Blind Squirrel wrote:Whether or not a verbal is treated as a commitment or not by all involved parties is easy to assess: Go to one of the sites that lists verbals for a few years back and check to see if they appearred on the college teams roster after they graduated HS. I did this for the first 10 girls on a list. All 10 were at the college they verballed to. That is objective, indisputable, undeniable reality. Try a bigger sample. I'm sure there are kids that go elsewhere but I'd bet that 90%+ go to where they verbal to. Which obviously proves that whether the NCAA acknowledges verbals or not is completely irrelevant. There is a reality outside of rule books.
Of course, the numbers look good, no one challenges the system in softball.
People who say parents/kids have leverage but choose not to use it simply don't understand the softball recruiting process, at least as of a few years ago. Coaches simply can't/won't wait forever because they know that the longer they wait, the fewer comparably skilled players will be available if the kid they're waiting to hear from goes elsewhere.
So you are saying coaches will sign sub-par players for the sake of expediency? If so, why would you want to play for that coach? IMO, the coaches encourage this line of thought because it make their life easier by making you think they have you by the short hairs.
You would think in a sport in which it isn't uncommon for scholarships to be split that a potential recruit would not use the verbal to scout schools in the same conference as the one to which she "verballed" to maybe get the pot sweetened a little bit. Of course, this is a predicated on the fact that the player in question is actually as good as the parents believe and deserves an athletic scholarship. Otherwise, I can see why one would jump early and hang on.
People talk about the value of one's "word". If your unemployed, bankrupt neighbor offered you a million dollars to cut their lawn, would you do it expecting to get paid even though you know they do not have it? What is the difference between a neighbor promising you something they do not have to give? Because if you believe a coach is committing to a scholarship by engaging in a verbal, s/he is indeed offering something s/he does not have to offer.
Those in other sports know how to use the system. Softball people allow the system to use you and the coaches know it which is why they will not take any action to stop it.
This is why you are seeing the issue rising with the allowance of a 4-year scholarship. This passed before the coaches realized and could get to their AD about all the "problems" it would cause. A decent coach wouldn't care, but others are afraid this would limit potential transfers. It also means that "if" (and that is a big word people tend to be overlooking) a player is given a 4 year scholarship, the coach loses the ability to replace her if a better player comes along without burning another scholarship.
One more point on people in whatever part of the country honoring their word. What is the divorce rate where you live and how many are involved in the softball system?
