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Is high school team a "must" to play in college?

What's on your mind?

by TheTownUSA » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:52 pm

Schmick wrote:
TheTownUSA wrote:
Els489 wrote:My daughter is starting catcher on her travel team, and although she's on the varsity team at school, prefers not to play there. Not a fan of most of the girls and the program. How important is high school for coaches who are recruiting?

Thanks!



As is often the case here at The Bucket, a couple of our resident "experts" chimed in with their opinions without really qualifying the circumstances or even wanting to know them. Please forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do. There are MANY legitimate reasons why your daughter may not want to play high school softball. You didn't elaborate, so I will offer a couple of good examples.

For starters, time is a valuable commodity for serious students as they move up grade levels to their senior year. Not all high school programs are like Norco or Mater Dei, where they end their season expecting to play for the State Championship. Some programs are downright shitty, where the school's administrative assistant serves as coach/babysitter for various team sports, because they need the extra $3K that comes with the gig. Also, the "players" may not be playing the sport for love of the game, but more so for the PE credits, so they don't have to take PE after their freshman year. Some of the fellas on this forum may not know it, but there are some high school teams out there that would get waxed by a good 12U PGF premier travel team. That's a true story.

What's more relevant are these few things if she wants to play college ball. First, she has outstanding grades, SAT scores and is an all around good student, where the principal or another respected authority figure is willing to vouch for her in that regard. Two, she has shown some level of community service or extra-curricular activity to demonstrate she is well-rounded and not a self-absorbed A-hole. Lastly, she is an incredible athlete going up against elite talent, with the stats to prove it and a coach who will vouch for her attitude and work ethic. Also, that she can show initiative on her own without being prodded by her parents.

If she has these attributes, most college coaches will overlook that she didn't want to waste her time playing for a mediocre high school program that never demonstrated any ambition or desire to take even one of their teams to a Division IV playoff, and only fielded a team because they had to. If she can go yard off a TB pitcher that throws 70mph heaters, you will find that college coaches can be VERY forgiving.



In your effort to appear pompous and condescending you accuse the "resident experts" of giving advice without qualifying the circumstances.
The OP gave the circumstances when he stated his DD didn't like her HS teammates or the program.
The only assumption that the "resident experts" made was that "the program" meant the HS coaches.
Now that assumption is probably fair and accurate just like me assuming you're a douche who makes long-winded but highly irrelevant posts because you think they make you look smart and you can get in jabs at people you're jealous of, and you likely enjoy the smell of your own farts.


This may be the stupidest rebuttal of ALL TIME. So you're telling us that YOU don't enjoy the smell of your own farts? I call bullshit. Everyone enjoys the fragrance of their own farts. Coming at me with that weak sauce, you should be ashamed of yourself. Do your family a favor. Go close the windows, stick your head inside of a gas oven and then turn on the gas. Now wait 30 minutes and see what happens next.
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by sdiamond » Sun Sep 06, 2020 12:22 pm

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by 110% » Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:34 pm


Re: Is high school team a "must" to play in college?
by Melissar305 » Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:46 pm

So who all has signed up for the Surf City September Start Up? They're filling spots up fast, so y'all better get your teams registered while you can. They're offering an early bird special of $725 if you register before 9/26. Who's in?
Last edited by Melissar305 on Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is high school team a "must" to play in college?
by Spazsdad » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:05 pm

Did your hubby give you back your keyboard privileges?

Hubby? Are you kidding? IF she had ever been married, (unlikely) her "hubby" divorced her, killed himself, or was inflatable and she let the air out of it and folded him up and put him back under the bed for next time.
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by Melissar305 » Sun Sep 06, 2020 2:36 pm

110% wrote:
Re: Is high school team a "must" to play in college?
by Melissar305 » Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:46 pm

So who all has signed up for the Surf City September Start Up? They're filling spots up fast, so y'all better get your teams registered while you can. They're offering an early bird special of $725 if you register before 9/26. Who's in?
Last edited by Melissar305 on Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is high school team a "must" to play in college?
by Spazsdad » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:05 pm

Did your hubby give you back your keyboard privileges?

Hubby? Are you kidding? IF she had ever been married, (unlikely) her "hubby" divorced her, killed himself, or was inflatable and she let the air out of it and folded him up and put him back under the bed for next time.



Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk! That was HILARIOUS! Did you think of that witty retort all by yourself, or did you have help? That sounded a lot like you were confessing your life story. If your team is as weak as you bring it, you might want to think about taking them back to rec league, cause you got no game.
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by TheTownUSA » Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:58 pm

Chin Music wrote:Catcher is the most valuable position? You just verified that u don’t know much about softball or the recruiting process.
You can write a letter to explain........
If you’re writing letters to explain yourself the red flag has already been risen.
Sure I’ve had kids that played in College and didn’t play for their HS. team and the questions were asked. No it didn’t affect that process (D3- NAIA) but who knows who may also had been in that pool.



I don't mean to open old wounds, but I thought this might provide some valuable 3rd party insight if your daughter is looking to play college ball when her high school/TB days are over. This is right off the Chapman University website, under their athletics program. It pretty much reiterates what I said months ago. If your daughter wants to play college ball, it really isn't necessary to be recruited or even be scouted at showcase tournaments. There are PLENTY of good schools out there that don't offer athletic scholarships and don't spend a whole lot of time flying coaches all over the country to scout recruits.

Most college teams carry 20+ players and don't offer financial aid based on athletic performance, like Chapman University for example. Chapman is a private Division 3 college in beautiful Orange County. As it states in the attached advice from their athletic department, if you want to play sports for them, or ANY college/university for that matter, it all begins with a well-written and compelling letter to their coach, explaining WHY you want to attend that particular college/university. If you have the grades, aptitude, talent, grit and a good reason for wanting to be there, they will most likely find a spot for you on their team. You may not be a starter, but at least you will have some new friends to hang with.
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by eclipse09 » Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:29 pm

eclipse09 wrote:
110% wrote:College Coaches don't care about HS stats or performance, they do care about loyalty and participation. Several of the coaches my daughter visited asked about her high school softball experience.

If you have a good reason not to play, it's not a big deal. Not liking the coach or the players isn't a good reason, probably more so now in the these times of players transferring so often, they look for loyalty. Handing out a scholarship to Susie and passing on Betty only to have Susie transfer out a year or two later has to be a concern.

HS ball is what it is, a chance to hang out with school friends, play softball with them, many you probably played rec ball with before turning to travel ball. No one uses it for recruiting.


Great points!

I have seen JC coaches recruit at my kids high school games and talk to our head coach. Doesn't happen a bunch, but so far every year at least one or two JC coaches have come to our games (Div III high school).

Please note the ones that were recruited were playing on smaller travel ball teams and didn't have plans on playing at the next level until talking to the JC coaches.
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by eclipse09 » Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:33 pm

TheTownUSA wrote:
Chin Music wrote:Catcher is the most valuable position? You just verified that u don’t know much about softball or the recruiting process.
You can write a letter to explain........
If you’re writing letters to explain yourself the red flag has already been risen.
Sure I’ve had kids that played in College and didn’t play for their HS. team and the questions were asked. No it didn’t affect that process (D3- NAIA) but who knows who may also had been in that pool.



I don't mean to open old wounds, but I thought this might provide some valuable 3rd party insight if your daughter is looking to play college ball when her high school/TB days are over. This is right off the Chapman University website, under their athletics program. It pretty much reiterates what I said months ago. If your daughter wants to play college ball, it really isn't necessary to be recruited or even be scouted at showcase tournaments. There are PLENTY of good schools out there that don't offer athletic scholarships and don't spend a whole lot of time flying coaches all over the country to scout recruits.

Most college teams carry 20+ players and don't offer financial aid based on athletic performance, like Chapman University for example. Chapman is a private Division 3 college in beautiful Orange County. As it states in the attached advice from their athletic department, if you want to play sports for them, or ANY college/university for that matter, it all begins with a well-written and compelling letter to their coach, explaining WHY you want to attend that particular college/university. If you have the grades, aptitude, talent, grit and a good reason for wanting to be there, they will most likely find a spot for you on their team. You may not be a starter, but at least you will have some new friends to hang with.


Actually most of the smaller Div III teams have needs at multiple sports and allow walk ons without even a letter. They ask some players that were recruited if they want to play multiple sports. One girl from my kids softball team also plays for the school's tennis team. Heck even their soccer team was looking players. I will say softball was not allowing walk ons even with a nice letter since they were full with recruits.
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by TheTownUSA » Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:54 pm

I never said anything about writing nice letters. Let me tell you what happens to nice letters, or emails that come from people you don't know. They get thrown in the garbage can. I said a compelling letter, one that differentiates you from the pack and commands the attention of the coach.

The difference between a nice versus a compelling letter could determine whether or not you get a response. People like to be intrigued, not bored. Trump didn't get 74,000,000 people to vote for him because he was nice.

The letter won't guarantee you a spot on the team, but it can get you a look from a coach that is too busy to travel all over the country looking to recruit players for a program that doesn't offer athletic scholarships.

It worked for a friend of my daughter. She got a coach from the top engineering school in the country to come take a look at her and an invite to their winter camp. Of course there was more involved, but it all began with the letter.
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