Softball Scholarships...do the math!

[Blind Squirrel]

Uhh playing a D1 sport hardly precludes one from getting a non-soft degree. We can all easily think of examples of D1 athletes who have gotten challenging degrees. Now if a parent isn't confident that their kid can do both and their kid is interested in a tougher major, then they should probably factor that into their thinking. But the notion that D1 sports participation and successful pursuit of an academically challenging degree are mutually exclusive denies reality.

Art History Major Squirrel





(I have no idea how difficult Art History is)

[BenAround]

Uhh playing a D1 sport hardly precludes one from getting a non-soft degree. We can all easily think of examples of D1 athletes who have gotten challenging degrees. Now if a parent isn't confident that their kid can do both and their kid is interested in a tougher major, then they should probably factor that into their thinking. But the notion that D1 sports participation and successful pursuit of an academically challenging degree are mutually exclusive denies reality.

Art History Major Squirrel

(I have no idea how difficult Art History is)

My "almost guarantees" comment seems to have evoked your "mutually exclusive" mention.

My experience with lots of D1 kids and ex-D1 kids indicates that the majority did not pursue challenging degrees. The "love of the game" types went to college to play ball, not graduate with a meaningful degree. The primarily academic kids get into college for academics and don't play at all. Yes, there are a select few that will somehow do both. But they are far from the norm. It also makes sense that playing a D1 sport WILL make achieving that meaningful and useful degree more difficult.

[FastTrack]

Another thing to add is that these numbers are looking at full scholarships. Only pitchers and catchers will get the 80% money most others will get the 50% offer. That means in a D2 that offers 7.2 Scholarships you could be looking at 10+ at 50%. D1 offers around 12 so that means 20 at 50%. Do the numbers on that it could drop to 1 out of 3 players! Now I know the % will change on the school and situations. In the end they are looking for that degree for the least amount money this is not baseball or football there is no true pro teams for them to make a living at. So like the other post said softball is a means to go to college. So for any kids reading, for softball players the odds are your favor so stick with it.

[Blind Squirrel]

I'd prefer my DD not get a scholarship to play D1 softball because I don't want her to get a "soft" degree.

Actually Ben, the above was the post that I responded to. I should have included it originally. It seemed phrased in such a way that it clearly implied what I disagreed with.

On another note, pitchers and catchers are not the only kids getting 100% athletic scholarships in softball. For example, one of the top BIG-10 softball coaches told us directly that they had 2 full rides for that year. They were giving one to a pitcher and the other to a position player. That even included, potentially, lowly outfielders. Of course I responded by suggesting the coach get an extensive psychiatric evaluation immediately.

Squirrel With No Name

[anonlooker]

And you might also add in all the colleges that don't award sports scholarships, but have huge endowments, and somehow find money for the academically inclined athletes they don't recruit.

[17Cards]

Only pitchers and catchers will get the 80% money most others will get the 50% offer.

Not entirely accurate in all cases. Especially with the early verbal craze.
You have to factor talent level and grades into the equation.

[hit4power]

What concerns me more than the odds of success (getting the scholarship) is the cost of failure. I know of too many families who are prioritizing travel ball costs ahead of the basics like saving for your kid's college education, having a sufficient rainy day fund, and in some cases, saving for retirement, all of which ought to come ahead of paying for TB and hoping for the scholarship. When it doesn't happen, for whatever reason, there's a kid and a family with a big problem. Not to mention the pressure I've seen put on some kids to perform b/c "this is about your college education"....

If you did a risked value analysis of this ((value of scholarship x chance of getting one) - (total cost of TB x chance of not getting one) I doubt it would be positive, meaning that there is no real economic reason to participate in TB. That leaves playing for the love of the game and the life lessons you learn as the only reasons to do this IMO

[BenAround]

And you might also add in all the colleges that don't award sports scholarships, but have huge endowments, and somehow find money for the academically inclined athletes they don't recruit.

That would include the Ivy's.

Speaking of huge endowments, where's SKARP ?

[17Cards]

What concerns me more than the odds of success (getting the scholarship) is the cost of failure.

That's the parents decision to make. You do what is right for you and yours.
If your kid has the talent then you make it happen for their future. An education paid for is worth the risk if it means a better future for your kid.

Parents have to be good evaluators of their own DD's talent level. What level of play best suits your kid and their dream.

[ontheblack]

I would love to see my DD get a scholarship, but the truth is I dont see her having the same desire to play as a college senior as she would as a college freshman.

We look at it as something she loves to do know. She is a straight A student and there isno reason for that to change over the next 4 years as long as her head stays screwed on right.

I see softball as a way for to broaden her outlook on college opportunities. I know girls that are getting great educations playing at something other than a D1 school. They wouldnt have looked in that direction if not for softball.

I also know that if she has the grades, softball can open doors that otherwise wouldnt be, and the Ivys is a prime example. I have a client that graduated from Harvard with an environmental law degree. When she found out my DD played ball, she wanted to watch a game. When I asked her if she had played, she responded with "How do you think I got into Harvard?". When I asked her what it was like playing ball on the East Coast, she said it was like a reunion - half the girls she played against there were from SoCal.

It isnt always about the money.