D3 Play/Talent

[fasterpitch92701]

dang Joe... I almost... had it. -3 pts for me. My czeckspel had a parity error. Apologies. Dang...

[jonriv]

Choice should ALWAYs be- which is the best fit/education. Softball should be secondary.

As for the dispariging remarks on the talent level. many top level div iii teams can beat a bottom level Div I team. In speaking with several college coaches- they believe that the major diffences is in Depth, mosthly in pitching


As far as the talent being the same a U18 travel team- obviously that person had not watched teams like Tufts or Salisbury

I would much rather have my daughter attend and recieve a degree and education at a school like a Tufts- than play at a top Div I school with a much less impressive educational reputation.

The goal is success in life

[Joe]

dang Joe... I almost... had it. -3 pts for me. My czeckspel had a parity error. Apologies. Dang...

90210

I'm just busting your chops brother. It's an exciting time sending one off to college and sharing your excitment with others is part of it. I didn't mean to be a party pooper.

...and just so you know.... I did give you bonus points for this one:

Education wise... the POINT of going to college

[Sam]

DD is strongly considering a D3 based on the quality of education at any 1 of the 3 colleges on her short list. She has played travel ball at the 18G level (starting) for 3 years, been to Nationals yearly, MVP of her HS team, blah blah blah, etc. Is she good enough to go to UCLA and actually get on the field vs ride the pine? Questionable. The same could be said for Arizona, Washington, Oklahoma, etc. She is also realistic enough to know that riding the pine for 3-4 years is not a "good thing" for her. She wants to play.

The question is about D3 quality of play. Scholarships are not the question as only academic are available (if any at all). Rather, is D3 "often" equivalent to 16U or 18G or ???? I used the word "often" intentionally. There are always exceptions and Linfield or "xyz D3" school could, on any given day, beat a D1... ok, fine. Got that, understand. But, on average... typically... the norm... as usual... on the whole...how would you compare the level of play at a D3? What would be your "equivalent"?

The question is totally subjective and I understand that. What I am looking for is a feel whether playing D3 at many schools is no more than fancy intermural ball with uniforms or whether there is... again, typically... more to it. Some of you folks must have daughters that have gone to D3's as not EVERY Heybucket DD is at UCLA or Michigan or Arizona. Ok, that majority are but A COUPLE of you might not be D1 parents.

I think my DD would be a larger fish in a smaller pond at a D3, would get a great education and be on the field. However, while I know its fashionable to turn one's nose up at D3's as being something just short of chump change, I can't believe that the level of play is horrid. And, no, I don't have any nearby D3's (dammit) or even D2's so visiting is tough. And, the schools on the short list are a 3 hour plane ride away.

Lucid, rational insights appreciated, as always.

If she's going where she wants to go, getting a great education, and you have to pay one way or another, who cares what the relative level of play might be on the softball team? Really?

[anonlooker]

If she's going where she wants to go, getting a great education, and you have to pay one way or another, who cares what the relative level of play might be on the softball team? Really?

As usual, I'm once again in complete agreement with Sam.

[Skarp]

If she's going where she wants to go, getting a great education, and you have to pay one way or another, who cares what the relative level of play might be on the softball team? Really?

Maybe she does.

[BenAround]

If she's going where she wants to go, getting a great education, and you have to pay one way or another, who cares what the relative level of play might be on the softball team? Really?

Maybe she does.

Not likely. How many DD's get on here and gripe, whine, yak, about the LEVEL OF PLAY ?

NADA - just the lard arse Dads and know-it-all Moms.

[anonlooker]

If she's going where she wants to go, getting a great education, and you have to pay one way or another, who cares what the relative level of play might be on the softball team? Really?

Maybe she does.

Who cares what she wants?

[BenAround]

DD is strongly considering a D3 based on the quality of education at any 1 of the 3 colleges on her short list. She has played travel ball at the 18G level (starting) for 3 years, been to Nationals yearly, MVP of her HS team, blah blah blah, etc. Is she good enough to go to UCLA and actually get on the field vs ride the pine? Questionable. The same could be said for Arizona, Washington, Oklahoma, etc. She is also realistic enough to know that riding the pine for 3-4 years is not a "good thing" for her. She wants to play.

The question is about D3 quality of play. Scholarships are not the question as only academic are available (if any at all). Rather, is D3 "often" equivalent to 16U or 18G or ???? I used the word "often" intentionally. There are always exceptions and Linfield or "xyz D3" school could, on any given day, beat a D1... ok, fine. Got that, understand. But, on average... typically... the norm... as usual... on the whole...how would you compare the level of play at a D3? What would be your "equivalent"?

The question is totally subjective and I understand that. What I am looking for is a feel whether playing D3 at many schools is no more than fancy intermural ball with uniforms or whether there is... again, typically... more to it. Some of you folks must have daughters that have gone to D3's as not EVERY Heybucket DD is at UCLA or Michigan or Arizona. Ok, that majority are but A COUPLE of you might not be D1 parents.

I think my DD would be a larger fish in a smaller pond at a D3, would get a great education and be on the field. However, while I know its fashionable to turn one's nose up at D3's as being something just short of chump change, I can't believe that the level of play is horrid. And, no, I don't have any nearby D3's (dammit) or even D2's so visiting is tough. And, the schools on the short list are a 3 hour plane ride away.

Lucid, rational insights appreciated, as always.

If she's going where she wants to go, getting a great education, and you have to pay one way or another, who cares what the relative level of play might be on the softball team? Really?

Bragging rights for a Dad that is a failure. Never accomplished, never succeeded, never tried hard himself, now overcompensating through DD and making her life hell. The medical term is skarp-a-tosis.

[fasterpitch92701]

ohhhh gawd...at the severe risk of agreeing with Skarp... "what if she does?". DD sets her own expectations for academics and they are high. Getting the education will be done. D1's own you and, combined with lots of travel, it's harder but it certainly can be done. D3's, less travel, more time for academics (or?) but still, getting an education will be done.

So... "what if she does?" She does. I think her exact words were "I don't want to play for a suck team". She likes brevity. Our brief discussion about what that meant netted that she didn't expect to play for a kick-the-crap-out-of-UCLA team but wanted to play for a team that wants to be on the field, wants to work hard at it and wants to be successful. It's no different than rewording that sentence to "wanted to be well educated at a good school, wants to work hard at it and wants to be successful". Net/net is that she doesn't want to go through the motions. She's competitive on the field against others and competitive in the classroom against her own expectations.

And there... is where the original question festered. Assuming academic excellence is out there and is the point of "college", then softball wise, there are some good D3's and... ah... less than stellar D3's. And there are some stinky D1's. So... we continue to look, search for game videos of D3's (sometimes amusing and painful) and search with the bar set high. She does care and that's what started this whole thing. Continuing onward... no one said this was going to be easy and... they were correct.