how do 9th & 10th graders verbal?

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Oct 18, 2009
604
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Sorry if this has been covered before. But can someone with any experience with this explain how 9th & 10th graders verbal to a school?

I understand the player can go on an unofficial visit. Does it happen then? Is scholarship money talked about at that time? I assume most havent event taken their SATs so its hard to gauge what the package would look like.

Or does it happen through the TB or HS coach?

Thanks! Trying to understand the process...

A bunch of 2017/2016 and two 2018s are listed here as verbals. Trying to figure out how they did that. It can't be a loophole.

Master Verbal List 11.14.13 | Student Sports Softball
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Girls mature earlier than boys, so a lot of colleges have begun recruiting girls much earlier. Unfortunately, NCAA recruiting rules were written @ male money generating sports - football and basketball, so the contact periods and methods make it difficult for college coaches recruiting female athletes early.

As a "work around" college coaches will contact the players travel ball and high school coaches. They are also able to contact their pitching and hitting instructors. If a player attends an on campus camp or clinic the schools are also able to speak directly with the player and their parents. Players are also able to call and email the coaches, but the coaches are NOT allowed to return the call or email, so do not be offended if you do not hear back from them.
 
Oct 18, 2009
604
18
Thanks JAD. So all these 9/10th graders who have a verbal have done it through their TB coach/other coach or while at one of their camps? Is it typical for them to talk actual scholarship money at this point? Or is it assumed its a full ride? Or that is revisited when SAT etc comes in.

I can imagine a lot of coaches agreeing to no money verbals. For ex. My daughters dream is to play at WHatever Big Name D1 U. I have the means to pay for it (I really don't but someone else might). The coach sees promise as a 9th grader and agrees to a verbal for my no money committed daughter.
Is that a typical route?
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
Thanks JAD. So all these 9/10th graders who have a verbal have done it through their TB coach/other coach or while at one of their camps? Is it typical for them to talk actual scholarship money at this point? Or is it assumed its a full ride? Or that is revisited when SAT etc comes in.

I can imagine a lot of coaches agreeing to no money verbals. For ex. My daughters dream is to play at WHatever Big Name D1 U. I have the means to pay for it (I really don't but someone else might). The coach sees promise as a 9th grader and agrees to a verbal for my no money committed daughter.
Is that a typical route?

I'm a little confused to what you're asking but athletic "financial aid" is part of the verbal. You can just about forget an athletic full ride unless you're a super super stud or start off at the juco level. The college coach will give you a list of academic options for aid based on future GPA and test scores.

So if a year's tuition is $30,000 the offer would be like........
$30,000
-$15,000 in athletic
Then possible
-$6000 in state scholarship ( the Hope )
Many many small private scholarships from
-$250 to -$1000
First year acedemic scholarships ( Honors, Presidential, Deans, Renewability )
-$1000 to -$12,000
 
Last edited:
Oct 18, 2009
604
18
I'm a little confused to what you're asking but athletic "financial aid" is part of the verbal. You can just about forget an athletic full ride unless you're a super super stud or start off at the judo level. The college coach will give you a list of academic options for aid based on future GPA and test scores.

So if a year's tuition is $30,000 the offer would be like........
$30,000
-$15,000 in athletic
Then possible
-$6000 in state scholarship ( the Hope )
Many many small private scholarships from
-$250 to -$1000
First year acedemic scholarships ( Honors, Presidential, Deans, Renewability )
-$1000 to -$12,000

Ok. This makes sense now. So 9th/10th graders that verbal don't necessarily have full athletic financial aid coming to them. Its typically a partial athletic and hopefully made up of academic and other types of aid.

The next question is how does a 9th grader bring that much attention to themselves from a coach that they have a verbal commitment in the fall of freshman year probably even before playing in one HS game? I know the big D1 schools usually have their kids locked up by the time they end sophomore year. Have these 9th graders been going to those camps/clinics as 8th graders? Do the big name travel programs have that much influence?
 
Sep 18, 2011
1,411
0
if colleges are recruiting a 9th grader, rest assured that the 9th grader in question is a freak athlete, probably a pitcher, who will receive a full athletic scholarship. The pitcher on my DD's travel ball team is 14, in 9th grade, and just verballed to a big time program. BIG TIME program. And yes it was a full ride. She took at least 10 unofficial visits and could have taken 20 more. At each unofficial visit, while on campus, she was offered a full scholarship.

The "cat and mouse" of arranging those unofficial visits is rather comical. College coach emails travel ball coach. Travel ball coach forwards email to player. Player calls college coach. A visit is arranged. College coach emails itinerary of visit to travel ball coach. Travel ball coach forwards itinerary to player.
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
How common is it (or uncommon) to get a full athletic softball scholarship? I know and know of several girls playing college ball, but don't know of any getting more than a "half" softball scholarship, then assistance finding other money.
 
Oct 18, 2009
604
18
How common is it (or uncommon) to get a full athletic softball scholarship? I know and know of several girls playing college ball, but don't know of any getting more than a "half" softball scholarship, then assistance finding other money.

D1 gets 12 athletic scholarships for the roster.
D2 gets 7 athletic scholarships for the roster.

This is just a general thought. I'd guess stud pitchers get full athletic (unless they qualify for academic money or other aid). Impact hitters or catchers might be next. Since there are only 12 full scholarships total and a couple going to pitchers, everyone else gets some sort of portion of the rest. My guess is academic scholarship and financial aid may help cover the rest of the team so it appears to be a full total scholarship but in fact its a package with academic, other scholarship awards and financial aid adding to the package.

That's why every recruiting seminar I've been to, they have said if you want money for college, forget hitting lessons, spend the money on SAT/ACT Prep and keep up the grades.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
How common is it (or uncommon) to get a full athletic softball scholarship? I know and know of several girls playing college ball, but don't know of any getting more than a "half" softball scholarship, then assistance finding other money.

Half is a good rule of thumb for most. Red I just went thru this in the last year, maybe 30 girls I know and the only ones who got full athletic rides were the juco players. About 15 of the 30 got "full rides" after the academic made up the difference.

Parents, let me give some free advice. You will hear A BUNCH of parents "say" their kid was offered a full athletic ride. The nicest way I can explain this is..........they're not being truthful. I guess it's a macho thing?
 

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