Major Colleges Missing Softball Programs?

I never really thought about where the money goes but last year at Carolina's week-long camp they had coaches from quite a few schools other than Carolina. I would hope they got paid for it. That is one of the best camps around and there are many good ones.

I can't think of a much more cost effective way to be seen by college coaches. Last year there were enough campers to field several teams and parents and coaches were treated to a "playoff" between the teams. I'm looking forward to the next one.

I hope the coaches are making money for their efforts. They are certainly worth it! And the players definitely get what they pay for!

 

I like the $25.00 a year to any program in the state. I might mail my colleges coach a little money after the first of the year. You might really have something there. It would be like IPTAY, but all of us send it to different school of our choice. I'll have to make that suggestion to the boss. I thought that t-shirt and other items with the school name the school got some of the money.

 

WF softball...

it will not be at Hooks Field... that area is being converted for GOlf with other facilities to help golf... there will also be buildings for meetings and corporate outings up there.. As far as land available.. there is plenty. Goggle the Campus and look at the land area. it is very doable. Also as far as i can tell from people in the Athletic Department the school ( ie.. the booster club) is not interested in Softball.
the booter club is why most schools have or don't have sports.. Not some Homophobic ignorant fear... If you want to know why a school has or doesn't have something... can i say it..... "Show me the money".....
I do notice the schools you has mentioned mostly are private and exclusive. Softball is learned on the play ground not the fairway.. Softball is learned playing with your friends in the back yard or Little league.. not from your nanny or the horse trainer... the way Softball come to these schools is through a benefactor who foots the bill so his DD can play the sport she loves at the school she wants to attend..
I was at UNCA yesterday.. No football there.. Also No softball... i dont think that is a coincidence.

Merry Chrismas Everyone..
Side note Windmller... When you coming up???

 

With that in mind, let me propose an idea to everyone. Think about the amount of money each travel ball player's family spends over the year on team fees, tournament fees, travel, accomodations, meals, gate fees, concessions, etc. It's actually scary when you think about it! Now, think about this... if every family of every travel player ages 8u to 18u gave the the cost of say one family meal (say $25) during a tournament weekend, to a college program each year... just how much better would those programs be funded? Let's say that there are an average of fifty teams in each age group in NC, with each team having an average of twelve players. So here's the math... 6 age groups (8u, 10u, 12u...) times 50 teams times 12 players times $25... that comes to $90,000 each year! Another way to look at it is this would fund about one full scholarship each year at every one of the state supported D-I universities here in North Carolina. Isn't this where our DD's want to be? If this is spread between all the schools (hint, hint tournament directors and coaches!) then there will be more opportunities for more girls to continue playing the game they love... right here in their home state.


I really think our friend might be on to something here. The This Board Rocks campaign to N. C. Colege softball. Between the boss and I we have diploma's from four schools. If we split it up between the four of twenty a piece and everyone playing tournament ball did so it would add greatly on funding of those programs.

 

They do

The coaches do get paid! The summer camps can help them make a few dollars to assist in running their household. Many local coaches live off working camps as their pay is not enough to manage a family's expenses. These ladies and gentleman have to love the game and the players to work as hard as they do for the salary they receive.

 

This is a good idea. I would look at each UNC system school's track record for recruiting NC players. I'm near the one in the east and their coach mostly recruits from Cal. and Hawaii. Has a few NC invited walk-ons but doesn't seem to believe NC ladies can play but we all know better. Scholarship funds should go to the schools that recruit NC players. Just a thought. Thanks!

 

I agree... if this could be organized, then schools like you are eluding to, could be informed that these donations are earmarked to provide scholarship money to players only from North Carolina or no donations will be directed to that program. This should be a "no-brainer" for them because that would free up more $$$ for all recruiting. It could also open some eyes to the talent in their own backyard when they evaluate players here for that scholly money.
It may also make administrators and boosters more aware and they could "encourage" more in-state recruiting which is more cost effective (in-state tuition) as well as tapping more home grown contributions to the athletic fund.
Look at where baseball is today compared to 25 years ago. With the assumption that all the best players, and schools, were in Fla. Cal. and Texas, the best kids from NC often times went to out-of-state schools and our schools were bringing in players from other states. Now those kids are committing to UNC, and other schools, as early as their sophomore year in high school. The Heels have become a fixture every year at the College World Series with teams based on a lot of home grown talent.
If I was an AD at one of our state schools, I think I would "encourage" all my coaches to look here before getting a kid from some other state!
If you do chose to make a donation then send it to the AD's office specifically telling them where it's to go. As more folks do this the message will be clear.

 

another thought... say a tournament director organizes a scholarship fund raiser for one different school at each of his tournaments through out the year. What could the impact be? Say there are 32 teams in all the age brackets and half the player's families make the $25 contribution. That TD would be able to call up the coach of the chosen school and say "Hey Coach, I have a $4800 check for your program to go towards a scholarship for a deserving girl from North Carolina... are you interested?"

 

Whoa.................

While your intentions are great, there are a few problems with your plan.

1. Against NCAA rules.. You can give each school $100,000.00 each, but it will not increase their scholarship monies.. A fully funded Div 1 program has approx 12 scholarships. I'm sure they would appreciate you giving them more money, but it won't go to athletic scholarships..

2. UNC University system is not gonna let it happen either, not all of the 16 state supported schools play softball.

3. There is too much opportunity for "questions" as to who gets the benefit of the money. Remember the AAU basketball scandals back in the 1980's. Created a culture of street agents, trying to get kids into schools.
Only people seeing any benefit were the agents. The schools and the recruits got caught in a mess.

Coaches recruit geographic regions for many reasons...while you would expect state supported schools to look in their own back yards before leaving the state, they live and die with who they decide to sign.

Hopefully these coaches "choose wisely" who and where they recruit.
If they don't, their AD's could get a chance to "choose wisely"

 

This would not add extra scholarships above the NCAA allotment. It would help fund those allowed. Not all schools fully fund the allowable number of scholarships in the first place, especially the smaller schools both public and private. This is within the NCAA rules.

The UNC system has no problem accepting money... however it is distributed. When the "powers that be" were raising funds to construct the "Dean Dome" there were a bunch of checks, some over a million bucks, that were written for that specific purpose. Nowhere was it mandated that these people had to distribute their money to State, ECU, Fayetteville State, etc.. Specific gifts can be made for specific purposes. In the long run it may just help in bringing softball to the campuses that don't have it now.

The scandals with the AAU basketball, if my recollection is correct, had more to do with coaches and "agents" blackmailing the colleges, and boosters, for money verses what I'm talking about happening. The money flow is in the opposite direction in this case. The reality of this whole thing is that for every girl who's family donates, there is a small percentage that will actually play softball at the college level. But, if more people feel they have a vested interest in the college softball programs across our state, then the better off those programs will be AND there will be more opportunities for our girls at those schools.

You are right about coaches recruiting where they want to. But as a fan of the game, I can contribute where I want to. If a coach can't find one player in the state of NC that is deserving of a softball scholarship and can be a benefit to their team, then they must have the next national championship squad... or they ain't looking at the North Carolina talent very closely.

I was looking at one schools "prospective athlete" form. On it, there was a "where will you be playing" list. There was ONE event listed that was being held in the State of North Carolina! This was touched on before on another thread. There is a great need for showcasing opportunities here at home. In that thread I referenced what Impact baseball has done for our NC boys. Their showcases have put a lot of kids in front of a lot of coaches and scouts over the past years. They have developed to the point that at this fall's underclassman and unsigned seniors showcase there where almost 300 kids participating with some kids there from as far away as New York and Ohio. This winter they will have a strictly "invite only" pitcher catcher showcase. Go watch that and you'll see not only the guys who will be on the bump for the colleges around here but also a few that will be getting paid someday in the Big Leagues. There is talent here in NC, on the 60' diamond as well as the 90'!

I'll get off my soapbox now... but I just believe, like the old beach music song goes..., "Carolina girls are the best in the world"!