Choosing a School

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Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
My DD recently committed to a very large D3 school (27K students). Loved the coaches, loved the campus, very competitive softball program, 4 hours away and will be challenging academically. Guess what happened? The coach called DD in less than a week to inform her that he is leaving to coach at another school. Wow that really happened!!! I told her that she didn't commit to the coach, she committed to the school. It's all good. She is supposed to talk to the new coach this week. We'll see.

DD is on her 3rd coach in three years. Not ideal, but things have a way of working out.
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
Also the decision in what to major in will be made for her at many schools. I have a couple of close friends whose DD's were told they would not major in engineering or another hard major as players there. These were top SEC schools. As much as it is about education it is still a job for these coaches and how they take care of their family. If they do not win they do not have a job so I understand their thinking on this. As she goes through the process she will get a much better feel for what she wants in a school and out of life. It only took my DD a couple of visits and camps to change her perspective.

I’d be curious which schools these are. During the recruiting process we talked to many top twenty schools and nobody even hinted that she couldn’t major in engineering. Whenever I hear about majors being chosen for them its from somebody’s friend. I haven’t heard from one person who’s heard it themselves. I see engineers or other strenuous majors on every roster I’ve looked at. Where are these schools that don’t allow them?

I think these statements are like the “My kid could have played for Alabama, but chose SW Tennessee State School of Cosmetology for the better education”.
 
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Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
I do not have any personal experience with schools restricting majors (and I attended a major D1 with outstanding football and wrestling programs, and had friends on each). However, a few of the schools on DD's final list have mentioned that players that select certain majors do not typically play all 4 years. If certain medical majors are chosen, the time needed for labs tends to limit the students ability to play softball beyond 2 or maybe 3 seasons. None stated that such a major was off limits, and each had current players with those exact majors. But each also provided examples of students that didn't finish 4 years of softball. This is not a restriction by the school, but a decision by the student athlete.
 
Mar 3, 2016
47
0
The advise I always keep to heart is that if you had a career-ending injury day 2, would you want to be at that school? because for most of our daughters, softball isn't going to be a career. The college has to make then ready for a viable, financially secure future and that means the education needs to come first.
A big school isn't necessarily going to lead to better results. Sometimes the personal attention of a smaller school with mentoring and an excellent alumni network can get better results.
My DD's target was high academic(Ivies and NESCACs and other schools like MIT and Carnegie-Mellon and U Chicago). These schools do not do early commits because they need to have proof of academic success.
My DD looked at academic excellence, program, location and THEN softball to come up with her top 20 schools. She then looked at the roster, size of the girls , and the positions coming up as well as if there were girls in her major and girls who were seniors on the teams. She found about 12 where she thought she could play. She contacted those coaches and started attending their camps. Often, the order of the list would change, but by the end of Junior year, she had 8 still in the running. Over the summer, it became more clear where she would fit in best, both academically and softball wise. There were a few changes in the order of her preference, and of course we are now waiting to see if it all pans out, but she will be playing ball at one of her top choices.
It's important not to feel like your DD has to decide before she's ready. Plenty of schools are still looking for girls, even this late Senior year. People like to brag about early commits, but if it isn't best for your DD, why push it?
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I’d be curious which schools these are. During the recruiting process we talked to many top twenty schools and nobody even hinted that she couldn’t major in engineering. Whenever I hear about majors being chosen for them its from somebody’s friend. I haven’t heard from one person who’s heard it themselves. I see engineers or other strenuous majors on every roster I’ve looked at. Where are these schools that don’t allow them?

I’d be curious which schools these are. During the recruiting process we talked to many top twenty schools and nobody even hinted that she couldn’t major in engineering. Whenever I hear about majors being chosen for them its from somebody’s friend. I haven’t heard from one person who’s heard it themselves. I see engineers or other strenuous majors on pretty much every roster I’ve looked at. Where are these schools that don’t allow them?

I think these statements are like the “My kid could have played for Alabama, but chose SW Tennessee State School of Cosmetology for the better education”.

Kasey Cooper attended Auburn on a full ride academic scholarship from the school of engineering and will graduate with honors, so not only was she Clint Myers best player, she did not cost him a dime of athletic money! Most coaches will allow players to choose a major they have proven they can handle academically.

I would also like to point out that college coaches are a lot like politicians - they love your DD and kiss babies when they are recruiting, but they turn into drill Sargents after your DD signs her NLI. It is the nature of the business, so do your homework when VETTING coaches.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
One concept lost on those considering or headed to the next level is that you are not just committing to a school and a sport, you are committing to a lifestyle. A lifestyle that you cannot fully appreciate until you get there. Many young adults struggle with the lifestyle of being a college Student. It is an even bigger challenge for a Student-Athlete. For some they find out that the lifestyle of being a Student-Athlete is just not for them. Nothing wrong with that.

This is HUGE! Also, FWIW, I personally know of at least one star softball player who finished college before completing requirements for her degree. she's been out for awhile now and been busy with life but I don't think she ever actually got that piece of paper.

The advice I always keep to heart is that if you had a career-ending injury day 2, would you want to be at that school?

At every school we looked at, I asked DD this and all of the schools she applied to she has said she would like to go to whether she could play ball or not. Unfortunately she has developed a heath problem that may keep her from playing. so it casts the whole "not playing" thing in a different light.

I have a problem with the whole "early commit" thing anyway. too much can happen between 12 and 18, including burnout. on top of it all, the college risks nothing as a)their "commitment" is not binding and b) the coach could walk at any time.

as was said earlier, enjoy the ride (seriously) because it will be over before you know it. live in the present, not the future.
 
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Apr 16, 2010
924
43
Alabama
I’d be curious which schools these are. During the recruiting process we talked to many top twenty schools and nobody even hinted that she couldn’t major in engineering. Whenever I hear about majors being chosen for them its from somebody’s friend. I haven’t heard from one person who’s heard it themselves. I see engineers or other strenuous majors on every roster I’ve looked at. Where are these schools that don’t allow them?

I think these statements are like the “My kid could have played for Alabama, but chose SW Tennessee State School of Cosmetology for the better education”.

I don't want to name the school because it is not my DD but the two programs that told them this are perennial post season contenders and in the SEC. This came from people we have known and played with since our DD's were in coach pitch and close to our family.
 
Apr 16, 2010
924
43
Alabama
Kasey Cooper attended Auburn on a full ride academic scholarship from the school of engineering and will graduate with honors, so not only was she Clint Myers best player, she did not cost him a dime of athletic money! Most coaches will allow players to choose a major they have proven they can handle academically.

I would also like to point out that college coaches are a lot like politicians - they love your DD and kiss babies when they are recruiting, but they turn into drill Sargents after your DD signs her NLI. It is the nature of the business, so do your homework when VETTING coaches.

At the same time Myers had a senior starter quit over the summer because he would not allow her to do some of her student teaching during the fall.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
I’d be curious which schools these are. During the recruiting process we talked to many top twenty schools and nobody even hinted that she couldn’t major in engineering. Whenever I hear about majors being chosen for them its from somebody’s friend. I haven’t heard from one person who’s heard it themselves. I see engineers or other strenuous majors on every roster I’ve looked at. Where are these schools that don’t allow them?

I think these statements are like the “My kid could have played for Alabama, but chose SW Tennessee State School of Cosmetology for the better education”.

Direct examples - PAC-12 school. Me. Basketball. 5 majors were presented as 'athletic approved'. I know it is WAY too long ago when it happened, but it was very direct and straight from the head coach.

In our program we have had multiple girls go through this and in the end they choose based on the information they have. We have actually got better at what Riseball talks about - matching possible schools with players stated desires. It helps right up until they change their mind :)

Most school wont say it during recruiting I believe mainly because it is pretty common knowledge.

Or they don't want to scare a recruit they are interested in away.

Or they will code word it "That would be really hard" or "We don't work well with that major" or "We don't have any one in 'that' program" and so on. Or they wont list majors on their roster page. Or the student is taking the major over 6 years of which they are going to have to find the last 2 worth of money. Or they are doing a LOT of summer school. And so on. There are a bunch of girls locally who are either finishing off their degree or doing a second degree after they finished their eligibility. It isn't wrong - for the most part it was their choice of what they wanted the balance to be.
 

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