What do you expect?

[CARDS]

This is for the parents of the 12 to 18U players?

Having gone through the proccess and after looking at some of the post about "disappointment at college recruiting events" what are you expecting from your DDs time playing softball?

Are you expecting an ROI?
Do you think college coaches go to events without a plan or a list of recruits they want to see?
Do you expect DD playing at a certain level? DI,II,IIII,NAIA,JC
Are you looking for playing time or scholarship money?
Will you accept little to no money to have your DD play at the next level or DI?

 

[alborules]

I have an '01 8th grader playing on a great team of '00 freshmen and sophomores. I am expecting that my daughter will learn from the coaches and the older girls how to handle recruiting along with the other life lessons she gets from great competition and coaching. I am not expecting a single penny back on our investment and look at my credit card debt as an "oh well, I wasn't going to retire anyway". I am simply hoping that my daughter has a great time and doesn't look back wishing she went for a D1 school instead of going with a hometown NAIA, regretting the winter softball because she wanted to play basketball instead. I could care less if she continues in softball as long as she is satisfied with her choices and can learn to support herself.

 

[FastBat]

I have a 12u player, so I may be a little naive. I want my DD to enjoy playing softball in the summer, just like I did. I would love for her to want to play softball at least one year in HS for our home town. Anything more than that I could care less, right now, I want her to have fun and enjoy the game.

 

[wow]

Having been around the game for almost 10 years I can say it changes dramatically between 8U and 18U. But expectations are reasons for disappointments. Expect nothing and the experience will be so much more enjoyable. The girls will decide and tell you what they want from the game. As a parent you should expect to get your DD in the best situation possible to achieve her goals. If D1 full ride is in the cards great, but expecting to play at that level?

 

[Pacerdad57]

As I have stated before, softball isn't the only way the DD goes to college. She's going regardless of anything to do with softball. That being said we are working at playing at the next level, she's working hard to get better and we're working on coach contacts, the right clinics and recruit level tournies. Mao if it happens great, if not she's still going to college, and in the mean time my only requirement for her is that she enjoys it while she can!

 

[WalkOffHR]

Not as many responses as I expected, but then again, not surprised. After spending over a decade as both a parent and coach (mostly parent) and interacting with other parents in both roles I'll just share my opinion on what many if not most parents expect.

At ages 14 and under. The expectation is a full ride scholarship to a D1 school that offsets the "investment" travel softball. College coaches will pack the stands at every tournament. The phone will ring off the hook from Auburn, Alabama, Oregon, etc.

First year of 16U: the expectation is a 75% to 100% scholarship to a D1 school which will justify the money spent. There will be at least 3-4 tournaments next summer with lots of college scouts. DD will get offers from several D1 schools in Ohio and few from outside of Ohio. DD will verbal by mid-summer for sure to the school of her choice.

Second year of 16U: DD must verbal to a D1 or a D2. Hopefully coach gets team into a couple tournaments that has 3-4 college coaches at every game. DD will attend a several camps at schools she could live with and will definitely get a scholarship of some kind to one of her top 20 schools.

First year of 18U: Will attend 5-6 camps in the offseason of D1, D2 and NAIA schools that might still have a roster spot available. Hopefully DD will catch the eye of a coach at Laser Nation.

Last year of 18U: DD is trying to decide if she will play next summer or work to save money for college. She might try to walk on at college in the fall of her freshman year.

 

[Blue Ice]

Expect my daughters to get a great education first... And pick a school that they love.
Everything else is gravy!!!

 

[coachjwb]

The voice of reason returns ... welcome back, Mike ... hope the family is all well!

 

[Softballmom18]

We used to have high expectations due to the lack of knowledge on our part.
We thought our DD was maybe good enough for a small D1 but definitely D2, D3 NAIA.
We were not worried about money for athletics since her grades were good enough for academic money.
Then, over the past 2 years, seeing girls we knew get verbal commitments to schools, our daughter attending D1 clinics where coaches barely interact with players, DD emailing coaches on a regular basis with little or no response, we began to lose hope.
Our DD will go to college and be successful because she is intellegent. College softball was her dream. But that dream is fading fast. She has one last travel season left before her senior year. I hope maybe someone will see her passion & commitment & unbelievable grades and be lucky enough to have her on their college team.

 

[coachjwb]

Softballmom ... if your DD still wants to play in college, make sure she doesn't give up hope yet. My DD had similar aspirations early on, and she and I both realized by her junior year both that she wasn't going to be playing D1 as well as the fact that she didn't really want to go to a bigger school anyhow. To make a long story short, she did get a small offer from a D2 school as well as some interest from a D3 coach around Christmas time of her senior year. She decided in February to go the D3 route, and ended up having a wonderful college and softball experience, playing all 4 years, being a team captain a couple of years, and even breaking a school record her final year. But even if she had not been so fortunate with softball, she selected a school that she really enjoyed and got a great education at. If she really wants to play and there are D3 schools she is truly interested in, have her reach out to coaches there to gauge their interest. D3 schools often make room on the roster for most anyone who is interested in playing.

 

[harley78]

Not as many responses as I expected, but then again, not surprised. After spending over a decade as both a parent and coach (mostly parent) and interacting with other parents in both roles I'll just share my opinion on what many if not most parents expect.

At ages 14 and under. The expectation is a full ride scholarship to a D1 school that offsets the "investment" travel softball. College coaches will pack the stands at every tournament. The phone will ring off the hook from Auburn, Alabama, Oregon, etc.

First year of 16U: the expectation is a 75% to 100% scholarship to a D1 school which will justify the money spent. There will be at least 3-4 tournaments next summer with lots of college scouts. DD will get offers from several D1 schools in Ohio and few from outside of Ohio. DD will verbal by mid-summer for sure to the school of her choice.

Second year of 16U: DD must verbal to a D1 or a D2. Hopefully coach gets team into a couple tournaments that has 3-4 college coaches at every game. DD will attend a several camps at schools she could live with and will definitely get a scholarship of some kind to one of her top 20 schools.

First year of 18U: Will attend 5-6 camps in the offseason of D1, D2 and NAIA schools that might still have a roster spot available. Hopefully DD will catch the eye of a coach at Laser Nation.

Last year of 18U: DD is trying to decide if she will play next summer or work to save money for college. She might try to walk on at college in the fall of her freshman year.

That is a good post but 99% of the time D1,D2 schools have their roster filled .

 

[brownsfan]

If I was a 10U parent, I would rathe rbe armed with the knowledge of how it works; then be a 10U parent who doesn't. I was blessed as a 10U parent that had the knowledge. I like most earlier posters, felt the same way. When dd's former pitching coach said what she did, I laughed at her. Well, I'm eating crow and enjoying it.

My advice, start early and enjoy it at the same time.