Playing D1 Softball not all its cracked up to be

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Oct 14, 2008
667
16
With the goal of most softball players out there is to play D1 college ball I think it would help if every shared there experiences with playing/recruitment at the D1 level. We all know the good stuff.....I would like everyone to know its not all fun and games. Please share your experiences.

Playing D1 softball you have to

1) sometimes give up your major if its to demanding
2) its not all fun and games it's hard work...weigh lifting, morning practice, afternoon practice, study and then it all over again the next day
3) only the best of the best get a full ride most girls only get partial scholarships, most less than 50%

Please share you experiences

To give an idea of Travel commitment at the D1 level. The dd received her preliminary schedule for 2012. The 56 game schedule had been approved by the powers that be with a road trip millage of 9 thousand miles for the season. LOL So much for an early retirement for mom and dad, I will be paying off airline fees until im 70.


Tim
 
Mar 14, 2011
785
18
Silicon Valley, CA
It takes a very certain kind of type-A hyper-organized self-motivated person to be able to do collegiate sports and academics at the same time. Kids should take a serious look at themselves and choose academics if they aren't sure.
 
May 5, 2008
358
16
I believe you have to have a certain mentality and certain level of dedication to softball to play DI. If softball isn't what you consider your craft that you take absolute pride in, DI is probably not for you. You really have to LOVE it.

DI is TOUGH and VERY DEMANDING and challenging, etc, etc, etc - and I LOVED it! It was HARD, HARD, HARD work and each day I DRAGGED myself out to practice because I knew it was going to be hard, but EVERY day during practice the hard work felt a lot like fun to me. Plus at the end of the day, I had this great sense of accomplishment. I worked my tail off and got better because of it. What a great feeling to have daily.

I also loved being spoiled with equipment and uniforms and gear and stuff. It was cool to already "belong" somewhere from Day 1 of college. I had deep respect for my teammates who were going through the same challenges I was going through. Some of them whined a lot, but others were just amazing. I had teammates that were not on scholarship so they went to school full time, played softball, AND worked to pay for their way through school.

It's definitely not for everyone. You really need to find out what YOU want out of your college experience and go with the school/program that will fit that.

Ken's right - practically impossible for athletes to go into athletic training.

Degree and DI sports are definitely not mutually exclusive. I know many who did both and majored in what they wanted.

For players who much rather play than sit on the bench, unless they are absolute rock stars, DI may not be right for them. I had never sat on the bench in my life. I prefer playing, but I learned a ton from my time on the bench. I still felt like I became a better player AND contributed to the team as much as I could even though I didn't play much. Plus I just enjoyed the whole experience so much (even though it was HARD!). Not everyone has that kind of mindset or goals/wants.
 
Sep 14, 2011
7
0
Focus on obtaining an academic scholarship, not an athletic one, this opens the doors to both sports and academia. An athletic NCAA scholarship is just a modern term for indentured servant.
 
Aug 29, 2011
1,114
0
Dallas, TX
With the goal of most softball players out there is to play D1 college ball I think it would help if every shared there experiences with playing/recruitment at the D1 level. We all know the good stuff.....I would like everyone to know its not all fun and games. Please share your experiences.

Playing D1 softball you have to

1) sometimes give up your major if its to demanding
2) its not all fun and games it's hard work...weigh lifting, morning practice, afternoon practice, study and then it all over again the next day
3) only the best of the best get a full ride most girls only get partial scholarships, most less than 50%

Please share you experiences

First there are 4 Divisions, 3 under the NCAA. 276 in Division I, 268 in Division II, and 408 in Division III. NAIA schools write their own rules, but generally offer academic scholarships or on need. The same is true of Div. III, but scholarships are banned for this division; and financial need is the basis.

Division I: 12 scholarships, typically divided, including tuition, room, board, books, and various fees. Typically there might be 5-7 full scholarships offered, and the rest partial. Typically 3 pitchers, 2 catchers, sometimes a SS or another player with special defensive or offensive skills will be offered a full ride. The rest get a hodge-podge of partials. You might even have an in-state girl who gets "books".

Division II: 7.2 scholarships allowed. I never coached at this level so I don't know the facts. I can guess that there is an even greater percentage (more than 50%) that goes to pitchers and catchers.

Division I issues: Most kids that are quality players don't get seen. Unless you play for a top 10 team nationally, your DD might never be seen live, by any coaches eyes. As far as academics goes, we never had a girl who had to change majors. However, a poor student might be crippled by a strong curriculum. There is typically a short fall practice period and some possible relaxed competitions. There may be some one or two hour coach/2 player workouts before the season and after fall-ball. 2 is max allowed with coach out of season during school. Season begins first weekday after January 1. Typically 3 games on weekends. We played a 65 game schedule, sometimes a few less, sometimes 70. I have no idea about other levels. Organized studying during road-trips. Vigilance on class attendance at all times!!!!

Please note that just because a college is DI, it doesn't necessarily mean that the athletic department allows them to offer the full 12 scholarships. They could have 9! Parents or coaches would be wise to ask the question! In a field of 15 girls and 9 scholarships, over the long term, money stays scarce!
 
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Aug 29, 2011
1,114
0
Dallas, TX
Get the SATs and ACTs out of the way as soon as possible. Take the test a year early for practice, and know your deficiencies. Get the "Clearing House" process done in a timely manner. I had a great walk-on we couldn't add to the roster in the fall, because she never knew about the Clearing House requirements.

The best way for most girls to generate an appropriate academic match, and also to be noticed, is to send a well written letter of introduction along with a video that properly demonstrates skills. I have read some horrible letters of intro. I got one that had 22 spelling errors in 2 paragraphs. That is not impressive when you consider coaches are concerned about % of graduations, but also the player's academic effort!

The girl should introduce herself. If with a HS or travel ball coach, they can introduce themselves as well. Brief: "Hi coach, my name is ________I am a junior at so and so HS. I play for so and so Travel Ball Team in 18U". I play catcher and first-base, and I want to demonstrate my skills for you in this 28 minute video!"

The video should show about 10 reps for any skill; hitting away, bunting, base-running, hitting to the opposite field, slapping, etc. And on defense, fielding, fielding bunts, throwing to bases, catching, pivots for middle infielders, etc. Outfielders can show catching fly balls, going back on fly balls, foot work setting up for throws, throwing to bases, catching ground balls right and left, and "do or die" throws to home plate. 10 reps each. There should be only a few seconds down time between reps. It shouldn't take 30 minutes to show bunting. Edit out the slack time or coaches WILL NOT watch it! Coaches are always concerned about time, and if they get 120-200 videos, that is a task!!!! How the video is packaged is even important. If it is thrown in bubble-wrap without a sleeve, it just comes off sloppy. If the video has a nice hand written label, and perhaps a letter of intro with it ADDRESSED to that coach, then it comes off more professional. Every coach has a stack of about 75% of the videos that assign to a Grad Assistant to watch. It is our dirty little secret :) Make yours interesting enough for the head coach to watch.

If you do a video over two days, or more, try to wear the same clothes, same time of day, and same weather if possible. You get the point! In other words, make it look easy, not like a week long boot-camp! If the player looks like she is in a training process, it isn't impressive!

If possible have the video edited, and add graphics such as pitch speeds, running speeds, etc. Video Digital software with graphics is cheap!!!! Show angles that are good for demonstrating all aspects of the skill. For example: If fielding at 3rd base, film from the 1st base side, a little in front of (toward home plate) of the 1st Baseman. The 1st Baseman won't be moving much, but the 3rd baseman might. Think before you set up the camera. Don't video from behind!!!!

I viewed about 120-130 pitching videos from all over the 48 and Hawaii. I had a girl send in a video from the Phoenix area that I wanted to give a partial to, but Pam didn't agree. She didn't play on travel ball teams. Her HS coach thought the world of her, and her video showed why. She sent the best video I saw. Keep in mind that we had 4.5 pitchers that year, including one of John Gays girls in the program. All but one girl was hurt, so I had to convert a 2nd baseman to pitcher even though she didn't throw regularly in HS. All of the girls on the roster threw 58 tops. Not good! Bad start for a D1!

Anyway, this girl from AZ threw 61mph riseball, and a 59mph drop. Her riseball was average or C+ for a freshman recruit. Her drop ball was an A+. I would grade her changeup as an A. Her family was poor, and she had to work summers. I wanted to bring her in and nurse her along in selected situations. If she had the "head", I think she would have been the best pitcher for "stuff" on the roster the next year. Our best pitcher had some relationship (abusive) problems dating a football player and she was going downhill fast. Pam didn't want the AZ girl because she didn't pitch travel ball. Two coaches, two opinions. Pam's was more common among coaches.

There was a girl at the Visalia Nationals that I got Virginia U to go after. She rarely ever hit a ball fair! She pulled foul ball after foul ball, and every at bat she had two strikes on her. I think she was about a .260 hitter if I recall correctly. I found out by observing many at-bats, that she was literally taking the words, "throw your hands at the ball" for face value. She just didn't stay inside the ball at all, and through habit, wrapped her bat head around the ball. I suggested to Peggy Keller at the time that that is what I was seeing in her swing. She made a tremendous amount of consistent solid contact. But you could tell if you got this bad habit out of her system this girl was going to kill the ball. I don't know if she was eligible or not, as I didn't stick around for the grab-and-gab at the end of the tournament. I doubt any other college talked to her.

A SS on a team from NH was absolutely the best athlete (she was a "White" Natasha Whatley), the fastest runner, and power hitter at the Nationals in 1992. The NH girl was never seen by ANY other college coach. She didn't have the grades and didn't want to leave NH. But how could 130 college coaches not see her? I saw the Notre Dame coach and perhaps two others break off from the pack that was exclusively going after the top 5-10% of the players, playing for the top 6 or so teams! Gordon's Panthers or Batbusters didn't have a girl that could touch the New Hampshire girl.

I also saw the Florida State coach violate the recruiting rules, talking to two different girls IN TOURNAMENT, before their teams were eliminated. I mentioned it to her afterward. She was rather shocked at what she had done. I would never nail her on it, but somebody might! It could hurt the girls as well.

I saw two 16U tournaments after that and always Women's Majors. I mentioned these issues because this was the next to last girls 18U Nationals I went to but had some great issues that are common. There were some interesting things that came out of it that involve coaching issues, opportunity, and what I consider bad recruiting philosophy at National Tournaments. I liked to get away from the crowd on occasion and see what the hinter-land had to offer. So here is my point, or at least one of them. If you have a player, that wants to match up with a University or College, send an invite! If the coach will be there, text a message with your DD or player's game schedule. If you are playing a top 10 team, your kid might get seen. If not, I think it is pretty common that she will not be seen by very many eyes. If Candrea or Sue Enquist talked to a girl, everyone else just walked away. In fact, those coaches don't do much at tournaments. But the other top players got swarmed sometimes by a line-up of a dozen anxious coaches. There were just as good of players on other teams on other fields.

The reason I told you about the NH girl, the girl with the "pull-problem", and the AZ pitcher is that I think too many coaches that are mid-level like we were, don't even consider a diamond in the rough, or observe a wide swath of the talent pool. The process is brutal in getting noticed. And to be honest, there are plenty of really good players that the process will not allow to be discovered!
 
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Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
Steve, I am not to familiar with the names and faces of college softball. Your posts are obviously full of insider knowledge based on some level of experience. To be blunt, who the heck are you? :) What team(s) have you coached.

Thanks for the info, its always good to hear about college ball from the coaches perspective. What do you think about kids who play other sports in HS?
 
Aug 29, 2011
1,114
0
Dallas, TX
Steve, I am not to familiar with the names and faces of college softball. Your posts are obviously full of insider knowledge based on some level of experience. To be blunt, who the heck are you? :) What team(s) have you coached.

Thanks for the info, its always good to hear about college ball from the coaches perspective. What do you think about kids who play other sports in HS?

I am originally from Montana, started fastpitch and travel ball there. I played 19 years of mens, 17 in Class A and 2 in Men's Majors. I only played two years of Majors because in fact, I was a good defensive SS, but I couldn't hit at that level. I coached 26 years of Travel Ball all in 18U in various States: Colorado, Montana, and Utah. 8 years of HS, and 3 years at Utah State. I taught clinics with Michele Smith for several years, and she was my biggest pitching influence. Ernie Parker also contributed to my approach, though I was only in his presence one time. I started two ASA leagues on my own, and two 12U-18U travel ball programs in each of these locations. I will be doing two clinics in Europe next month.

I don't like coaches who "corner" athletes and force them into their mold and directions. I think time away from a sport CAN help with enthusiasm. Softball or any other sport should not be like studying. It should be something kids want to arrive 15 minutes early for!

I hope that answers the question.
 
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