wow
Active Member
And all the fun from traveling and seeing places you never would have along with the friendships and good times travel ball offers.
This is what I am screaming!!! See you agree!
And all the fun from traveling and seeing places you never would have along with the friendships and good times travel ball offers.
2 out of the 13 are D-3 schools... 11 out of 13 got athletic money. And yes there is more to it. You are so right about it's for your daughter to have the experience! And so correct about doing the things Mike said his daughter did!I'm going to have to agree with WOW here. For starters, you have said that your team has girls committed to D3 schools. Those girls will receive $0 in athletic money... and before we start the "D3 schools will find a way to get you the money" discussion... they won't. Most D3 schools that are worth going to will tell you up front, "do not come here just to play softball, but rather come here because this is where you want to be." It is a huge NCAA violation to even appear to do otherwise so they aren't going to risk it by "finding" these girls "extra" money to play girl's softball at the D3 level, at least not in this day and age.
Secondly, your return of $120,000 on a $15,000 dollar travel team investment probably represents more like 1% of 1/2 of 1% of the kids that play travel ball. Many of these kids play 6+ years in orgs that travel frequently out of the state and 3-4 times/yr out of the Midwest. Many of those families have spent $15,000 before the kid ever reaches 8th grade, and for sure have spent it by the time they reach high school. Unless your daughter plays on one of 3-4 very select teams in the Midwest, there is no team that has 13 kids with SUBSTANTIAL athletic money, let alone 13 committed kids to athletic scholarship granting institutions getting "most" of their college paid for.
So, as WOW said, DO NOT think of this as an investment. The most likely scenario is that you will lose some of your money. Sometimes, you come out a little bit ahead, sometimes a little behind. But, if the primary reason you are doing this is for your daughter to have the experience you won't be disappointed either way.
... And yes, I do have to agree with Mike here. Maximizing the things that do not cost a lot of money (i.e. individual practice time/reps, going to a school's camp, writing schools) is just plain smart. I wouldn't go so far as to say don't play travel, but certainly I would be doing the things Mike's daughter did (based on his posts).
Absolutely! I just think it's bad advise to tell people "don't have your kid play Travel ball, it makes no difference on them playing in college if they played travel ball or not... "This is what I am screaming!!! See you agree!
I don't have this number but I'd love to see how many girls playing college softball on at least a partial Athletic scholarship
at D-1, D-2 and NAIA schools DID NOT Play TRAVEL BALL?
You play for the experience first and foremost. No one has EVER claimed this travel thing a "good investment" If we all looked at it from a dollar and cents POV you are correct its a losing proposition. If money is a driving factor of club level ball you should walk away now. Unless there is a true " Full Ride" I don't think any family comes out ahead in a $ standpoint. If the average travel season is $5000-$10,000 depending on schedule, you could put that money in a mattress and after 5 years have $20,000 on the end and upwards of $50,000 on the high end. Invest at 3% compounded over that same time, more like $30-$60K. Do it during the last 3 months in say stocker symbol FAS, or BAC or JPM and you're up double that! Or you can roll to the JACK and pick red or black and double right up! Point is no one got in this dance because it was financially sound! You play at the highest level you can afford and expect nothing but a great experience, which someday yr DD thanks you for!
My kid got absolutely nothing out of playing "travel ball."
I think the point could be better stated - that you only get out of the game what you put in to it. If your talented and willing to work hard - you can be on any team and still get college looks (if you attend camps and contact coaches)
Wearing one of the NAME BRAND jerseys does not make coaches notice you - the reason those teams have so many signings is because they have convinced the girls with talent and the willingness to work hard that they NEED to come to their organization to get signed when in fact those girls would get the same look if they played for there old team their school team or no team - .
Cobb- I agree with most everything you say. The only caveat is that it matters who you play and who you play for. Again not saying you CANT get recruited but it helps to play at the highest level you can. You certainly cant put a average player on an elite team and WHALLA, you have a full ride offer from D1PWR5. College coaches can not be everywhere and can only be at certain tournaments. With this being said many of these turnys require you to play a very high level of ball just to be accepted. Stingrays come to mind as an example and clearly not everyone gets in. I do agree the organization does not make the D1 player. However to say you can play for anyone? Yes marketing helps, but there is no substitute for coaches seeing live play!
...the reason those teams have so many signings is because they have convinced the girls with talent and the willingness to work hard that they NEED to come to their organization to get signed when in fact those girls would get the same look if they played for there old team their school team or no team
I think as athletes you should always try to RISE UP - and play the best competition available - but I think there is a mind set that if you are not on a named team you cant reach your potential - and that is incorrect.
The first sentence is an absolutely ridiculous thing to come on here and say. Portraying "named" organizations as being successful because they somehow all got together and figured out that if they hoodwinked the public into believing that the only way to become a D1 player is to be a part of one of them is just not true. QUOTE]
Tom - I am not saying that NAMED organizations are successful BECAUSE they have convinced the public that you HAVE to play for them to get signed - Just saying that those teams have (actively or passively) gotten people convinced that the ONLY way to play in college is through them. It's because those teams are successful on the field that they have the "gravitas" that people believe that to be true. I have had people tell me they want to go to organization X because they were told if they go there, their daughter will be able to go D1.
If your saying Earlywine, and Lehotak said they are only looking at specific organizations I believe you - But most girls in OH/PA and Most girls even in your organization aren't going to Mizzou - or Penn State or Ohio State or Pitt - they are going to Mid-Majors, D2's or D3's if at all.
I did not mean to knock any organization and I probably should not have used the active Verb "Convinced" but people do believe they MUST be in an elite program or they will not get offers - I am trying to refute that.
You are probably correct they may not get looks from Ehren Earlywine But that was probably not going to happen for most girls anyway - But those girls CAN get good offers from great schools if THEY do the work.
Great athletes should aspire to play at the highest level that they can achieve and that's why these named organizations have a place - I just want to make it clear that is not the only path to a scholarship.
Bare in mind - Coaches very rarely "Discover" girls at showcases
This is true.
At a certain point, I don't remember when, it became clear to me that there is no such thing as a tryout.
If your saying Earlywine, and Lehotak said they are only looking at specific organizations I believe you - But most girls in OH/PA and Most girls even in your organization aren't going to Mizzou - or Penn State or Ohio State or Pitt - they are going to Mid-Majors, D2's or D3's if at all.
As far as which organization has the most D1 recruits from Ohio in the last 3-4 years, well I will let others help out with the numbers.. I am sure you will be surprised Cobb!