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2019 softball recruiting thread


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On 6/13/2019 at 6:35 PM, around4ever said:

Myers had that Grandfather image and he played it very well.  The girls and parents just fell in love with him.  He also knows every aspect of the game very well, probably as good as any coach in the country.  Dean, on the other hand (IMO) comes off as cold and if you listen to his on field interviews, not able to verbalize his views on the game in progress or what we need to be doing in the game. 

Agree; during game interviews this year CMD did not earn any extemporaneous speaker awards.  Maybe this will balance out...….from the Depaul Athletic site:

Lenti is a master of teaching his players not only the game of softball, but also the "game of life." He challenges his players to become better people while in his program. He educates them about responsibility and accountability; qualities he demands both on the field and in the classroom. He stresses critical thinking and appropriate behavior and wants each of the women in his program to become exceptional human beings as well extraordinary softball players.

Coach Lenti puts softball in perspective as his teams know how to get the job done and still have fun at the same time. When the team is on the road in California, Texas,, Arizona, Indiana or even in Illinois, the Blue Demons are always looking forward to a team dinner at the home of a teammate.

"We keep things in perspective by knowing what is important, and softball is third behind family and school," Lenti said. "We get to know our players personally through practices, games and more importantly, activities off the field. I have a vested interest in each student-athlete that enters the program. We enjoy being together, and each team and year has a different dynamic. But we are still a family that laughs, cries and plays together."

Before the 2005 team took the field at the Women's College World Series, Daily Oklahoman Columnist Barry Tramel wrote, "Eugene Lenti lights up any room. His smile and personality and his quips. Spend 15 seconds with the DePaul softball coach and you will think to yourself what a wonderful world." Ask Coach Lenti's current and former players and they will tell you he is not only a effective and great teacher, but "passionate, dedicated, motivated, driven, fearless, a champion. and he makes life a little brighter."

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On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 4:41 PM, ellitor said:

Was discussed earlier in the thread @mustache eagle. The new recruiting rules that went into affect last year will likely push the timeline back.

Seems easier to spot exceptional talent in young female athletes, many of whom seem to mature faster than boys.   We see girls young as 12 to 14  playing tennis and golf, swimming and gymnastics and who compete at the same level as adult women …...so if coaches spot them early, can't blame them for trying to get a commitment before the competition begins lurking. 

JMO but as long as the parents are on board, I see no problem with an 8th or 9th grader making her goals known.  The commitment and college interest provides motivation for the young athlete to stick with the sport as they get older.    

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2 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Seems easier to spot exceptional talent in young female athletes, many of whom seem to mature faster than boys.   We see girls young as 12 to 14  playing tennis and golf, swimming and gymnastics and who compete at the same level as adult women …...so if coaches spot them early, can't blame them for trying to get a commitment before the competition begins lurking. 

JMO but as long as the parents are on board, I see no problem with an 8th or 9th grader making her goals known.  The commitment and college interest provides motivation for the young athlete to stick with the sport as they get older.    

That's but but coaches aren't allowed to recruit them early like that anymore.

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8 minutes ago, ellitor said:

That's but but coaches aren't allowed to recruit them early like that anymore.

I realize that.....just not in agreement with the change.....but nobody actually gave me a vote....probably came from complaints by coaches who were getting beat out by coaches like CM who were out spotting young talent early. 

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1 hour ago, AU64 said:

I realize that.....just not in agreement with the change.....but nobody actually gave me a vote....probably came from complaints by coaches who were getting beat out by coaches like CM who were out spotting young talent early. 

It comes from the simple & proper philosophy that no kid should be recruited before they reach high school. The change was long overdue.

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1 hour ago, ellitor said:

It comes from the simple & proper philosophy that no kid should be recruited before they reach high school. The change was long overdue.

One question is 9th grade considered HS? So a girl that is 14-15 could be recruited according to the new rules? Seems like that is perfect. I think it's crazy to try to recruit a 7th or 8th grader, regardless if girls are maturing faster than boys. 

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26 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

One question is 9th grade considered HS? So a girl that is 14-15 could be recruited according to the new rules? Seems like that is perfect. I think it's crazy to try to recruit a 7th or 8th grader, regardless if girls are maturing faster than boys. 

My understanding is no contact or visits until Sept. 1 of Junior year of HS. It seems to me, allowing players pledge to a school lets say 8 grade, especially a high profile program, begins to fill up slots and puts other players under pressure to do the same.  A summary of the new rules can be found a couple of pages back.

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34 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

One question is 9th grade considered HS?

Most cases yes.

34 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

o a girl that is 14-15 could be recruited according to the new rules?

Only if she's a grade or 2 ahead of her age...

On 6/9/2019 at 10:52 AM, slot canyon said:

New NCAA softball recruiting rules

In recent years, softball recruiting had begun starting earlier and earlier, with student-athletes as young as 7th grade getting offers from college coaches. Because of this trend toward early recruiting, student-athletes were forced to make important college decisions before they are mature enough to know what they are really looking for in a school. In fact, NCAA research found that about 60% of student-athletes had no idea what academic major they will pursue at the time of their college commitment.

To combat this rise in early offers, the NCAA created new recruiting rules for all D1 sports, and softball took the rules to the next level. As of April 25, 2018, softball college coaches are not allowed to have recruiting conversations or send recruiting messages through an athlete's club/high school coach or other third party. Furthermore, recruits are no longer allowed to arrange unofficial visits at the D1 level with a school’s athletic department until September 1 of the athlete’s junior year of high school.

This article is interesting about a AU 7th grade verbal for 2023 just prior to the new legislation sited above.   https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/sports/prep/newton/newton-county-seventh-grader-kyla-stroud-commits-to-play-softball/article_e4614baf-d451-5ca1-a96f-daeac495bf13.html   There is also some impressive YouTube video of Kyla Stroud hitting at an AU camp.  Of course, her verbal is in no way binding and a lot can happen between now and then but she is very interesting none the less.

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2 minutes ago, slot canyon said:

A summary of the new rules can be found a couple of pages back.

I just quoted your great post on it for him. :cheers:

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3 hours ago, AU64 said:

I realize that.....just not in agreement with the change.....but nobody actually gave me a vote....probably came from complaints by coaches who were getting beat out by coaches like CM who were out spotting young talent early. 

I can only relate to our personal experience.  My daughter was a 4 year Alabama ODP soccer player.  She was pretty good.  She was ready for soccer related stuff on the field, but WE were completely unprepared for the soccer recruitment stuff.  By the time she even had an inkling of being ready to consider college related stuff, all the schools she would consider playing for were done recruiting her class.  FWIW, she never really had the mental makeup to go full bore in a big soccer program.  It turned out she needed to just go to college and enjoy it.  We preached to her that if she wasn't enjoying her activities then it wasn't serving the right purpose.  I'm glad they put the breaks on some of the recruitment. 

It isn't just the kids who need a little time to figure this out.  In the soccer culture, kids aren't recruited through high school teams ... they are recruited from the big clubs ... and to get really get recruited, you have to be playing ECNL or going to the handful of big tournaments or regional tournaments ... that requires lots of cash.  It is a jacked up system.  You really have to know the nuances of what you are trying to accomplish with a partial athletic scholarship.  There are a myriad of finer points to it all, that are impossible to write down.

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Once I could afford to put my daughter on a high level travel team and get the recruiting process started, most schools were full on her class and already working on their class that would graduate two years after my daughter.

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I have seen people spend more on travel ball, both baseball and softball, than what tuition to a major in-state college would have cost them. I recently congratulated a dad whose daughter got a partial Equestrian scholarship to ride for a school in Texas. His response: "If I had all the money we've spent on horses, trailers, gas and motels over the last ten years I could pay her way through Harvard and still have some beer money left."

There can be a lot of enjoyment in spending time with your kids and attending games and events, but playing with winning a college scholarship as the main purpose is seeking fool's gold.

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Youth athletics should never have college schollys as the primary objective.  Heck it shouldn’t even have college athletics as primary.  It should be about the enjoyment, personal growth and challenges of the activity.

the 1v1 time with my kid, her learning life skills, competition, etc...  in our family there were a couple other factors that were in play that other families don’t have that made their youth extracurricular more important than college sports.

I know all that sounds cliche and old fashioned but it’s true.  Now there are kids who are highly motivated and there is nothing that’ll stop them from going for college.  Those kids should strive for their dreams and good for them.

but it’s us parents who gotta understand the bigger picture so our kids don’t get swallowed up.  Pushing the nutty ness of recruitment back a couple  years would be very helpful.  Im way more concerned about my kids well being than a college coaches win record.

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Maddie Majors:

Image result for maddie majors photos;

I don't have a lot to add beyond what is on the OP.  Maddie Plays at Spain Park and with the Thunderbolts organization.  She is a thunderbolts team mate with another 2019 signee, Carlee McCondichie as well as a 2020 commit pitcher Shelby Lowe.  She was 2018 All State 1st team as well as 2019 (7A).   Position listed as CF/1B.  I know she played 1st base as a soph. at Spain Park.  Listed as 5'9", bats left and throws right.  Article from FloSoftball in 2015 indicated she was a good slapper and had a lot of speed.  Some recent stats show BA .456 and 8 HR so she does have ability to hit for the fence. She struck out only 6 times in 94 AB.  She committed fall 2016.  Her mom is AU grad.

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Looks like a triple threat based on numbers.  Can't wait to set her play. 

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Likewise.  An ancillary question was triggered by reading this:  Will Rivera move to CF next year, or will Godwin, or an incoming freshman?

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37 minutes ago, OlderWhiskey said:

Will Rivera move to CF next year, or will Godwin, or an incoming freshman

Doubt it. She didn't move there after Draper graduated.

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Just read on Extra Inning Softball that Claire Davidson from Tampa has decommitted.  Not positive of the class, but I'm thinking 2020.  Hitting pitcher with some great numbers. 

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4 hours ago, OlderWhiskey said:

Just read on Extra Inning Softball that Claire Davidson from Tampa has decommitted.  Not positive of the class, but I'm thinking 2020.  Hitting pitcher with some great numbers. 

Yes 2020 class which means she would have been in the group that signs this November.

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8 hours ago, OlderWhiskey said:

Just read on Extra Inning Softball that Claire Davidson from Tampa has decommitted.  Not positive of the class, but I'm thinking 2020.  Hitting pitcher with some great numbers. 

She had committed to the previous staff I believe in the Fall of 2016.   Good player. Notice one of her teammates just committed to Florida; don't know if that means anything.   There are two other good pitchers committed to AU in the 2020 class; Lowe and Penta if my list is up to date. 

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On 6/19/2019 at 7:29 AM, AU64 said:

I realize that.....just not in agreement with the change.....but nobody actually gave me a vote....probably came from complaints by coaches who were getting beat out by coaches like CM who were out spotting young talent early. 

 

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Samantha Yarbrough, a righty, and the #2 for South Alabama last year.  Threw 93 innings as a freshman, had 103Ks, but also 80 or so walks.  From Fairhope.  ERA 4+.  This per Softball America's transfer page.

Started a new topic because the recruiting thread had gotten long and drifted away from the topic.

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