How early to start looking?

How early does everyone start showing interest in schools and reaching out to try and have them come take a look? My youngest DD is in 7th grade, but is the only 7th grader on the JH varsity team. Hands down the best pitcher on the team. She is also playing 2nd year travel.

I was thinking wait till at least high school (9th, but maybe 10th), but want to see what others have done/are doing.

I don't think 7th grade is too early. If you can afford to go to school's camps then by all means do it. We (our team) have been looked at by a few coaches when we were at 12U PGF last summer. Then we got lots of looks at the fall PGF Showcases last fall as a 1st year 14U. This Summer should be crazy for our team.

I see you're in PA. You are probably within driving distance of 100's of Colleges. Have her pick 15 Schools and start sending E-mails. Have her send the team's Summer schedule and then again when you know fields and game times. Everybody's journey is different!

I think that many families start this process prematurely.

If your 7th grader is a bona fide STUD, compared on a national scale,
then sure, start the process now. Heck, a good metric if you struggle to answer my criteria above,
you'll know if she's stud material because a few coaches have already contacted you. lol

I think for most 7th graders, if they are good players that show promise, they will get responses from college coaches, sure.
But these are not the kids that are getting "verballed". You get on a coaches radar, get familiar with some programs, maybe they stop and see you play if
it's convenient while they are scouting older players, etc.

But I think some parents push this process too early, and spend unnecessary $$$ and time chasing combines, clinics and coaches across the country.

The reality is yes, susie might develop a rapport with a few coaches, and they will correspond with words of encouragement, etc.
But when it comes time to actually commit players of susie's graduation class, any number of potential recruits will now be in the picture,
and susie will still need better grades, better ability, etc. to stand-out and garner an "offer".

My point is, you can jump into the process now, or you can wait a year or two,
and unless DD is truly a top-100 player for her graduation year,
starting summer after 8th grade or even 9th grade is not at all too late,
and is probably more appropriate.

That is my opinion.

7th grade is a good time to start attending camps with plans to ramp up your efforts when your DD reaches HS (9th grade). I think most players verbally commit as 10th or 11th graders unless they are STUDs.

But I think some parents push this process too early, and spend unnecessary $$$ and time chasing combines, clinics and coaches across the country.

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Everyone's kid is special. As has been discussed on here previously, the important thing is to find the right school, the right fit, for your kid. I have seen players change a LOT between 7th grade and 11th grade so I don't think a 7th grader is equipped to determine what career track and Major they should pursue. Also many kids will completely walk away from the sport they had loved their whole life. don't know if it's puberty or boys or just plain burnout, but it happens. My friend's DD was hard core into it, playing TB thru grade 10 and then announcing that she was done pitching, she would not be playing softball in college but she would play HS ball to continue playing with her friends, but that would be it.

My 2018 DD loves softball but as the college hunt becomes a reality, it has become another source of stress for her that she doesn't want or need.

That being said, definitely get her thinking about careers and going to college. No pressure yet, so it can be fun. go ahead to camps when you can.

keep it as fun as you can for as long as you can.

unless DD is truly a top-100 player for her graduation year,
starting summer after 8th grade or even 9th grade is not at all too late,
and is probably more appropriate.

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you can still do your homework, look into things, learn the process, get DD started thinking about her future while there's no pressure to do so.

Fortunately, she has been thinking of careers herself. Right now its photography for the most part. She's mentioned both culinary arts and make up artist, but wasn't to thrilled when we told her she wouldn't be playing softball if she went to school for either of those. Her main goal is playing in college and the Olympics. That's really all she talks about.

She's mentioned both culinary arts and make up artist, but wasn't to thrilled when we told her she wouldn't be playing softball if she went to school for either of those.

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The Providence Campus of this school has both an excellent Culinary arts program and an excellent DIII softball team. the coach is great, too!

https://www1.jwu.edu/

My older DD is a very good photographer, has taken some courses in college, and loves it! but I'm afraid that Photography as a profession may be dieing out. kind of like cartoonists. something you can afford to do as long as you have a "Day job"

obbay said:

The Providence Campus of this school has both an excellent Culinary arts program and an excellent DIII softball team. the coach is great, too!

https://www1.jwu.edu/

My older DD is a very good photographer, has taken some courses in college, and loves it! but I'm afraid that Photography as a profession may be dieing out. kind of like cartoonists. something you can afford to do as long as you have a "Day job"

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Thanks, learn something new every day! I honestly didn't do much research on it, just went of knowing some schools in my area that have culinary arts don't have softball, haha.

I think photography will be around for a while. Companies are still making magazines, etc even if its online. She was saying she wants to be a sports photographer. Told her good, then she can marry some MLB player

I would say every kid is different, and the time to start looking is when your DD is ready to start looking.

I didn't have a clue about colleges as late as my junior year. Not a clue. I did know what to major in by my junior year of HS. I went to a college my parents encouraged me to attend. My older brother knew by his sophomore of HS where he wanted to go, but didn't know what to do with his life until several years out of college.

My DS had a pretty good idea as to what college AND what major by his junior year of HS. His engineering teacher and his rowing coaches were encouraging him to attend the same school, so that worked out really well for him. Before his junior year in HS he was completely and totally lost. My DD 1 had her entire life planned out by her freshman or sophomore year of HS. Every kid is completely different.

Well that's good to hear. My 8th grader has no clue what she wants to do. Maybe Art, but it's one of those dying majors. She mentioned psychology, so who knows.


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