Why D1 ?

[LEsoftballdad]

I guess university wants to maximize their cafeteria usage, but ours was the worst.

I gained weight because the only things edible were ice cream and waffles. Lost it all the next few years eating fresh protein and vegetables on our own.

I would think they don't allow it so they can maximize profits. I can tell you she doesn't eat $190 of dining hall food in a week. Between meals at home and work, she's lucky if she uses $50-$75 per week in food from the school.

 

[MNDad]

I'm not talking about graduating, which I think is great. What are they doing once they graduate, softball players in particular? There is really no softball after college so what kind of careers are these D1 elite players having?

DD is working as a mechanical engineer. A teammate who was an All American and played with Athletes Unlimited is a software engineer. Other D1 teammates and friends are working as teachers, law enforcement officers, nurses, doctors and every other occupation. Some aren’t working in their majors, but it’s not any more than non athletes. There’s over 5000 D1 players with some 250+ teams not regularly appearing on ESPN. People seem to get hung up on the lack of STEM majors of some top 10 teams and erroneously think every team is like that.

 

[MNDad]

I believe there are certain requirements that need to be met in order to stack academic and athletic scholarships which are outlined by the NCAA.

Correct. DD had to maintain greater than a 3.0 every semester to keep her academic money. If it went below 3.0 she would have still received the money, but it would have counted against the 12 scholarships. Not sure if those were conference rules or NCAA.

 

[angispeds]

DD is working as a mechanical engineer. A teammate who was an All American and played with Athletes Unlimited is a software engineer. Other D1 teammates and friends are working as teachers, law enforcement officers, nurses, doctors and every other occupation. Some aren’t working in their majors, but it’s not any more than non athletes. There’s over 5000 D1 players with some 250+ teams not regularly appearing on ESPN. People seem to get hung up on the lack of STEM majors of some top 10 teams and erroneously think every team is like that.

I would venture a guess that the number of stem majors is only slightly less than the general population. I also think that it’s important to consider that the type of kid who is driven to be an elite athlete probably like’s athletic stuff so if they go into fields that keep them around sports it’s not shocking.


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[MNDad]

Many parents are already deep into travel softball as a way to free college before they find out that not every college player is on a full ride. Once the absolute studs get their piece there are 8-9 scholarships left to divide up amongst the rest of the roster.

This is one of the reasons academics are so important.

Not to mention many D1 schools aren’t fully funded and don’t award all 12 of their allowed scholarships.

 

[MNDad]

D1 rosters are just deeper with talent. Other divisions may have 2 or 3 players that are better than the rest of their roster.

This^^^^^

 

[MNDad]

I would venture a guess that the number of stem majors is only slightly less than the general population. I also think that it’s important to consider that the type of kid who is driven to be an elite athlete probably like’s athletic stuff so if they go into fields that keep them around sports it’s not shocking.


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I’ve posted the data from the NCAA before showing female student athletes actually enter STEM majors at a higher percentage than the student body.

Since student athletes at all levels are highly driven it’s no surprise so many pursue demanding majors and careees.

 

[TwoPitcherFam]

When I am hiring and get resume stacks, I absolutely earmark D1 athletes with similar credentials to non athletes. To play a sport at a high level and get good grades/degree pretty much guarantees a good hire. There is a lot of variability in hiring a graduate with a degree and only a few hours of conversation. There is far less variability in hiring a D1 athlete with similar academic credentials. Team work, time management and grit - traits that make a junior employee valuable are always there.

 

[chinamigarden]

I’ve posted the data from the NCAA before showing female student athletes actually enter STEM majors at a higher percentage than the student body.

Since student athletes at all levels are highly driven it’s no surprise so many pursue demanding majors and careees.

A lot of Ology degrees are considered STEM but sociology anthropology , and psychology are not the same as engineering or nursing.

 

[ArmWhip]

I'm wondering if anyone has an estimate of the cost of softball to get to the D1 level. Lessons, team costs, travel expenses etc. How much of an investment was it to get that scholarship?