Likelihood of getting recruited by Major D1?

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Jul 4, 2014
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I'm asking this question not for myself but for the sake of my sister's family and her daughter. I know nothing about D1 recruiting and hope you'll be able to enlighten me (and in turn, my sister and her family.)

Sister's dd, Jen, is a junior in HS and plays for one of the big name teams in CA. Team is a big name but coach is not a big name. Of the 16 girls on Jen's U18 team, only 4 have been committed. 2 of the 4 are to D1 schools. One a major D1 and the other mid to low major D1. The other 2 kids are committed to D3s. Jen is a good pitcher (she doesn't play any other positions nor bat), not phenomenal, but she's fast and she's got the height (6'4") and attracts a lot of initial attention. The reason I say initial attention is, for some reason or other, she has difficulty holding on to the attention of a coach. According to my sis, many coaches come out to watch Jen, over and over again. They talk to her coach on her big name team. Some ask Jen to call them, they speak a couple of times, but nothing further comes of it.

Currently Jen is talking to a mid-major D1 school. No offer has been made yet. My sis and her dh, who are lovely, can sometimes be a little conceited. They've told me that if Jen expresses interest in attending this mid-major D1 school, an offer will immediately be made by the coach. (note that after 4 telephone conversations, no offer has been made yet - but I'm not familiar with D1 recruiting - so maybe this is accurate).

My sis and her dh, don't want Jen committing to this mid-major because they are convinced that a major D1 (schools ranked in the top 20) will come knocking in the new year. Jen, my sis and her dh are adamant that Jen will only go where she can be a starter her freshman year (at a major D1 school to boot!). In order to get Jen more exposure, my sis and her dh have also now resorted to contacting college coaches themselves and asking if they've seen Jen and if they can send Jen's skills video to them.

Everything that's happening in Jen's recruiting process sounds like a horror story - a prime example of "what not to do if you want to get recruited". Is my sis and her family wasting their time? Are their expectations realistic? Don't major D1 school verbal early? From what I've read here and seen elsewhere, major D1s have verballed players as far into 2020 already. Would major D1s have room for 2018 pitcher this late in the game?

I feel terrible for my sis. For Jen's sake, I really hope they are doing the right thing. Maybe some expert opinions can help talk some sense into them.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
Reality check coming. The top 1% of the top 10% of all softball players in the U.S. are recruited to the top 50 major D1 programs every year. Out of 550,000+ softball players across the country that means approximately 550 get recruited by the major D1's. So my question to you is, is she one of the top 550 players in the country? The next point I have to make, is if the program isn't in a major rebuilding year talent-wise, I would say the chances of her starting aren't very good at all if she's a Freshman. The caveat being unless she's either a stud pitcher, a stud catcher with a big bat or a SB player that either bats .600 or hits a homerun every third at bat. Obviously, this is a slight exaggeration, but not by much.
 
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sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
Are their expectations realistic?

That is not the problem.

They have made "playing college softball at a big name school" the focus of this kid's life. But, it isn't. What she will do *AFTER COLLEGE* should be the focus of this kid's life.

What a parent should do is: (1) determine what the kid wants to do after college and then (2) find a college that fits her dream after college.

I had two kids play college sports. They had a blast. But, when college sports are over, *IT IS OVER*. And those 4 years fly by...faster than you can imagine.

And then...she has to go out and get a job.

Right now, the kid is a teenage girl who likely has her head up her. She isn't even thinking about life after college...which is where parenting comes in.

In three years, she'll be an adult thinking, "What am I going to do after I get out of college? I want to have a life away from my parents." If the answer is, "I don't have a clue what I'm going to do," then she is going to have real problems.


Would major D1s have room for 2018 pitcher this late in the game?

Maybe...but that is not the problem.

Her chances of getting a scholarship to a big name school are small...but her chances of *PLAYING* are even smaller. If she gets her scholarship, she'll never see the field. She'll sit...for four years watching other kids play.

I would say her chances of getting a scholarship are probably 5%...her chance of ever playing on one of these big name teams is probably less than 1%.

Why would anyone who loves playing softball want to spend 4 years on the bench?
 
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Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
What's the obsession with D1 anyway? I get it w/ the big names in travel ball (see other thread), that they may help you get recruited in college. But there's not much softball after college for most girls. It seems like it'd be better to focus on other things about the school - location, academic programs, cultural fit, etc.
 
Feb 15, 2016
273
18
What's the obsession with D1 anyway? I get it w/ the big names in travel ball (see other thread), that they may help you get recruited in college. But there's not much softball after college for most girls. It seems like it'd be better to focus on other things about the school - location, academic programs, cultural fit, etc.

I think that each player has her own priorities. If a player gets recruited to a big P5 D1 school she will most-likely get a good education. Different programs at all different levels have their own specific culture that may or may not focus on the education side of the equation. There is a big difference between staying eligible to play ball and focusing on the academic side of the equation.

If a player is good enough and has the desire, I think she should absolutely play D1 if given the opportunity. Some girls who are very good ball players with multiple D1 offers still choose to play at a lower level or not play at all in college. It is a huge commitment to play ball at the highest level.

I know a former D1 player who went to a mid-major D1 because she wanted to play D1 softball. Good for her. She had some awesome experiences, got to play all over the country against P5 teams, and got a great education. She chose her school because it was her only D1 offer. Nothing wrong with that. She will be just fine and has no regrets. She is very happy that she chose to play D1 ball. The school was big enough that they had plenty of majors.

I guess the point of this rambling post is that D1 softball and a good education is not an either/or kind of decision.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
I think that each player has her own priorities. If a player gets recruited to a big P5 D1 school she will most-likely get a good education. Different programs at all different levels have their own specific culture that may or may not focus on the education side of the equation. There is a big difference between staying eligible to play ball and focusing on the academic side of the equation.

If a player is good enough and has the desire, I think she should absolutely play D1 if given the opportunity. Some girls who are very good ball players with multiple D1 offers still choose to play at a lower level or not play at all in college. It is a huge commitment to play ball at the highest level.

I know a former D1 player who went to a mid-major D1 because she wanted to play D1 softball. Good for her. She had some awesome experiences, got to play all over the country against P5 teams, and got a great education. She chose her school because it was her only D1 offer. Nothing wrong with that. She will be just fine and has no regrets. She is very happy that she chose to play D1 ball. The school was big enough that they had plenty of majors.

I guess the point of this rambling post is that D1 softball and a good education is not an either/or kind of decision.
D1 softball and a good education is not a given either. Just because a school has a great academic reputation does not mean all programs are equal. Buyer beware. It's up to the parents to guide their child. Don't assume that because it's a we'll known School your dd will gain a great education.
 
Aug 26, 2011
1,285
0
Houston, Texas
Wait a minute...does anyone else not see this as a huge red flag???

In order to get Jen more exposure, my sis and her dh have also now resorted to contacting college coaches themselves and asking if they've seen Jen and if they can send Jen's skills video to them.

Why are the parents doing this? This tells me that the coaches are going to look the other way when the parents are doing the work for a HS junior. No? Am I wrong?!?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
[MENTION=4739]maksoftball[/MENTION] nailed it. The problem is not the kid it is the parents. Remove the parents from the recruiting process and she will probably get offers. If a kid truly has talent and has trouble getting recruited, 99% of the time it is the parents screwing things up. Putting all the philosophical stuff aside about D1, quality of education, etc. she is going to have problems most anywhere if her parents are off the hook.
 
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Feb 15, 2016
273
18
D1 softball and a good education is not a given either. Just because a school has a great academic reputation does not mean all programs are equal. Buyer beware. It's up to the parents to guide their child. Don't assume that because it's a we'll known School your dd will gain a great education.

Absolutely correct but please don't attach D1 to that. I know players who had terrible experiences at D3 schools where the girls partied more than they focused on either school or softball. The culture of those D3 programs was definitely not academically focused.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
In order to get Jen more exposure, my sis and her dh have also now resorted to contacting college coaches themselves and asking if they've seen Jen and if they can send Jen's skills video to them.

Poor judgment, which is also probably reflected in the parents' assessment of their child's potential.

You're talking about a player who has been noticed and evaluated quite a bit to this point, but isn't getting offers. So this is not a lack-of-exposure issue. That is not what I'd expect to find with 2018 pitchers who wind up on top-20 D-I rosters. Usually, those are committed by now, or they have several offers, or those top programs are showing great interest. Or they are about to have a breakout season that nobody saw coming.

Based on what you've posted, it certainly sounds like the parents are unrealistic.
 

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