Lemons to Lemonade...Go Maleah!...

....Cousineau. What should have been a Wisconsin softball career, and awsome education, was slammed in this FINE young ladies face well after she verbally committed to that school and coach. Well Wisc. coach says her needs have changed and renigged on her offer to Maleah. I've kept my my shut, which is hard to do, wanting so badly to bash that program and the audacity to hang any player out to dry as they did Maleah. Good news, I now understand that a major offer has come to the table from more than one D1 school and Maleah has accepted the scholarship from Fairfield Univ. in Conn. The $ is nobodys business but I can tell TBR that it reflects wholesomely on the value and great character of this kid. I'm DAMN proud of her to face the crap she endured, got up, wiped herself off, and will receive an education that would cost me or you $41,000 per year. Lets ALL applaude!!!!!!!!!!

 

The news what that coach at Wisconsin did travels faster than a fire in California. In my opinion, the coach's longevity as a college coach is toast....and rightfully so.

The softball and baseball community for coaches is a small, small world. There are certain things you can not do as a coach; reneging on a commitment is absolutely top on that list.

 

Good For Her!!!

This is great news as too may times young ladies who experience this have limited or no options at all.

With a verbal being non-binding for both sides, I'm afraid we will see more if this in the future...from players and coaches. Some schools are getting verbals from 2010 and 2011's already. These girls make unofficial visits and get offers. I was recently told by a D-1 coach that he was going to go to some of the larger 14U tournaments next summer. What??????

For these YOUNG ladies, this major decsion IMO, becomes more of an emotional decision for her and her parents rather than a practical one. This is where the trouble can begin.

I can see the parents telling everyone they know "my daughter was offered by so and so school as a ninth grader. She made a verbal comittment last weekend...we are so proud of her" And just think of the posts on TBR!!!!

What if the young lady gets another offer from a "bigger school" a year later? Or on the other hand, the school gets a more talented player that wants to play at that school? I think players making verbals commitments prior to their junior year could be asking for trouble. But if a school you want to attend (do you really know at a younger age?) is offering or the school you recruit against is doing it......what are you supposed to do? Maybe you should. But buyer beware on both sides of the equation.

I am very happy things worked out for Maleah. But too many times it doesn't.

Mr. Hess at SPY Softball recently wrote a very good opinion on this very subject:

In an article this week entitled “Courting Eighth Graders,” Time cited the
instance of 14-year old Ryan Boatright committing to USC as “the face of the latest alarming trend in the often shady game of college sports recruiting coaches offering scholarships to athletes very early in their schoolboy (and schoolgirl) careers. It requires teens to make a critical decision before they even grasp geometry.” Scout.com, a website specializing in college sports, says “The whole thing has gotten out of control.”

While the article is focused on football, and basketball, with a side reference to girls volleyball (where Time says coaches are scouting younger and younger girls), the concerns relate to softball as well, as SPY has frequently noted. Scout.com identified 13 players just starting 10th grade who had already made basketball commitments, and one hoops star who verballed to Arizona in the 7th grade. According to Scout.com, early recruiting to big college football programs is up 430%.

Time which notes that both coach and player can break the bond says NCAA is “aware” of the problem and “has identified early recruiting as a concern, though there are no rules on the table to outlaw verbal offers to younger kids.” When asked by SPY at the World Series what can be done, NCAA executive director MylesBrand denied that there is a problem because NCAA doesn’t allow it.

Why the rush to recruit, Time asks. First and foremost in the magazine’s opinion is the pressure on coaches to win, spurred in part by schools paying ever-higher salaries. Then there is the competition. As Phil Martelli of St Joseph’s said, “If Michigan does it, then Michigan State has to do it. In Philadelphia, if Temple does it, St Joe’s has to do it. There is a herd mentality.”

Parental pressure to secure a free education is also cited as a major factor, and there are examples of how star players from poor families are pushed to agree.

Some critics blame the Internet, and those who have turned showcasing into a business. HoopScoop Online, ranks kids as young as the sixth grade. Officials from some scout services agree they feed the problem. Actually, money does, in
SPY’s opinion. Scout was purchased in 2005 by News Corp for $60 million. Yahoo bought Rivals.com for $100 million. For that kind of money, they must generate results. (SPY note: we don’t attempt to provide the detail on softball players that these services provide for the major sports; on the other hand, SPY may well be the only service which loses money.)

What will NCAA do? Nothing, until someone launches a successful law suit against a college coach who breaks a verbal which induced a player to take himself or herself off the market. Verbals have been broken in softball, by coaches and players, but, so far, no one has sought a legal remedy.

 

Great points Bmac.....

.....and your SPY example works wonders too. My kicker here is this. When do you commit in fpitch? Early, and possibly lose out on "better" opportunities. Or if by committinf early "late", do you leave $ on the table, OR, miss out on $ because there is none left. I don't know the answer but I do KNOW all of these issues are prevalent. JMO and for that matter, TBR folks listen up! I can tell you that there is NO right option everytime. But if you as a player show big time interest in a school and they in turn are interested in you, then a verbal committment most likely, if not always will be honored. If not, then as hard as it seems at the time to miss 17, you're better off not having such a *&^%$# as a coach and teacher anyway. Bottom line. Girls work your butt off to be the best you can be and parents try to stay out of their way of growing up. ......Oh yeah, easy for me to say?....nope....I'm the worst!

 

Alot of information and good points. Although most of the concerns revolve around the major sports, the "other" sports are starting to walk this trend of early, early commitments, also. It is not a trend that I like to see. First of all it is not binding, so the commitment is not worth the paper it is not printed on. But most "minor" coaches don't want to be labeled the tag of "commitment breaker" and to receive that reputation; plus it makes little sense because it's difficult for them to project their needs 2-3 years out. But it is a herd mentality and they fear their competitors will gain an advantage.

The NCAA's have produced a lot of silly rules regarding recruiting that you would think they would be more proactive in something that can be a serious problem. The only one that benefits with early, early commitments are the schools. There is absolutely no benefit to the recruit. I would proffer that it is an injustice for a kid to commit before their junior year....and if the parent has the attitude "well, we can reconsider later after the commitment" is just as wrong, if not more so. As a parent you are teaching your child that "your word" means nothing.

Forget about the major sports for a minute. That's an environment of ruthless practices in a big business atmosphere. But parents can make a difference in the recruiting process of softball players. If you know of a coach or school that has reneged on a commitment....shout it out for all to hear. I can promise you it will be heard loud and clear. If you accepted a commitment and other schools continue to contact....shout that out for all to hear.

When a school or coach has the reputation of breaking their commitments it becomes public knowledge pretty quickly....and when it does you will find that the coaches that break the code of recruiting ethics won't last very long.

 

I lost focus of my own thread...

.....sorry I got carried away and thanks to Braves for making CLEAR my point. No, verbals are not binding, coachwise or playerwise, but if either one ever gets the reputation as for not holding their end of the deal, then let them handle the backlash. Kids/parents backing away might be somewhat bothersome but EASILY understood. A coach however will dig her/himself a hole that they may never get out of.

 

Exactly

 

This coach recruited my daughter

at her previous school. In fact, she was the first to offer her. The offer surprised us as it came on an unofficial visit in the spring prior to my daughter's 'showcase summer'. She had seen her play 16U and was sold. The offer came with some interesting advice. That was to not worry about the summer but to just have fun knowing that her offer was good until the end of signing period in November! Fortunately she didn't take that advice, pitched and hit her butt off that summer and accumulated a number of offers. I do think having the offer on the table did allow her to relax believing she had a place to play. Had she chosen this school she would have never played for this coach as she left her team one week before school started for the Big 10. So much for "commitment".

 

Muddy water.....

....is all around the recruiting arena Duke. Thanks for your input, its VERY important. I PM'd Braves last night about a scenario of a awesome player who visited a major D1 program recently. She can play! Unfortunately, the school was tapped out of $ for 2008s. Now, I ask you guys TBR, if she had committed "earlier" may possibly the school be in a place scholarshipwise to be able to offer her $?????.....AND hers the million dollar ?, Without a crystal ball, how can we as parents guide and direct our DDs appropriately?

 

Things

Commitment is a word some coaches, parents and kids do not seem to honor anymore. We all need to get back to basics and do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Some good posts here with lots of information.