If your daughter is playing in College, what is her major?

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Just a little topic to create discussion as to whether we put to much emphasis on playing in college and not enough on getting a good college education.

By good education I am referring to seeking a degree that will make them independent and afford them a good comfortable life such as Engineering, Medical, etc...

Are we doing our DD a dis-service by placing college ball as such a achievement? After-all, there is no real career path for the ladies in professional softball.

This is just a topic to provoke thought and not say that one way is right or wrong. My DD was offered money to pitch for a DII and she passed it up to focus on her studies. Broke my heart, always wanted to see her play in college. In the end it was the right decision for her and she is succeeding in her nursing program.

Please be respectful of others opinions, but I am curious as to what others are thinking.

Doug

 

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Mine is a Junior majoring in Homeland Security and Intelligence. Wants to work in the FBI or CIA, or possibly the Secret Service.

 

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When all is said and done a degree is the most important. I have known a few that have gone to college with sports as first priority, only to be dissapointed. Classes too hard, school didn't offer major(decided in 2nd yr), didn't fit in or maybe coach/program didn't turn out to be what was expected. Having softball and college is great but most important is getting degree that will get a job in 4 years. Making sure the field won't be flooded with graduates( athletic training?) Research is showing the health field, Computers field and Engineering are best bets.

 

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DD sophomore in College Majoring in Criminal Justice, Technology Side, Crime Scene and Forensics.

 

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Good topic.

My daughter started out as a Health Science major, on a path toward Physicians Assistant or Nurse Practitioner. She always wondered, in the back of her mind, what she would do when the courses would require her to do clinicals and miss half of a season. The problem took care of itself though, when she switched her major to Psychology. (Not simply to play ball.)

Side note - I have heard that some schools (Akron U. - for one) doesn't want nursing majors on the team for the reason mentioned above ...

 

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Daughter is majoring in Education/Special Education. Asked about the student teaching and if that would interfere with playing and was told that many of their players had majored in education and that it was never a problem. They even will pay for the extra semester if she needs it to complete her degree so she does not have to take 20 hours a semester to finish. Have heard from a DI coach that they tend to not recruit someone that is set on a nursing degree becasue of the time clinicals takes up and the amout of practice and game time they would miss.

 

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Biology, goal is to be an Orthodontist.

 

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Good topic, Doug! Mine is in her last (5th) year of Early Childhood Education. She is actually done with her athletic eligibility but essentially there was no way for her to play ball and graduate in 4 years without missing a significant amount of games to student teaching or other classes. Keep in mind that most academic scholarships only last 4 years, so this last year is extra costly. Still, she wouldn't have traded that experience and she has been very happy with her choice of schools. She also turned down some athletic money at a D2 school to go to her D3 school which was closer, so she better be happy!

 

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DD is a freshman with plan of majoring in Occupational Therapy. Since that is a 5-year program there is room for softball.

 

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Mine is a Freshman this year majoring in Special Education. This is also allowing her to play ball. If the classes get in the way she knows and understands that ball is her 2nd choice as her education is why she is there. Great kid that has her priorities straight, so far, lol.

 

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My daughter is a freshman majoring in pre-med, biology, with the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Also a member of the honors college at her school.
I think many of these girls who have reached the college level of softball understand commitment, time management, and prioritizing from what they did with softball to make it to this point.
This experience will hopefully help them in college.

 

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My daughter is a freshman majoring in pre-med, biology, with the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Also a member of the honors college at her school.
I think many of these girls who have reached the college level of softball understand commitment, time management, and prioritizing from what they did with softball to make it to this point.
This experience will hopefully help them in college.

Wow, that is quite the undertaking. I'm sure Jen went DI, didn't she? My DD knew that the course load wouldn't allow her to do both, time management had nothing to do with it. It was more like hours in the day, not enough of them to manage it. LoL

 

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I am glad this thread was started, as sometimes people need reminded why our kids are in college (besides beating the **** out of other teams) and thats the education. My DD started out a Bio-Chem major but decided that just wasn't in the cards for her so she changed and became a dietetic major. She wishes to be the dietitian for athletics at a large university with possibly some coaching as well. Time Management is the hardest things for kids to learn in college. As far as making your college choice, you have to ask yourself a question, "If I wasn't playing softball in college, would I still want to go to school here???...if your DD answers yes to this question, then I believe you have a great fit.

 

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I am glad this thread was started, as sometimes people need reminded why our kids are in college (besides beating the **** out of other teams) and thats the education. My DD started out a Bio-Chem major but decided that just wasn't in the cards for her so she changed and became a dietetic major. She wishes to be the dietitian for athletics at a large university with possibly some coaching as well. Time Management is the hardest things for kids to learn in college. As far as making your college choice, you have to ask yourself a question, "If I wasn't playing softball in college, would I still want to go to school here???...if your DD answers yes to this question, then I believe you have a great fit.

That last part is the litmus test that every young lady needs to take...Thanks for the advice.

 

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Our daughter was not recruited because of so many injuries...however, she is thinking of trying to walk-on. She is a freshman this year and is wanting to study, of all things, athletic training. When she spoke with the Director of the program about playing sports with this major she said that softball, for some reason, is one of the harder sports to play with this major. She said she's had 3 softball players 2 made it through sophomore year, the year when they are actually accepted into the program and quit before their jr. year and 1 made it to junior year and quit playing. It's a difficult program to get into, so if DD decides to try and walk-on, she realizes what it will take.

 

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Excellent, excellent, excellent post!! We have this coversation with our dd regularly. We are not after an athletic scholarship for her. She knows she needs to focus on academics first, foremost and always!

It only takes one injury to lose a scholarship and most academics never seriously injure themselves by studying, analyzing and just plain thinking.

We got involved with athletics (softball and other sports) for reasons including fitness, time management and other life lessons. All of these things serve to make her a better student.

And a P.S. to SheriffBart - tell your dd that the employment world is cruel to Psych majors with only a Bachelor's degree. Encourage her to go on to get her Master's at minimum and a Ph.D if she can.

 

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As hard as it was to realize she wouldnt be playing even with some offers from D-2 level, She made an adult decision and decided to walk away from it to go for her goal of getting into a Radiology program. This, her Senior year, she was accepted into it as one of about only 10 at OSU, so she now will have a fifth year of school as well, but had a goal to get into it and is gearing for the cardiology side of it. Will definately put a kink in her HS and Summer coaching though, but a two year Hiatus from the game, will be worth the wait....

She wasn't even going to re apply this past Spring for the program, but did it the night it was due...... You never know do ya.....

 

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My kid is a freshman and is majoring in pre-vet Biology. She tested out of the entry level courses and the coach has talked to her about dropping one of her Chem courses, however in the end decided to let her keep her courses. The coaches focus is to make sure daughter is successful and doesn't max herself out her first year between studies and ball. So far, she is LOVING her classes and ball....of course, it's only been a week!

 

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As hard as it was to realize she wouldnt be playing even with some offers from D-2 level, She made an adult decision and decided to walk away from it to go for her goal of getting into a Radiology program. This, her Senior year, she was accepted into it as one of about only 10 at OSU, so she now will have a fifth year of school as well, but had a goal to get into it and is gearing for the cardiology side of it. Will definately put a kink in her HS and Summer coaching though, but a two year Hiatus from the game, will be worth the wait....

She wasn't even going to re apply this past Spring for the program, but did it the night it was due...... You never know do ya.....

How great is that Hilliard! Freshman dd got accepted to the Fischer college of business. Although she knew going in that the course she needed ended at 1:35 and she would have to run (physically run) from lane and high to the softball stadium she said it was that important for her to do the class for her to remain on pace for her degree. I thought her mindset was right on and told her to "pick me up and lay em down" to get to practice on time. She did that for the first few days and my other dd at tOSU just picked up a bike at home we bought to give her a little break. Just testin her resolve and she passed with flying colors. Amazing what a little jog will do to check ur motivation.

It still amazes me how they can turn around and mature overnight. If I would have told her to make thatun for her training in her junior yr of hs, she would have laughed at me.

Herb

 

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My kid is a freshman and is majoring in pre-vet Biology. She tested out of the entry level courses and the coach has talked to her about dropping one of her Chem courses, however in the end decided to let her keep her courses. The coaches focus is to make sure daughter is successful and doesn't max herself out her first year between studies and ball. So far, she is LOVING her classes and ball....of course, it's only been a week!

Congrats. Cam is diggin the college experience also. The grind isn't started yet. She is looking forward to next week when practice begins fully. I know mine can't wait to stop running stadium steps and dig into coach ran practices...

Herb