Proper Protocol for a 2015 with D1 offers??

[Amy in AZ.]

There aren't too many full rides out there. 85% is very good. But, at 15.... She can't possibly know where she wants to go. Coaches change, lives change, interests change. I would want her to keep looking for the best education that she can get, within the distance from home that she wants to be and in a major that she is interested in. I know too many girls that were pigeoned holed into a major that they weren't interested in and that held no future in the real world.

Keep in mind that verbals mean nothing and a coach may not even give you an offer after you verbal.

 

[glf0845]

Keep in mind that verbals mean nothing and a coach may not even give you an offer after you verbal.

Wow, Amy, been burned have ya? You should explain your comment for the younger players parents because a statement like that, from you, can do a lot of damage.

 

[Cannonball]

I can answer for Amy although I'm positive she will chime in as well. My dd had a lot of interest. We couldn't get them tied down to an amount. Sure, to our TB coach the offers seemed outstanding. Then, when she went down to some of the camps, the coach didn't know exactly how much money he had. Translated -- now that he had our interest, he knew he could apporach other girls he was more interested in and have my dd as a backup. Verbals are not binding and do not mean that your offer of any percent will be honored later.

My dd was a first team all state player. She hit 3rd on a very successful summer travel program. The reality was that if she was to pitch, she would get somewhere in the area of 65%. If she didn't want to pitch, she'd get somewhere in the area of 50-55%. Naturally, they then say that these offers do not include the academic monies and they will try to sell you on that. The week of NLI signings, my dd was paraded around via various schools that we took that last look at as they all tried to tell us how much acacemic monies she might qualify for.

In the end, one coach said that he'd give us an offer we could not turn down. He was right. However, it still included best guess on academic monies that he had no control over.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

No. I haven't been burned. My kids didn't play college ball. But, until you sign the letter of intent the verbal means nothing. It used to in softball. But now, coaches go back on their word in regularity. Girls change schools regularly, it seems. So, lets say someone leaves TN. for AZ. and is a top hitter, whatever 17 yo that thought that she was in line for 3rd base, is out of luck.

I can't imagine the amount of pressure that teens are facing. I would try to diminish that, somehow.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

lets say someone leaves TN. for AZ.

Like that's gonna happen. Maybe TN for Bama.

 

[glf0845]

No. I haven't been burned. My kids didn't play college ball. But, until you sign the letter of intent the verbal means nothing. It used to in softball. But now, coaches go back on their word in regularity. Girls change schools regularly, it seems. So, lets say someone leaves TN. for AZ. and is a top hitter, whatever 17 yo that thought that she was in line for 3rd base, is out of luck.

I can't imagine the amount of pressure that teens are facing. I would try to diminish that, somehow.

Sorry that happens in your area.

 

[Cannonball]

glf0845, regarding my dd's situation, it turned into such a positive experience. She came to understand that recruitment was a game just like Chess and she became very good at it. DD knew when she went on visits that she would hear what they wanted her to hear and she learned to listen to all of the side conversations. I really would not have changed anything about her experience and I know that she is where she wants to be.

 

[glf0845]

My DD was e-mailed her offer Sept of last year and we could not make her official visit until Jan of this year. The offer did not change during her official. She signed her NLI last month and her offer did not change. None of her friends, team mates, acquaintances or alum from her gold team has had that happen. One of her teammates did decommit from TX AM to go to ASU and we all understood. We take our verbal commitments very serious.

Cannonball, I am glad it worked out for your DD. It is a relief, isn't it?

 

[Cannonball]

glf0805, yes, it is a great feeling. Congratulations to you and your daughter! Maybe we'll get a chance to see her on TV someday. I know softball in your area is very strong. I think that once you had the offer "in hand" via the email, the university that your daughter decided to attend was then locked in. Good for her!!! Now, she can play a sport she must love and get a good education along the way. Enjoy the ride! We're in the second year of our journey in college. It has been a blast!

 

[GOINGDEEP]

My DD was e-mailed her offer Sept of last year and we could not make her official visit until Jan of this year. The offer did not change during her official. She signed her NLI last month and her offer did not change. None of her friends, team mates, acquaintances or alum from her gold team has had that happen. One of her teammates did decommit from TX AM to go to ASU and we all understood. We take our verbal commitments very serious.

Cannonball, I am glad it worked out for your DD. It is a relief, isn't it?

Verbals can change, and happens more often than we might think. Verbals are in NO WAY BINDING. The "offer" comes from the coach, not the school itself. ( guidelines are set by the AD ) The player or school can exit out of the verbal at anytime. Mostly it's the player who exits. ( very rarely does a college do so because word gets around they can't be trusted with verbal commitments ) Sometimes schools will use personal information or wrong personal choices to exit. ( fights, drinking, Facebook, twitter, arrest, DUI, etc )

In BB early age verbals change more often than softball. Mostly because top tier BB players aim more at national college leaders as "exposure" type to the big leagues. And national leading BB programs can completely change in 2 years, good or bad.

We missed all the early verbal fun due to the torn pitching cuff. So we had to cram it all in this year 2012, for a 2013 grad.