Hours per week of softball, in season, for DI, II, and III

[UB40]

A travel ball coach just told me a DI player is expected to devote around 37 hours a week to practice, training, and other obligations being a student athlete. Does the same hold true for DII? Does a DIII school require less time of an athlete in season?

What are the requirements during the fall?

 

[Comocoach]

Wonder what 'other obligations' are?

DD is a D2. In season she probably spends between 60 and 65 hours a week total on classes, studying, strength and conditioning, games and practices. Fall is 10 hours less.

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[UB40]

Wonder what 'other obligations' are?

I meant to distinguish between official practices and captain's practices.

 

[Comocoach]

DDs team hasn't had a captain's practice in the 3 semesters she's been there. Reading into those, it seems like they are a way around regulations. I think ncaa limits team hours to 15 in the fall and 20 in the spring. Idk if that varies from d1 d2 d3.

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[sluggers]

My DD1 played D1 softball. DD3 played D3 hoops. (DD3's team was very good. The team won D3 NCAA championship one year.)

DD1 out-of-season spent about 3 hours a day, five days a week, on softball--mainly weight training and individual practice. In season (January to June), it was 3 to 5 hours a day Mon-Thursday. For weekend where they played at home, she would be tied up all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until 3PM. For away weekends, she would leave Thursday evening and be back Sunday around 5 PM. In season and out-of-season practice was all mandatory. DD1 played three games a week.

DD3 (D3 hoops) out-of-season would workout about two hours a day, 5 days a week. One hour conditioning, one hour shooting. Out-of-season practice was encouraged, but not mandatory. Most kids showed up every day, but there was a certain amount of leniency. In-season, practice was three hours. Games at home usually took four hours total...two for the game, one hour pre-game and one-hour post game. Away games usually took six hours....two hours extra for travel. DD3 played two games a week.

DD1's conference play was all over the mid-west: Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and West Virginia. DD3 traveled mainly in western Michigan.

 

[UB40]

My DD1 played D1 softball. DD3 played D3 hoops. (DD3's team was very good. The team won D3 NCAA championship one year.)

DD1 out-of-season spent about 3 hours a day, five days a week, on softball--mainly weight training and individual practice. In season (January to June), it was 3 to 5 hours a day Mon-Thursday. For weekend where they played at home, she would be tied up all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until 3PM. For away weekends, she would leave Thursday evening and be back Sunday around 5 PM. In season and out-of-season practice was all mandatory. DD1 played three games a week.

DD3 (D3 hoops) out-of-season would workout about two hours a day, 5 days a week. One hour conditioning, one hour shooting. Out-of-season practice was encouraged, but not mandatory. Most kids showed up every day, but there was a certain amount of leniency. In-season, practice was three hours. Games at home usually took four hours total...two for the game, one hour pre-game and one-hour post game. Away games usually took six hours....two hours extra for travel. DD3 played two games a week.

DD1's conference play was all over the mid-west: Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and West Virginia. DD3 traveled mainly in western Michigan.

Thanks. My DD1 who would probably be happiest playing DI or DII. My DD2 would probably be happiest playing DIII, but right now she doesn't see it. DD1 gets to high school an hour before classes start so she can attend the CrossFit club. DD2 has no interest in CrossFit. DD2 will always be early for team practice and conditioning sessions but isn't hungry to put in extra individual work.

 

[Cannonball]

My dd played D-II. She never had Captain's practice and her team never had a captain. She and a couple of others were given keys to the area where the cages are located. She pretty much hit all of the time. Others? Not so much. They had to be in the weightroom at 5:50 every morning. They could leave for class at 7:40 but if they did not have early class, then they were encouraged to stay until later. Most had an early class. Then, they had some workout at 2:30. This was not long and sometimes was something like a talk about some motivational thing which almost always included keeping grades up, having a plan to get a job after college, ... I really appreciated that aspect of what Coach did. A few times in a semester, it was a one on one meeting with coach. My daughter loved those and considers Coach to be one of the most important people in her life. I do as well. The people of Southern Mississippi just got a good one and they don't even know it yet.

 

[UB40]

DDs team hasn't had a captain's practice in the 3 semesters she's been there.

I only first heard about a captain's practice two months ago at a campus clinic. They made it seem like it is a standard thing, I guess not.

 

[marriard]

A travel ball coach just told me a DI player is expected to devote around 37 hours a week to practice, training, and other obligations being a student athlete. Does the same hold true for DII? Does a DIII school require less time of an athlete in season?

What are the requirements during the fall?

So.... first anyone who generalizes about any level of play is probably mostly wrong. Every program is very different and there is a number of factors that go into that. For every massively serious, all about the softball 40-10 SEC D1 team there is a 10-40 SWAC team. The top D3 teams demand a lot more time from a player than lower-level D3teams and so forth. You can go across all the divisions and see massive differences between programs. It is all over the map and depends on individual coaches, funding, seriousness the university takes the program, etc, etc...

That said there are maximums you cannot exceed, though of course there are ways around this:

- NCAA rules on coach contact/led hour: This is coach-led activities defined by the NCAA for during and off-season. For the most part, D1 allows a larger number than D2 or D3
- Conference rules: Which may restrict teams further; for example the Ivies have further contact restrictions, especially during the off-season. Also, the 'fall season' is often restricted here as well.
- University rules: Many universities have defined non-athletic times or defined core class hours. For example, a university may prohibit any athletic activity between 8:30am and 3:30pm
- 'Voluntary' hours - over captain or team led. Or even just suggestions (i.e. the field and equipment shed is open, go for it). There is also weights/fitness which is managed by an athletic trainer.

 

[UB40]

My dd played D-II. She never had Captain's practice and her team never had a captain. She and a couple of others were given keys to the area where the cages are located. She pretty much hit all of the time. Others? Not so much. They had to be in the weightroom at 5:50 every morning. They could leave for class at 7:40 but if they did not have early class, then they were encouraged to stay until later. Most had an early class. Then, they had some workout at 2:30. This was not long and sometimes was something like a talk about some motivational thing which almost always included keeping grades up, having a plan to get a job after college, ... I really appreciated that aspect of what Coach did. A few times in a semester, it was a one on one meeting with coach. My daughter loved those and considers Coach to be one of the most important people in her life. I do as well. The people of Southern Mississippi just got a good one and they don't even know it yet.

So good to hear about such a positive experience.