Do I make the choice for my player?

[whiporee]

I keep saying this over and over. Friends are the biggest detriment to a strong player's career unless the friends are competitive and want to play on a strong team.

What is this career of which you speak? The chance to get a partial scholarship Northwest Nebraska A&M?

She should have as much fun as she can. If winning is more fun to her then move to a winning team. But if she enjoys playing with her friends, she should do that.

The only payoff from this sport is the fun and the lessons you learn from the sport.

 

[Sweet Lou]

Go where she wants to go.

 

[Eric F]

@JLS84 - The A team is the one you discussed in this thread, right?... https://www.discussfastpitch.com/threads/dd-heartbroken-by-coach.39772/

 

[_MIA_]

@JLS84 - The A team is the one you discussed in this thread, right?... https://www.discussfastpitch.com/threads/dd-heartbroken-by-coach.39772/

If so all of you who suggested going to an A team should feel horrible and be banned from ice cream and tik toc for two weeks commencing right now...

 

[Sparky Guy]

The only payoff from this sport is the fun and the lessons you learn from the sport.

You couldn't be more wrong!!! For many girls, like my DD, it is a way to get her college education paid for or mostly paid for. The payoff comes AFTER college. The player has the opportunity to get a degree in her chosen field with the potential to earn more than she would without a degree.

It's not guaranteed, but I like the odds.

My DD finished college with a degree and next to nothing in student loan debt.

I will agree about the fun and lessons that can help in life.

 

[whiporee]

You couldn't be more wrong!!! For many girls, like my DD, it is a way to get her college education paid for or mostly paid for. The payoff comes AFTER college. The player has the opportunity to get a degree in her chosen field with the potential to earn more than she would without a degree.

It's not guaranteed, but I like the odds.

My DD finished college with a degree and next to nothing in student loan debt.

I will agree about the fun and lessons that can help in life.

the number of full rides is very small. Very very small. Even the big D1 schools offer mostly partials. And that was pre-Covid, when schools and athletic departments had funds to give.

The vast majority of girls don’t get scholarships. I wish coaches and organizations would be more honest about the real chances of scholarship money instead of promoting something that applies to a small number of players.

im glad your daughter was one of them, though. Congrats!

 

[mmeece]

The vast majority of girls don’t get scholarships. I wish coaches and organizations would be more honest about the real chances of scholarship money instead of promoting something that applies to a small number of players.

That hasn't been what I've seen or heard at all. The vast majority do get scholarships, just not full scholarships. However, if they've done well academically and on ACT or SAT there is a great chance of getting well over half of their school paid for. Even the D3 schools generally offer pretty strong scholarship packages despite not being able to give athletic scholarships. Of the 15 or so girls I've known personally who went on to play college ball, all received 30% or more, with most getting more than 50%. Schools are still making 90% offers as of this week to other players I know.

 

[uncdrew]

What is this career of which you speak? The chance to get a partial scholarship Northwest Nebraska A&M?

She should have as much fun as she can. If winning is more fun to her then move to a winning team. But if she enjoys playing with her friends, she should do that.

The only payoff from this sport is the fun and the lessons you learn from the sport.

My thoughts on this (and yes, no one asked) are to try both.

My DD played with good friends for the last two years. B level team on good days, most every loss could be directly tied to errors by the half of the team that just wasn't good.

So this year we moved to an A team. She's so excited to see what it's like, but we both know we may decide to back down to playing with friends if that's more fun. Hard to know yet which will be more fun.

 

[whiporee]

That hasn't been what I've seen or heard at all. The vast majority do get scholarships, just not full scholarships. However, if they've done well academically and on ACT or SAT there is a great chance of getting well over half of their school paid for. Even the D3 schools generally offer pretty strong scholarship packages despite not being able to give athletic scholarships. Of the 15 or so girls I've known personally who went on to play college ball, all received 30% or more, with most getting more than 50%. Schools are still making 90% offers as of this week to other players I know.

Just to be clear. Are you saying the majority of girls who play A ball get scholarships?

 

[bmakj]

If it is really about paying for school, except for the uber 1%, there really is no payoff to travel sports. have them play rec, invest what you would have spent in savings and SAT prep, have them study hard to get good grades. much more certain path to college scholarship money.

for private schools, virtually any student who is better than the average student will get some decent money. private schools have a lot more money to give out (it is kinda like the big brand name deprt stores offering sales 70%, only way to do that is that prices were inflated to begin with).

they play and we pay because they love the game and are competitive, and some have a dream to play college. some money is nice, but if you look at what you spent (with interested compounded on) vs what they get athletically, it is generally no where near the athletic money they will see (again, excepting the uber 1%). academic money is academic money (yeah, there is some fudging at D3, but not much), that will be there if the grades are regardless of if the play travel softball, are involved in the school play, or whatever.