Likelihood of getting recruited by Major D1?

[JAD]

Dumb Question... what is JUCO ? Jr.______ College____________ Thx

Yes, JUCO is junior college, and most can offer a full ride to athletes for two years and some of the top ones are a great pipeline into top D1 schools after 2 years.

 

[Me_and_my_big_mouth]

Last time I saw Jen was last summer. She told me that her dream was to play for Oklahoma or Michigan. I think she too is looking for a big name D1. If it were my kid, I would be sitting her down and explaining the realities of life to her and that the chances of her playing at that high of a caliber is admirable but not realistic. Her parents believe she walks on water and encourages her to pursue her dreams. I think that's setting her up to fail. It's one thing if she's incredible but she's currently above average but could become great with the right pitching coach.

Sad situation - but not your circus, not your monkeys.

That sounds harsh, but I speak from experience when I say that this poor kid needs to learn to fail if she's to succeed. Sounds like a big part of her issue is that she hasn't been allowed to "fail" and learn. She's been falsely built up. We did that with our son, to a degree, and we learned to step back with our daughter.

One of the most important (and ongoing) lessons that sports - and softball in particular - teaches our girls is to fail and bounce back.

We can't prevent the fall, but we can be there with bandaids and a hand up after the dust has settled.

 

[riseball]

DD got a full ride and spent first 2 years at Chiploa. Threw about 180 innings per season, won a NJCAA National Championship and landed in the circle as a starter at an SEC school for last 2 years. In the Fall Chipola played FSU, Tennessee, Florida, SC, etc. Have spent more on travel to see her play than her education. Florida State Colleges such as Chipola offer 4 year degrees but are NJCAA (JUCO) with respect to athletics. Many have up to 24 full athletic scholarships per season. It is not where you start, it is where you finish that matters!

 

[JAD]

That sounds harsh, but I speak from experience when I say that this poor kid needs to learn to fail if she's to succeed. Sounds like a big part of her issue is that she hasn't been allowed to "fail" and learn. She's been falsely built up. We did that with our son, to a degree, and we learned to step back with our daughter.

Sounds like Jen may have a shelf full of Participation Trophies...

 

[Rambler34]

What??? 2022s are in 7th grade! Are you sure about that?

Yep. I was surprised myself. The two play together for one of the marquee org's 04 teams.

 

[JAD]

DD got a full ride and spent first 2 years at Chiploa. Threw about 180 innings per season, won a NJCAA National Championship and landed in the circle as a starter at an SEC school for last 2 years. In the Fall Chipola played FSU, Tennessee, Florida, SC, etc. Have spent more on travel to see her play than her education. Florida State Colleges such as Chipola offer 4 year degrees but are NJCAA (JUCO) with respect to athletics. Many have up to 24 full athletic scholarships per season. It is not where you start, it is where you finish that matters!

This^^^^ should be required reading for every DFP parent who's DD dreams of playing softball in college...

 

[marriard]

This may be time for them to realize it is a long shot. I know three girls that graduated from SEC schools in 2015 and 2016. They had committed during the summer after 9th grade and are position players. Several 2021's are committed and Auburn has offered a 2022 pitcher and catcher. Many top schools have already filled their needs at pitcher by this point.

I love people who think they have a commitment from a big team for their 8th grader. All that is the big colleges trying to stop a player they think might help them from looking around for the next few years - and then when a few do develop then we get the story about how they committed when they were 13 and ignore the 20+ other girls that were also 'committed' to the same school but didn't end up there. Parents coming through the process hear the 'success stories' but talk to the people who have been around the process for years and they have 100 warning stories for every one that worked out easily. Early verbals help colleges (and parents egos). That is really about it - a few exceptions of course, but not many.

Said this a few times. If there is something better out there and it becomes available, your 'committed in 8th grade junior' is going to be out of luck. But then you will not want to cause issues because you now have to go on the market again - you will say "School X wasn't for us, so we are looking at new options" and then when you find your next school that will then cascade through a bunch of other kids who thought they were headed wherever.

Or coach changes or AD changes or the kid quits softball or can't academically qualify and so on...

Until you have the NLI signed and you have officially been accepted and enrolled into the university, you really have nothing more than a kind of half-promise.

 

[Eric F]

My 12yo DD has verbally committed to the University of Oregon...

...they just don't know about it yet.

 

[marriard]

DD got a full ride and spent first 2 years at Chiploa. Threw about 180 innings per season, won a NJCAA National Championship and landed in the circle as a starter at an SEC school for last 2 years. In the Fall Chipola played FSU, Tennessee, Florida, SC, etc. Have spent more on travel to see her play than her education. Florida State Colleges such as Chipola offer 4 year degrees but are NJCAA (JUCO) with respect to athletics. Many have up to 24 full athletic scholarships per season. It is not where you start, it is where you finish that matters!

Things people never think about.... Where you live can highly influence what you think of various levels.

NJCAA in Florida and in some states - respected softball, school system etc... but in the NE it is generally awful, looked down upon and it is not the same thing. So in one area it is seen as a terrible way to go - while in another it is a very viable and valuable option.

Same with NAIA - in some areas awesome.... in some not so much.

Same with D2 and D3.... we have very little D3 nearby - I only respect it through time involved in recruiting and knowing people in places like here and some girls who have attended these schools. If I based my opinion solely on D3 locally it would not be good.

 

[MNDad]

I love people who think they have a commitment from a big team for their 8th grader. All that is the big colleges trying to stop a player they think might help them from looking around for the next few years - and then when a few do develop then we get the story about how they committed when they were 13 and ignore the 20+ other girls that were also 'committed' to the same school but didn't end up there. Parents coming through the process hear the 'success stories' but talk to the people who have been around the process for years and they have 100 warning stories for every one that worked out easily. Early verbals help colleges (and parents egos). That is really about it - a few exceptions of course, but not many.

Said this a few times. If there is something better out there and it becomes available, your 'committed in 8th grade junior' is going to be out of luck. But then you will not want to cause issues because you now have to go on the market again - you will say "School X wasn't for us, so we are looking at new options" and then when you find your next school that will then cascade through a bunch of other kids who thought they were headed wherever.

Or coach changes or AD changes or the kid quits softball or can't academically qualify and so on...

Until you have the NLI signed and you have officially been accepted and enrolled into the university, you really have nothing more than a kind of half-promise.

I agree, but I don’t think its quite that extreme. I think most verbals, from HS age kids anyway, are entered into in good faith and they do end up signing. You’re right that nothing is guaranteed until the NLI though. Maybe a ¾ promise?