Should she take a chance?

[Jr10234]

I would seriously dig into the school and softball program reviews.
Class size, instructor availability (my DD missed class and her phone rang at 8:40am-the instructor was asking her whereabouts!), instructor engagement, campus size, etc.
Softball-hours of practice, W/L records, coach fit (does she respond to one style of coaching over another), study hall hours, access to team tutors, player majors (DD at D1 was forced to change majors to one that accommodated softball, and she will never be a starter).

 

[obbay]

...she feels she can excel academically anywhere

It sounds like she'll be ok softball-wise no matter where she chooses to go. The academic end is not to be taken lightly though. maybe she can excel anywhere, but she hasn't been to college yet. DD#1 dropped softball after her freshman year. she was accepted in the Honors program at (2) state Universities but chose a small D3 school. She loved the school but quickly found out (in her words) there is no Honors program because the whole school is an Honors program. and there's always what school will be best to prepare her for a career.

Good Luck! Sounds like you're in good shape!

 

[riseball]

More than likely the two JUCOs will be about the same academically so the educational aspect is probably a moot point. As long as what she gets in the classroom prepares her for what is 2 years out she will be fine. I know of many 4 year schools looking for JUCO transfers for next year. Speaking from significant real world experience, playing time should weigh heavily in your decision. If you do not see the clay in JUCO you will not play at the next level. As said earlier the recruiting grind you have come to know and love in TB will continue in JUCO. In fact for my DD it was more intensive than it was in TB. Your DD will need to be playing in showcases following the completion of her first year in JUCO. It was at that time that things got rolling for my DD with more 4 year schools than we could count. Just as in TB if you do your part, it really does not matter where she plays so long as she get the reps and continues to improve.

FWIW - About this time her Junior year my DD was in a wheel chair with two surgically broken feet. She fought back, went the JUCO route and it worked out pretty well.

 

[Lenski]

Thanks for this. I guess it took it as snarky and I shouldn't have. My bad and I apologize.

By no means was my post meant to be snarky. I was vague and I apologize for that. Chinamigarden is correct. I was saying to make academics the main consideration when picking schools. Like I told my dd when I was in your shoes, you have softball for potentially 4 years while in college but your education will affect you for the next 40 to 50 years.

 

[AndyS]

By no means was my post meant to be snarky. I was vague and I apologize for that. Chinamigarden is correct. I was saying to make academics the main consideration when picking schools. Like I told my dd when I was in your shoes, you have softball for potentially 4 years while in college but your education will affect you for the next 40 to 50 years.

In regards to the OP's question, what do you mean specifically when you say academics should be the main consideration? To go a step further, is it ever ok to pick a school because of the athletic situation and the goals of the athlete? I am honestly curious.

 

[riseball]

Unless the player has a unique major which only few schools can accommodate there is little difference between similar schools with respect to academics. It is important to remember that an education is not a 4 year endeavor. It really does not matter where you start, what matters is where you finish. If you get into the right program you will find that the athletic environment is as equally important and valuable as the academic environment. Those that have actually been through the experience will tell you that there is much more to be gained from 4 years of college than what happens in the classroom.

I have often said that there are two types of college bound players; Some are going to college to get an education while playing softball. Others are going to college to play softball while getting an education. Neither one is right or wrong. But it is critical that you find the right fit that meets the needs of the player. Otherwise it will not be a productive experience.

 

[Lenski]

In regards to the OP's question, what do you mean specifically when you say academics should be the main consideration? To go a step further, is it ever ok to pick a school because of the athletic situation and the goals of the athlete? I am honestly curious.

Pure and simply: Does the school meet your academic goals? For instance, let's say a young lady wants to be an engineer. Should she go to a school offering a full athletic scholly that is a pure liberal arts school with no engineering program, just for the sake of playing softball? Should a young lady go to a JUCO to play softball, only to find out that the majority of her credits will not transfer to her preferred 4 year school in her specific major?

I noticed the Kenyon avatar. Let's say Kenyon offered my dd a deep discount in her tuition if she were to play softball for them and their softball team is "off the charts" good. My dd's dream is to have a Respiratory job where you fly in the "Air-Care" helicopters. My dd's dream is to also play college softball. Does Kenyon offer a Respitory Therapy program? I don't think Kenyon offers any Health Professions degree. Should my dd take the money and play for Kenyon anyway?

Each situation is different. Kids and parents can do what they want. People need to understand that a student athlete choosing a school due to the athletic situation might change the ability of their future career goals.

 

[AndyS]

Pure and simply: Does the school meet your academic goals? For instance, let's say a young lady wants to be an engineer. Should she go to a school offering a full athletic scholly that is a pure liberal arts school with no engineering program, just for the sake of playing softball? Should a young lady go to a JUCO to play softball, only to find out that the majority of her credits will not transfer to her preferred 4 year school in her specific major?

I noticed the Kenyon avatar. Let's say Kenyon offered my dd a deep discount in her tuition if she were to play softball for them and their softball team is "off the charts" good. My dd's dream is to have a Respiratory job where you fly in the "Air-Care" helicopters. My dd's dream is to also play college softball. Does Kenyon offer a Respitory Therapy program? I don't think Kenyon offers any Health Professions degree. Should my dd take the money and play for Kenyon anyway?

Each situation is different. Kids and parents can do what they want. People need to understand that a student athlete choosing a school due to the athletic situation might change the ability of their future career goals.

Great post imo. I just asked the question because living through this recruiting process personally and reading this board it just feels a little more nuanced and requires more detail than just "put academics first". I will just give my DD's story fwiw. First off she is better academically than she is athletically. She is a pretty good pitcher that played in one of the top programs in our area but again she was and is a better student than athlete. But softball is VERY VERY important to her and she had it as a key criteria in selecting schools. She also knew she wanted to major/minor or double major in economics and philosophy. During the process she was lucky enough to be recruited by a very good Ivy League school. She went to the camp got to know the coaches and on the drive to the airport told me flatly, I will never go there. Now this was her junior year so who knows if she would have been accepted but here she is ruling out a college routinely considered one of the best in world based on softball. As a Dad I was conflicted but that is how she felt. Fast forward through the process and she was lucky enough to be recruited by UChicago. A BEAUTIFUL fit for her academic interests. She verbals her interest (to the extent you verbal in D3) and thinks she is set. Fall travel season of her senior year Kenyon happens to be at a local showcase. They invite her to campus and again she is committed to UChicago but says why not go. Bottom line is she fell in love with the campus, the coaches, her potential new teammates, basically the whole thing. Now based purely on academic rankings UChicago is the better economics college. But all through the process softball played a major role in her decision.

So I just wonder if it is a little more nuanced than "put academics first". And does it not depend on the goals of the student/athlete? And at the end of the day like I tell my DD it is not the school that you decide to go to that matters...but what you do once you get there, both academically and athletically. And finally does playing a sport contribute to your overall education? Just my two cents.

 

[NoGolfTil2017]

In some ways, interest in a program offered by a limited number of schools makes the college search process easier. I found a list of schools that offer Respiratory Therapy degrees. Many are JUCO/CC that offer an AS, then there are some four year schools. I assume Lenski's DD plans to start at a JUCO where she can take accredited courses that will transfer to a four year school, where she will earn her BS.

Lenski, I think the concern some have for your DD is that she is a good student with a strong ACT, but that she plans to attend a JUCO. Around my area, JUCOs and CCs are an academic joke. Our public HS will not accept courses from the local CCs for acceleration, and will only accept the courses as remedial (if you failed the lowest level HS course in that subject). Our public HS will accept summer courses from other local HS programs for acceleration.

Once in a while, my older two have found themselves in a classroom with some students who are "lower performing". They want to tear their hair out. They don't learn anything, or if they do, they pick up on the concept in a day, yet the class spends a month on the concept. I think what others are trying to say is that your DD may get to where she wants to be, may earn her 4 year degree in Respiratory Therapy, but those first two years will be painful and a waste of her academic talents.

Perhaps these JUCOs have some solid students. I know that JUCOs/CCs vary in quality, and there are some good JUCOs/CCs in certain areas of the country. If that is the case, go for it. If you research the average ACT score and it is 10 points or more below your kid's score, I would seriously consider the academic experience. Have her sit in on a class. Then have her go sit in on the same class (subject/course title) at a school you consider to be a decent four year school. My eldest did this to compare some colleges, and the level of teaching and classroom discussion was very revealing.

 

[riseball]

...So I just wonder if it is a little more nuanced than "put academics first". And does it not depend on the goals of the student/athlete? And at the end of the day like I tell my DD it is not the school that you decide to go to that matters...but what you do once you get there, both academically and athletically. And finally does playing a sport contribute to your overall education? Just my two cents.

There is definitely more to it than put academics first. That is extremely short sighted given the opportunity before you. It would be like accepting a job offer based only on compensation. There is much more to consider. If playing a sport in college does not enhance your overall educational experience you are either at the wrong school or there is something wrong with you.