Recently on Twitter, I saw an interesting question about college recruiting: When is it too late to market a student-athlete?

This is an excellent question!

Even though I'm always hammering in the importance of starting early in the college recruiting articles at All About Fastpitch, the truth is, I believe that it's *almost* never too late.

I've seen high school GRADUATES secure a place to go to school and play their sport after graduation! Is that the ideal situation? Definitely not. Are your odds in that situation good? No, they are very, very, very slim. Most would say slim to none.

However, just because you didn't get started with marketing yourself as a student-athlete as early as you should of (even if you're downright late!), I don't think you should just give up.

You have to realize, though, that you have a LOT of work cut out for you. Realize that it will NOT be an easy journey (heck most times it isn't easy even when you do start early). But if continuing to play softball after high school is something that you really want to do, dig in and starting learning about all the things you can do to make that a reality. Then put her head down and plow toward that goal!

One thing I see that I just don't get is this:
"Late comers" who started the college recruiting process way later than they should have complaining about offers they get.

I understand that this may have been a dream of the student-athlete and their family for a long time. I know it can be extremely disappointing when the reality of "no scholarship" hits. HOWEVER, you have to remember than when your senior year in high school started (this is usually when I see this happen), you had no college to go to AND no option of playing softball after high school.

So, if somehow during your senior year, you get 1 or 2 schools showing interest, consider that a huge step up from where you were. Too many times the student-athlete and family are at this point and they are all salty about schools offering them a spot on the team, but not having "softball money" for them. The reality is that less than 1% of high school student-athletes receive an athletic scholarship.

Not having an athletic scholarship offer actually puts you in the overwhelming majority and reality of high school student-athletes. It's not necessarily because you're not "worth it" or because you weren't "good enough." It's a numbers game and it's a marketing/preparedness game too. Often times those who are the most prepared and those who put the most in, get the most out of their college recruiting journey. If you were unprepared or didn't put much in (didn't do much marketing), you're automatically at a big disadvantage.

But I'm getting a little off track here. Back to the topic at hand - getting offers to play at schools that don't have money…

IF, and this is a very important IF, these schools have other attributes you like besides a softball program (i.e. they actually offer the area of study you are interested in, they are actually located in an area you wouldn't mind going to school, the environment at the school is one that you'd be comfortable in, etc, etc, etc), then you should seriously think about these schools as an option - even if there is no "softball money" attached.

Think about it…
Any other school you choose has:

1. no softball money for you AND
2. no softball for you either!

When your senior year began, you were looking at having to pay for college anyway AND you didn't even have anyone offering you the opportunity to continue playing softball.

So yes, while it may not be your ultimate "dream" situation of being at an upper level softball program on a full ride, you DO now have the option to:

1. continue your education at a place that has other attributes you were looking for
2. keep playing a game you love
3. possibly work your way into some "softball money" down the road

But, and goes along with that very important IF I talked about earlier - IF the schools giving you the possibility of playing softball have NOTHING else you like or want in a school, keep looking, keep searching, and find a better fit - even if it means that softball *may not* be a possibility.

It hurts to say this, but the reality is that if the school you choose has nothing besides softball that you want, chances are quite high that you will quit playing before your 1st season there is done AND with that comes the increased likelihood that you'll also quit going to the school as well. Now where does that leave you? You are better off choosing a school you WANT to be at regardless of the softball issue (this is true even when you are going to be playing softball at the college level).

That leads me to a whole 'nother thought on college recruiting. I could go on and on, but that's certainly enough for today.

P.S. - Softball Peak Performance members, we've recently added a college recruiting resource full of all kinds of critical information you can use to help you through the college recruiting journey. Login now to check it out!

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• Softball, Sports, SportsPLUS, College, High School, Student-Athlete, Recruiting