“If you want to know what a girl will look like, take a look at her Mother (Father)"

[MNDad]

“If you want to know what a girl will look like, take a look at her Mother (Father)"

We’ve all heard that phrase and I often wonder if it applies to softball recruiting. We hear how coaches watch parents for behaviors. Wouldn’t they also look to project what a 13 yr old will look like when they’re in college? It would make sense. Parents with poor eating habits passing those on to their kids. I’ll never know for sure, but I can’t help but think my weight played a role in some schools losing interest in my DD. As my son is entering the recruiting age I’m trying to not repeat some of the mistakes I made with DD. This will be a tough one, but I’ve got to try.

 

[chinamigarden]

If colleges are looking at kids and recruiting them to play for them when they are 40, then maybe looking at mom and dad might work. But if someone looked at the 53 year old me (the age my dd started college) they would miss out on the 18-23 year old me. That me could dunk a basketball, this me dunks donuts.

I do think they might look at parents for emotional issues and baggage, not the physical build.

 

[Cannonball]

I'm not buying it and here is why. I'm not a little guy. A year or two ago, while in the hospital, a nurse remarked, "you're in remarkably good shape fr someone so large." Well, that's the way I am. Look at my legs. They look like tree trunks or at least they did. BB is 6 foot tall. Both the wife and I aren't close.

What physical looks can't represent is work ethic, heart, commitment, ... BB was working with a softball team last night when their strength and conditioning coach showed up for the last part of practice. He wanted the girls to do the push up into sprint. They couldn't get it. As big as BB is, she jumped down, did the push up and took off in a sprint. Now, I won't try to convince any of you that she is fast but she was not the slowest person on her college team by a long shot.

What I do think college coaches do is look a a body type and determine if they can put weight/muscle on it. For example, they told BB she was to be a power hitter and so, her strength regiment was different. I've discussed some of that in the past. For example, when she did planks, the strength coach put 2 50 lbs weights on her hips. She was expected to do serious dead lifts of 300+ lbs. Once she was lifting 285 and got in trouble for taking it easy. I think that the speed people are approached differently but they still have serious weight room measurements that they must achieve.

 

[MNDad]

I'm not buying it and here is why. I'm not a little guy. A year or two ago, while in the hospital, a nurse remarked, "you're in remarkably good shape fr someone so large." Well, that's the way I am. Look at my legs. They look like tree trunks or at least they did. BB is 6 foot tall. Both the wife and I aren't close.

What physical looks can't represent is work ethic, heart, commitment, ... BB was working with a softball team last night when their strength and conditioning coach showed up for the last part of practice. He wanted the girls to do the push up into sprint. They couldn't get it. As big as BB is, she jumped down, did the push up and took off in a sprint. Now, I won't try to convince any of you that she is fast but she was not the slowest person on her college team by a long shot.

What I do think college coaches do is look a a body type and determine if they can put weight/muscle on it. For example, they told BB she was to be a power hitter and so, her strength regiment was different. I've discussed some of that in the past. For example, when she did planks, the strength coach put 2 50 lbs weights on her hips. She was expected to do serious dead lifts of 300+ lbs. Once she was lifting 285 and got in trouble for taking it easy. I think that the speed people are approached differently but they still have serious weight room measurements that they must achieve.

Looking at a body type makes sense. DD was king of gangly so I know she needed some weight on her. I just worried they’d look at me and think “oh sh*t, she's gonna be a 300 lb pitcher by the time she gets here”. Everything worked out on her journey. I just worry at times I inhibited opportunities for her.

 

[CMMom1740]

I'm being a little facetious, but how do they know if the parents and the DD are biologically related? She could be adopted, and that is really none of their business, right? Judging based on potential genetics is not cool and definitely not an exact science. My mother is 5 ft. tall and weighs 105 soaking wet. I am 5'6" and let's just say that the last time I saw 105 was in about the sixth grade.

 

[Cannonball]

MNDad, I understand your train of thought. Still, those opportunities might not have been what you think that they would have been. I sometimes think about how well my dd would have done for some of the schools that recruited her but then realize that she played 4 years and in the end still loved the game. So, that is more important than anything to me.

 

[BobInMadison]

One of the best things about kids is the ways they can take their parents' genes and turn it into something completely different.
I was a klutz as an athlete. Most of my kids are athletic. I couldn't hit a ball to save my life. Two of my daughters have led teams in hits, home runs and stolen bases.
DW has the weakest arms imaginable. DS is a college rower, DD 1 was a power hitter, and DD 3 is a starting pitcher and a power hitter. Even stranger, DD 3's arms are at least as skinny as DW's.
I was always really shy in HS. All my DDs are very outgoing. DD 2 used to be shy, but during middle school went from being the really shy girl to the really popular girl. DS is shy, though.
I was never very organized. DD 1 is one of the best organized people I know.
I could never draw. DD 3 once won an art contest.
I could never spellll so gud. DS used to enter spelling bees.

For me, the best part of being a parent is seeing my kids do something awesome I could never have done.

 

[Pop time 00]

Hmmmm. I am a 47 year old overweight female. When was 18-21 I was 5'11" and weighed under 130. In fact when I graduated high school I was 119lbs. I was too thin actually. I played softball and basketball. My 12 year old daughter is 5'8" and I believe she is around 125-130 lbs. I sure hope they don't look at me now and judge.

 

[coach james]

To an extent this comment is extremely true for us. DD had her senior pics taken last week....in a few of the pics, I had to double take.....it was eerie how much they look alike.

Thank GOD she doesn't resemble me.... I look a bit too much like Shrek! Lol

 

[PA SB Dad]

Thank GOD she doesn't resemble me.... I look a bit too much like Shrek! Lol

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