by fasterpitch92701 » Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:32 am
To answer the OP, based on my DD's experience and the experience of several close friends over the past 3 months....
"...you can't declare THAT major, because you won't have time for it and softball."
- Depends on the school. One friend of DD’s went to a certain UC and was told by the coach that they don't really want engineering students because they have conflicting labs and classes. They want players who prioritize softball. In an entirely different spectrum, DD's college coach said "you will make every lab, every class, you are here to get an education and that comes first, and then we play hard". Net/net: depends on the coach and program. For the person who was visiting the UC the candor was good as it is much better to find out the lay of the land up front (she rejected the school). For my DD, the candor was great as it confirmed DD's priorities.
"...you can't schedule classes on Fridays, because that's travel day for tournaments."
- Yes, it is reality depending... on the school, whether D1, D2 or D3, whether the game schedule typically involves teams that are near-local or if there is a lot of travel... read: many variables. As with the first item noted above, it really depends on your priorities and it pays to ask questions up front so that your priorities align with the school and coaches priorities. Look at the previous years schedule and figure out the travel. Compare that to what the coach states. They should coincide. Hawaii was on the road for about 13 weeks straight last year. Making labs is a bit tenuous.
"...you can't schedule classes after 1pm, because you'll have practice every afternoon."
- Argh. Same answer: “it depends on the school”. One player was told that she couldn’t schedule classes before 1PM on Mondays and Wednesdays, between 10AM and 2PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays and not after 11AM on Fridays. Ahhhh…. well…. That should be interesting.
A question not asked in the OP: “How do professors respond and/or support student athletes?” Ask up front. Ask the coach and then… ask some professors in your area of academic interest. Find out up front, not after the fact.
Enjoy in good health,