Why D1 ?

[angispeds]

** yes, most D1’s have a lot of majors, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best school for a specific major.**

This was 100% my D3 Daughters case. The D1 schools she considered were not able to support her field of study (Butler, Dayton, etc etc). Additionally her current school in her field of study is a Top 10% in the Nation across the board.

Again, this was really the emphasis of my post about school / education should (imo) weigh heavily.

You’re lucky you have a kid that knows what she wants to do career wise. Many of us don’t. Mine definitely didn’t when we were making our verbal commitment and I’m not sure she really knows now. It certainly would have made it easier if she did. It eventually got to the point where we were ruling out schools because she didn’t like the uniform color lol.


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[Nuwin]

LOL, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

I can't say my degree and career choices have brought much fulfillment. I'm envious of those who knew early. I can't fathom what that is like.

But it does give me heartburn when we push kids to make these choices so young. Especially if you aren't getting a full ride somewhere.

If only trade schools had athletic programs. (If they exist, I'm unaware lol)

 

[RADcatcher]

But it does give me heartburn when we push kids to make these choices so young.

Yep! With that the percentage of initial academic decisions changing can make certain courses, already taken, not transferring to the new academic decision. = money and time.
How many families plan for that extra cost? Possibility?

If only trade schools had athletic programs. (If they exist, I'm unaware lol)

IF

 

[malletfinger]

How about a macro calculation? That is: How much money did 18U players (HS seniors actually) trying to get recruited spend as a population during their careers vs how much D1 scholarship money is out there? E.g. (and this is with very very loose guesses here):

600k travel ball players 8U-18U (guesstimate from a previous thread)
say 1/12th are 18U? so 50k 18U players.
let's say half are HS seniors: 25k
and say each spent the ~$70k in their careers as someone noted above (teams/lessons/transportation/hotel/equipment/food/etc)
So expenditures are $70k x 25k = $1.75B

Scholarship "revenue": ~350 D1 schools x 4.5 scholarships/recruiting class x NCAA D1 average scholarship $15k (per google)= $24M

So as a nation, we spend ~1.75B to get 24M. 1.4 cents back for each dollar spent.
For D2, we have ~300 schools x 4.5(?) scholarships x $7k = 9.5M

1.75B to get 24+9.5= 33.5M. 2 cents back for each dollar spent.

Admittedly much of this analysis is wild guessing, but the message is so clear that I'm not sure it can ever come out positive. Although the money gets clumped to those that actually make it to D1/D2, the overall national investment doesn't seem prudent.

 

[Dabears17]

My DD wants to be an engineer and got the opportunity to work six weeks in a machine shop last summer. I'm happy she is pursuing engineering and got the chance to work for a few weeks in a related field before her freshman year to know she enjoys it. Her plan all along was to find the school that was a good match for her both academically and environment-wise, then think about playing softball there. She is good enough to walk on but probably not play much her first two years. After getting injured during fall ball last year, she decided she wouldn't make a living playing softball, so she would focus on academics and other activities.

I know several girls over the years who have gotten to play in college. I know others who were good enough to play in college but had good enough academics to get into schools they wouldn't get to play softball at and choose academics.

 

[TwoPitcherFam]

How about a macro calculation? That is: How much money did 18U players (HS seniors actually) trying to get recruited spend as a population during their careers vs how much D1 scholarship money is out there? E.g. (and this is with very very loose guesses here):

600k travel ball players 8U-18U (guesstimate from a previous thread)
say 1/12th are 18U? so 50k 18U players.
let's say half are HS seniors: 25k
and say each spent the ~$70k in their careers as someone noted above (teams/lessons/transportation/hotel/equipment/food/etc)
So expenditures are $70k x 25k = $1.75B

Scholarship "revenue": ~350 D1 schools x 4.5 scholarships/recruiting class x NCAA D1 average scholarship $15k (per google)= $24M

So as a nation, we spend ~1.75B to get 24M. 1.4 cents back for each dollar spent.
For D2, we have ~300 schools x 4.5(?) scholarships x $7k = 9.5M

1.75B to get 24+9.5= 33.5M. 2 cents back for each dollar spent.

Admittedly much of this analysis is wild guessing, but the message is so clear that I'm not sure it can ever come out positive. Although the money gets clumped to those that actually make it to D1/D2, the overall national investment doesn't seem prudent.

The math is fine for your point which is a good one. There are only 307 D1 softball programs. Softball D1 at 1.8% is amongst the smallest odds to play in college from High School (Basketball 1.3%, Volleyball 1.2% and Tennis 1.5%)… but none of this is new. The variable is always how families accurately assess their path and goals.

Playing D1 softball in college is a tremendous accomplishment for those extremely few who have that talent/drive and MATCH to a school academically and monetarily. For FBS/P5 players which are a third or so of D1’s- it’s not complicated. They have multiple offers and visits. I have yet to meet a family in this situation who passed on P5 offers to go D2/3 (not parent belief their DD could have had offers as getting an offer is world’s apart from ‘talking’ ).

The tough decisions remain for the FCS options and the masses of kids who are tweeners. Players who might be able play FCS, D2 or D3 and how to figure that out. That is complicated. When you run that number- pulling out the 100 FBS schools that are mostly/all fully funded- the chances drop to 1.2%.

 

[Chilixa]

From a financial perspective it doesn’t make sense for most people. You would be better off just putting that money into an investment account every year and just paying for their college.

But the time I get to spend with my kids if priceless to me. If they weren’t doing this they would probably be gone with their friends every weekend. Now they are hanging out with their softball friends and me on weekends.

So the reason I spend the money and time has nothing to do with a scholarship. Now if she ends up good enough to get some or all of her school paid for and I get to watch her play a few more years then that is an awesome bonus.


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[CoachJD]

After getting injured during fall ball last year, she decided she wouldn't make a living playing softball, so she would focus on academics and other activities.

It's sad that 18 year olds feel they have to make this choice. Not just because there are few viable softball careers out there, but there's not really a great reason why we take the game away from them so soon, especially since this just doesn't happen with most other sports.

 

[diamond14]

From a financial perspective it doesn’t make sense for most people.

From a financial perspective, children dont make sense...LOL
I think too many folks put the horse before the cart when it comes to college sports. I remember a few years back TIME magazine ran a cover story about travel sports. Ive kept it because the kid on the cover was from my area and I was curious to watch how his story played out (not yet done). But for a select few, the dollars wont ever be directly recovered in athletic scholarships.
However, the lessons learned from dedicating yourself to pursuit of excellence and to contribute to something greater than yourself, we all know is priceless. I think most student-athletes do get a payback from playing even if it is not clearly monetary. I like to think my DD's commitment to playing at a (fairly) high level demonstrated certain personality traits that the admissions officers know translate to the success in the classroom and broader college community. Thus, while she is not playing D1 softball, she is actively engaged in other constructive and essential activities at a high level academic institution while balancing a STEM major. I see this as fair exchange for the money spent on TB.

 

[Dabears17]

It's sad that 18 year olds feel they must make this choice. Not just because there are few viable softball careers out there, but there's not really a great reason why we take the game away from them so soon, especially since this just doesn't happen with most other sports.

An upperclassman from her high school recognized her on campus and recruited her to play on a co-ed intramural basketball team. She wanted to play intramural volleyball, but it didn't work with her schedule this quarter. Not sure how she does it, but sometimes her serve moves like a dropball. She enjoyed flag football in high school PE, so she might try intramural flag football.

I'm going to encourage her to take a 1 credit golf class.