College Softball Preparedness

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radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Yes many college players are working out during the summer, but they are not getting the game reps that really keep them sharp.
Game reps, and live pitching certainly hard to reproduce
Still
Off season should not be gaining 20 pounds, losing their swing, fielding and footwork.

Which can and does happen to some who think take a break between or befor freshman season.

College ball is USUALLY more grueling of a training schedule...
rolling off the coach is not the best approach to it ;)
 
Apr 16, 2010
924
43
Alabama
Out of my DD's visits by far the best was our visit to the JUCO she committed to. The did a very good job explaining the expectations they have of their athletes both softball wise and as students along with the consequences of not meeting the expectations. They were honest about how hard she would work and the schedule she would have during each semester. They were honest about the type of competition she would face for playing time once she got there and the type athletes he recuited. The best part of the visit was spending 30-45 minutes alone with 4 players in the locker room with them being candid about the coaches and program. They could explain how tough it was to play there but also how rewarding it was.

I have watched several girls quit playing because things were not what they expected at other places. Your DD needs to do all the research she can and make sure she knows what she is getting into before committing anywhere.
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
Great post O'Socks...always do the research with stars in your eyes. My DD's are struggling right now because they're NOT on campus and being put through the paces as they expected. I know this COVID thing has affected many programs and people differently but I'm really sad for the way my kids school has chosen to deal with it. My twins are fortunate that they have each other to continue training with and they are competitive by nature so they do get after it. Not being allowed on campus and taking classes online allowed them to both serve as Assistant Coaches for the HS team (it;s a Fall sport here) and they kept them busy and engaged with the sport as well as providing a really good look at the game through a different set of lenses. However, they both really just want to play in some games and get pushed by coaches and athletes at the next level. I would love to hear them tell me how hard the coach is pushing them or how tired they are from the workouts, practices, games, etc...
 
Jul 27, 2015
235
43
The best part of the visit was spending 30-45 minutes alone with 4 players in the locker room with them being candid about the coaches and program. They could explain how tough it was to play there but also how rewarding it was.
Most schools we have visited had some sort of time with the team without the coach. That is so important. As a recruit, you have to see if you fit in with the team. Some schools definitely do it better than others.

On the school my daughter picked, our family ate a very late lunch with 7-8 of the girls. No coaches. We all asked them questions about the program and the coach. I suspect they were vetting us out as much as we were them. My wife noticed how the girls interacted - it seemed more like they were hanging out as usual vs them being forced to meet with us. Very family-like which is exactly what we wanted to see.

After we were done eating with the team, my daughter stated that they were just like her. She totally saw herself fitting in.
 
Feb 3, 2016
502
43
I've probably read (Orange Socks) OP like 5 times. Thanks OS good stuff.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
Lots of Kids who are not college Athletes and Do not have the pressure of a sport quit college every year. Many because it’s the first time in their lives they have been responsible for themselves. If your dd or ds doesn’t know how to do laundry, shop for food, budget... Can’t get themselves anywhere on time, won’t pick up a book if you don’t nag them about homework, needs you to get them out of bed, to the fields, do their dishes, doesn’t know how to talk to a teacher about a problem...Throw in the requirements of a sport and your kid is probably coming home from college after Thanksgiving freshman year and not going back.
Start now. Immediately. Make your kid launder her uniforms, make sure she understands what proper nutrition looks like, resist fixing everything for her/him, let her/him fight their battles with coaches or teachers (unless it’s a fundamentally unfair situation)

You aren’t doing your adult child any favors by coddling them as teenagers. Make them more responsible.
 
May 27, 2013
2,353
113
Lots of Kids who are not college Athletes and Do not have the pressure of a sport quit college every year. Many because it’s the first time in their lives they have been responsible for themselves. If your dd or ds doesn’t know how to do laundry, shop for food, budget... Can’t get themselves anywhere on time, won’t pick up a book if you don’t nag them about homework, needs you to get them out of bed, to the fields, do their dishes, doesn’t know how to talk to a teacher about a problem...Throw in the requirements of a sport and your kid is probably coming home from college after Thanksgiving freshman year and not going back.
Start now. Immediately. Make your kid launder her uniforms, make sure she understands what proper nutrition looks like, resist fixing everything for her/him, let her/him fight their battles with coaches or teachers (unless it’s a fundamentally unfair situation)

You aren’t doing your adult child any favors by coddling them as teenagers. Make them more responsible.

Yes!! All of this! We have had the kids doing their own laundry for several years, now. DD’s job this year has been to look up, shop for, and prepare dinners for the week since her school is back to remote only. She has embraced it and enjoys doing it. Both kids have been highly encouraged to always speak to their teachers with any questions regarding assignments, or to seek out extra help before tests. It has made a huge difference for them with learning how to approach their teachers. Also, emailing and talking to coaches during the recruiting process has made her extremely comfortable with talking to adults. They also have been getting themselves out of bed and ready for school on their own for years. Dh and I used to be gone for work before they would be up for school.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
Some very good posts here. There are some things lacking in that the climate and culture of the team are often vastly different between the recruitment and then being on the team. That is hard for many, including my dd, to get used to. That includes everything for the change in treatment from those who were nice to her during recruitment to downright breaking of team rules/guidelines. I don't know how many players lost their financial aid while my dd played but it was significant because those players broke team rules. The party atmosphere has to be mentioned. Yes, your dd is a freshman and most likely not able to legally drink. Oh, ok. Your dd will have different social events and her team will attend them. Often they will go as a team. My dd was the "designated driver" for her first 3 years. On more than one occasion and once at Christmas, she was called upon to, "go save a player before coach found out."

Another area that needs to be addressed. Your dd will need to have knowledge of how to change a tire or ... unless you have insurance to get that done. Your dd will need to know where to go to get prescriptions filled, where the health care office is on campus, and she will need to be able to take care of herself when sick. We will never forget the night we got the phone call from dd that she was in incredible pain and we rushed to get to her. Where were her teammates that she was saving all of the time? We rushed her to a major hospital. She screamed all of that time. The problem? She was having a reaction to the workouts and her muscles were in revolt. There is some medical term for that where the muscles attack back.

That debit card and/or credit card, for some, will become a major problem. DD had several teammates of her 4 years get their accounts hacked. The problem is that when they use them at these various social events/bars, ... there are people eagerly awaiting some young college student letting that card be used so that they can steal that account number. You dd need to know how to contact the place, wherever it is, to cancel that card. Again, that happened to a lot of dd's teammates.

Well, I could go on and on.
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
Some very good posts here. There are some things lacking in that the climate and culture of the team are often vastly different between the recruitment and then being on the team. That is hard for many, including my dd, to get used to. That includes everything for the change in treatment from those who were nice to her during recruitment to downright breaking of team rules/guidelines. I don't know how many players lost their financial aid while my dd played but it was significant because those players broke team rules. The party atmosphere has to be mentioned. Yes, your dd is a freshman and most likely not able to legally drink. Oh, ok. Your dd will have different social events and her team will attend them. Often they will go as a team. My dd was the "designated driver" for her first 3 years. On more than one occasion and once at Christmas, she was called upon to, "go save a player before coach found out."

Another area that needs to be addressed. Your dd will need to have knowledge of how to change a tire or ... unless you have insurance to get that done. Your dd will need to know where to go to get prescriptions filled, where the health care office is on campus, and she will need to be able to take care of herself when sick. We will never forget the night we got the phone call from dd that she was in incredible pain and we rushed to get to her. Where were her teammates that she was saving all of the time? We rushed her to a major hospital. She screamed all of that time. The problem? She was having a reaction to the workouts and her muscles were in revolt. There is some medical term for that where the muscles attack back.

That debit card and/or credit card, for some, will become a major problem. DD had several teammates of her 4 years get their accounts hacked. The problem is that when they use them at these various social events/bars, ... there are people eagerly awaiting some young college student letting that card be used so that they can steal that account number. You dd need to know how to contact the place, wherever it is, to cancel that card. Again, that happened to a lot of dd's teammates.

Well, I could go on and on.

"That debit card and/or credit card, for some, will become a major problem. DD had several teammates of her 4 years get their accounts hacked."

Never Ever use a debit card for anything!......If that gets stolen, all that money comes from your bank account. A credit card stolen goes to the credit card company, who will just cancel the charge with no harm to you.
 

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