The untold story of D1 college softball!

[ForWhatItsWorth]

Donnie S.
What ASA age level are you involved with? If you were with 18gold you would understand the recruiting process at the D-1 level. If college Coaches brought in athletes and than released them when their hearts desired their reputation would be ruined. Who would play for them?
Look on any D-1 schools website and check the roster from last year to this year. The only difference you should see is the seniors gone and new freshman in. Unless there were injuries.
What experience? Pac-10

[DonnieS]

Donnie S.
What ASA age level are you involved with? If you were with 18gold you would understand the recruiting process at the D-1 level. If college Coaches brought in athletes and than released them when their hearts desired their reputation would be ruined. Who would play for them?
Look on any D-1 schools website and check the roster from last year to this year. The only difference you should see is the seniors gone and new freshman in. Unless there were injuries.
What experience? Pac-10

We have just got to that level, one verbaled with a D1 (Big 12) as a junior and is now signed as a senior, several others, juniors, are at the unofficial visit stage - , one young one is being looked at by some Big 12 schools as well as other schools. Another is considering juco softball. I am asking questions faster than I can get answers so I appreciate your experience and answers. We are a non-organization team that has played together for years, some for 8 years now. All of my personal experience came with the one D1 signee. If I sounded a little rude, sorry, but just want to know if you have been through the circus. I read the Aradi book, attended some NFCA lectures and bother the heck out of every been there - done that coach, just hoping you are one of those. Everything I have learned is about getting to the door, understanding what happens after they pass through the door is coming, soon.

[Tucson]

You can throw this into the mix.

Say DD comes in and the coach decides that she isn't a good fit, for whatever reason. He/she can make her life Hell, until she is gone. He/she won't waste a scholarship on someone that isn't producing.

I have known girls that have had a reduction in their scholarship, for numerous reasons.

I am always interested in colleges that claim to graduate everyone. That doesn't mean that everyone that comes in as a freshman, graduates.

What is the statistics on girls that drop out of their given sport? It seems to me that there is never many seniors on the team at one time, (especially in basketball.)

I agree with Intel about where the money comes from for the 5th year.

[ForWhatItsWorth]

Tucson,
Recruiting is done by position and grad year. You don't see alot of seniors on the roster at one time because they don't want to have to rebuild the team every year. If a Coach did not believe that a recruit did not have what it takes to play for them they would not have recruited that player. The Coach while recruiting does not only look at your ability to play but your attitude, desire to play the game, willingness to be taught and make changes, how well you get along with your teammates, athletes parent's conduct, etc. The Coach will talk intensly with the ASA Coach and anyone else they feel will give them insight on a recruit. If a Coach asks an athlete to commit after this process they feel you will be a good fit for their team. Sure some girls will not make it at college (homesick, tired of playing, don't like the Coach or teammates, etc.) I believe if this happens that the athlete mostly is at fault. Maybe they should have put as much time in recruiting the college/Coach/teammates as the Coach put into recruiting them.

[DonnieS]

FWIW, Tucson was a college softball coach.

[Gone in 2.6]

Tucson,
Recruiting is done by position and grad year. You don't see alot of seniors on the roster at one time because they don't want to have to rebuild the team every year. If a Coach did not believe that a recruit did not have what it takes to play for them they would not have recruited that player. The Coach while recruiting does not only look at your ability to play but your attitude, desire to play the game, willingness to be taught and make changes, how well you get along with your teammates, athletes parent's conduct, etc. The Coach will talk intensly with the ASA Coach and anyone else they feel will give them insight on a recruit. If a Coach asks an athlete to commit after this process they feel you will be a good fit for their team. Sure some girls will not make it at college (homesick, tired of playing, don't like the Coach or teammates, etc.) I believe if this happens that the athlete mostly is at fault. Maybe they should have put as much time in recruiting the college/Coach/teammates as the Coach put into recruiting them.

That last line is golden.

Donnie,

I agree with the other poster about college coaches having to be careful with their rep. I don't think most of them are going to put you up for review every year before honoring the scholarship promise.

Also keep in mind, powerhouse programs like the one your dd is going to, often enjoy a pipeline into a big time Gold program like Impact Gold, Shamrocks, Southern Force, Corona Angels, Firecracker or OC Batbusters. Whatever happens to an alumni of those teams while in college is going to get back to the players and parents in the Gold program. I would think that too many ugly stories would jeapordize that pipeline.

I'm not suggesting the college coaches need to kiss up to these players. But they would probably need to carefully pick their spots when it comes to playing hardball with the scholarship money.

[Tucson]

And the DDs should be prepared to change their position, if that is what is needed for the team.


I have seen pitcher to SS, SS to catcher and IF to OF.