Long 2021 Recruiting Rollercoaster Ride Pays Off FINALLY!

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Jan 31, 2015
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congrats! So happy for your daughter and family! We are just entering 12u and college Seems so far away! Any tips on how to balance school and softball? Love to hear advice!
Actually, when my daughter was in 12U, she not only played travel softball and travel field hockey but she also played softball, field hockey, and basketball for NDP middle school and got straight A's. It's all about time management which meant no time for TV, video games, etc. and doing homework in the truck on the road, plane, in the hotels, etc.

That said, it really matters most when she gets to high school which is why my daughter had to choose to focus on either softball or field hockey when she became a freshman to increase her chances to become a DI student athlete since she got her FIRST B's EVER that fall.

Bottom line is there is only so many hours in a week, so you have to manage your time well, get enough sleep, and drop the behaviors and act that don't help you reach your objectives (e.g. TV, video games, etc.).

My daughter actually started school a year early so she always played up which I recommend if your daughter can hold her own. Always play at the highest level of competition possible. If she dreams of playing DI ball then you need to get her on a travel team that plays national level tournaments and competition.

Don't tolerate daddy/mommy ball. Just finish out the season and move on to a better team. My daughter played for 4 teams in 6 years starting in 12U and finally is playing for the NJ Intensity which is a 5 hour round trip from our MD home for a 3 hour practice, and those Sunday 8am practices mean a 0430 wake up call with naps and/or homework on the road to and from. Since practices are not doable during the week with school that means more work for her with weekly private hitting and pitching coach sessions.

As far as recruiting, focus on the college coache prospect camps instead of the cattle call money grab camps and go early and often.

Lots more lessons learned. Might have to start a new thread. 😉

Until then, feel free to ask any specific questions and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
Jul 31, 2015
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It takes the mucho patience to wait on the process for the Ivies, Little Ivies and MIT. And the problem for many families is the money situation.

If the Ivies really want you they will let you know early and often. And yes, you can get into Dartmouth with a 3.6/27 ACT and Harvard with a 3.8/30 ACT if you are talented enough and play a critical, “up the middle” position (P, C, SS, CF), and can hit. There are players on the rosters at both of those schools right now who have exactly those academic profiles.

Also, if they want you badly enough, money will materialize. Almost every player at Dartmouth is getting a substantial tuition discount.

MIT is indeed a waiting game. The coach has no tags through admission. You actually have to get into MIT and then join the softball team.
 
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Jul 31, 2015
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DD (2022) is interested in high-academic DI and DIII schools (Bowdoin, Williams, Furman, etc...), but we will not qualify for needs-based money. Her ACT is good, but not super-elite stellar to get her a mega-merit scholarship. It's hard to know where to aim in her situation. She attends an outstanding parochial/independent school in the South and is doing very well GPA-wise with a number of APs and Honors Classes. I'm just afraid she falls in a "blank" spot for scholarship money, at least for the ultra-expensive DIII schools.

Your 2022 DD and my 2021 DD sound very similar - great GPA, very solid but not blowout test scores, good extracurriculars, private college prep HS with honors and APs, don’t qualify for need-based aid.

What position does your DD play (sorry if I missed that earlier)? Because for us the difference-maker was being able to hit and pitch. DD had interest/offers from schools throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic.

I think your DDs academic profile plus ability at any of the “up the middle” positions (P, C, SS, CF) + hitting ability should be enough to attract interest from the NESCAC, Ivy and Patriot League. Several coaches outright told us that they specifically seek out hitting pitchers if that’s applicable.

Have you attended HeadFirst? It’s the best ROI out there IMHO.
 
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Jul 31, 2015
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Alex pursued Bucknell early and often camps-wise and communications-wise but unfortunately not only did the head coach step down this year but the recruiting coach left too

The Bucknell HC stepped down to go play on the Canadian National team. She’s going to the Olympics.
 
Apr 9, 2020
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great to hear all these stories and girls finding homes that are not just softball based. at the end of the day it education we all want as parents for our kids. my daughters teammate is in fact going to mason as well. and one of her friends brothers is a senior there now and has nothing but positive things to sAY...could not be happier for your kid as well as others in the grind. hopefully this will be part of the lessons learned for when they are parents themselves. coaches moving and leaving is nothing new but I'm sure lack of funds and covid effects do not make it any easier for them to make a living let alone run a program with kids staying extra year, transferring from other schools bc of log jams etc.. when people ask about the so called scholarship she has earned I politely tell them even if it is a full ride which it isn't I would still be in the red when you add up travel, lost work ( I work for myself ), lessons hitting fielding speed and agility, gear, swag and cost fo team.. the fact her scholarship makes it less than a state school would cost me I'm good. money was put aside for her well before she was going to be a softball player. to me the team aspect gives her instant identity and group of friends with common bond and desires vs the sorority trying to prove and impress girls to accept you , also at the higher division levels the mandatory study hall and tutoring can only help my daughter with a more set regimen. congrats to your daughter as well as all others who have found a home and to those still looking and grinding keep at it , this a national issue and these girls are mostly in the same boat ... my dad always says " there is an rear for every seat " just have the find the one thats most comfy for your bottom! happy new year and healthy one to all
 
May 27, 2013
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I think your DDs academic profile plus ability at any of the “up the middle” positions (P, C, SS, CF) + hitting ability should be enough to attract interest from the NESCAC, Ivy and Patriot League. Several coaches outright told us that they specifically seek out hitting pitchers if that’s applicable.

Hitting (slapper) is definitely what helped get my dd get recruited as a pitcher! Also, having the ability to play 2B and OF to the point where she could start in those positions didn’t hurt, either.

Also, have to give a shoutout to Coach Kalman from MIT!! She is such a delightful, genuine person - we were a little sad when she left F&M to go to MIT as that’s one of the schools DD was initially looking at. She loves Coach Kalman!

We just went through the whole NESCAC recruiting process which is another “wait and see” process. The nice thing about the NESCAC teams is that they can offer slots, which greatly increases the recruits’ chances of acceptance at an otherwise highly selective school. However, it was a nail biter until the decision came out!!
 
Jul 31, 2015
761
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We just went through the whole NESCAC recruiting process which is another “wait and see” process. The nice thing about the NESCAC teams is that they can offer slots, which greatly increases the recruits’ chances of acceptance at an otherwise highly selective school. However, it was a nail biter until the decision came out!!

For what it's worth, this is our experience (this belongs in the parent brag forum, but the intent is purely informational):

DD's info was put through admissions in the NESCAC on July 1st between junior and senior year. That was the first day the coaches could submit applicants. Two days later we got calls and verbal offers of admission. The Ivies were even more aggressive: they expressed verbal interest during camp junior year and DD had an official visit setup within a week after that.

So, yes, the final word comes when the ED admits come out, but the offers can be extended well before then, for D3 and D1. It depends where you fall on the recruiting board in the HCs' office.
 
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Aug 19, 2015
1,118
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Atlanta, GA
Your 2022 DD and my 2021 DD sound very similar - great GPA, very solid but not blowout test scores, good extracurriculars, private college prep HS with honors and APs, don’t qualify for need-based aid.

What position does your DD play (sorry if I missed that earlier)? Because for us the difference-maker was being able to hit and pitch. DD had interest/offers from schools throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic.

I think your DDs academic profile plus ability at any of the “up the middle” positions (P, C, SS, CF) + hitting ability should be enough to attract interest from the NESCAC, Ivy and Patriot League. Several coaches outright told us that they specifically seek out hitting pitchers if that’s applicable.

Have you attended HeadFirst? It’s the best ROI out there IMHO.

She is a catcher (1st base secondary position). Lefty for both hitting and throwing. Yes, she did Headfirst in summer of 2019; was signed up for 2020, but that got shut down of course. She is in contact with several coaches in those conferences and they like her (have said she's at the top of the 2022 recruiting list). No offers as of yet, but I do know that these schools make offers later than many others.

For now, she's just concentrating on keeping grades up and will take ACT again in Feb. If she can bump from 28 to 30, I think it would open doors. And, being in the South, we'll be playing travel ball again starting mid-Feb (travel to FL for that).
 
Jan 31, 2015
249
43
If the Ivies really want you they will let you know early and often. And yes, you can get into Dartmouth with a 3.6/27 ACT and Harvard with a 3.8/30 ACT if you are talented enough and play a critical, “up the middle” position (P, C, SS, CF), and can hit. There are players on the rosters at both of those schools right now who have exactly those academic profiles.

Also, if they want you badly enough, money will materialize. Almost every player at Dartmouth is getting a substantial tuition discount.

MIT is indeed a waiting game. The coach has no tags through admission. You actually have to get into MIT and then join the softball team.
Actually, a little worse problem with the Ivies and Patriot League or at least the ones to which my daughter also applied; i.e. they don't offer *early ACTION* admission but only *early DECISION* admission. The difference is that you are contractually obligated to go there if accepted for early DECISION which means you better have the $65K-$75K * 4 years in the bank when you apply since you don't know how much of a merit scholarship they will give you and also means you can only apply early DECISION to exactly ONE school or you've got a problem if accepted by more than one.

So once again, my daughter was not going to wait until March and she does NOT qualify for a needs based scholarship.

That said, if your household income is < $75K/year, most of the Ivies will let you go there for FREE if you have the academies to get accepted.

So when the Ivies and Patriot League schools claim the average financial aid given is $30K-$40K per year per student the lions share of that is needs based.
 

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