Should goal be college?

[JudeDaRude]

Having a 10 or 12-year-old girl say she wants to play softball in college is the same as a 10 or 12-year-old boy saying he wants to play quarterback in

 

[Madsdad]

I have made the comment that I’m working on trying to get my girls to college and have had comments that I shouldn’t be thinking about that. So with that said, should a parent/coach be thinking of college? I dream big,think big and have seen in my life how I can have a lot of control over what I do. So I believe the same for my kids. They are athletic and smart and seem to have other talents that fall in line with softball skills. They are only 9 and 10 but unless there comes a day that I realize they are not ahead of others, I feel I should think of college. I understand that if a girl simply does not have talent, then yeah maybe not but I believe in dreaming big and I’m sure most that have succeeded would say the same. And yes it has to be their dream and at this point they do love it and want to play as long as they can. I’m not just asking specifically for my girls, but would like to know everyone’s opinion on when is the appropriate time for people to start thinking college.

I've been away from the site for a long time but when this came to my attention I thought I would reply. All kids are different and level of talent vary greatly however I can give you nearly a quarter of a million different reasons that I would say yes. That's right my daughter is playing D1 ball and although she did not get a full "athletic" scholarship at a private school, the combined 75% / 25% equals nearly a quarter of a million that she will not have to pay back.
She had a lot of different things going in her favor 5'11" lefty pitcher who can also hit the snot out of the ball is a pretty easy sell. She does not love playing the game as much now that it is a job but how many of us really love going to work so much that we would do it for free. She is in the best shape of her life and is half way home.
It's never to early to think about the future and if you can be honest about your child and talent level I say it is a good goal to have. There is a reason that these scholarships are so coveted but they are also a lot of hard work. If you have more time than money and want to spend a ton of time with your kids it's a good goal.
Make sure it's what they want because they will be doing all of the work. I have seen more than one kid quit after a year of living their parents dream.

 

[MNDad]

We all have different experiences. My dd took a "light weight major" and became a teacher like her dad. We're alright with that and not once cent in debt. So, there is something to be said about that.

What is troubling for so many is that both academic and athletic scholarships depend upon production and can be lost in the blink of an eye. As I have stated here before, as my dd went through college, I was amazed at all of those athletes from many sports who lost that academic support. Sure some of it was from lifestyle choices. However, many just could not handle the pressure and especially when they were on the road for those long trips. It was hard for my dd to get caught up but somehow she did and kept all of those monies rolling in. As I have also posted before, there are those times when the tougher disciplines have those professors who simply won't work with athletes. I recall how my dd got one of those and panicked. Somehow she made it but was a gadfly in that professor's office when she returned from trips.

It is impossible to make a blanket statement about what any player will encounter since the variables are so drastically different. In the end, the vast majority of us will never have a dd that plays professionally. Therefore, the education must always come first. JMHO!

My wife is a teacher and my son is going into teaching. I definitely wouldn’t consider education a “soft major”. Kudos for the work you do!