Should she accept first offer?

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May 26, 2013
23
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This recruiting process feels so much like musical chairs! My sophomore Pitcher daughter will be going on visit and getting her first offer in a couple of weeks. She has been on a few other unofficial's with some coach calls, to other schools with "offers to offer later on", which really hasn't amounted to anything.

The school in question is the only one to call my daughter's HS and Club coach expressing interest wanting to offer before recruiting rules change. (She's been to their camp, met the coaches and team ). The offer is a full ride. Since we haven't heard anything from the other schools she has visited, (which she also liked) should we let her commit so soon? Private, in the right division. It's a very good school, has her major, comfortable distance from home , but smaller than she hoped for & very crappy weather.

We are scared to have her pass up an offer she might not get later,..................................................................................................UPDATE: It was an offer she couldn't pass up, the coach has been with the school for 25 plus yrs & not planning to leave, She signed the NLI in Nov of Senior yr..and she leaves for college in two weeks..
 
Last edited:
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
Definitely visit FIRST!! Really have to get a feel for the campus hopefully talk to some girls on the team etc. Also what is the offer...it does not do you or her any good to pay $40K/yr for out of state private (50% scholarship) if she would be happy in state for $15K/yr you could ask the coach for "book money" so she could say she is on scholarship and it sounds nice....remember financially "out of pocket" is what matters. Now if money is not the object let her keep visiting and find the best match.
 
Oct 5, 2015
91
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... She really wants this process to be over, especially when her 21' and 22' teammates are starting to verbal to some power 5's , which is very discouraging to an uncommitted 2020...

I can appreciate the anxiousness but right fit is so important. She will have graduated 1-2 years ahead of her teammates so while she should be happy for them with a tinge of jealousy, she (and you) need to worry about her future and not her teammates as she will be working at Google, Amazon or Facebook (those will be the only 3 companies in existence by then) while they are still chasing foul balls.

Does the major your daughter is interested in fit within the current coach's (or next coach by the time your daughter is there, perhaps) practice schedule?
What are the common majors amongst players on the team?
Does the school provide transportation to an from airport if you are 2 hours from a major airport? Are cars allowed on campus for freshmen? 18 yr olds can't rent cars
Can your daughter see herself at that school if she were to stop playing softball for whatever reason?
You mentioned Big East, I would have guessed north east but conferences are so whack these days, weather may not be a factor with the location. Maybe it is. Visit during various seasons.

There are so many things to consider that the one thing I would not do is rush once you get an offer there is certainly nothing wrong with your coach letting some of the other interested schools from becoming aware of the offer/
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Avoid the temptation to commit on the spot. Sleep on any offer for a couple of days before deciding.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
You and your DD seem to think that the process will end with a verbal commitment. This is simply not true. No matter what is done or said, the process is not complete until a LOI is signed. Until that time, either side can walk away from the offer and many times, often do. The '21s and '22s that verballed? If they don't continue to improve and advance their skills the way the coaches offering think they should, the coaches will walk away in a heartbeat. If they find someone better? They'll walk away. Meanwhile, those athletes will be left scrambling to find a school at the last minute and they had been out of the recruiting process for the past 4 years so not too many coaches will have paid attention to the type of player they are.

Here's another thing people forget. I believe someone posted an article on a thread once stating the average tenure of a D1 Head Coach was around 2 and a half years and D2 was a little over 3. If the coach leaves and you don't have a LOI, chances are the player won't be getting the same offer if they even get one to begin with. Many coaches want to recruit their own players.

A perfect example of this. A small D1 I know of got a new Head Coach in August. Over the Winter, the HC emailed my DD and asked her to come down on an official visit. We went and he made an offer to DD. In the long run, we didn't accept but we were glad we didn't because by the end of June, he was Head Coach at another school 2 states away. The players that had signed LOI's and already committed to the school had the option of attending/playing, which most of them did or go somewhere else. In the meantime, all of those players that had verballed to the old coach got the shaft because the new coach didn't know who they were and really didn't care. He brought a lot of his players (signed LOI's) with him from his previous school.

The next thing you need to address is whether or not your DD will like the school enough to stay should she decide to quit playing and after that, if you can afford to keep sending her there without athletic scholarship money. If the answer is no to either of these, then it's not the right school IMO.

When we looked at schools with DD, we looked at them as if she weren't going to play softball. That's how she found the perfect school for her and she's extremely happy there. After all, she's going to college to get her degree so she can end up with a good paying career. Being able to play Softball is just icing on the cake.
 
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Mar 3, 2016
47
0
[MENTION=5071]YOCOACH[/MENTION] is wise! If your daughter breaks an ankle, and can never play after day 1, would she still be at the right school for her future? As a pitcher, she'll probably be able to still get offers in the spring of senior year-my DD is still getting them as a 2018...She has had a couple coaches switch schools by now and is just waiting to hear on acceptances from her top choices. It's not ideal, but she's still going to play ball at one of her top academic picks.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA

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