Should goal be college?

Save all the money that you spend on lessons, equipment and team fees and you’ll have a good college fund.
Seriously though enjoy the time you spend with your kid, before you know it she’ll be grown and headed out on her own. My daughter was serious about playing ball in college until she turned 17 and decided to just play her Sr year of HS ball. I was very disappointed at first but told her that I will support her decision but just have a plan for the future.

From an ole dad of my pitcher DD who made it onto the Kentucky squad and then realized she needed to take a light-weight major and chose to go after her career instead. Softball "done" just like that..... Make sure your DD's love the sport soooo much that they do a light-weight major for 4 years before they would need to go back to their desired tougher major after their eligibility expires.

JudeDaRude said:

I have made the comment that I’m working on trying to get my girls to college and have had comments that I shouldn’t be thinking about that. So with that said, should a parent/coach be thinking of college? I dream big,think big and have seen in my life how I can have a lot of control over what I do. So I believe the same for my kids. They are athletic and smart and seem to have other talents that fall in line with softball skills. They are only 9 and 10 but unless there comes a day that I realize they are not ahead of others, I feel I should think of college. I understand that if a girl simply does not have talent, then yeah maybe not but I believe in dreaming big and I’m sure most that have succeeded would say the same. And yes it has to be their dream and at this point they do love it and want to play as long as they can. I’m not just asking specifically for my girls, but would like to know everyone’s opinion on when is the appropriate time for people to start thinking college.

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JudeDaRude said:

I definitely agree in short term goals as well.

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JudeDaRude said:

I definitely agree in short term goals as well.

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Interesting post! When my g-daughter was 9-10, she started pitching, nothing crazy, just the basic fundamentals. Thru the years, she worked with different pitching coaches as well. Realizing, she was going to be our responsibility in the future, I started thinking about how her softball skills might help her to get into college. It took a few years of hard work, walking batters and hitting batters, but to her credit and dedication, she got quite proficient. She was always a hitter, led every team she ever played on. I groomed her to play 1st base from a young age, other coaches tried her at SS with great success. By the time she was 14u, she was everybody's SP......she actually pitched herself out of rec. leagues, started for travelball teams and began a HS 4-year varsity starter. Once again the thought of college surfaced, we decided to put together a Player Profile. WELL, I couldn't believe how many colleges replied from every level possible. By the time she was a senior, Team MVPs, All-County Selections were common place. With a lot of thought, she decided to attend a JC, the College coach gave her a full ride and guaranteed playing time as #1 SP and player. Her future looks "rosy", more exposure to 4-yr schools, scholarships, both academically and athletically. Now this is my g-daughter's tale, so far, a most rewarding one. As a g-father, coach and mentor....work hard, believe in yourself and good things will happen.

RubberBiscuit said:

From an ole dad of my pitcher DD who made it onto the Kentucky squad and then realized she needed to take a light-weight major and chose to go after her career instead. Softball "done" just like that..... Make sure your DD's love the sport soooo much that they do a light-weight major for 4 years before they would need to go back to their desired tougher major after their eligibility expires.

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That's where time management comes in. No reason a kid can't take the major they want if they plan accordingly.

MNDad said:

That's where time management comes in. No reason a kid can't take the major they want if they plan accordingly.

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Nice theory

DD's batting coach plays for a solid DIII schools, and is majoring in math, no light-weight major there. As I understand it her TB teammates play in mid-major or DII school. I think she is the only one from her TB team that is playing DIII.

She devotes her summer to taking classes she couldn't take during the regular semester. I cannot speak for DI players, but she seems to be doing well with a rather difficult major and softball. Granted, maybe that is why she picked a DIII school. I never asked her why she did go DIII.

RubberBiscuit said:

Nice theory

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It’s not just a theory. I analyzed data from the NCAA and D1 female athletes were as likely and more so in many cases to have STEM majors than female non-athletes. The numbers were even higher at D2. You don’t need a light major to be a successful athlete.

I didn't skim thru the responses at all but my daughter is 10 and she says she wants to play in college. I realize that it is a big goal but i use it to motivate her. I don't tell people that is a goal we're striving for because people will tell you all the reasons in the world why that's a bad idea. I stay grounded and i remind my daughter all the time that a goal like that requires a lot of work and a lot of untraditional expectations. She's also aware that may not happen but for the moment she's using it as motivation to pitch better and push herself. I don't put bet on a pedestal and i have zero idea where she ranks among other kids her age. I try not to worry what everyone else thinks or says.

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Having a 10 or 12-year-old girl say she wants to play softball in college is the same as a 10 or 12-year-old boy saying he wants to play quarterback in the NFL. How about we focus on playing sports and having fun, building relationships, and friendships. That’s what matters.

To be honest, it’s a little odd to think there are kids under the age of 14 or 15 that are thinking about college.

Unless you played a major sport in college, or have a son or a daughter that recently has, you really have no idea of the work it takes. It’s not for everyone. It’s a job. For everything you gain, you lose just as much of the college experience. don’t forget, not every college is like going to Oklahoma to play.

We all have different experiences. My dd took a "light weight major" and became a teacher like her dad. We're alright with that and not once cent in debt. So, there is something to be said about that.

What is troubling for so many is that both academic and athletic scholarships depend upon production and can be lost in the blink of an eye. As I have stated here before, as my dd went through college, I was amazed at all of those athletes from many sports who lost that academic support. Sure some of it was from lifestyle choices. However, many just could not handle the pressure and especially when they were on the road for those long trips. It was hard for my dd to get caught up but somehow she did and kept all of those monies rolling in. As I have also posted before, there are those times when the tougher disciplines have those professors who simply won't work with athletes. I recall how my dd got one of those and panicked. Somehow she made it but was a gadfly in that professor's office when she returned from trips.

It is impossible to make a blanket statement about what any player will encounter since the variables are so drastically different. In the end, the vast majority of us will never have a dd that plays professionally. Therefore, the education must always come first. JMHO!