14u- Crystal Ball

[lewam3]

The 14u college prospect thread brought this subject up-
When my DD was playing 14u, her head coach (former D1 MAC player) told me which players she thought were D1 material and which girls were D3 and which girls would probably quit within 2 years. She was dead on with her predictions 4 years later.
My point is, even though it is ludicrous to offer GIRLS at 14u, coaches have a pretty good idea-even at that age-who is D1 material and who is not. Thoughts?

 

[poden-smoden]

I will bite!

They know for the most part! If you got it you got it and it is usually from the start! It almost always works out a couple of years later in being the right move on both sides! We very rarely hear about either side regretting anything, at least around here in the last few years.

 

[FastBat]

Maybe by 14u it does seem to become clear which player is going to do what. In my own experience, and now with my child, it varies vastly from year to year with talent in 6u, 8u, 10u, and even 12u. Many times I can think back to my own teammates as 12u and lower and remember how good some of them were, but by the time they were in late MS or HS they stopped playing softball or didn't seem to have that same talent compared to other players. What happened with their softball skills? Had they peaked skill wise too soon or was it lack of passion? There will always be the lack of passion kids. But, I have also heard, that player's can "peak" to early at 10u, or that 12u was their best season, etc. I have also heard of players having their best season as a College Junior and have heard some players say they weren't that good (relative) in HS softball.

My major problem with 8th graders signing are the grades/schooling. And yes, it's seems unimaginable for an 8th grader to know where they want to attend college or if that college will have their preferred major! But, I also know they have more career planning available too. They are signing and fine so what do I know!

 

[Irish196]

They may know who is D1 playing "material", but I would guess they don't know who is academic "material" at 14. A's in many schools are given out as freely as smiles. It seems like every single player has a grade point of 3.8 or higher (sometimes much higher).

I don't understand the infatuation with D1. You are going to college to get a degree- correct? Why not go to the best school rather than obsessively chase the D1? Not all degrees are "created equal".

 

[brownsfan]

I don't understand the infatuation with D1. You are going to college to get a degree- correct? Why not go to the best school rather than obsessively chase the D1? Not all degrees are "created equal".

This of course in my opinion. A boy plays football, his dream like any other boy is to play in the NFL. A boy plays baseball, dream is to go to MLB. A boy/girl plays basketball, dream play in the NBA/WNBA. A girl who plays softball wants DI-same reason, it's the highest they can go. All of thesesports have one common theme, you can see them on TV. That's whay they're excposed to at a young age. To them whether it's the NFL, NHL, MLB, or D1 softball, that's the top of the food chain.

 

[Irish196]

I do get that it is the highest you can play in college softball. But you aren't talking about every D1 school. There are a handful of D1 schools that will be on TV. The rest won't. There are plenty of D1 schools that most people have never heard of and some of which employers may wonder about the relative strength of the degree. It's not like you get a college do-over.

I was party to a recent discussion about recruits and which schools they were looking at and ended up going to. I was very surprised to hear that it was common for players to choose an academically non-competitive D1 school over an academically exclusive D2 school. That seems very short sighted.

Now I can see if a player has the option of a stellar D1 and a stellar D2 how they would choose the D1 especially if it is one of those handful of elite softball schools. But that doesn't seem to be the rule. It seems a lot of the hype over playing D1 is put before considering what kind of an education you are getting. Players and parents really seem to buy into the thinking that you are only a good softball player if you go to a D1 school. I guess all the better for kids whose dream school happens to be D2 or 3 or other.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

The focus on D1 schools is a combination of ego and practicality (D1 have the most athletic scholarships). The ego aspect can be overblown since there is considerable overlap between the weaker D1 and stronger D2 programs.