Recruiting - Decision Time!

[osagedr]

We have worked hard on DD's (2022 OF/corner IF) recruiting over the past year. It's culminated in a handful of D2 and NAIA offers and, last week, her first D1 offer (over 55% tuition at an expensive-ish school). There are other D1s interested; they of course "want to see her play this summer." The D1 the offer came from has never seen her play nor has she attended a camp, but she has good video and has communicated well with the coach.

So the D1 gave her a two-week decision window. I can't complain about that, because they had made it clear that if/when they offered they would expect her to be ready to make a decision. The cost is considerable, even with around $100K worth of scholarships over 4 years, but we can swing it. It's further from home (we basically would never get to see her play live, or more likely we would travel to Florida for spring break when the team goes there and I guess get to see a good bit that way), not that location is a deal-breaker. The closest D2 offer is only a few hours away and the league is largely located not much further in terms of a drive so we would be able to see her play a lot. Plus the benefit of her being able to drive home on the (non in-season) weekends, etc.

Just wondering if some of the other members have/have had similar choices to make and what their decision making process was like. One of the NAIA offers is a school that education-wise is ranked a little higher than the D1, and the coach has been recruiting DD very hard for a long time now. It's about a seven-hour drive away; a couple of other girls from around here have attended and done well there. Actually all the options she has right now are pretty good! She is scheduled to play in some good events this summer and I think with the dead-period (hopefully) finally ending she will get some D1 coaches out to watch her. The other D1 schools who have shown interest are similar in quality to the one from which she has an offer. Thanks in advance for whatever advice anyone has!

 

[softball dad 6]

Here is my advice
1 Education cost
1a Education
2 Softball

AS far as softball goes I think one of the most important things is to go to a place where the coach really wants her. I truly believe this can be a help in close decisions on playing and getting an opportunity for your DD to play and prove herself. Depending on how important playing time is looking at the players on the roster that play the same position as her is an important thing to take note of. The final thing to consider is if your DD would be happy at the school if softball would be removed. DD has seen half the girls from her recruiting class not still with the team and she isn't finished with her freshman year.

 

[osagedr]

Here is my advice
1 Education cost
1a Education
2 Softball

AS far as softball goes I think one of the most important things is to go to a place where the coach really wants her. I truly believe this can be a help in close decisions on playing and getting an opportunity for your DD to play and prove herself. Depending on how important playing time is looking at the players on the roster that play the same position as her is an important thing to take note of. The final thing to consider is if your DD would be happy at the school if softball would be removed. DD has seen half the girls from her recruiting class not still with the team and she isn't finished with her freshman year.

Thanks very much for the advice and for sharing your DD's experience!

 

[Vertigo]

My question - do they have her major?

Has she set foot on campus at all? As difficult as it’s been with Covid, I’d still want my dd to visit the campus to know she feels comfortable there. My dd turned down a couple of offers because either she had never seen the campus in-person or she didn’t get a strong feeling that it was a fit for her when she did visit.

Good luck with the decision! Very exciting time for you and her!

 

[CMMom1740]

Besides all the usual questions above, you need to ask how the extra year of eligibility due to COVID is affecting the size of their roster for the next several years. DD (also a 2022) was interested in a mid-major D1 school, but they acknowledged that their roster will be 25-30 for the next few years. They only travel with 20 and they would anticipate she would not see playing time until her junior year. Despite this being her dream school, she decided to look elsewhere and found a great fit at a DIII school where HC keeps the roster at 16-19 and she would be pretty much guaranteed tons of playing time.

 

[Top_Notch]

It really comes down to what your daughter wants. I feel for these student athletes because it's a balancing act between the education, cost, and athletics.

Number one priority should be the education.

Cost is very subjective to the family so I'll leave that to you. What's expensive to you will be different for me.

For athletics, look to see roster size, graduation rate, retention, and post graduate potential (if that is a goal). Know that the higher level D1 playing time will be less than a D2 if that's important to her. Also, if you haven't, visit the campus. It's amazing how much a campus visit can sway a decision. DD has easily crossed colleges off her list after a campus visit. She is not to where your family is at yet in the recruiting game. As I like to say, these are good problems to have.

Best of luck in the decision.

 

[osagedr]

Besides all the usual questions above, you need to ask how the extra year of eligibility due to COVID is affecting the size of their roster for the next several years. DD (also a 2022) was interested in a mid-major D1 school, but they acknowledged that their roster will be 25-30 for the next few years. They only travel with 20 and they would anticipate she would not see playing time until her junior year. Despite this being her dream school, she decided to look elsewhere and found a great fit at a DIII school where HC keeps the roster at 16-19 and she would be pretty much guaranteed tons of playing time.

Excellent advice; thank you! Very happy to hear your DD has found the right place for her. She will love it!

 

[osagedr]

It really comes down to what your daughter wants. I feel for these student athletes because it's a balancing act between the education, cost, and athletics.

Number one priority should be the education.

Cost is very subjective to the family so I'll leave that to you. What's expensive to you will be different for me.

For athletics, look to see roster size, graduation rate, retention, and post graduate potential (if that is a goal). Know that the higher level level D1 playing time will be less than a D2 if that's important to her. Also, if you haven't, visit the campus. It's amazing how much a campus visit can sway a decision. DD has easily crossed colleges off her list after a campus visit. She is not to where your family is at yet in the recruiting game. As I like to say, these are good problems to have.

Best of luck in the decision.

Very good advice. Yes a campus visit would make the most sense - wish it had been doable up to this point. Sounds like you guys are really on top of things, so I am certain the process will work the way it should for your DD!

 

[Top_Notch]

Very good advice. Yes a campus visit would make the most sense - wish it had been doable up to this point. Sounds like you guys are really on top of things, so I am certain the process will work the way it should for your DD!

She has only done unofficial visits so far in her recruiting. But even by doing unofficial visits, she has managed to watch multiple college games to see the level of play, ranked her top choices and removed a couple as well. She was able to meet with a couple coaches (D2 and D3) and even received a offer, although the level of play was not a good fit and she's hoping for more competition.

 

[gator5]

We have worked hard on DD's (2022 OF/corner IF) recruiting over the past year. It's culminated in a handful of D2 and NAIA offers and, last week, her first D1 offer (over 55% tuition at an expensive-ish school). There are other D1s interested; they of course "want to see her play this summer." The D1 the offer came from has never seen her play nor has she attended a camp, but she has good video and has communicated well with the coach.

My daughter experience was not quite the same but certainly close enough.

'21 grad. She said early on she did not want to play D1 so never pursued it. (I never though she was D1 material early in HS so I thought that was a smart move) Long story short, her Jr year she got a lot better and got unsolicited D1 interest and offers.

She ended up with D1, D2 and D3 offers. Once she figured out what she wanted to major in, which is unique, most the schools feel off her list.

The main D1 offered the most money 75% of a full ride (tuition + room and board). But D2 had the better majors. D2 also had the coach we all liked better. And D2 a better opportunity softball wise. While the D2 offer was not as much, it was good enough for us financially. And D2 is closer so we can watch more games.

Regarding the offers timetable. Her main D2 offered her in November of her junior year. The coach said take as long as you want to decide - even if that is Signing Day of her senior year. The main D1 school made the offer but never put a time on it. About 3 months after the D1 offer, D1 coach called to chat and find out how things were going. My daughter told them the truth: they were second on her list (they had never asked before). Within 2 weeks they went out and found someone else and her offer was pulled. I do not blame them one bit. ( I wanted to keep the offer open for a while in case I lost my job. If I had lost my job, she would likely have gone D1 just for the $ even though it would not have been ideal major wise)