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Sep 11, 2014
229
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Pa
I have 2 DD's that both play. Oldest is 16, 10th grade. Youngest is 12, 7th grade. Both want to play in college. Right now DD1 has her sights on a D3 college in the area. DD2 just wants to play anywhere, her main focus is playing college ball. DD1 is focused on program, career path and possibly playing.

So, my question is, how does this plan sound? Trying to figure it out with the first one so we know what to do with #2.

For DD1, she will hopefully make the Varsity HS team. She is not playing travel this season as she is nursing an injury from fall and wanted to be able to play HS ball and not rush into to much and re-injure. We planned on getting in touch with colleges for visits starting this upcoming summer. Figured we would then let them know of interest in softball. Try and attend some clinics that the schools may be at, etc for her 11th and 12th grade years. Is this to late, should we be starting now?
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
I have 2 DD's that both play. Oldest is 16, 10th grade. Youngest is 12, 7th grade. Both want to play in college. Right now DD1 has her sights on a D3 college in the area. DD2 just wants to play anywhere, her main focus is playing college ball. DD1 is focused on program, career path and possibly playing.

So, my question is, how does this plan sound? Trying to figure it out with the first one so we know what to do with #2.

For DD1, she will hopefully make the Varsity HS team. She is not playing travel this season as she is nursing an injury from fall and wanted to be able to play HS ball and not rush into to much and re-injure. We planned on getting in touch with colleges for visits starting this upcoming summer. Figured we would then let them know of interest in softball. Try and attend some clinics that the schools may be at, etc for her 11th and 12th grade years. Is this to late, should we be starting now?

IMO, re D3 there is no such thing as too late as long as you don't miss open Fall tryouts at the start of your college career! No athletic money limitations ( because D3s have no athletic monies to offer!), which means a coach can easily and happily add a talented walk on. Sooner is better and your plan for DD1 sounds good - let her recover physically and then introduce herself to the school this summer. Don't put all your SB eggs in one basket unless it's the school that she will go to even if she doesn't end up playing SB
 
Mar 3, 2016
47
0
Most D3 recruiting is sewed up by Fall of senior year. So this summer for "exposure" and camps at the schools she is interested in, and maybe a few "showcases". Schools also have fall and winter "camps" that your DD can attend Junior year. You should definitely be thinking of how much softball you can stand this summer.
For us, school ball was pretty much irrelevant. It was travel and showcase and specific camps at our DD's top schools.
 
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
IMO, re D3 there is no such thing as too late as long as you don't miss open Fall tryouts at the start of your college career! No athletic money limitations ( because D3s have no athletic monies to offer!), which means a coach can easily and happily add a talented walk on. Sooner is better and your plan for DD1 sounds good - let her recover physically and then introduce herself to the school this summer. Don't put all your SB eggs in one basket unless it's the school that she will go to even if she doesn't end up playing SB

There are limitations to that.

For some elite D3 schools (and non-scholarship D1 schools, such as Ivies), the coaches can submit a list of girls to the admissions office, and say "admit these girls", as long as the test scores and the grades are up to par. In those cases, attention from the coach can mean the difference between getting into a very selective school or not getting in.

My alma matter, Swarthmore, is a D3 school that sets aside a certain number of places for the coaches. At one point they got upset because the football team was too good, so they shut down the program, saying that the football coaches got too many of the male freshmen every year. Disbanding the team passed with one dissenting vote, that being former NFL executive Neil Austrian.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...797-8b27-85daf4d27836/?utm_term=.270207b097c6

However, all of the athletic recruits were able to handle the workload. For example, a star women's soccer goalie I knew was the daughter of an extremely famous scientist, and was the ONLY freshman her year who tested out of freshman chemistry.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
There are limitations to that.

For some elite D3 schools (and non-scholarship D1 schools, such as Ivies), the coaches can submit a list of girls to the admissions office, and say "admit these girls", as long as the test scores and the grades are up to par. In those cases, attention from the coach can mean the difference between getting into a very selective school or not getting in.

My alma matter, Swarthmore, is a D3 school that sets aside a certain number of places for the coaches. At one point they got upset because the football team was too good, so they shut down the program, saying that the football coaches got too many of the male freshmen every year. Disbanding the team passed with one dissenting vote, that being former NFL executive Neil Austrian.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...797-8b27-85daf4d27836/?utm_term=.270207b097c6

However, all of the athletic recruits were able to handle the workload. For example, a star women's soccer goalie I knew was the daughter of an extremely famous scientist, and was the ONLY freshman her year who tested out of freshman chemistry.

Based on DD having applied to several NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) D3s, that list, if it exists (it doesn't at some schools), is very short (i.e., 1-3 IME) and usually requires an Early Decision application, which can be problematic if financial aid package evaluation is an important consideration as finaid awards typically aren't made until the regular admissions date (mid- end of March). That said, with the high academic bar that results in the rejection of the vast majority of qualified students, the support of an athletics coach can make all the difference in the world with admissions.

The impression I have for these and other high academic D3 schools is that the SB coach never knows what they actually have for incoming talent until the new student-athletes (not just Freshmen) show up at open tryouts in the Fall. Kind of like a Forest Gump box of chocolates - you can get kids who weren't planning on playing in college have a last minute change of heart or a surprise transfer student just show up on Day 1
 
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
Based on DD having applied to several NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) D3s, that list, if it exists (it doesn't at some schools), is very short (i.e., 1-3 IME) and usually requires an Early Decision application, which can be problematic if financial aid package evaluation is an important consideration as finaid awards typically aren't made until the regular admissions date (mid- end of March). That said, with the high academic bar that results in the rejection of the vast majority of qualified students, the support of an athletics coach can make all the difference in the world with admissions.

The impression I have for these and other high academic D3 schools is that the SB coach never knows what they actually have for incoming talent until the new student-athletes (not just Freshmen) show up at open tryouts in the Fall. Kind of like a Forest Gump box of chocolates - you can get kids who weren't planning on playing in college have a last minute change of heart or a surprise transfer student just show up on Day 1


It is sometimes hard to say how much influence a coach has in various schools.

DS had fantastic test scores, but rather poor grades. He was a borderline case for admission, and it is possible his coach helped a little.

DS is on his D3 rowing team. That is a REAL mess. His freshman year, DS was one of 5 recruits, the rest all walk-ons. He is a junior now, and they haven't had any American rowers in the past 2 years who had rowed in HS. They row in the fall and spring, and they suddenly had 6 new rowers join over the winter, so they will have a much stronger team in the spring. Also, about one rower a year is a German exchange student who rowed as a hobby in Germany and wants to see what it is like to be part of an American college sports team. Being exchange students, they only last one year, but they are often really good that one year. So, every year the coach has to try to convince freshmen who have never rowed before to try rowing, and base his entire team on that.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
FWIW- I have heard of "the List" from college coaches so I know it exists at some schools. they have a name for the process that sounds fairly ambiguous but it gets kids into the school that the coach wants on their team. from what I have heard, it isn't something that gets talked about openly. you don't want people finding out that others were rejected who were maybe stronger students, etc.

Also, I'm thinking this could be a great help to DD#2. there is a NESCAC school that she likes but doesn't believe she could be accepted there. she has very good grades but she knows that the kids who finished #1 and 2 from DD#1's class couldn't get into their first choice schools, and these were kids who were crazy smart!

It might still be on their website, but a Tufts admissions officer said something to the effect that they will get 22,000 applicants who all meet or exceed their requirements- but they only have 1000 openings. so you have to bring something that makes you different. I'm thinking that a place on a team could do it.
 
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obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
To the OP- D3 opportunities may be more abundant, depending on what you're looking for. have DD e-mail the coach, introducing herself (including grad year), letting them know of her interest in the school and find out if they have any upcoming camps. (D3 doesn't have restrictions on communications like D1) a lot of them do, but they may not be widely publicized. I usually hear about them too late, so it's best to ask and get her name out there.

Also, in HS attitudes, ambitions and goals can change. as was mentioned earlier, check out some other schools as well, don't put all your softballs in one bucket. in real life, kids tend to be a little slow getting the recruiting thing going. My DD has always been a real go-getter but didn't send her first emails out until January of her Junior year. She'll be fine for the schools she's looking at. Not everyone is a Haylie Mclenny who gets recruited by Alabama in the 8th grade!
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Since your DD was hurt in the Fall, I assume she will play HS ball this Spring, why would she skip Summer TB? As others have mentioned, D3 schools usually recruit later than D1 and D2, but not sure I would pass up the summer showcase season.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
For DD1, she will hopefully make the Varsity HS team.
Does your HS team play in the spring?

She is not playing travel this season as she is nursing an injury from fall and wanted to be able to play HS ball and not rush into to much and re-injure.
Is she playing this spring and then taking the summer off? that doesn't sound right unless HS plays in the fall (or summer). The summer is when all coaches are able to see games and watch potential recuits.

We planned on getting in touch with colleges for visits starting this upcoming summer. Figured we would then let them know of interest in softball. Try and attend some clinics that the schools may be at, etc for her 11th and 12th grade years
That's ok but unless prevented by her lingering injury, it would be good to start going to local camps in the summer of her sophomore year- if she is ready to play.

FWIW- My DD is a junior and has not been to a college camp. 2 colleges she is interested in are having winter camps in february but they happen during the week she will be in Florida on a school trip (planned since last August).
 
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