Top DI and DII softball programs

Everybody Now On The Same Page !!

I think Charlie was a little offended because of his position, but rightly so got to protect your territory...Charlie is one knowledgeable person when it comes to fast pitch !!!

Guru

 

One More Thing....

I still can't figure out why everyone's shooting at the Winthrop softball coach.
Apparently, he has a winning program. Based upon the comments here, he's been to the NCAA many times and has a top-notch program.

Since his JOB and his LIVLIHOOD depends on winning ball games, I think he should be able to choose the players that he wants to play for him. He has apparently found a hotbed of talent that HE can successfully recruit from Canada. He doesn't have to compete with UNC, NCSU, etc. to get those kids to come here.

If he likes those kids better, and they win enough games to allow him to keep his job, then so be it.

He has made his facilities available in order to get your kids recruited by other colleges...get off his back!

 

I think that you would find the majority of your HS and college coaches do not allow the parents to meddle. In fact in many cases the AD's step in to deflect much of this before it ever gets to the coach. I have witnessed this first hand in the HS softball ranks.
Part two is, these coaches are running a small business and any good business manager would want the most bang for the buck. I think a lot of would like to see our sons or daughters playing nearby for our own reasons. However I cant fault a Div I. coach for building a winning team his or her way. Doesnt ECU get a ton of players for California? In conclusion I know Coach Cooke personally, and have witnessed what he has done and is doing for the local HS/ Jr high teams. Having said all of that I find that like so many of these coaches, coach Cooke is approachable, why not call him versus post here?

 

Learning Disability Support

You will want to quiz all your daughter's potential schools about the support they provide students with learning disabilities. You may find that some of the larger schools (D1) actually do a better job than small ones with support due to the fact that they have more resources. Many athletic programs are now employing "Learning Specialists" to supplement the tutoring already routinely available for student-athletes.

There does seem to be an "over-the-top" defensiveness on this board when it comes to the distinction between D1 and others. There's probably lots of reasons for this, some justifiable some not. When all is said and done though, there is no comparison in the level of play; primarily due to pitching. There are too few truly 'big league' pitchers in the world to go around and probably 95% of them play for D1 teams. D1 is certainly not for everyone and there are some DII teams and players who could certainly find success in D1. That said, D1 is the 'Major League" of softball; everything else isn't.

 

NOT HAVING A STAKE IN THIS FIRE AND SORTA GUN SHY TO POST A REMARK...BUT I'M GOING TO ANYWAYS.
DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT KIND OF DIV....BE IT DIV.I , II , JUCO! IN MY OPINION(NO, I WAS NEVER ASKED) AS LONG AS YOUR DAUGHTER ATTENDS A COLLEGE THAT CATERS TO HER NEEDS AND SHE BENEFITS FINACIALLY IN TUITION(SCHLORSHIP).DOES IT REALLY MATTER? WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS THAT SHE'S HAPPY AT DOING WHAT SHE DOES AND IS REWARDED THE EDUCATION THAT SHE'S EARNED BY PLAYING BALL....LET'S FACE IT , A COLLEGE EDUCATION LAST FOREVER....SOFTBALL WANT.

I DO REALIZE HOW OFF TRACK THIS TREAD HAS GOT AND BY POSTING MY RESPONCE - I HOPE I DIDN'T CONFUSE NOR OFFEND ANYONE . I JUST DON'T SEE HOW A SOFTBALL PROGRAM CAN DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF MY DAUGHTERS FUTURE WHEN IT ALL COMES DOWN TO HER EDUCATION.
- HIT-N-RUN -

 

You've Summed It Up !!!

AMEN !!!!!

 

Its not about the number of I's behind the D but the name on the Diploma that really matters.

 

Inter-collegiate athletics....

......softball, baseball, football, golf, etc. all bring awesome opportunities to players that are not afforded to the general student population.
1. Theres bookoos of players who are accepted to schools when their grades, SAT, etc. make them eligible by university standards, but when you take a closer look you'll see many applicants who are non-athletes with much better academic "stats". Look up what "partial qualifier" means.
Now don't get me wrong and assume that athletes are substandard academically, I'm just telling you that "athletics" is a big time help in getting accepted to a school.
Therefor, if playing softball gets your DD into Northwestern, then athletics can determine your DDs education.
2. There are MANY "perks" afforded athletes that are not available to others:
Sports medicine vs.infirmary
etc.
D1, D2, D3, JUCO, all have value and going back to this thread, if my 14yr old gets a shot at playing for a top program with a great education, then I want to know who these programs are.
Fishman.

 

That was my point

Your best bang for your buck is to recruit in one's state. Winthrop can offer Hope Scholarship's for in-state players---at a saving of $5,000 for each player. Plus, it has been proven that recruiting regionally gives a program more support physically and financially. UNC is a good example. Coach Fox recruited nationally for his players...very few were from this state. His program was going nowhere and he had little support. After nearly losing his job, he started an in-state recruiting priority. His team has been playing in the College WS the last three years-- two of them in the Championship game. 8 of 9 starters are from NC. Not bad from the players of NC. Coach Fox has benefitted tremendously from taking this recruiting approach. Not only are many of their games sold out, but they are building a new stadium. He would never have achieved this level of success without the support of the players and families of NC. There are other schools in our state that have taken the same approach--all with success.

Just to be clear. I said I didn't care if he recruited players from Canada, California or Europe. My point was to the comment that others made. They said he told them directly he wouldn't recruit SC or NC players because they did not work hard and the parents are meddlesome. I said IF this were true, I would have a problem with that.

For those that have said it's no big deal, there are other schools, I respectfully disagree. I think it's important to the softball community in NC and SC to know if there are coaches representing schools in our area that may share this philosophy. My concern for Winthrop or any other school is not important. The only thing I care about are the players and families that read TBR. If a particular school (good or bad) affects players in our area and on TBR...then that's what is important to me.