Softball Crisis in 2025?

[PapaBear]

Saw where there is close 1100 kids in the portal. That is enough to fill 55 teams with 20 players each.

 

[torpedo #8]

Maybe someone can answer this question for me. I have heard the commentators mention that a few players left high school early to play in college. Is this the new thing? What's the benefit especially if you are not getting a full ride?

 

[Dabears17]

Maybe someone can answer this question for me. I have heard the commentators mention that a few players left high school early to play in college. Is this the new thing? What's the benefit especially if you are not getting a full ride?

Haven't really thought it through for softball, but football players do it all the time. A few female basketball players have done it in recent years:

1) Get acclimatized to college life/classes without having to fully participate in softball activities.
2) Get access to college trainers and strength/conditioning coaches.
3) Get to practice with the team, get to know the system, the coaches, and the players.

The rule in general is you get 5 years of attendance at a college to get 4 seasons in.

A homeschooled player joined the South Carolina women's basketball team in early December and has gotten some playing time.

A UConn women's player from Egypt started classes last month. She is participating some in practices and is attending the home games. Not sure if she is going on the road games.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Sam Roe started college at Florida last spring despite being a 2022 HS grad. She finished early so she could start her college career early. Oddly enough, there are a lot of girls going the other way to increase their recruiting chances. A certain pitcher for a VA team just celebrated her 17th birthday despite being in the 2025 class.

 

[torpedo #8]

Sam Roe started college at Florida last spring despite being a 2022 HS grad. She finished early so she could start her college career early. Oddly enough, there are a lot of girls going the other way to increase their recruiting chances. A certain pitcher for a VA team just celebrated her 17th birthday despite being in the 2025 class.

Thanks for the feedback. It just seems unusual to me because of the portal but I get it. As for the other route. Going the other way is crazy I always thought that was a bad idea for kids anyway, but who am I.

 

[CoachJD]

Thanks for the feedback. It just seems unusual to me because of the portal but I get it. As for the other route. Going the other way is crazy I always thought that was a bad idea for kids anyway, but who am I.

Maybe this is one of those "I heard" things where everyone hears a story but it's not actually happening that often, but it sounds like holding your kid back a year is becoming all the rage. I've seen it talked about more on baseball forums.

Of course, if everyone is held back a year, there goes the assumed advantage.

 

[SBmom8992]

It would, but now you have 5th years looking to get a year of Grad school paid for by softball, consuming a spot that should have been filled by an incoming freshman.

I’ve seen 5th years taking Covid years just to help with grad school tuition and really not putting forth the same effort in the program as undergrads. They’re along for the ride and taking advantage of the additional year’s worth of money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rolling Hard]

I’ve seen 5th years taking Covid years just to help with grad school tuition and really not putting forth the same effort in the program as undergrads. They’re along for the ride and taking advantage of the additional year’s worth of money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Smart kid. Dumb rule.