The countdown is on! Before Class of 2030 nominations open on July 24, the Rankings Committee is sharing 14 important tips every family should know.
Extra Inning Softball’s Class of 2030 Regional and National Rankings nomination period officially opens July 24 and remains open through August 24, with the rankings launching on September 21.
This year’s rankings will introduce several exciting updates, including our new leaderboard experience, complete with athlete headshots, detailed bios, and our new 5-Star Rating System, giving athletes and college coaches an even more informative way to evaluate the nation’s top talent.
As the committee prepares to begin evaluations, they want families, coaches, and organizations to understand one important message:
The quality of your nomination directly impacts the accuracy of your athlete’s evaluation.
A Faster, Smarter Nomination Experience
There have been several improvements to this year’s nomination process.
The updated nomination form has been redesigned to be faster, cleaner, and easier to navigate.
Built-in reminders may also appear if the statistics entered don’t appear to represent a complete two-season sample, helping families catch missing information before submitting.
These enhancements are designed to reduce mistakes while making the process more user-friendly.
Receive a free Nominations and Rankings Schedule magnet and never miss a deadline. Request yours here!
A New Look for the 2030 Rankings
When the rankings launch on September 21, athletes will be showcased on Extra Inning Softball’s new leaderboard platform. The result is a more modern, visually engaging experience that celebrates athletes while giving families and coaches, a richer look at each player’s accomplishments.
Each ranked athlete will be featured with a player bio, headshot, 5-star rating, regional and national ranking, team and position information. Stay ahead of nominations deadlines. Sign up HERE for notifications.
Who Can Submit a Nomination?
Extra Inning Softball accepts nominations from both parents and coaches.
Whenever possible, we encourage families to work through their coach or organization to ensure each athlete’s nomination includes the most complete and accurate information. However, we also recognize that coaches often have limited time during the season.
Because of that, parents are welcome to submit nominations on behalf of their athlete. Parents and coaches submitting a nomination will be required to provide a screenshot of their athlete’s GameChanger or AthletesGoLive (AGL) statistics as part of the verification process.
For teams that submit three or more athletes for consideration, the rankings committee will gather additional insight on their players.
That feedback is considered alongside evaluations from Extra Inning Softball’s Rankings Committee and regional board leaders across the country, helping ensure every athlete receives a thorough and well-rounded review.
Many organizations have found success by creating a simple spreadsheet where parents enter their athlete’s statistics, accomplishments, awards, and other important information. This allows coaches or organization leaders who prefer to submit nominations themselves to easily collect everything they need while ensuring no key details are overlooked.
Set Realistic Expectations
As you prepare your Class of 2030 nomination, it’s important to understand the level of competition within your region. Extra Inning Softball realigned its regions last year, so we encourage families to become familiar with the talent in their area when setting expectations.
It’s also important to remember that Extra Inning Softball is evaluating more athletes than ever before. With a larger pool of talented players across the country, the competition for national recognition continues to grow. Every athlete is evaluated using the same comprehensive process, and even small differences can impact final placement.
Experience Matters—But So Does Perspective
When evaluating any rankings organization, families should look beyond marketing claims and ask an important question:
Who is actually evaluating the athletes?
At Extra Inning Softball, our rankings are built by a team with extensive firsthand experience in the game. Collectively, our staff brings 71 years of playing experience and 17 years of coaching experience, with evaluators that include former Division I athletes and coaches from across the country.
Just as important as experience is perspective.
Our evaluation process combines that firsthand knowledge with research, technology, regional input, and verification through our SERV™ Methodology. We believe no single person has all the answers, which is why our rankings are built through collaboration, discussion, and multiple layers of review.
Before placing your trust in any rankings company, ask a few simple questions:
- Who is evaluating the athletes?
- What is their experience in fastpitch softball?
- Is there a documented methodology?
- How long does the evaluation process take?
- Is the process transparent and consistently applied?
Don’t Compare Ranking Methodologies
Not all rankings methodolgies are built the same which is why we encourage families not to compare Extra Inning Softball’s rankings to those published elsewhere.
One of the biggest differences is how tied rankings are handled. One competing company assigns the same ranking to dozens of athletes, creating heavily inflated ranking groups. While an athlete may be listed as a “Top 10” player, there could actually be dozens of athletes sharing that same ranking.
The referenced company recently ranked the Class of 2030 as follows:
- 84 athletes in the Top 10
- 182 athletes in the Top 20
- 268 athletes in the Top 30
- 333 athletes in the Top 40
- 387 athletes in the Top 50
- 436 athletes in the Top 60
- 484 athletes in the Top 70
- 533 athletes in the Top 80
- 575 athletes in the Top 90
- 605 athletes in the Top 100
When rankings become this crowded, the distinction between placement levels becomes less meaningful. If more than 80 athletes are considered “Top 10,” it becomes difficult for college coaches, athletes, and families to understand where players truly stand within that group.
“Having worked closely with leadership at a competing rankings company, I witnessed several class rankings being organized and determined by one person in as little as 48 hours to one week,” said Extra Inning Softball CEO Bonnie Holland.
“At Extra Inning Softball, our evaluation process begins approximately one month before the nomination period even opens. Our staff researches athletes, reviews performance data and gathers insight from across the country.”
“We also have Regional Board Leaders who are regularly evaluated and updated, along with an entire team dedicated to producing the fairest and most credible rankings possible.”
“Once our rankings are published, we do not add athletes or change ranking placements. That policy protects the integrity of the process and ensures every published EIS ranking remains final, consistent and trustworthy.”
Extra Inning Softball believes every athlete deserves an individually determined placement based on a thorough evaluation using our SERV methodology, strength of schedule, research, verification, and committee discussion.
That commitment to separating athletes—even when the margins are incredibly small—is one of the ways we strive to produce fair, thoughtful, and meaningful rankings.
If your Class of 2030 athlete has been ranked by another organization and her ranking appears better than the placement she receives from Extra Inning Softball, it’s important to look beyond the number itself.
Ask yourself: How many athletes are tied at that ranking? Are athletes being evaluated and ranked against others at the same position, or are multiple positions grouped together under the same ranking?
Most importantly, does that ranking truly distinguish your athlete’s performance, or is it simply part of a large, inflated group for the sake of a money grab?
Ultimately, the more important question is this: Do you value the appearance of a higher ranking, or do you value the integrity, transparency, and credibility behind the ranking process? Learn more abuot the Extra Inning Softball SERV™ Methodology below.
SERV Methodology
The Research portion of SERV is where complete nominations become especially valuable.
Every athlete is evaluated using Extra Inning Softball’s SERV™ Methodology: S — Software: Advanced technology collects and organizes performance data. E — Evaluation: Rankings committee members and regional leaders evaluate on-field impact and overall ability. R — Research: Additional information is gathered to build the fullest picture possible of each athlete. V — Verification: Data and information are reviewed and confirmed for accuracy before final rankings are released.
Every Detail Matters
The nomination form is much more than a place to enter statistics.
It serves as the committee’s primary source of information during the research and evaluation process. Missing information, incomplete accomplishments, or rushed submissions can leave important pieces of an athlete’s story untold.
The more complete and accurate the nomination, the more complete and accurate the evaluation can be.
If there is one piece of advice the committee wants everyone to remember, it’s this:
Take your time. Review every section carefully. Double-check your work before submitting.
Stay ahead of nominations deadlines. Sign up HERE for nomination deadline reminders.
Strength of Schedule
One of the biggest misconceptions about rankings is that statistics alone determine placement. They don’t.
The committee places considerable emphasis on strength of schedule throughout the evaluation process.
That means the level of competition an athlete consistently faces matters just as much as the numbers they produce. These opportunities provide valuable context and help the committee better understand the level of competition each athlete has faced.
Families should be sure to include information such as playing up in an older division, guest playing or picking up with highly competitive teams, competing in additional elite tournaments outside of their primary schedule, or national-level events and championships tournaments.
Updated Profiles
One of the easiest ways athletes can strengthen their nomination is by making sure their online information is current. These resources often provide valuable supporting information during the committee’s research process.
The committee encourages athletes to keep their X (known previously as Twitter) profile up to date, include recent highlight videos, share current team information, and post accomplishments throughtout the season. Learn more about using X to Enhance Athlete Visibility.
Tell the Complete Story
If an athlete recently joined a new team, played for multiple organizations during the year, competed in major tournaments before switching teams, or missed time due to injury before returning, those details should be included in the “What Else” section of the nomination.
If an athlete joined a new organization this season, families should also identify the previous team and include notable tournaments played before the transition. This allows the committee to evaluate the athlete’s complete body of work rather than only the portion completed with the current team. Stay ahead of nominations deadlines. Sign up HERE for notifications.
Don’t Leave Out Accomplishments
Recognition outside of regular tournament play can make an important difference when evaluating athletes across the country. These achievements help provide additional context for an athlete’s overall resume.
Be sure to include accomplishments such as: regional or national honors, all-tournament selections, MVP awards, USA Softball, Alliance, PGF, or other notable recognitions, international competition or team participation, and major showcase invitations.
Double-Check Your Tournament History
Before submitting, review every tournament listed.
Accurate tournament information helps ensure the committee can properly evaluate the quality of competition and award the appropriate value during the rankings process. Missing tournaments or incorrect event information can result in an incomplete evaluation.
A few extra minutes reviewing your schedule can make a meaningful difference.
Supporting the Future of EIS
The continued growth of Extra Inning Softball’s regional and national rankings is made possible through the support of our members.
Memberships help fund the rankings process while also allowing our team to continue producing the in-depth articles, player features, rankings, and social media coverage our community enjoys throughout the year.
For organizations submitting multiple athletes, we encourage you to consider a team membership plan. If you’re interested in a team discount, please contact our Customer Service team at customerservice@extrainningssoftball.com.
Additionally, CEO Bonnie Holland is pleased to offer discounted membership opportunities for organizations that would like to provide Extra Inning Softball memberships to all of their families. If your organization is interested, we’d love to discuss the available options.
Our long-term goal is to make our rankings and resources as accessible as possible and eventually eliminate membership requirements. Until then, the continued support of our members directly helps our staff deliver the rankings, coverage, and content that serve the fastpitch softball community nationwide. Thank you for being part of that mission.
Nominate on Submissions Page
Nominations will be available on our new Submissions Page
The rankings committee encourages every family to begin gathering statistics, accomplishments, tournament history, videos, and supporting information now so they’re ready when nominations open.
A few extra minutes spent building a complete nomination today can make all the difference in ensuring your athlete receives the most accurate evaluation possible.
Receive a free Nominations and Rankings Schedule magnet and never miss a deadline. Request yours here!
Rankings Questions
As the Class of 2030 rankings season begins, we encourage every family and coach to review the 14 tips outlined above before submitting a nomination. Taking a few extra minutes to provide complete, accurate, and detailed information will help the Rankings Committee deliver the fairest and most accurate evaluation possible.
If you have questions about the rankings process, nomination requirements, or evaluation methodology, please contact the Rankings Committee at rankings@extrainningssoftball.com. We look forward to recognizing the outstanding talent in the Class of 2030.
Follow Us: on X (Twitter): @ExtraInningSB ~ Instagram: @extrainningsoftball ~ Facebook: Extra Inning Softball
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