Tough One - daughter considering new team. Coach wants her to change positions...

[GoGamecocks]

So much for a consensus. I've got

The recruit pool gets VERY crowded at 1st base and if you want a Mid level D1 scholarship as a 1st baseman you better be able to knock the cover off the ball on a regular basis.

and

Catching on the resume opens doors!

But also

Unless your daughter becomes a super stud catcher, her position really doesn't mater. I would go with the local team and not worry about her not catching.

Just to clarify. My daughter wants to catch, but what she wants more is to play. Also, she doesn't need softball to go to a good school, and will not consider "settling" on anything less than the best education-wise so she can go and play softball. Having said that, she would really like to play in college.

 

[625ender]

Catching takes effort and reps. There's no way to cheat the system at a higher level. I would leave it up to her to decide.

I caught for a very long time. I hated it when I played any other position. Even pitching bored me to tears

 

[krazykat]

I disagree. It's not that cut and dried. You are looking at this through a softball only lense. However, if a girl is using softball as a means to get an education, which should be the case every time since there is no pro softball, getting a degree from a mid level D1 could be much better than getting one from a D3. All depends on the academics of each college.

I don't think many mid majors are better academically than the UAA conference in D3 (Washington University, Case Western, Emory, Brandeis, Carnegie Melon, NYU) and they all have softball teams.

 

[radness]

Positions on the field.
2 corners
2 middle infielders
3 outfielders
Who can all pretty much be shuffled around.
And can be competing against eachother
BUT~
Who is an experienced catcher?

It does happen, on occaision, a college may ask a non-catcher player to take on catching duties.
Usually tho they recruit more catchers than they really need due to probability of injury.
And the need for bullpen catchers.

They recruit several pitchers!
And
They recruit several catchers!

The other positions are more shuffle'able.

Agree to the comments hitting gets you in the line up.

*Just as a notation
EVERY YEAR i get contacted by tb coaches needing a catcher.
Almost EVERY trained & experienced catcher can find a spot in college.
Its their SKILL LEVEL, ACADEMICS & GOALS that dictate their college preference.

 

[sluggers]

So what do you think?

Make the out of state team work. It is a hassle...but, it is only for a year.

You are thinking about this upside down. Take the bull by the horns and start working at finding a school. Actively try to "sell" your DD to schools.

Your DD is a very good student, a good hitter and a good catcher. She has an opportunity to parlay her skills into something really valuable. She should be looking at an Ivy League, a Vanderbilt, a U of Chicago. Go here: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities Of those schools, your DD could probably find two or three interested in her.

She gets a degree from one of those schools, and she is set for life.

She should write letters to these colleges and express an interest. Don't be shy about sharing her GPA, her SATs or her ACTs.

 

[GoGamecocks]

I don't think many mid majors are better academically than the UAA conference in D3 (Washington University, Case Western, Emory, Brandeis, Carnegie Melon, NYU) and they all have softball teams.

With the possible exception of Emory, there is no way my born and bred Southern daughter would consider any of those schools - no matter how great they are. Case Western? I would love it if she went there, but there's no way she's moving to Cleveland for four years.

And honestly, as great as Emory is, it might as well be in New Jersey.

We've been to Boston and done the NEASC thing. She has no interest. We were there in late December, and it was a balmy 35 degrees. She was cold. I told her - this is WARM for Boston in December. She's still corresponding with Amherst, Bucknell and Swarthmore, but there's no way. I am friends with the provost at Clark which is a fabulous school, and I can't see her going there.

But she's 16, and if there's one thing about 16-year-old girls that you can take to the bank is they could change their mind in an instant.

 

[sluggers]

The truth:

EVERY YEAR i get contacted by tb coaches needing a catcher.
Almost EVERY trained & experienced catcher can find a spot in college.
Its their SKILL LEVEL & GOALS that dictate their college preference.

 

[GoGamecocks]

Make the out of state team work. It is a hassle...but, it is only for a year.

You are thinking about this upside down. Take the bull by the horns and start working at finding a school. Actively try to "sell" your DD to schools.

Your DD is a very good student, a good hitter and a good catcher. She has an opportunity to parlay her skills into something really valuable. She should be looking at an Ivy League, a Vanderbilt, a U of Chicago. Go here: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities Of those schools, your DD could probably find two or three interested in her.

She gets a degree from one of those schools, and she is set for life.

She should write letters to these colleges and express an interest. Don't be shy about sharing her GPA, her SATs or her ACTs.

I have a JD, and my wife has a PhD. We know academics, and the education is our number one priority.

And just as an aside, Vanderbilt doesn't have a softball program for some reason. Neither does Wake Forest.

 

[erniekru]

Go to the team that has a proven track record at getting players recruited and signed to schools. Get the pop time back to 1.8 or better. Have DD work from the bottom up to earn catching time. Colleges want gritty players who succeed in highly competitive club environments. The fighting for time doesn't end at the NLI signing day, it starts.

 

[radness]

Interesting too is the costs of colleges.
D3's tend to be more costly.
Doesnt necessarily mean that scholarship will cover more expenses. Can be more out of pocket.
D1's can be more affordable.
Even with less of a scholarship, can be less out of pocket.

Find the extra cost of room and board to be something to consider...cuz thats a chunk of cash'ola.

With the oddness of covid, staying local may have big benefits.
Definitely hearing of many athletes
re-thinking their college list when making these decisions.
Even some chosing to be local walk ons.
Living at home.
Going to an in state program.