Proper Protocol for a 2015 with D1 offers??

[RichK]

When it comes to life choices, safe is always smart, but sometimes (I'd argue most if not all of the time) true passion is even better. Combining the two is best -- especially with a healthy dose of knows-what-hard-work-to-achieve-a-goal-is....

Good luck Crankermo to you and your DD....

 

[sluggers]

safe is always smart, but sometimes (I'd argue most if not all of the time) true passion is even better.

Is that what you tell your 16YOA DD before she goes out on a date?

Softball is a lot of fun and a great experience. But, just like your DD's first relationship, it is very unlikely to lead to something that will last--which is why parents are always there saying, "Caution. It might feel like love, but it probably isn't. And, even if it is, you aren't ready for a lifetime commitment."

A parent should not be a softball groupie, but rather should provide insight and balance as to the "big picture" of life. Her education is going to mean 100 times more than any softball honors she might get. Any athletic sport in college is simply a fun thing to do in your DD's spare time. If you make it more than that, you are letting "the tail wag the dog".

 

[3'sDad]

The DD, a 2015 has just begun the recruiting process. She was not ready until now and why push things. She is very likely not going to play in the WCWS on ESPN as Coach Candrea, etc do not have her club coach on speed dial checking in weekly on her progress.

She just receievd her sopmomore PSAT scores, which were above average and she is a very solid student (3.5 GPA) attending a rigorous academic high school. DD just began putting together an introductory email to about 50 collegiate coaches (15-18 D I with the remainder D III) to send out with her athletic bio as she is going to play in a large recruiting event at Disney in February - for field hockey. Her skill level for hockey jumped leaps & bounds during the last 6 months and she was asked to play on a club team attending this showcase event at Disney, so why not give it a try and see what comes of it.

Her list of schools to email for the FH event are IVY/Patriot League for DI and Centennial/NESCAC/NEWMAC & several other select colleges recognized for their academics in D III. Most of these schools also have softball programs, so much of the research is already complete for good academic schools where she can participate in collegiate athletics. Her hope is that either field hockey or softball assist in the admissions process at these highly selective schools. Any monitary support can come from merit aid; athletic dollars would just be icing on the cake.

If athletics can help admissions great. If not and she doesn't want to play or isn't at that skill level at the end of her high school career, she's fairly far along in the collegiate selection process. Win-win all around as far as my wife and I are concerned.

 

[crankermo]

3's, that's awesome. Good luck and health

 

[3'sDad]

Cranker: Thanks. Lots of parents who've been down this road previously and are kind enough to post here stress academics over athletics, so we have DD looking at what athletics can do to help her gain admittance to the best school (that has what she'd like to study) her test scores & GPA allow.

DD's senior school mates post on Facebook Early Decision collegiate admissions; so most of the school's students know quickly who in the senior class is matriculating where. Her school FH team had only 3 seniors: one is uncommitted, one will play lacrosse at Catholic University in DC & the last will play FH at Penn inthe Fall.

Last years school softball team had only one senior, who is now a freshman at Vanderbilt (Vandy does not have softball - she is there for a business degree).

We just returned from an hour of pitching and hitting as the high school softball season is 60 days away (March 1). DD's club team begins practice in mid-January, so there was some rust to knock -off after not swinging a bat for a few weeks.


Happy New Year you your family & you.

 

[RichK]

Is that what you tell your 16YOA DD before she goes out on a date?

Softball is a lot of fun and a great experience. But, just like your DD's first relationship, it is very unlikely to lead to something that will last--which is why parents are always there saying, "Caution. It might feel like love, but it probably isn't. And, even if it is, you aren't ready for a lifetime commitment."

A parent should not be a softball groupie, but rather should provide insight and balance as to the "big picture" of life. Her education is going to mean 100 times more than any softball honors she might get. Any athletic sport in college is simply a fun thing to do in your DD's spare time. If you make it more than that, you are letting "the tail wag the dog".

Sluggers, I agree 100% about softball vs. life -- my older DD took the non-softball path after high school herself and never looked back....

BUT...in life/business (and that is what I was referring to, not sport) I do believe passionate people are the most successful. I guess I didn't phrase it in the right way. I didn't mean to play softball at the expense of real life/the rest of her life, but also not to forget that people who are really passionate and hard-working tend to do the best in this life, whatever path they end up pursuing....

 

[sluggers]

I didn't mean to play softball at the expense of real life/the rest of her life, but also not to forget that people who are really passionate and hard-working tend to do the best in this life, whatever path they end up pursuing....

Totally agree. It is absolutely great to be passionate about softball (or music or mathematics or French literature) as long as "the blinders are off" and you understand the limitations of the object of your passion. Children don't have the life experiences allowing them to really understand the temporary nature of sports.

Parents can become too wrapped up in coaching and managing their DD that they forget to be *parents*. A parent's primary job is to get the child ready for life on her own, not teach how to hit a round ball.

I had two DDs play college sports. The end of their sports career was painful for them and me. The kids identified themselves as "athletes" and "teammates" and "competitors", and all of that is pretty much stripped away in one game. If all the child has done is focus on sports her entire life, the end is much, much more difficult for her.

 

[crankermo]

Sluggers,

Thanks for the great insight into you and your DD's experiences.