Academic or Softball scholarship? Academic First, Softball Second

[SoftballBomb]

Are you putting Athletics first and Academic second. Your chances of getting an athletic scholarship are a lot smaller then getting a academic scholarship. Your more likely to get a scholarship for other talent or academic before you receive a scholarship for you athletic abilities.

The next time your putting in a two practice don’t forget to put two hours of work toward your Academic studies.

 

[daboss]

SoftballBomb, if you go thru the archives you'll find topics that have addressed many of your questions and concerns but to be honest, I appreciate you regenerating them so yourself and others can get the perspective from many of the faithful followers in the forum. I assume you don't know many of us but hopefully you can form an opinion about the individual members and like the real world you can decide which ones can lead you down the right path.

My opinion on your topic;

Academics will always trump (no pun intended) athletics. Put the 2 in alphabetical order. lol. Just kidding but always a favorite saying of mine. College programs at most schools are awarded monies for the academic accomplishments of their athletes. It is for this and many other reasons they are more selective of recruits. Fastpitch softball is not a primary sport at any of the colleges that I am aware of. They may have a huge following but they are not self sufficient in earnings. It is for this very reason they need that money from the AD (school) to survive. Team GPA for example is a motivator for programs to recruit the best academic candidate that can fill a void in the roster. While many other factors are considered, GPA, SAT, and ACT test scores, depending on their recruitment criteria, can become top priority while considering a candidate.

Colleges have their own sales gimmicks to increase enrollment. Education at a higher level of learning is big business. Coaching staffs are salespeople as well as figureheads for the school. At many schools, they also teach. Most good coaches get "IT" and are educators first. When and if you ever have a child recruited you will see what I mean.

Many people innocently believe their child is or has been selected to receive a large/full athletic scholarship when indeed this is not the case. Remember; NAIA and NCAA are different monsters with different rules. Let's focus on NCAA.

Let me explain something as I understand it; Coaches can split scholarships. They can piece out a full scholarship into chunks (1/2 or 1/4). At schools that are allowed to give scholarships (D1 & D2), the program is awarded with the number of scholarships that the school deems appropriate to the individual dept.s. Schools don't always offer the maximum number of scholarships that NCAA allows. The appearance at times is that the recruit is getting a large athletic scholarship when in truth a large portion is from other factors.

For example; in many Ohio schools, what the coach will do is bundle a recruit's FAFSA monies, which is a reflection of the student's ACT test results and other factors, with what they may put into the bundle out of their scholarship budget. Let's say your daughter scored a 36 perfect ACT test score. In the big picture, she's going to get to go to school almost anywhere for little tuition fees at all. Package that with a book scholarship and a coach will say here ya go. Come play ball with me. Parents look at each other and think their dream just came true. Their DD just got a full ride to play ball!!! I'm happy for them regardless but in fact your DD got most of this reward due to her stellar academic performance.

I'm not an expert. I'm sure there are people out there that will poke holes all over what I have shared, I've tried to simplify the overall picture of what really is happening as I see it.

Bottom line; grades are everything. If you daughter scores a 14-16 on her ACT you're going to get little to nothing offered to most any school. Most college coaches look at the ACT test score almost immediately when considering a recruit. Most have a minimum in the range of around 21-22 for their program consideration. Years ago that number was as low as 18. That has passed since many programs now get "incentives" from AD's for team GPA's.

My advice; plan your daughter's future around her education and not her softball career. She's going to use the education much longer in society than her skills of hitting a ball or throwing a curve ball. Life lessons can be learned thru sports but few make a living out of fielding a ball.

 

[DanMaz]

well said sir! SPOT ON

 

[PaulP]

For NCAA D1, there are academic thresholds for gpa (3.5), top 10% in your class, SAT (1,200) or ACT (25) that matter. As I understand it, if a recruit has a 3.51 gpa average, scholarship money from sources unrelated to softball don’t count against the team’s maximum scholarship limit. If another recruit has a 3.49 average and gets (for example) a $5,000 academic scholarship and a $1,000 academic scholarship, then the combination of athletic and academic scholarship ($6,000) is counted towards the team’s total allowed scholarships (12 per team, I think). This is to prevent a school from funneling money from outside the athletic department to athletes that otherwise would not have received an academic scholarship. NCAA rules are confusing, but I think a recruit only has to achieve one of the thresholds. (D2 thresholds are slightly lower).

 

[frenchy101010]

This was going to be my daughter’s last year softball school/travel. She made varsity as a freshman, starting CF, and had plans of a good/fun travel summer planned.

As an 8th grader she got a 23 on her ACT, with a 28 in the math section, looking to max it in July. She’s 1st in her freshman class, she’s looking to get a FULL academic scholarship. She’s already taking classes at CSCC. She was/is a pretty good softball, but she knows a softball scholarship was probably not in the cards for her being 5’3” 110lbs.

 

[yocoach]

Quick and simple answer is a question. What's the first word in student-athlete?

 

[Robert Reiter]

This was good reading and very informative. Thanks for taking the time to provide good explanations. Hope everyone reads it!

 

[Xrayaries]

I have listened to many coaches from DI to DIII as well as NAIA. They all have their own ways of getting student athletes some type of financial aid.

 

[0203bbmom]

Academics first...regardless of division. If the cost of college is a concern, academics has to be the focus. DD is a senior. Had options at all levels except D1, which she chose not to pursue based on college size. The most cost effective choice, also allowing her to play ball was D3. DO NOT count out a D3 college in any decision. With DD's financial package at her chosen D3 college, she gets to play softball and get a great education for very very little cost.

 

[yocoach]

I have listened to many coaches from DI to DIII as well as NAIA. They all have their own ways of getting student athletes some type of financial aid.

Yes they do. However, at the D3 level it's all about academic scholarship money and grants the coaches are able to recommend the athlete for and usually get them accepted. At the athletic level, few, if any college players, will go on to play professional ball (assuming there is still a NPF or equivalent when they graduate. Since only the P5 conferences in D1 (I believe) have to guarantee 4 years, most others go year to year. Let's say, as an example, your DD receives a 50% athletic scholarship to a D2 and she goes there. During her Freshman season, she has a career ending injury and you're dependent upon the scholarship money to attend. Now she can't since most, if not all, will give that money to other recruits. OTOH, had she worked on her academics and went to college on academic moneys instead of athletic money (or a small amount of AS money), she'd still have the financial wherewithal to continue her education at that school as long as she maintained her grades.

Another thing to think about. An awful lot of college coaches love players with high GPAs and ACT/SAT scores because that means there is less athletic scholly money they (usually) need to offer which in turn means they have more to spread around to other players that may not be as academically accomplished.

In other words, Student-Athletes are in college, for the most part, to get an education so that they can build a career in which they may attain the lifestyle which they want to live the rest of their lives in. For 99% of college players, SB isn't going to be it.

 

[DanMaz]

can you say ACT ? want scholarship money? start doing the test now and as often as possible. 1 or 2 points can equal thousands of dollars one way or another with academic scholarships. and i hear the new format will make it easier for the student to target areas they need to improve their scores!

 

[Xrayaries]

Yes they do. However, at the D3 level it's all about academic scholarship money and grants the coaches are able to recommend the athlete for and usually get them accepted. At the athletic level, few, if any college players, will go on to play professional ball (assuming there is still a NPF or equivalent when they graduate. Since only the P5 conferences in D1 (I believe) have to guarantee 4 years, most others go year to year. Let's say, as an example, your DD receives a 50% athletic scholarship to a D2 and she goes there. During her Freshman season, she has a career ending injury and you're dependent upon the scholarship money to attend. Now she can't since most, if not all, will give that money to other recruits. OTOH, had she worked on her academics and went to college on academic moneys instead of athletic money (or a small amount of AS money), she'd still have the financial wherewithal to continue her education at that school as long as she maintained her grades.

Another thing to think about. An awful lot of college coaches love players with high GPAs and ACT/SAT scores because that means there is less athletic scholly money they (usually) need to offer which in turn means they have more to spread around to other players that may not be as academically accomplished.

In other words, Student-Athletes are in college, for the most part, to get an education so that they can build a career in which they may attain the lifestyle which they want to live the rest of their lives in. For 99% of college players, SB isn't going to be it.

I have seen and heard it all. One DII school makes sure every student athlete gets at least 75%. I have heard of DII schools that don't offer any athletics scholarships at all. NAIA that don't offer athletic scholarships. DIII phantom scholarships. DI that only offer pitcher and catchers full rides. It's really crazy how it all works. Get the fine print and read it.

 

[Stedman00]

my personal favorite as being 'unique'. NAIA school. you can get athletic money or you can get Academic monies. They will not allow stacking of funds. Has to be the dumbest one that's official university policy.