Scholarship offer to HS Freshman

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Jun 24, 2013
1,059
36
“Initially, the offer was slightly less than a full scholarship, so Ohanian kept her recruitment open with Stanford, Northwestern, Virginia and California showing her interest.”

Good for her, it will be interesting to see where she actually goes to school and plays softball.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
I had no idea it was even allowed to offer scholarships that young?

Lake Braddock freshman pitcher Patty Maye Ohanian commits to Illinois

Literally speaking, you can't offer a scholarship until a player is a senior and can sign. You're basically just making a verbal non-binding promise to hold a scholarship.

While it's a wild guess as to whether this player and school end up together in the end, I will say that it's probably a lot safer to project that an elite 9th-grade pitcher is still going to be elite in three years than it is to project football and basketball players, or male athletes in general.

There are two reasons for that. One is that girls mature physically earlier, so you have a better idea of what you're getting when looking at a 9th grader. Two is that fastpitch pitching is a skill that takes years to develop. If you can play in the Big Ten, you need to be fairly advanced by the 9th grade or you aren't getting there.
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
If the coach leaves, you are out of luck, too.

Personally, I wouldn't have passed up NW, for UofI. Maybe she likes orange and navy. I hope that she goes and I hope that I can start wearing my Illini Softball t-shirt proudly.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
If the coach leaves, you are out of luck, too.

Personally, I wouldn't have passed up NW, for UofI. Maybe she likes orange and navy. I hope that she goes and I hope that I can start wearing my Illini Softball t-shirt proudly.

I'd of held out for Stanford. When was the last time it snowed there?!
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Here is a clip of her pitching. She has a great rise and a so-so drop. Her rise is the her killer pitch. She uses the drop to give the batter a different look. For a 13YOA kid, she is great.

[video=youtube_share;-lArEYxqvNU]http://youtu.be/-lArEYxqvNU[/video]
 
Sep 24, 2013
696
0
Midwest
If the coach leaves, you are out of luck, too.

Personally, I wouldn't have passed up NW, for UofI. Maybe she likes orange and navy. I hope that she goes and I hope that I can start wearing my Illini Softball t-shirt proudly.

Ive had the coach leaving discussion with colleges before as many times a player commits because of a coach and the relationship with that coach. I have been told the majority of the time the college makes you honor your commitment regardless if the coach is there or not. The coach rarely gets to take their recruits with them in softball.
 
Mar 23, 2010
2,019
38
Cafilornia
Personally, I wouldn't have passed up NW, for UofI. Maybe she likes orange and navy. I hope that she goes and I hope that I can start wearing my Illini Softball t-shirt proudly.

Hopefully it's because she's done her homework and is focused on a school and major ahead of the Uni's reputation. CS(for instance) is top tier at UofI.
 
Mar 26, 2013
1,934
0
The more rigorous academic institutions don't make early verbal offers as often because they want to see some grades and/or test scores. Here are the number of early verbals at the schools according to the list on Student Sports.

Illinois: 2 2016 and 3 2017
Cal: 4 2016 and 2 2017
NU: 1 2016 and 1 2017
Stanford: 1 2016 and no 2017 - Kaley Winegarner (2015) was their first to verbal as a soph.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I wish her the best of luck, but if a full ride to Stanford, Northwestern or UVA was a potential option, I would have waited!
 

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