable source.