College Expectations

[Indiana]

I played for an Ivy League school back in the early 90s (field hockey). The players on the team were recruited, but scholarships were purely academic, and some work-study type scholarships. It seems that things have changed in the Ivy's - there still aren't athletic scholarships (which is the whole point of the Ivy's and why the Ivy League was formed), but there is a lot more money and ways to attract top athletes. It seems to be A LOT more competitive now.

Anyway, I had a fantastic experience. The support from tutors and advisors was awesome (thank you, physics tutor!!), I had a group and a place to call home, the coaches helped us with everything we might need. I got to know the athletes from other sports and it was nice to see familiar faces on such a big campus. I never felt "owned" by the program, yet everything we had was first class - nice buses for travel, nice hotels, meal allowances, new equipment each year, laundry service, we flew out to Stanford to play (a rather ill advised match-up, in restrospect!), we spent 3 weeks in New Zealand over Christmas. My DH played football and baseball at the same school - he tore his ACL during football his senior year; the school doctors and physical therapists were amazing - his ACL repair is still holding up 20 years later.

THIS is the experience I want for my kids - I just hope that it is still out there, somewhere!

 

[slingnit]

I would not encourage any kid to play DI ball just for the sake of playing DI ball! I think there have been many others express how other levels of ball have girls that could start at almost any DI school. Whether it is their major, geographics, $ available,... There are many reasons they do not go DI. It's about the fit for each individual. Broken record but true.

 

[Sftballdad1]

Then there are those like MU's Jenna Marston who was chosen as this years SEC Athletic/Scholar. Top nothc kid playing top notch ball with a 3.99 GPA in Industrial Engineering all while playing quality D1 ball. Thats gettin it done right there folks!

 

[kenb63]

DD will be playing where she would most likely have gone even without softball. I say school-fit first then being offered a spot on the team is the icing on the cake.

 

[Daddylawman]

My DD worked her but off in the classroom and on the field. She did the work and also was lucky enough to be gifted in both areas. She will be playing ball in the Ivy League next year. Frankly, the competition is so tough on the academic side I'm not sure she could have gotten in without softball. But don't underestimate the talent level at high academic schools. Penn gave Arizona a helluva game and Tufts just won the D3 National championship.

Just know there is a fit for every girl if playing college ball is her dream

 

[RubberBiscuit]

The reality of D-I ball more than other levels is that players are recruited and signed for that first year and then are not offered their scholarships back. I can easily name 12+ players in my area that went for the hype of D-I and then had to scramble for places to play. Some landed at other D-Is and some landed at D-IIs. The shame of it is that these players were committed to the school/program but that loyalty was not reciprocated. That is why I stand by my position that parents and players have to be honest with themselves about where they commit. You have to look at the roster and program. Many programs have developed a history or releasing players. Many programs are stacked with players waiting in line for openings to play. Good luck to all of you druing this process.

So what is the easiest way to identify these schools that just eat-up freshmen and dump them? Or do you have to go through the history books and compare rosters and try to cull out the ones that might have quit for other reasons?

My philosophy is this - just like in the workplace nobody owes you a job. If you slack and somebody else is going to do the job better then you should potentially be replaced.

In a local mid-D1 around here there were a bunch of juniors & seniors that were benched and probably not continued with scholarship because they openly started to drop the passion for the team & sport. I would bet that this is a reason too in other schools as these young ladies get into the school environment and get on their own and find other priorities.

 

[sluggers]

If you slack and somebody else is going to do the job better then you should potentially be replaced....I would bet that this is a reason too in other schools as these young ladies get into the school environment and get on their own and find other priorities.

You are trying to attribute "winning or losing" to personality faults of individuals. That is actually pretty rate.

Most of the time, the coach finds better players who take the jobs from the experienced players. It usually isn't a question of a previous player "slacking off", it is just that the new players are better. The new players usually have more talent and more skill.

The easiest example is DD#3 playing hoops. DD#3 was a post player. She had a personal coach in HS who worked with her once a week on playing inside. She goes to college as a freshman, and the junior in front of her is 3 inches shorter than her and had no extensive training in post play. Over the course of her freshman season, DD#3's playing time went up and this other kids went down. In DD#3's sophomore year, the other player was just another bench rider.

The other kid worked hard in practice and was dedicated. But, DD#3 was simply a much better basketball player.

DD#1 did the same thing with pitching, except it didn't take a season, it took a weekend. They had a fall tournament, and DD#3 buried the other pitcher. The other girl did everything she was told, attended the same practices, and worked just as hard as DD#1. But, it didn't matter. It was like someone comparing a Ford Pinto to a Porsche.

People post about hard work trumping talent. But, if two people both work hard, the "talent" wins every time.

 

[Bouldersdad]

D1 schools be they mid or major are almost always looking to replace players with better players. Its the coaches job to win and his pay check so he will do what he has to do to keep it.

Look at retention rates. That will tell you alot about how a program is run. Graduation rates are right up there also.

Kids, attitudes, conditions change from the freshman level to the junior level. Junior her work load in school may be so much she cant focus on softball like she could as a freshman. What adjustments her coach made to her schedule as a freshman and sophomore may not apply as she starts clinical, s in her junior and senior season. Lets face it shes a little older and all those years of softball may be starting to catch up to her a bit physically. A job never entered her mind as a freshman. Now theres the nagging thought of employment just over the horizon.

What some perceive as a lack of love for the game can be nothing more than the next chapter in their lives beginning to unfold. And that is where the road splits between the player and the coach. She has to move on and he is still there trying to win games and keep his job.

It would be nice if they could stay 18 and 19 and stay healthy and play ball forever.... but like any good thing it all comes to an end

Tim

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

Seams every ones goal is for their dd to play college ball. Besides some money for school, what are your expectations?I look at it as an introduction to the real world. Kind of a first job. Is it better than working a 40hr a week job? I do not have any clue because I did not play a sport in college, I worked. I think most do not have a clue as to what reality is playing a sport at a college level.

My goal since DD was a little girl was for DD to get a college education. We would send her to a local JC and on to a University if necessary. She made the decision to go for a softball scholarship and go to the school of her choice. She worked hard in the classroom and worked hard to develop her natural pitching skills. Her dedication has earned her a DII scholarship to a school who is playing in the DII National Championships this weekend. Her chosen school team Texas Womens University will be playing the first game of the championship against Humboldt State University at noon today - GO PIONEERS!!!

Once DD made the decision to play softball for a scholarship we told her that she would treat it like a job. We would pay whatever it takes to assist her in her goal, as long as it made sense to DW and I. We would also make sure she had spending money on the weekends to do what kids like to do. We told her that if she ever wanted to back off of softball, we would support her decision completely and we reminded her of that offer at the beginning of every season.

After talking to DD about college and college softball, our expectations are the same as they have been for the last few years. Softball is the job that pays for her college. DW and I will make sure that she has the money she needs for comfort (and fun) as long as she puts in 100% in the classroom and on the field.

 

[Cannonball]

Tim, that was a nice post.