Whats the number one thing as a parent you would have done differently in your daughter softball car

[tjsmize3]

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.

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.

Cobb, I appreciate the clarification. I know for a fact you are right about players being convinced they HAVE to go to certain organizations to play college softball, but as you say that is simply not true. I think what most of the true "named" organizations cater to are girls who primarily have set their focus at quality NCAA D1 teams at solid academic institutions. I think to no one's surprise the best way to get to that end point is to work both hard and work smart. Part of being smart may include a player looking at her target institutions to see if she saw trends in organizations who were placing kids into those programs. I would look at maybe playing for one of them if the opportunity was available. I don't think anymore needs to be made of that in this thread, just that it is part of working smartly to achieve your goal.

I also want to clarify that I was passing on a near direct quote from Earlywine ONLY, and that there was not a lot of paraphrasing going on there. Other schools who I have had personal conversations with or have heard speak at camps will tell you that intentional or not they prefer kids who play certain schedules, with certain orgs, and have certain measurables. No one ever says "we will ONLY take kids" who meet those criteria. BUT, everyone knows most universities don't have the recruiting budget for softball to go track down every potential D1 kid, in every corner of the US who wrote to them and went to camp. Rather, the majority will use their budget wisely and go to "high-payoff" tournaments with "high-payoff" teams and try to select a "high-payoff" type player with "high-payoff" measureables. Emails and camps will always be a part of the process, but nowhere near the entire process. That is always going to be the most likely scenario of NCAA D1 scholarship players.

In regards to Lehotak, I certainly would not presume I speak for her and she was not present at the camp I am referencing with Penn State and Marshall. What I am talking about is a D1 camp this winter where both programs were part of a group discussion (for the entire camp and parents) with multiple other D1 and D2 schools. As often gets asked, they were answering a question about what makes a player stand out in their eyes. In general, there were a few things that nearly all programs shared as important to them and I think I have reproduced that here fairly accurately.

I do agree with you also that in the end there is always more than one way to get to your goal. But, among the few roads that do take you there, some offer you better percentages of arriving at your destination.

 

[Hilliarddad3]

Wow! Some very colorful responses here. A lot of focus on finances, travel, college commitments, bad coaching, chest pounding, innovative parents who point fingers at chest pounding as they pound their own chest (very confusing).
If I was not involved in the sport and I read all of this white noise, I'd run the other way. It's a wonder why people would even want to get involved if they stumbled upon this conversation along with all of the other bull you read on these types of "informative sites" (sarcasm of course)
Every mistake that is mentioned here, I've personally experienced or witnessed in one form or another.
To go back, this is the true dream that Time will not allow. To relive the good times with your daughters and repair the mistakes.
But focusing on the negative will only cause bitterness. I did it for years. It doesn't work.
You live, you learn, and you move forward.
The truth of the matter is, what we do here as adults with these athletes is all about the experience.
Everything else will fall into place.
Wether you play rec ball or you travel to California, the game results will fade but the experience will not.
One's relative position in the game should be based on objectives not what somebody else wants you to do, including parents. And parents should be honest with their daughters.
It's more our responsibility as the elders of this game to ensure that when these young ladies leave us, they are better people. Wether you're the parent, the coach, or both; these young ladies will be moving forward at some point, and when they do, we can only hope that we've prepared them to be strong independent young women.
My daughters' story; one stopped playing travel ball at 14 once she realized it wasn't her passion. She preferred biology classes at the Pittsburgh Zoo over travel ball, an amazing experience where she was able to work hand in hand with the animals.
Today she is on a mission trip overseas. Cambodia for the first month and then Thailand. She returns home April 21st. My wife and I count the days until her return.
Their mission, to help teenage girls and boys who are trapped in the disgusting and disturbing sex trade. My daughter Alexis is 19 years old doing this! She raised all of the money for the mission herself.
Our other daughter, Taylor, played two seasons of college ball before she decided she wanted more. Taylor enlisted in the US Air Force, completed her basic training, and is currently learning her very impressive and important trade. Taylor's assignment once she finishes her lengthy schooling, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii!!
See, they'll be fine, despite our own deficiencies....Learn from your mistakes and don't repeat, support your children's decision, and be sure to tell them you love them! Most importantly, never make this about you as a coach or a parent. Let them play the game....

Larry Mercurio
Ohio Outlaws 18u Demarini Diamond Squad

"I have no cool quote"

Sounds like you did good with them as how fine young ladies they turned into and thank yours for her service as well!

 

[K9crmfitr2]

Wow! Some very colorful responses here. A lot of focus on finances, travel, college commitments, bad coaching, chest pounding, innovative parents who point fingers at chest pounding as they pound their own chest (very confusing).
If I was not involved in the sport and I read all of this white noise, I'd run the other way. It's a wonder why people would even want to get involved if they stumbled upon this conversation along with all of the other bull you read on these types of "informative sites" (sarcasm of course)
Every mistake that is mentioned here, I've personally experienced or witnessed in one form or another.
To go back, this is the true dream that Time will not allow. To relive the good times with your daughters and repair the mistakes.
But focusing on the negative will only cause bitterness. I did it for years. It doesn't work.
You live, you learn, and you move forward.
The truth of the matter is, what we do here as adults with these athletes is all about the experience.
Everything else will fall into place.
Wether you play rec ball or you travel to California, the game results will fade but the experience will not.
One's relative position in the game should be based on objectives not what somebody else wants you to do, including parents. And parents should be honest with their daughters.
It's more our responsibility as the elders of this game to ensure that when these young ladies leave us, they are better people. Wether you're the parent, the coach, or both; these young ladies will be moving forward at some point, and when they do, we can only hope that we've prepared them to be strong independent young women.
My daughters' story; one stopped playing travel ball at 14 once she realized it wasn't her passion. She preferred biology classes at the Pittsburgh Zoo over travel ball, an amazing experience where she was able to work hand in hand with the animals.
Today she is on a mission trip overseas. Cambodia for the first month and then Thailand. She returns home April 21st. My wife and I count the days until her return.
Their mission, to help teenage girls and boys who are trapped in the disgusting and disturbing sex trade. My daughter Alexis is 19 years old doing this! She raised all of the money for the mission herself.
Our other daughter, Taylor, played two seasons of college ball before she decided she wanted more. Taylor enlisted in the US Air Force, completed her basic training, and is currently learning her very impressive and important trade. Taylor's assignment once she finishes her lengthy schooling, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii!!
See, they'll be fine, despite our own deficiencies....Learn from your mistakes and don't repeat, support your children's decision, and be sure to tell them you love them! Most importantly, never make this about you as a coach or a parent. Let them play the game....

Larry Mercurio
Ohio Outlaws 18u Demarini Diamond Squad

"I have no cool quote"

 

[K9crmfitr2]

Thanks Hilliard! Obviously the point of my response is not to boast (I think goes without saying) but more to get people to understand that nobody is saying "if you don't do this or that you won't see success".
This simply isn't true and it's not necessary that we find a way "around" the recruitment or "athlete building" process. No matter what the subject it always seems to revert back to the same thing and it's tiresome. Everybody knows better than the next guy?
Nobody is saying you MUST play for organization "A" otherwise you will not be recruited. NOBODY
What I advise is, find an organization or team that aligns with your daughter's objectives.
If your daughter's objective is to play D1 ball then align yourself with the best possible opportunity for success and understand the priority list.
I can tell you this, the team I have now is all committed athletes. These young ladies have worked hard for their accomplishments and we've worked hard for them. But they know that the work has just begun.
But if I was coaching an uncommitted team, and Jennie Finch came along and said "Hey I wanna play ball but I don't want to play in college". Sorry, Jennie can't make this team because your objectives are not in alignment with the Team and individual player recruitment objectives.
If Jennie isn't in contact with colleges as required by the organization just like all of the others, well then she isn't doing her teammates any good. Regardless of wins and losses.
This approach is not for everybody. Nobody is disputing that. But to degrade the process, the experience, and especially the choices of others is disheartening. Puts us right in line with all the other nuts in this world.

As you can see, I deleted prior my post because I was thinking "Ah, who gives a #%<}" But your response prompted me to put it back up so thank you again.

Sometimes I think we as adults tend to lose sight of who this is really about.

 

[mike_dyer]

If I was not involved in the sport and I read all of this white noise, I'd run the other way.

That would have been the wise move for me to make.

Alas, I've never been all that wise....

 

[CoachB25]

I would not change one thing about my daughter's collegiate career and all that led up to it. On NLI signing day, one B1G school called four times changing offers in order to try to persuade her to change her mind. Instead of going to a power D-I, she opted to go to, what was then considered a terrible D-II. She loved the new coach. She/we were criticized left and right. There were several factors including that my Mom was in Hospice and so my daughter wanted to be close to see Grandma. My Mom passed the following December. In the mean time, this coach talked about the recruits he would bring in now that daughter committed and he did. He brought in 5 freshmen that would go on to start every game for 4 years. They took that program from a so so program to being ranked #1 in the nation in D-II. My dd had an outstanding career and won several post season accolades and earned several spots in the all time record book. She was a 2 time All American. Better yet, she was an Academic All American. I don't know that she could have maintained the grades at such an outstanding level at the D-Is that were recruiting her. DD graduated with honors and not one cent of debt. The most important part of all of this is that she is proud of her teammates and what they achieved. (3 Conference Championships etc.) She is happy. I wish that the most for all of your DDs!