ballcoach15 wrote:
In this day and age, if a girl gets recruited for D1 softball, she needs to go. Now granted she needs grades, SAT score, etc. But if she's offered, the Coach has made sure she's got everything in order, before the offer is made.
If I created a list based on what I have seen while doing recruiting it would look like:
1. It's not what they expected. Examples : 1. The Coach was very nice on the recruiting trail... not so much once you are there. 2. Time commitment... takes much more time and physical/mental energy than expected. It's a job.. 7 days a week 12 hours a day. 3. They realize they would rather be a student pursuing a degree rather than waking up at 5:00 am and getting scrutinized 3 hours a day for 8 months.
2. Homesick. Examples: The experience isn't good, so, they start missing the comforts of home.. aka Johnny and/or Mommy. Deadbeat Johnny just tells Suzy to come home and it will be alright.
3. Personal reasons: parents divorce, illness, pregnancy, etc
4. Playing time: would prefer to go to a school where they will play.
Players are getting committed as 8th & 9th graders (over 130 listed). The de-commit/fallout level is going to sky rocket, both by the player and schools. So, as far as the coaches having everything in order... I assure you.. they do not. There is a reason why Ivy league and historically strong academic schools will not verbal/commit prior to the senior year and SAT/ACT tests results are in.
Good topic... The NCAA knows they have a problem. They just can't figure out how to put the genie back into the bottle.