D3 pitching speed

[Vertigo]

This thread is as good a spot as any....

*On a side note here - I have to take a moment and say that I find myself agreeing with Vertigo very often, her responses are always reasonable, well thought out and expressed clearly and concisely. No this is not a paid advertisement and I have no affiliation with Vertigo other than we are frequently on the same page.

I swear I didn’t pay off Tonk!!!

That being said, having gone through the process with 2 kids in 2 different sports, and having been a recruiting coordinator for a SB program within the past 5 years, I do try to share my knowledge to help others. Just want to pass it forward.

 

[angispeds]

For all the kids who have no idea what they want to do or major in, there is also a large group that does. They have a calling to be nurses, teachers, engineers, etc. These are the kids I’m referring to. If they know for a fact (and many of them do) that this is the career they want after college - then they need to find the school and softball program that will allow them to do both (if they want to graduate on time and start working in their field immediately).

Sure, you can become a nursing major after you obtain that initial bachelor’s degree in business, but then you still will have the cost of a second degree.

If they have no clue what they want, then most college choices would be fine, as most have a variety of the common majors.

If it wasn’t something to consider, why does every college coach ask what the potential recruit wants to major in? Every coach I had talked to as a recruiting coordinator asked that question. If it were certain majors that a kid was interested, I’ve heard, “Then we’re not the school for them,” even if the school had that major.

Yes there are a large number of kids that know. I was one of those kids and I did what I thought I wanted, but just as many who “knew” didn’t end up doing what they thought they wanted. Nursing goals who quickly realized they couldn’t stand blood or needles or couldn’t make the grade, pre med students who didn’t make the cut. Options are a good thing and for the kids that do know it can be one more criteria they use to narrow down schools which is awesome.


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[Vertigo]

Yes there are a large number of kids that know. I was one of those kids and I did what I thought I wanted, but just as many who “knew” didn’t end up doing what they thought they wanted. Nursing goals who quickly realized they couldn’t stand blood or needles or couldn’t make the grade, pre med students who didn’t make the cut. Options are a good thing and for the kids that do know it can be one more criteria they use to narrow down schools which is awesome.


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Yep. It happens. I was told by the coach who recruited me that I had to change my major (nursing) in order to play on her team. I loved the school and knew that changing my entire career path for 4 extra years of softball just wasn’t worth it “for me.”

Pre-med students still have to major in something as an undergraduate (Bio, Chem, etc., are the common ones) so they still have that degree to fall back on if med school doesn’t pan out for them.

Athletes and non-athletes alike change their majors all the time. That’s why it’s prudent to go to a school you love, not just commit because you can play softball there and contribute as a freshman, which was the comment that prompted my initial response.

ETA: Having some idea in what a kid wants to major in can also play a significant part in the admissions process. Take Carnegie Mellon for instance, you HAVE to choose which “school” where you want to apply, and as I stated before, sometimes transferring between those schools is very, very difficult.

 

[BucketDud]

Don't you think the advice should be to find a school where you can achieve your academic goals?

Sorry guess I was making the assumption that if an athlete had a specific area of study their final choices would all offer that major.

Just meant that choosing the highest level you can for the social media post when signing may not result in the best college experience if you aren't getting to play much.

 

[BucketDud]

Yes there are a large number of kids that know. I was one of those kids and I did what I thought I wanted, but just as many who “knew” didn’t end up doing what they thought they wanted. Nursing goals who quickly realized they couldn’t stand blood or needles or couldn’t make the grade, pre med students who didn’t make the cut. Options are a good thing and for the kids that do know it can be one more criteria they use to narrow down schools which is awesome.


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Not to mention I think the statistics show that about half of all graduates work in something other than their degree.

It definitely has to be a factor in the decision (and for some majors the primary factor), but for some kids it may be down the list.

 

[Orange Socks]

Sorry guess I was making the assumption that if an athlete had a specific area of study their final choices would all offer that major.

Just meant that choosing the highest level you can for the social media post when signing may not result in the best college experience if you aren't getting to play much.

Nowadays, kids are choosing their schools based on the football tailgating game day experiences so they can boost their social media posts. That's only 7 or 8 home games.

 

[BucketDud]

Nowadays, kids are choosing their schools based on the football tailgating game day experiences so they can boost their social media posts. That's only 7 or 8 home games.

I won't criticize that too much because I always regretted choosing a college with no football team. Lost a big part of the college experience.

 

[TwoPitcherFam]

My daughter chose a great D3 program over an offer at a struggling D1 program and one very good D2. She wasn't awed by the D1 facillities and giant campuses, so none of that mattered. What mattered is that she had a former TB teammate in a losing D1 program who started once in four years (senior day), another who finally found a home after two transfers, and a HS teammate at a big D1 school who has had a coaching change and only favors "power hitters." To their credit, at prospect camps, the D1 coaches were honest: they are there to win games and that means a total commitment in time and energy and...time again. It's brutal. My daughter is majoring in physics, studied in Rome for a semester, and has 20 team sisters who all seem happy and balanced. Her coach has been there for over 15 years and genuinely cares more about the girls than I can imagine any D1 coach caring. As a dad I couldn't be happier. The small amount of scholarship money available to most D1 softball players just isn't worth it unless softball is the primary reason for going to college IMHO. D3 softball has been awesome.

D1 pitchers get treated better with the scholarship pool. In the programs we spoke to it is 50-100%. Hard to minimize this important factor with a generalization.

 

[sluggers]

Just meant that choosing the highest level you can for the social media post when signing may not result in the best college experience if you aren't getting to play much.

Couldn't agree with you more.

There is a lot of work involved in playing college sports. Why do all that work and not play?

 

[RADcatcher]

Couldn't agree with you more.

There is a lot of work involved in playing college sports.

Why do all that work and not play?

With the mega College rosters that is a very important question!
If there are any college players that have been in that situation who would like to give their perspective as to why... Hopefully maybe one will pop up on dfp