In the end the only list that matters is your list. I have seen so many parents get wrapped up in the whole bragging about what school their kid has gotten a scholarship. You are quite often setting yourself up for failure.
Local major softball power commonly offers athletes from this state a "zero dollar scholarship". Kids, or more likely their parents, often take the offer so they can fire up the parade. About November of their freshman year, they realize the "zero dollar scholarship" means they have a slim chance of earning a spot and more likely will be carrying bags.
Sure there are kids who dreamed for many years of wearing that uniform, and they can have a great college experience while not playing much and working super hard. There are also some rare kids who do fight their way into a starting role from a "zero dollar scholarship" position. A lot of kids that take this route find out they may not like softball that much.
I have been watching freshman rosters in PAC-12, SEC, Big-12, Big East, Big-10 for about 5 years now. I would say on average a little more than 1/3 of the starting freshman disappear from the roster during their freshman year. That is a ton of kids who have somehow not made a great decision.
I guess what I am saying is; make this decision more about the college experience you are looking for, for your kid. Consider your kids talents. Going to far over her academic abilities or athletic abilities is going to lead to misery.
As kids transition from high school to college it is like hitting a big red reset button. Weren't so popular in high school, show up at college with the right attitude and watch what happens. Worked so hard at high school on being popular you felt trapped by the rigidity of how others defined you, show up at college with the right attitude and you can make a huge change. Kids can really blossom at the transition from high school to college.
With early recruiting happening during the sophomore or junior year, I see way too many people making that decision from the perspective of a high school sophomore or junior. By the time they are senior what looked important as a sophomore no longer matters.
Fastpitch Discussions
nice post Always...
This same advice applies to academic admissions offers, completely unrelated to Softball. Our oldest turned down admissions offers from about twelve schools ranked much higher than the school she ultimately chose and is thriving in.
Many families pressure their child to matriculate into the college or university with the highest current ranking in USNWR... almost by reflex action -- without considering 1) the future loan burden ("Oh, DS or DD will certainly make up for that huge loan with much better career opportunities and/or earnings"), 2) the size, class size, social or geographic fit for the child (she'll adjust), or 3) where that child ranks academically in the school's incoming class (bottom quartile, middle half, top quartile).
Each child responds differently to:
- being academically toward the bottom (some fight even harder, some become discouranged and quit), toward the top (some work even harder b/c of the recognition, some slack off), or in the middle;
- being far from home -- sometimes great, sometimes not
- being AT home vs. in dorms nearbye or in dorms far away
- being in a classroom with 400 students and little/no opportunity for conversation,
- snow/rain vs. hot/humid,
- being in a rural vs. city environment, etc.
Granted it is really hard to predict how an 18 yr. old will react to a new environment, but most kids I've seen seem to "feel it" when they spend time on a campus well suited to them.
Bottom line -- if your child just plain doesn't like the experience of being a student (or student-athlete) at the highly ranked school, he/she won't perform optimally, and might in fact founder and fail out eventually. Your child's fit, and therefore performance at a school trumps a ranking all day long.
This same advice applies to academic admissions offers, completely unrelated to Softball. Our oldest turned down admissions offers from about twelve schools ranked much higher than the school she ultimately chose and is thriving in.
Many families pressure their child to matriculate into the college or university with the highest current ranking in USNWR... almost by reflex action -- without considering 1) the future loan burden ("Oh, DS or DD will certainly make up for that huge loan with much better career opportunities and/or earnings"), 2) the size, class size, social or geographic fit for the child (she'll adjust), or 3) where that child ranks academically in the school's incoming class (bottom quartile, middle half, top quartile).
Each child responds differently to:
- being academically toward the bottom (some fight even harder, some become discouranged and quit), toward the top (some work even harder b/c of the recognition, some slack off), or in the middle;
- being far from home -- sometimes great, sometimes not
- being AT home vs. in dorms nearbye or in dorms far away
- being in a classroom with 400 students and little/no opportunity for conversation,
- snow/rain vs. hot/humid,
- being in a rural vs. city environment, etc.
Granted it is really hard to predict how an 18 yr. old will react to a new environment, but most kids I've seen seem to "feel it" when they spend time on a campus well suited to them.
Bottom line -- if your child just plain doesn't like the experience of being a student (or student-athlete) at the highly ranked school, he/she won't perform optimally, and might in fact founder and fail out eventually. Your child's fit, and therefore performance at a school trumps a ranking all day long.
- DunninLA
- Posts: 307
- Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 8:12 pm
CrushersDad wrote:Based on another set of criteria (and MOST have softball teams and SOME have very good softball teams):
Playboy's Top 10 Party Schools
Glad to see that the Gauchos are still representing...after all these years. Go Gauchos!
"I learned the path to Heaven is full of sinners and believers,
learned that happiness on earth ain't just for high achievers."
learned that happiness on earth ain't just for high achievers."
-
Fastpitch4Life - Premium Member
- Posts: 729
- Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:24 pm
Saw this one today today: Power Ranking
[url] http://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting-to ... ings/(year)/2011/(tab)/0/url]
[url] http://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting-to ... ings/(year)/2011/(tab)/0/url]
-
jonriv - Posts: 4875
- Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:01 am
- Location: Connecticut
24 posts
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