Softball players making college choices before their first high school games

[WWolff]

We have 13 and 14 year old girls making life decisions. Heck I'm 46 and still don't know what I want to do Ok Ok I know they have been doing it in other sports for years, but that still don't make it right.
Unfortunately until the NCAA steps in and say's no more it will not change.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/spor...cle_4283eaaa-fa86-5cda-b1b3-fc716c3e1f4a.html

 

[mike_dyer]

Fta:

when, at 14 years old, she verbally accepted a scholarship offer to play softball for missouri. She had yet to throw her first pitch of her freshman season for morrison high school in illinois.

...

commitments are nonbinding on both ends until an athlete signs a national letter of intent, accompanied by a financial-aid agreement. A player cannot sign an nli until november of her senior year.

...

?verbal commitments have been an area of concern for some of the ncaa?s membership since the commitments are not binding for either the prospective student-athlete or the school,? michelle hosick, an associate director for ncaa public and media relations, said in an email. ?both parties take a significant risk.?

 

[coachjwb]

Agree with you, Warren .... that article seems to lay out the rules and issues pretty well also ...

 

[Joker2]

Just hitting, fielding and throwing.....right Mike??? So simple even a 13yr old can do it!!

 

[LADY_KNIGHTS]

I quit reading after the second paragraph when the reporter says she accepted a scholarship offer before throwing her first HS pitch. Not possible so the rest of the article is jibberish as well I would have to imagine!!!

 

[mike_dyer]

Just hitting, fielding and throwing.....right Mike??? So simple even a 13yr old can do it!!

Do you have any video of the complicated process that has to take place in order for an out to be scored by the defense in the high level games that your daughter plays in? I don't think I'm the only one who would like to see it.

It must be something like:

1. Field the ball
2. Grill a hamburger
3. Do a back flip
4. Drink a soda pop
5. Program a DVR to record the Montel Williams Show
6. Throw the ball

 

[mike_dyer]

I quit reading after the second paragraph when the reporter says she accepted a scholarship offer before throwing her first HS pitch. Not possible so the rest of the article is jibberish as well I would have to imagine!!!

I'm glad I'm not the only person here who lives in the real world.

 

[Blue Ice]

Just hitting, fielding and throwing.....right Mike??? So simple even a 13yr old can do it!!

Lol..someone may say just open your mouth and sing and you cane be like this. So simple but not so easy. Field and throw.

http://youtu.be/pLLMzr3PFgk

 

[DougA10]

Just curious, what part is not possible?

 

[WWolff]

I quit reading after the second paragraph when the reporter says she accepted a scholarship offer before throwing her first HS pitch. Not possible so the rest of the article is jibberish as well I would have to imagine!!!

Not sure what you are saying is not possible ? If your talking about getting offers in 8th grade it happens all the time.

 

[Irish196]

Montel Williams- good one!

 

[eagleone]

Not sure what you are saying is not possible ? If your talking about getting offers in 8th grade it happens all the time.

I am with you Warren

Some of these people believe that it is only a real offer when you sign or they believe the idea that coaches cannot make offers until Sept. 1 of Junior year.

Those of us in the real world know that coaches do make actual offers with values at that early age. I agree that it is too early but some parents think it is a great thing to brag about. I have tried to tell them they will like you a year later if they like you that early. Too many early commitments and then probably a lot of transfers.

Yes we know the offers can be pulled at anytime before signing as a senior but anyone who does not think this happens needs a reality check.

 

[mike_dyer]

Lol..someone may say just open your mouth and sing and you cane be like this. So simple but not so easy. Field and throw.

http://youtu.be/pLLMzr3PFgk

See, I think the trouble is that people want to think their kid is out there in the dirt boldly going where no one has ever gone before. I realize that Jr. is very special, at least to Sr. and Mrs. Sr., it really is only fielding and throwing a ball though. Nothing more, nothing less, from the very bottom to the very top. I don't know why some people have such a problem with reality.

 

[coachjwb]

This is all semantics, folks.

I think most of the people posting here know how the process works and what's going on. Underclassman players are giving a verbal commitment and that's all they can do, but some people will say so and so underclassman "has signed", when in fact they can't sign the NLI until their senior year. Mike's DD is on a high level team and surely knows the process too, and my theory is he is just trying to do his part in his own unique style to "clean up" when people erroneously say an underclassman has signed. The watch out here is that some of these verbal offers can and are reneged on, and players and parents should beware, not to mention Warren's original point that it's way too early for this to be happening in a young person's life.

 

[mike_dyer]

Yes we know the offers can be pulled at anytime before signing as a senior but anyone who does not think this happens needs a reality check.

I'm fairly certain the guy you're doubting actually coaches a college softball team and the guy you agree with tells idiots that he will have UCLA at their 9 year old's games if they will pay him $1500.

Hey, get in where you fit in, breh.

 

[mike_dyer]

This is all semantics, folks.

...

Mike's DD is on a high level team and surely knows the process too, and my theory is he is just trying to do his part in his own unique style to "clean up" when people erroneously say an underclassman has signed.

She plays with a good group of kids, she has good coaches, the parents are good people, we have a good time.

Just last Sunday her coach told us that he had talked to some scouts this summer at recruitfest and they told him things like "We would get fired for writing up reports on kids that age..."

Now I don't think they would actually get fired, that was surely semantics. It's like saying "My wife is going to kill me if I don't get the lawn mowed." I will wake up tomorrow morning if I don't get out there. The point of the whole thing is that they wanted absolutely nothing to do with our team last summer. Why do you reckon that is?

 

[coachjwb]

Mike ... I have seen your team play several times, and even coached a couple of your players myself in earlier years, and I have no doubt that most of them will play in college, and some probably D1. With that being said, it's important to keep in perspective that while there may be a "long list" of underclassmen who have verbally committed, it's a very short list compared to the number of players actually playing 14-U ball. From my admittedly limited knowledge, a fair share of these early commits are the rare pitchers who are throwing in the low to mid 60's by the time they're playing 14-U. If they're going to do a verbal commitment "offer", I have to assume they have to be absolutely sure it has to be one of those "can't miss" studs who is probably already playing on one of the top travel teams in the country. Just to reiterate, it's a very short list ...

 

[crystlemc]

the guy you agree with tells idiots that he will have UCLA at their 9 year old's games if they will pay him $1500.

Hey, get in where you fit in, breh.

Wow! I sure am glad we play for 16u in his organization. Our fees are much cheaper.

 

[WWolff]

Mike
Just to clarify things I do not promise anything to anyone. You must be getting some bad information from someone.
And the other guy you are doubting is probably the most knowledgeable guy regarding recruiting in the Laser organization for which your daughter plays.

 

[bucketime]

My Dd verbaled right before entering 9th grade in highschool....so yes it does happen. My DD knew the direction (educationally) she wanted to be, so she wrote to the colleges she was interested in; some players know and some do not. But the colleges are trying to get the players earlier, my DD is very satisfied with her decision. I don't care if she played for D1 to D3; she will get an education for free and that will carry her on for the rest of her life.