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Member
By: Cindy Bristow
This notion of getting a scholarship seems planted in people?s heads from 18 & Under down to 8 & Under. Notice that I didn?t just say ?in kid?s heads,? but instead said ?people?s heads.? The reason is that most kids who play softball do so because they like it, their friends play it, or they?re good at it. But most adults want their kids to play softball in order to ?get a scholarship.? Those are two VERY different objectives that have serious implications for the kids playing.
Fastpitch Softball Free Article on So You Want to Play College Softball
While I know there are tons of talented kids out there playing softball, I also know that most kids playing aren?t good enough to play in college. That doesn?t mean they shouldn?t continue playing and enjoying softball, it simply means they won?t ever be good enough to play in college ? due to a variety of reasons. Maybe they don?t have the speed or strength, they might not be a quick enough learner to make the transition to college-level softball, they may not enjoy the sport enough to spend hundreds of hours on their own practicing, and they may simply not like it enough to dedicate their young lives to it.
There is NOTHING wrong with any of these answers! Most of us, in most of the things we do, don?t LOVE them. We don?t devote hundreds of hours to improving them, and don?t want to do those things to the exclusion of everything else in our lives! Never mind feel this way when we were kids!
This obsession with getting a college scholarship has over-taken otherwise intelligent adults and has become the driving force behind every softball decision the parent or coach makes. Here?s what I mean:
?Travel team is picked based on tournaments they play in ? instead of which team is the best fit for them
?Travel team is changed mid-season if child not getting enough playing time for college coaches to see them ? instead of realizing kid needs to practice more to improve skills in order to play more
?Private lessons paid for to accelerate the skill level ? instead of practicing more to improve skills
?Summer camps chosen based on which college coaches will be there ? instead of using camps as a learning opportunity to improve skills
?Anger and frustration level enhanced if player not learning fast enough for them to play well in the next showcase ? instead of calmly working to help the player overcome the difficulty
?Injuries are seen as delays to their scholarship opportunities ? instead of as warning signs of overuse
Sure, I know, times have changed. Back-in-the-day we used to get our friends together and play ball out in the streets, but Cindy, it?s not like that now. I know that. I know that what I did when I was growing up playing softball, and what kids do now are COMPLETELY different ? almost. Sure, there are WAY more opportunities now than when I grew up. Things like lessons and TV and scholarships and Travelball didn?t exist. So I can understand how enticing these things are to parents and coaches and players.
But, I think we?re also ignoring the harmful signs of this drastic scholarship obsession and the toll it might be taking on the health of our players, and of our sport at the youth level.
Check out these facts: (taken from a recent article in The Boston Globe)
?3 out of 4 American families with school-aged kids have at least one playing an organized sport ? that?s roughly 45 million kids!
?By 15 years of age, 80 percent of those kids have quit (according to Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine). One reason is the huge gap between the kid?s desire to enjoy the sport and some adult views that youth sports are simply mini versions of adult, win-at-all-costs sports.
?Some kids are sick of playing, while others are sick of playing in pain. A 2013 study of 1,200 young athletes showed those who concentrated on a single sport were 70 percent to 93 percent more likely to be injured than those who played multiple sports.
?1 in 6,000 is the estimated number of HS football players who will make it to the NFL.
?2 ? in 10,000 kids is the number of HS basketball players who will make it to the NBA
Parents want what?s best for their kids, but pushing them to an end-game (scholarship) that depends on the opinion of another person (the college coach), and that involves hundreds of hours of incredible dedication, hard-work and sacrifice (I?m just referring to the commitment once the player actually makes a college softball team), never mind the LOVE that must be there for the player to practice on their own to the exclusion of friends, social functions and ?normal? kid behavior ? takes a very rare kid.
And that?s why actually getting a softball scholarship is so rare ? it takes passion on the part of the player, not their parent. It takes sacrifice on the player?s part and not just the parents, and it takes practice something the parent cannot do for them.
If we really want to help our kids enjoy softball, and if they end up good enough, possibly getting a softball scholarship, then here is a list of suggestions:
1.Help them LOVE the game. This might mean going with them to a college game so they can experience softball at this level with you in person.
2.Spend time with your kid playing catch. I don?t mean in a frantic-driven practice session ? I mean in a casual let?s just go out and throw the ball around game of catch. Let them see that you?re willing to enjoy time with them while helping them learn to enjoy playing the sport.
3.Help EMPOWER them. a.Let them talk for themselves and learn to trust their own voice instead of jumping in and answering questions for them. Let them answer in their own way, instead of in your way.
b.Let them find, carry and care for their own equipment. This teaches them responsibility and consequence (when they forget any of the above).
c.Help them understand that good things take sacrifice. Nice cars and nice houses take sacrifice at work, nice softball skills take sacrifice of personal time. That doesn?t mean you can?t achieve those things, you just have to work hard for them. It?s also why most people don?t have them?
d.Teach them to problem solve instead of hope for perfection. Playing college softball isn?t about playing perfect softball, it?s about learning to quickly problem solve whatever your opponent throws at you. That takes patience, intelligence, calm and most of all ? a mindset that?s creative. Help your players or your child find the solution instead of getting mad at the problem.
4.Help them Grow THEIR Skills. I?m not saying you shouldn?t do lessons, or go to camps, or sign up for showcases or even get them nice equipment, but don?t let them think any of these things are where the power is! Fastpitch Softball Free Article on So You Want to Play College Softball
a.Lessons ? if your players or kid takes lessons, make sure they bring a notepad so they can take notes following the session so they understand what THEY have to practice before the next session. The lesson won?t make them better, but practicing what they learned in their lesson might.
b.Camps ? if you?re signing your kid or players up for a camp this summer, make sure they?re going to learn something and not just ?be seen?. They need to grow their skill every chance they get, so look for the best opportunities to get better. Who will teach your child or your players things that will make them better? We are offering a College Combine Camp this summer, and our focus is to help educate the campers on the college experience, what opportunities are out there, what its like to go through a college combine and how to improve your skills.
c.Showcases/Tournaments ? if your players or kid is going to these, remember that college softball is about playing and winning GAMES, not being seen. So help them focus on being competitive, on doing whatever it takes to help their team win instead of on which coach is there to watch them. Avoid adding to that hysteria yourself by keeping your child focused on helping their team win games.
d.INJURIES ? these are the body?s way of saying STOP, PLEASE! Build in rest periods for your players or your child. I mean 1-2 weeks, not 1 day. Players won?t forget how to play in a couple weeks, and with the insane amount of games they play, their bodies need rest or else they won?t be able to play college softball, even if they?re good enough!
Playing softball should be fun for the players, the coaches and the parents. Help your players or your child learn to empower themselves and improve their softball skills through practice and problem-solving. The more you do for them the stronger you get, not them. Help implant the LOVE of playing softball in your kids and players as that is the spark that will light whatever softball fire they end up with, and ultimately determine whether they enjoy playing the game!
This notion of getting a scholarship seems planted in people?s heads from 18 & Under down to 8 & Under. Notice that I didn?t just say ?in kid?s heads,? but instead said ?people?s heads.? The reason is that most kids who play softball do so because they like it, their friends play it, or they?re good at it. But most adults want their kids to play softball in order to ?get a scholarship.? Those are two VERY different objectives that have serious implications for the kids playing.
Fastpitch Softball Free Article on So You Want to Play College Softball
While I know there are tons of talented kids out there playing softball, I also know that most kids playing aren?t good enough to play in college. That doesn?t mean they shouldn?t continue playing and enjoying softball, it simply means they won?t ever be good enough to play in college ? due to a variety of reasons. Maybe they don?t have the speed or strength, they might not be a quick enough learner to make the transition to college-level softball, they may not enjoy the sport enough to spend hundreds of hours on their own practicing, and they may simply not like it enough to dedicate their young lives to it.
There is NOTHING wrong with any of these answers! Most of us, in most of the things we do, don?t LOVE them. We don?t devote hundreds of hours to improving them, and don?t want to do those things to the exclusion of everything else in our lives! Never mind feel this way when we were kids!
This obsession with getting a college scholarship has over-taken otherwise intelligent adults and has become the driving force behind every softball decision the parent or coach makes. Here?s what I mean:
?Travel team is picked based on tournaments they play in ? instead of which team is the best fit for them
?Travel team is changed mid-season if child not getting enough playing time for college coaches to see them ? instead of realizing kid needs to practice more to improve skills in order to play more
?Private lessons paid for to accelerate the skill level ? instead of practicing more to improve skills
?Summer camps chosen based on which college coaches will be there ? instead of using camps as a learning opportunity to improve skills
?Anger and frustration level enhanced if player not learning fast enough for them to play well in the next showcase ? instead of calmly working to help the player overcome the difficulty
?Injuries are seen as delays to their scholarship opportunities ? instead of as warning signs of overuse
Sure, I know, times have changed. Back-in-the-day we used to get our friends together and play ball out in the streets, but Cindy, it?s not like that now. I know that. I know that what I did when I was growing up playing softball, and what kids do now are COMPLETELY different ? almost. Sure, there are WAY more opportunities now than when I grew up. Things like lessons and TV and scholarships and Travelball didn?t exist. So I can understand how enticing these things are to parents and coaches and players.
But, I think we?re also ignoring the harmful signs of this drastic scholarship obsession and the toll it might be taking on the health of our players, and of our sport at the youth level.
Check out these facts: (taken from a recent article in The Boston Globe)
?3 out of 4 American families with school-aged kids have at least one playing an organized sport ? that?s roughly 45 million kids!
?By 15 years of age, 80 percent of those kids have quit (according to Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine). One reason is the huge gap between the kid?s desire to enjoy the sport and some adult views that youth sports are simply mini versions of adult, win-at-all-costs sports.
?Some kids are sick of playing, while others are sick of playing in pain. A 2013 study of 1,200 young athletes showed those who concentrated on a single sport were 70 percent to 93 percent more likely to be injured than those who played multiple sports.
?1 in 6,000 is the estimated number of HS football players who will make it to the NFL.
?2 ? in 10,000 kids is the number of HS basketball players who will make it to the NBA
Parents want what?s best for their kids, but pushing them to an end-game (scholarship) that depends on the opinion of another person (the college coach), and that involves hundreds of hours of incredible dedication, hard-work and sacrifice (I?m just referring to the commitment once the player actually makes a college softball team), never mind the LOVE that must be there for the player to practice on their own to the exclusion of friends, social functions and ?normal? kid behavior ? takes a very rare kid.
And that?s why actually getting a softball scholarship is so rare ? it takes passion on the part of the player, not their parent. It takes sacrifice on the player?s part and not just the parents, and it takes practice something the parent cannot do for them.
If we really want to help our kids enjoy softball, and if they end up good enough, possibly getting a softball scholarship, then here is a list of suggestions:
1.Help them LOVE the game. This might mean going with them to a college game so they can experience softball at this level with you in person.
2.Spend time with your kid playing catch. I don?t mean in a frantic-driven practice session ? I mean in a casual let?s just go out and throw the ball around game of catch. Let them see that you?re willing to enjoy time with them while helping them learn to enjoy playing the sport.
3.Help EMPOWER them. a.Let them talk for themselves and learn to trust their own voice instead of jumping in and answering questions for them. Let them answer in their own way, instead of in your way.
b.Let them find, carry and care for their own equipment. This teaches them responsibility and consequence (when they forget any of the above).
c.Help them understand that good things take sacrifice. Nice cars and nice houses take sacrifice at work, nice softball skills take sacrifice of personal time. That doesn?t mean you can?t achieve those things, you just have to work hard for them. It?s also why most people don?t have them?
d.Teach them to problem solve instead of hope for perfection. Playing college softball isn?t about playing perfect softball, it?s about learning to quickly problem solve whatever your opponent throws at you. That takes patience, intelligence, calm and most of all ? a mindset that?s creative. Help your players or your child find the solution instead of getting mad at the problem.
4.Help them Grow THEIR Skills. I?m not saying you shouldn?t do lessons, or go to camps, or sign up for showcases or even get them nice equipment, but don?t let them think any of these things are where the power is! Fastpitch Softball Free Article on So You Want to Play College Softball
a.Lessons ? if your players or kid takes lessons, make sure they bring a notepad so they can take notes following the session so they understand what THEY have to practice before the next session. The lesson won?t make them better, but practicing what they learned in their lesson might.
b.Camps ? if you?re signing your kid or players up for a camp this summer, make sure they?re going to learn something and not just ?be seen?. They need to grow their skill every chance they get, so look for the best opportunities to get better. Who will teach your child or your players things that will make them better? We are offering a College Combine Camp this summer, and our focus is to help educate the campers on the college experience, what opportunities are out there, what its like to go through a college combine and how to improve your skills.
c.Showcases/Tournaments ? if your players or kid is going to these, remember that college softball is about playing and winning GAMES, not being seen. So help them focus on being competitive, on doing whatever it takes to help their team win instead of on which coach is there to watch them. Avoid adding to that hysteria yourself by keeping your child focused on helping their team win games.
d.INJURIES ? these are the body?s way of saying STOP, PLEASE! Build in rest periods for your players or your child. I mean 1-2 weeks, not 1 day. Players won?t forget how to play in a couple weeks, and with the insane amount of games they play, their bodies need rest or else they won?t be able to play college softball, even if they?re good enough!
Playing softball should be fun for the players, the coaches and the parents. Help your players or your child learn to empower themselves and improve their softball skills through practice and problem-solving. The more you do for them the stronger you get, not them. Help implant the LOVE of playing softball in your kids and players as that is the spark that will light whatever softball fire they end up with, and ultimately determine whether they enjoy playing the game!
