2011 players thinking of full ride guarantees????

[DBLUE]

I saw a website stating that 3 of their players VERBALLED to two top notch programs. These players are 2011 graduates? Verballing already, and thinking they will get full rides guaranteed? You don't think in the next three years, if a player comes along and is better than these kids tht they will be replaced? Don't jump the gun like that. Great news for the kids if everything holds up. But, don't get their hopes up thinking it's a lock for them to be there with a full ride scholarship. This story kinda is funny in a way. I know they're good ball players, but for a 2011 to verbal cracks me up! Am I the only one who thinks this is a little dilusional on their parts to be thinking like this already?

[rbi]

Albeit, there are very few "guarantee's" in life BUT, this "verbal commitiment" goes all the way down to MIDDLE SCHOOL in some sports. So this is nothing new, and it is what it is, a verbal commitment that can be voided by BOTH parties at any time. Still though i would rather have a verbal than nothing at all, I just wouldnt hang my hat on it, keep working hard and you never know something better might come around.

[Comp]

Couple of years ago at a college softball camp there was a meeting with the parents and the head of the schools recruiting. Just recently several freshman and sophomors had verballed to different colleges. One of the parents asked the recruiter about it, he paused for a moment, thought about his words very carefully and said, "an 8th grader can verbal to us if they want, but, just because they have verbally committed to us, does not mean that we are committed to them."

The more I have talked with various recruiters and the closer my duaghter has gotten to playing college ball, I am all the more convinced that while it may be great to "commit" to a World Series caliber D1 program, they chances of walking onto one of these teams, actually getting playing time and in the long run getting any scholarship money are long shots at best. The players by committing to these schools without any gaurantee of scholarship money are just leaving the the schools open to offer their available money to other players. And, if they have spent money on a girl, they are going to be under pressure from the AD to play those girls. These girls would be far better off to go to a college that wants them and is willing to spend money on them, rather than being hopefull to walk onto a program and expect to play.

Look at ASU, with their scholarshiped players, returning players and all the girls that have committed to them in the past 2 years, they are going to have a roster of 40+ girls trying to make the team. Maybe 15 to 16 of them will get any real playing time.

[TulsaEliteGold]

The "Early Verbal" is a topic well discussed throughout the recruiting world. Just to clarify, most of the early verbals you hear about are not just kids commiting to go to a school with no offer from the school, there is normally an offer and a mutual verbal commitment between student athlete, parents and coaches. I talk to many, many coaches about recruiting and how it has changed over the past few years. This may surprise some people, but there are already several 2011s in the nation who have committed to top programs and there are probably between 50-100 2010s already committed. These are all kids who have verbally agreed to attend said university and play for the program and the coaches have verbally committed to X amount of scholarship dollars. Yes, it is just a verbal commitment and either party could back out, but that doesn't happen very often, at least not with reputable D1 programs.

[Tucson]

Ultimatecollegesoftball.com

11/07/07 at 09:40 AM #1
From SpySoftball this morning:
UNSIGNED SENIOR

SPY is publishing this note on the Front Page as well as the regular section. Kelsey was asked to verbal to a D1 school a year ago and did so, receiving a written commitment; on October 22, a new coach at that school said she would no longer be offered a scholarship. I know early verbals are not binding but, as this player noted to SPY, she was “off the market” all these months because she thought she had a two-way commitment.

I know there has been some lively debates about the whole early verbal process. As an attorney I was particularly surprised by the wording used about a "written committment" in conjunction with an early verbal. Not really sure how early this verbal was - but the point is she verbaled to one coach and another came in and chose not to honor it - bottom line is this kid is the one who will pay. Very disappointed that the school admin did not make this new coach honor a committment made on behalf of the school by the old coach.

If you go to this site do a search for "verbal" there are many discussions here, but the link won't post.

[3Bsnag]

If I had to guess, I would say there was @ 30 sophomores last year that were verbally committed by Christmas. And yes, scholarship money is discussed and agreed on. So that means they started as freshman and were seriously looked at the summer between 9th &10th grade, at the latest.

I read the story on Kelsie and I think it was Mercer? I know de-verballing is more common in other sports, especially in football, but these colleges are honoring their commitments for the most part. If they were not, we'd be hearing multiple stories and not just pointing at this one kid/school.

If memory is correct, there were something like 180+ football kids last year that changed their minds and verballed or signed to a different school. Then there was the story of the 8th grader that verballed to Kentucky after the head coach saw him at a tournament (basketball). Coach called the dad (not against the rules for an 8th grader), dad said son always wanted to go to UK, and the deal made.

What I've noticed from bigger softball schools around here is you hit their radar as a freshman, if you're a super-stud you are offered early in soph year. If not, you're being watched as a soph to make sure the fit is good and offered by early jr year.

Crazy to think a 14 or 15 yr old is making a choice like that. Heck, mine will start the introduction letter writing process as a 13 yr old. And I still have to remind her to take water to practice.

[TulsaEliteGold]

Great topic that needs to be discussed more.

I was curious as to the "Written Part" when I first read that on Spy also. I agree that this is a bad case and the school & coach should be named so other kids & parents know about it.

I also think that if they had their choice most coaches would prefer not to have to commit players who are Sophomores and Freshmen and who may or may not continue to develop, but to compete in the recruiting world they are forced to recruit younger and younger athletes.

Until the NCAA steps up and changes the rules, it is not going to change. It is crazy to me when Top 25 Coaches I talk to are already asking me what 2011s and 12s should they be watching. It is also amazing how many 2009s are still uncommitted and the lack of money left at D1s.

[Comp]

I dont know all the ins and outs of what is and isnt allowed by NCAA, but I do know that we were told 4 years ago that we could talk to colleges and they could respond, but, they could not approach us at all until the summer between junior and senior years. We were also told that no money could be discussed until this same timeframe. If in fact this is true, how could college coaches be promising money to freshman and sophomors?

Sooner or later the college coaches will figure out they are spinning thier wheels looking at the younger girls. Ya, some of them pan out, but I can probably rattle off the names of 100 girls that had college potential and quit by the time they were 18. Can probably rattle off an equal number of names of girls who were studd players at 12-15, but sat on their duffs and didnt work hard and are now the bench warmers while others worked their tails off and got better.

[3Bsnag]

I just think it's a "damned if" circle kinda thing. What if you don't offer that player. Someone else will. I think Coach Jeff is right, until NCAA steps in my 12 yr old is ready to verbal.

I have a question that's sort of on subject. Since scholarship money is not a 4 yr guarantee and renewed year to year, does the amount ever decrease?

Say I was offered 75%. Is that 75% an unwritten agreed-to amount for 4 years? What is keeping colleges from offering large amounts to get you in and decrease it so they can throw more money at the next recruiting class?

[fasterpitch92701]

Look at ASU, with their scholarshiped players, returning players and all the girls that have committed to them in the past 2 years, they are going to have a roster of 40+ girls trying to make the team. Maybe 15 to 16 of them will get any real playing time

40+ girls. Max 12 rides. So... 3-4 to "studettes". 6-8 peanut buttered around. 16 travel with the team. Another 12-16 practice only. The remaining 8-12 are gone. 9 on the field, many, many riding the pine.

Oh, the "glory" of D1. For a few, great. For most, well, they get a good seat to watch the game.

For all but the truely exceptional the choice is riding the pine in D1 or playing in D2. And a good education is available in both.