Is it about bragging?

[Coach JV]

That's a big if... Answer depends on the person doing the hiring - many don't appreciate the rigors of being a student-athlete and some disdain ex-jocks. YMMV

haha! I wasn't going to allow myself to get sucked into this thread but.....
A softball student Athlete with good grades and played a varsity sport? Hands down gets the job every time.
Perhaps you are referencing some of the stereotypical big school male athletes (football). My daughter is at the
most challenging school in the country, her advisors have all assured her that her job market possibilities far exceed
the 'barista' or student who chooses no sport or club. The demands on her schedule are real, she plays at a D3 school
because she did not want to give up the sport and as a release from academic rigor. Balancing a sport in addition to
the schedule at a top university is not for the faint of heart.

OP- play over bench every day. Rather than sit the bench, I know girls who play club ball in college that is competitive.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

My daughter is at the most challenging school in the country...

Please tell us which school it is! You can settle it once and for all... hahaha

 

[riseball]

Academic aspirations and academic fit play a major part in the decision making IMO. Geography, college size, academic focus and specific college likes and dislikes should weigh heavily in a decision that is likely to have a significant impact on their life. Softball is not their future......

You need to see the big picture. While softball most likely will not be in their future, the experience should be a key part of their future success. Which is why if you are in it only as a means to pay for college you most likely fail or at a minimum you will have a miserable experience. Finding an academic fit based on the dreams of and aspirations of a 16 year old is a crap shoot at best. It might be wise to find a school that meets your academic skills where you will have plenty of options when you do change your mind. Once you graduate hopefully someone invests in you (not your degree) and gives you your first job. It is there that you develop marketable skills, and over time where you got your degree becomes a footnote on your resume.

 

[YOCOACH]

IMO, what it comes down to is this. Pick the school for academics then see if your DD qualifies to play there or can get recruited. I personally know of 15+ players that were actively recruited to play D1 softball yet chose to go to D2 or D3 schools for the academics. Playing at the D1 level does not necessarily mean that they have the top athletes. I know of several D3 schools that would give many D1 schools a run for the money in a game as well as many D2 schools. Unfortunately, it has now become a stigma if your DD doesn't go D1. However, the smart families go for an education in a degree which their DD can succeed in and get a career from. If your DD can get a good degree in her major from a reputable, if not great school, whether it's D1, D2 or D3 and manages to be able to play softball all 4 years, then softball is nothing more than a bonus as far as I'm concerned. The degree sets her up for her future career. Softball after college...well...

 

[riseball]

If you read some of the posts in this thread and listen to the mindset expressed it becomes painfully obvious why many kids wash out of softball programs in the first year.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Certain schools present better networking opportunities than others. Oklahoma - like many flagship institutions - is an outstanding university. But a degree from Notre Dame potentially opens up a whole different level of access. That's not something that will matter to most people, of course.

DD's dream school is a reach, but thinks softball may help her to get in. At the age of 13, she's more concerned about getting into what she considers a good school than she is about playing time once she's there. And in her experience, "good school" equates to having a strong brand name, thus her interest in D1 schools.

It's impossible to predict where her head will be in 3-4 years, but as much as I know I'd enjoy watching her play in college, as I sit here right now, I believe following a particular educational path might help to better position her for more post-college career success than a softball-centric path would. No matter what course she chooses, I want her to be prepared for the fact that softball will be but a part of her entire university experience, all of which will play some role in what future phases of her life will look like.

 

[chinamigarden]

Absolutely. But if the education is equal, who gets the job, the student-athlete or the part-time barista?

The one that the interviewer likes. For you that might be the athlete. For someone else it might be the barista. Different skills and worked her way through school. Might appeal to a interviewer who bartender her way through school.

 

[riseball]

The one that the interviewer likes. For you that might be the athlete. For someone else it might be the barista. Different skills and worked her way through school. Might appeal to a interviewer who bartender her way through school.

There are always unique exceptions, in which case you take it down the road to something better. The smart money is going to be on someone who has more to offer. Who will have the better story when asked about performing under pressure? The one that talks about going to the plate with the game on the line or the one who talks about the really long line at the counter when her co-worker was home in bed with a hangover?

 

[CoogansBluff]

Last night at we had this discussion about college softball and what was more important. I thought this would make for some fun answers.
What is more important ( not for the parent ) being on a D1 team or playing on a D1 team ?

This all came from what is better, to start every game on a D2 school or sit the bench on a D1 school ?
Is it really playing D1 if you go to Prairie View or Alcorn

I notice that the title of the thread has changed from 'Is it bagging?' to 'Is it bragging?' So I think I understand the OP's original question a little better. Do some players choose D-I purely out of ego? Because it sounds better than saying you played D-II? Yes, I do think it's a factor when players look for schools. Should it be? No. I don't believe in doing things because it looks good.

That said, there are legitimate reasons why a player might make it a goal to play D-I and not D-II, even at the risk of not playing.

D-I is the highest level. I realize that many D-II teams are better than many D-I teams, but D-I still is the highest division in college softball. If you play D-I, you might play Florida or Tennessee. You might win a conference and play in the NCAA tournament. You have a shot (often a very long one) of playing in the WCWS. You have the opportunity to play against the best teams and players in the country. That's important to many players, not so they can brag to their friends, but so they hang up their spikes knowing they played the highest level they were capable of playing. D-II and D-III can’t offer that. Even though they are many D-II and D-III teams that can mop the floor with some D-I teams.

 

[grcsftbll]

Some of this has to depend on the kid's personality, too. My little softball whiz is never going Ivy League. I see her doing something in fashion maybe. It's very unlikely, as far as I can tell at her age, that she's going to want to be a doctor or lawyer or executive. Unless I'm very wrong, I see no problem with her choosing a college based mostly on their softball program. She's never going to be academically driven, I don't think, or want a high powered corporate job where they look at things like the name of the school or want a 4.0 GPA.

My 11 year old won't play a sport in college unless things change, as she prefers baseball. And really isn't committed enough for that level of play anyway. She's more "gifted" academically but hates being told what to do and is very creative. Not sure what the right fit for her will be. I could see her skipping college completely, starting a business, and earning her first million by 25.

Basically, I don't believe there is a right and wrong answer when it comes to choosing a college. It's not ALL about any one thing for most people.