Derek Allister Talks OnDeck Softball in 2018

Extra Inning Softball is excited to announce that we’ll be working closely moving forward with Derek and Joann Allister—who have been running OnDeck Softball, the sport’s premier recruiting service, for over 16 years—to cover and promote their 26 events annually on our site as well as promote their outstanding athletes who’ve tested well in the OnDeck Measurements (ODM) system.

At the Irvine, California OnDeck tryout earlier this month (February 10-11, 2018), we caught up with Derek to talk about OnDeck’s past, present and future and where he sees softball really taking off across the nation and you’ll hear his perspectives in this Extra Inning Softball exclusive interview!

MORE ON THE HISTORY & FEATURES OF ONDECK SOFTBALL:

OnDeck Softball was originally modeled upon the basketball services that Derek utilized for 17 years as a Division 1 men’s basketball coach and Joann’s experience as a Division 1 softball coach.

The foundation of OnDeck Softball is the scouting the Allisters do for the college coaching community. OnDeck Softball works for over 200 Division 1 softball programs across the country along with an ever-growing number of lower level schools.

Their value in the recruiting process includes two key offerings:

The Allister Report

The Allister Report, which is published after any OnDeck event or tournament/showcase at which the Allisters scout, has become a vital recruiting tool for the recruiting and camp lists of most Division 1 schools. The Allister Report is a detailed evaluation of each and every player who either participates in any OnDeck recruiting event or catches the Allisters’ eye while scouting. The Allister Report will always be one of softball’s two most important recruiting tools for any college coaching staff.

OnDeck Measurements (ODM)

The second vital tool utilized by the college coaching community is OnDeck Measurements. ODM was created by the Allisters over seven years ago to address a tremendous need in the sport.

Standardization and objective measureables were desperately sought after by coaches at all levels. OnDeck Measurements (ODM) consists of a series of objective tests designed to reveal a player’s natural athletic ability.

To this point, ODM has tested over 25,000 athletes from the 7th grade thru U.S National Team members who play professionally. ODM has pioneered this ground-breaking data and has developed the only standards and averages in the sport. OnDeck Measurements has Jr. High, High School, and College averages that have become the gold standard in the sport.

In addition to this valuable softball data, the Allister Index, a patented algorithm that was developed five years ago to combine the ODM scores and produce a single, standard number, provides a quick and valid snapshot of a player’s general athleticism.

This Index is used by colleges to judge a player’s potential fit and to give prospective players an indication of an appropriate college level from an athletic perspective.

Many feel OnDeck Softball and OnDeck Measurements are the two most respected recruiting entities in the sport. Over 16 years of service to the sport has allowed OnDeck to become a key partner to college coaches across the country as thousands of OnDeck players have matriculated to the college level and U.S. national teams over the past decade.

OnDeck will continue to be a key component of the softball recruiting process in the decades to come and Derek and Joann are so well respected, they were chosen by Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) to lead the selection of the players in the PGF All-American Game.

“We at Extra Inning Softball are excited to continue our long-standing relationship with Derek and Joann,” says President/Executive Editor Brentt Eads. “You’ll not meet two nicer people in the sport and they work their tails off literally driving all over the country to promote young athletes to colleges and providing ways for them to improve their game.”