College Softball's Dirty Little Secret?

[Lozza]

History is not an easier path than Business, Business is not intellectually demanding.

As a history major, I was reading this going 'Have these people done history?' I spent two days out of every week in my fourth year of uni in the Australian archives in Canberra. A two hour drive from where I lived. I was lucky enough to have relatives who lived there, but it was a hard slog.

Then again Australian university sport is pretty much a week of hard drinking with a bit of sport in between. We have nothing like the NCAA system over here.

 

[obbay]

Do all women playing DI Collegiate sports get scholarships?

I don't think anyone here is calling anyone a "dummy" because of their choice of study. Different strokes for different folks. We all have varied preferences in life. If one chooses a major because it is their passion, that's great. if one deliberately chooses a major because it is perceived as being easy, then I think they are wasting their time.

I have always questioned the value of collegiate sports to it's women participants. There are some exceptions like the star basketball player at a Big Ten school that was pre-med and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I've seen some softball players who have been noted for academics in fields like Biology, etc. but they are the exceptions.

I was told by a former DII player that DI is all about sports, DII is about 50/50 and DIII is school first. Now it costs a LOT of money to go to college, I don't understand going to a college for anything other than an education to get you started in life. If that's pre-school education, social work or Engineering, then so be it. If a student takes a less demanding major, just so they can play a sport that will pay for their education-what's the point of that education to the individual?

Several years ago, I went to a retirement dinner for a friend who worked in the Social Services department of a Major University and they were talking about the dichotomy of students having to pay the exorbinant tuition of attending a Big Name University, when the employment opportunities open to them upon graduation wouldn't allow them to payback their student loans, let alone build any kind of life for themselves. Since that time, ALL college tuitions have skyrocketed to the point where even medical students career choices will keep them deeply in debt into their 30's. - So I'm questioning the true value of college education period.

I enjoy watching college sports with my daughters as it is the highest level at which they can see women compete. Still, I find myself wondering what is waiting for those women when they graduate? would they have been better off focusing their energy on their field of study?

 

[stephanie]

For example, the 2010 Georgia Softball roster includes some of the following majors:

Public Relations
Recreation & Leisure
Social Work
Sociology
Sports Management
Early Childhood Education
Health Promotion (3)

I think a bigger picture is being missed here....
Kids who have played sports for the majority of their lives, are picking majors that they are comfortable with: Does it make sense that an athlete would go with "health promotion, sports management, recreation and leisure?" Ummmmm.....YES.

Does it make sense that kids who have learned to get along with all types of other kids and have been involved in tournaments and such might be interested in "sociology, social work, and public relations?" Ummmmmmmm....YES.

Does it make sense that kids who have at some point in their lives taken time to teach younger kids thier sport, have become a type of mentor to younger kids, and who themselves have been positively influenced by coaches and adults in a school system might be interested in "early childhood education?"
Ummmmmmmm....YES.

I think what is so polarizing about this post is the title, which suggests that these fields of study are somehow less-intense and less-worthy than other fields of study. However, if the OP would take time to consider the factors which have influenced the athletes, rather than making a sweeping judgement call against them, maybe it would begin to make more sense to him...

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Still, I find myself wondering what is waiting for those women when they graduate?

At least right now, there are "some" opportunities for the best of the best. If you Twitter, you can follow many of the young ladies as they fly around playing and working on clinics. But, they are leaving their kids, in order to do this (Sounds like a man's world, doesn't it?) and are in airports every other day.

A few have ventured into broadcasting, so I wonder why we aren't seeing more communications majors? And where are the H.S. teachers? Many districts require coaches to be teachers or at least be certified.

Although men have the opportunity to go pro, most do not make it, so they are in the same situation that the women are in. What do we do after sports?

 

[sluggers]

these fields of study are somehow less-intense and less-worthy than other fields of study.

The fields of study may not be less-worthy. But, they are certainly less intense. The numbers of hours required in and out of a classroom for engineering or one of the physical sciences dwarfs that of the other majors.

This isn't unique to women's sports--the same applies to men's sports. I took a look at the men's baseball team at Georgia--they have primarily pre-business (what is a pre-business major??) and sports management.

The sacrifices and trade-off of playing collegiate sports are real. Parents and players need to be aware of them and make well-informed decisions.

The question is whether the players are making well-informed decisions or are guided into these majors by the coaching staff. My experience is that the coaches encouraged players into less demanding fields of study.

 

[ifubuildit]

My daughter went D-3 with the intention of becoming an nurse and pitching for the school. We talked to the coach, dean of nursing, and even the president about balance with the nursing program and softball. All of them. 'No Problem". 6 weeks into school. BIG problem. Daughter was up at 5:30 for 1 1/2 hour practice then back out on the field for 2 hours in the afternoon during the week. Weekends it was 4-6 hours both days.

They put nursing students into what they call the weed out class. Anatomy and Physiology. If you cant pass this your not going to be a nurse. It was eating the daughters lunch then spitting it back out on her. She was up every weeknight till 2-3 studying for this class. Finally she calls and said I cant do this anymore. To which I stated your not going to make a living playing softball. She walked into the coach that next day and quit. He of course wasnt happy. He of course should not have lied to her or us to begin with in the process.

Today my daughter is a full fledged RN working in a maternity hospital in Texas. I could not be more proud at her accomplishment off the field. Moral of the story. Dont limit yourself for college sports. The money I spent on select softball would have paid for my daughters education. BUT NOTHING will ever make me regret spending that time with my daughter as she grew up. I enjoyed every second of her playing.

Now she has a lifetime career. Not a soft degree that wont get her a job and pays far less than what she is going to make as a nurse.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

My daughter went D-3 with the intention of becoming an nurse and pitching for the school. We talked to the coach, dean of nursing, and even the president about balance with the nursing program and softball. All of them. 'No Problem". 6 weeks into school. BIG problem. Daughter was up at 5:30 for 1 1/2 hour practice then back out on the field for 2 hours in the afternoon during the week. Weekends it was 4-6 hours both days.

They put nursing students into what they call the weed out class. Anatomy and Physiology. If you cant pass this your not going to be a nurse. It was eating the daughters lunch then spitting it back out on her. She was up every weeknight till 2-3 studying for this class. Finally she calls and said I cant do this anymore. To which I stated your not going to make a living playing softball. She walked into the coach that next day and quit. He of course wasnt happy. He of course should not have lied to her or us to begin with in the process.

Today my daughter is a full fledged RN working in a maternity hospital in Texas. I could not be more proud at her accomplishment off the field. Moral of the story. Dont limit yourself for college sports. The money I spent on select softball would have paid for my daughters education. BUT NOTHING will ever make me regret spending that time with my daughter as she grew up. I enjoyed every second of her playing.

Now she has a lifetime career. Not a soft degree that wont get her a job and pays far less than what she is going to make as a nurse.

Well said! That was the whole point of my original post, to get an alternative view of what really happens in college softball so players and parents know what they are really getting into when they sign-up to play this game at the collegiate level. Hopefully ifubuilit's daughter's experience is the exception to the rule, but I have a feeling it is more common than you would think.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Exactly right! As head coach at Springfield College in IL., I wasn't even allowed to take a nursing student.

I do have a former student that is in nursing at a smaller AZ. school. It seems to be working out for her. So, who knows. She came into the school as a sophomore, but has only been there since Aug. (She came in with AP credits.)

UofA listed a nursing student last year.

 

[Coach JV]

WOW! Good thing my daughter only wants Ivy league (D3) law degree and
wishes to be president one day. Playing Ball while doing this should be a breeze according to
the posts here. Can't wait..............

 

[lawdawg]

Being a student athlete is tough - life is tough. LSU and a couple other SEC schools have worked very hard to make education and athletics compatible. The Cox Communications Student Athlete Center is one of the most impressive facilities I have ever seen. Each student athlete is assigned a post-grad level tutor, upperclassman mentor, a specific curriculum to follow, hard scheduled tutoring sessions, practice exams, instant feedback from tutor/mentor even while traveling through laptops - which contain all of students necessary workload, etc. Grad rates are steadily increasing and I see a fair number of hard science majors in major sports. I know not all schools can afford this but it is nice to see the effort to make sure these kids leave school with more than a few college credits and arthritis.