Why D1 ?

[RADcatchers]

Sort of, I guess. But what constitutes a difficult or "important" degree to you? Why are your interests or talents education wise "better"?

Megan Bloodworth is an accounting major. Sis Bates majored in education. Ally Shipman's degree is in Environmental Science. Montana Fouts and Cat Osterman earned psychology degrees. Osterman has master's degree and Fouts is going to graduate school.

I know this is a small sample size. However, my point is "always" and "never" are rarely true. Yeah. Some kids, no matter the sport, just go to college to play ball. Some kids stay in h.s. just to play ball. If a kid goes to college and plays a sport and earns a degree, good for them. It isn't my place to judge what that degree is going to do for them. Maybe they have a plan and know exactly what their path forward is irrespective of it being a "difficult" or "important" major.

When I was 18 starting college,
the athletic academic advisor asked me what was my academic goal going to be.
I said what do you mean lol
(but I was serious!)
She said pick a course of study.
I said 'I'm here to play softball.'
(My Serious answer )


....41 years later...
What a career!

(other incomes/ jobs, were work)

 

[Tide_will_Roll]

When I was 18 starting college,
the athletic academic advisor asked me what was my academic goal going to be.
I said what do you mean lol (but I was serious!)
She said pick a course of study.
I said 'I'm here to play softball.'
(My Serious answer )
'I'm here to play softball.'

....41 years later...
What a career!

(other incomes/ jobs, were work)

I can understand that. Isn't the saying, "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life?"

Unfortunately, the last few years I've been "working" for a living. On the bright side, a few more years and I can retire with a pension and will get paid just for waking up in the morning.

 

[RADcatchers]

I can understand that. Isn't the saying, "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life?"

Find something you like to do so much you'd gladly do it for free and learn to do it so well that people will gladly pay you for it!

 

[CoachCeetar]

I'm still a while from this (though that doesn't stop anyone that hears "she's pitching" from responding with "maybe she'll get a scholarship!") but I suspect/hope/dream there will be more softball options for women post-college in a decade, and if that will change some of the college decision calculus.

 

[RADcatchers]

Can remember when I was 10 years old talking to the universe hoping that someday softball would be in the Olympics.

Now I see what is in the Olympics and I question the Olympics.
__________________
People look at softball say well there's no pro league what else can they do. However I look at softball and see that there are lots of opportunities.
To blend a sport we like with money. Softball is a giant industry.


If players intend to do something more with their softball careers...
*suggestion
Focus on developing abilities to become a part of coaching staffs.
Schools/ colleges or Paid staff with softball organizations. Starting their own business of instruction. Creating Sports facilities.
These are the avenues to take a stacked softball resume.
Plenty of money to be had if applied to business employment... within an industry a player has first hand knowledge of. Backed by a college degree won't hurt.

 

[JayW]

In Florida (and probably in other states as well), a student can get free tuition, books and fees at a public school by making certain scores on standardized tests and having a very moderate GPA. SAT tutors should probably be more of a priority than pitching lessons and hitting lessons. That being said, if a girl is talented enough and puts in enough work to get a softball scholarship, I think that's a wonderful accomplishment.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I watched the 2000 Olympic Team face a team of New England college All Stars in an Exhibition game. The All Stars first pitcher was a ‘92 graduate of Worcester State College, now University, a D3 school. She held that soon to be Gold Medal team to one single in 4 innings!
By hitting her spots and changing speeds.
The next pitcher of the All Stars was a recent D1 graduate, who was faster. She got killed!
That was a Hall of Fame team coached by a Hall of Fame Coach Ralph Raymond.
There are All Americans in the other Divisions too.


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I appreciate your passion for and defense of the game, and I don't know if there's anything anyone can say that will convince you otherwise. The problem is you're comparing a team from 25 years ago with today's playing in an exhibition. It's not even apples and oranges.

The game's speed at the top levels of D1 is like nothing you've seen at D2 or D3. Are the top teams in those divisions very good? Of course. Are there a few D1 players on those rosters? Absolutely. But those top 25 P4 teams are stacked with the best of the best. Any bench player could walk into any of the D2 or D3 programs and be an immediate top player on those teams, if not the best.

 

[JayW]

I appreciate your passion and defending the game, and I don't know if there's anything anyone can say that will convince you otherwise. The problem is you're comparing a team from 25 years ago with today playing in an exhibition. It's not even apples and oranges.

The speed of the game at the top levels of D1 is like nothing you've seen at D2 or D3. Are the top teams in those divisions very good? Of course. Are there a few D1 players on those rosters? Absolutely. But those top 25 P4 teams are stacked with the best of the best. Any bench player could walk into any of the D2 or D3 programs and be an immediate top player on those teams, if not the best.

Even decent D1 schools are no match for top 20 D1 programs. I remember going to see Florida play an early season tournament at USF in 2023. This was not a very good Florida team. They played Illinois State, Boston College and Boston U. Run rule. Run rule. Run rule. The pitchers for those teams were equivalent to local 18U tournament pitchers. And I think Boston U won 50 that year and made the NCAA tournament as a conference champion.

 

[angispeds]

I have a former player, who chose D3 cause in Pre Med with her 4 th year clinical training she couldn’t play Softball. If a D1 player has a similar issue, does she lose her scholarship money her Senior year? Being merit based in D3, they don’t.


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Doctor here. You don’t have mandatory clinical training during undergrad for med school. You can get into med school with an accounting degree as long as you take science.


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[erniekru]

I appreciate your passion and defending the game, and I don't know if there's anything anyone can say that will convince you otherwise. The problem is you're comparing a team from 25 years ago with today playing in an exhibition. It's not even apples and oranges.

The speed of the game at the top levels of D1 is like nothing you've seen at D2 or D3. Are the top teams in those divisions very good? Of course. Are there a few D1 players on those rosters? Absolutely. But those top 25 P4 teams are stacked with the best of the best. Any bench player could walk into any of the D2 or D3 programs and be an immediate top player on those teams, if not the best.

@LEsoftballdad 100% agree with you here. My DD played against Team USA this summer. The elite women team (olympic team) are STACKED with talent, truly the best of the best (and mostly OU players). DD's team has more than a smattering of good players. USF, UCF, OSU, OU etc.. everyone else mid majors. They were dismantled instantly. The game has changed from 25 years ago.

For those that are looking, its easy to see the progress that has been made.

FWIW, I believe there is a space for pro softball to become something for players to do post college, however, I don't see the current system getting us there.