School me on D3 softball

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 7, 2008
174
18
My daughter plays in DIII.

1. D3 offers no athletic scholarships. Scholarship dollars are all academic. .... Technically there are no athletic scholarships but at some schools it can almost seem as there are. Most schools have "financial need based" schoalrships/aid and some level of "merit". It is very very school specific. So you have to research the school.



2. Isn't there a chance she could go to a D2 that is that same price as the D3, and get just as much scholarship money from the D2 as the D3? The only difference would be D2 is academic/athletic dollars and the D3 is all academic dollars.

If you are talented you can usually get more money at DII than DIII because they have athletic scholarship money and in most cases the DII schools are not as academically touch to get in and a top academic candidate will attract academic money in addition to athletic money. Coaches love top students at these programs because they can get them academic money and not use up there athletic money.


3 She is being contacted by one school already as a junior. Let's say she decides to go there...... Chances are if the coach is recruiting her hard she wants her. In DIII since they have no money the coaches "cash" is to show interest and recruit. Now reality is in DIII the student have to get in the school based on their academic credentials. Some DIII schools give the coach some "slots" to boost an applicants chances in the application game. Some do not. At some schools the coach is not even allowed to submit an recruit list to the admissions office.

Noting some of the other comments. Playing DIII is not as demanding as DI as far as time but it is demanding! Fall ball is shorter and more restricted but "captains practices" start immediately after and continue until the season starts. Most DIII colleges schedule their games on a more clustered regional basis during the season to reduce the time lost to travel. My daughters experience is that the time commitment during season excluding games and travel is about 18 hours per week. So add that to 4 weekend games, 2 weekday games and travel and its 50 hours a week. Off season is 3 two-three hour practices (she is pitcher they have extra hour) plus 3x per week in the weight room plus 2X per week out for a run - so a meager 15-20 hours per week.
 
Mar 3, 2011
79
0
Ohio
This has been interesting to read. My DD is a sophomore and already has been contacted by six coaches last summer. The schools are DIII or NAIA schools. One school is a USCAA school. We've been to two campus visits and both of those coaches have asked for her HS and TB schedules. One school has already told her she is a priority recruit for them.

DD is more interested in a smaller college and has eliminated DI schools from her selections. We've asked not to be too fast on that because there are some smaller DI schools that may fit her criteria. Academics is the priority and we are searching for the right "fit" for her. (She's not playing softball professionally.)

We thought maybe the DIII and NAIA schools started earlier because they don't have the contact restrictions that the DI and DII have per the NCAA. The USCAA doesn't have restrictions for their league even though they are a DI school in their league. There are other smaller leagues out there as well. Being just a sophomore, what should she being doing now?

Does anyone have any opinions of websites like beRecriuted.com?
 
Jul 9, 2010
289
0
she should maintain all contact. the rules are different regarding contact, so they can start earlier. in your part of the world, there are lots of smaller D1's. When you visit, you need to ask about time commitment, how it works with her major, etc.
 
Jul 9, 2010
289
0
one other thing - strap in for the ride now. this recruiting is an emotional roller coaster as her plans, and the plans of the coaches she is talking to, change. my dd had 4 colleges she was talking to go through coaching changes, which wrecked her recruitment for them (they all brought recruits from their previous school, and dropped the kids who were being recruited by the former coaches). One of them did contact her once she got her feet on the ground at her new school, but by then she already had committed (that was D1 too - very hard for dad to turn that down in favor of D3 at the time - happy with it now).

things change, and it's easy to get discouraged. just keep making good grades, working hard on softball, doing the work you need to on the recruiting end, and try not to get too high or too low. when you get an email saying "we had you 7th on our list, but the first 4 (all we needed in this class) all accepted our offers, so good luck", it's a tough day. then, just as quickly, something new pops up.

just stay positive and keep at it. sounds like you're making a good start. as always, feel free to pm if you have any specific questions.
 
Jul 21, 2008
415
0
[Does anyone have any opinions of websites like beRecriuted.com?[/QUOTE]

Don't waste your money....you can handle everything they do for you yourself. Get a video camera and shoot some video and fill out a profile and send them to all colleges you are interested in.
 
Mar 13, 2010
217
0
My daughter has a couple schools on her list that are D3. She isn't set on going to a D1 school but would rather go to a smaller school where she can get a good education. To be honest, after visiting a couple of the smaller schools, they are the kind of school I would like to see her at. They are schools that have good programs in what she wants to study and the schools have great reputations. I'm just unclear about a few things.
1. D3 offers no athletic scholarships. Scholarship dollars are all academic. I get that. My daughter is doing great in the classroom. So my question is, if she goes to a D3 school that is $40,000 a year, how much can good grades knock off? I know it's hard to tell without more info...just trying to get some idea.
2. Isn't there a chance she could go to a D2 that is that same price as the D3, and get just as much scholarship money from the D2 as the D3? The only difference would be D2 is academic/athletic dollars and the D3 is all academic dollars.
3 She is being contacted by one school already as a junior. Let's say she decides to go there. Is she really committing to anything other than her education? You can't verbally commit or sign to a D3 school can you? I mean, couldn't she just apply to the school, show up on day 1 of classes and try out for the team, or is the coach actually holding a spot for her? I'm thinking it is more just her telling the coach she is coming, and they waiting for her to register at the school. Does a D3 coach actually have a list of incoming recruits?
If she's taking A/P courses in high school and achieving good grades in them; AND depending on the number of A/P credits a particular school will accept (and it does vary from school to school), you can knock off a full academic year. Worked for us. Acceptance of A/P credits by our daughter's university (she was not a varsity athlete) allowed her to graduate in three years carrying a normal course load each of her six semesters. A $40K+ savings right off the top...plus one less year of school loans to pay back.
 
May 13, 2008
10
0
It's been a few months but I thought I should check back in on how the process has gone for DD over the last few months. As someone mentioned, it has been a roller coaster ride, but I think she is trying to enjoy the process and understands that she is lucky enough to even be talking seriously about playing in college.
One of the DIII schools we mentioned originally has really set itself apart for my daughter. The coach knew her from the first time she emailed almost 2 years ago. She didn't know it, but he had seen her play at a tournament and already had her on their radar. Over the last few months, he has emailed repeatedly, invited her to come watch them play this past spring(she did), and wants her to come back in the fall and spend a weekend on campus. He has seen her play in tournaments 2 out of the last 3 weekends. She has been to the school for a Q and A day open to all high school seniors. It was DD's 3rd visit to the school in 6 months and each time she is there she likes it more. She loves the coaching staff. She loves the thought of playing for them. She loves their facilities. She wants to wear the school's colors. More importantly, she LOVES the school, its reputation, it's traditions, etc. DD can major in what she wants. DD keeps saying she can see herself there and has made it perfectly clear to the coach she wants to go to school there. She did very well in school and very well on her ACT test, and they have told her she will be eligible for a lot of academic dollars. Obviously, that will be a pivotal part of her final decision. After contacting so many schools, the school that she contacted at the beginning of the journey is looking like it a perfect fit for her. DD has made unofficial visits to the other schools she is interested in, but none has set itself apart like this one. She is aware that other schools can begin contacting her, but I think her mind is already made up. The larger school that was at the top of her list a year or two ago has faded. She is convinced she has found the perfect fit for her.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top