If you were a teenager and was offered a softball scholarship to a bunch of different schools, would you rather go somewhere and have a chance to play or would you rather go to a big school in a BCS conference and have a chance to win a national title and not play as much.

 

I don't know Kristen Allen from Ryle at all but I am sure she had her choice of schools that she able to attend. With her being a pitcher and most schools #1's pitching well over 50% of the innings it doesn't leave much mound time for her being the #2, 3 or 4 pitcher. She has one of the best pitcher's in the country (if not the best) pitching ahead of her so I am sure she is good enough to pitch at a school like OK but is it worth going to a school like OK vs a lower BCS school or even a high mid major and knowing you will have a chance to get the lions share of innings.

 

I am not sure there is a right or wrong answer I just am curious to see what everyone thinks.

There is no one right answer.

There is no one right answer.

 

WRONG!!! The only right answer is you pick a school based on ACADEMICS - if softball can help you pay that for 4 years then that is icing on the cake. There is no doubt your daughter is good enough to play anywhere - pick a school that has a great reputation for what she wants to study and play softball as well. Her education will carry her through life and pay the bills, softball is a hobby after college.

 

Knowing the Allens, Kirsten is absolutely ecstatic about getting to play D-1 even with limited playing time, but is most excited about getting her education and looking at grad school.

WRONG!!! The only right answer is you pick a school based on ACADEMICS - if softball can help you pay that for 4 years then that is icing on the cake. There is no doubt your daughter is good enough to play anywhere - pick a school that has a great reputation for what she wants to study and play softball as well. Her education will carry her through life and pay the bills, softball is a hobby after college.

 

Knowing the Allens, Kirsten is absolutely ecstatic about getting to play D-1 even with limited playing time, but is most excited about getting her education and looking at grad school.

 

 

 

There is no one right answer.

 

Every kid is different and NEEDS different things from college and academics in and of itself is not THE factor ALL THE TIME.

 

I bet there are higher rated academic institutions than OU that offered Kirsten a scholarship. She picked what she thought was right for her.

 

Harvard offered Austin Collinsworth. Was he wrong to go to ND?

I agree with Clyde that there is no right or wrong answer. It is just personal preference. There is more to it than just the sports side, but let's look at it from the sports only point of view. I can see it both ways. There is nothing better than winning and being a part of the best. And there is something to be said for challenging yourself to see how good you truly are. I would guess Allen thought she would be that #1 pitcher when she went there, or at least had a chance to be #1. She probably wanted to find out if she was that good. If she had gone to a smaller school and had great success, she might always wonder what might have happened if she had gone to OK. So I guess the answer is that she, and other athletes in her situation, don't go to that top school expecting to be the #2, 3 or 4 pitcher. They go there thinking they will be the star. But you just don't know up front how it is going to turn out.

 

I would liken this to decisions kids make on where to attend high school (again, focusing on the sports side... I know academics and the school environment/culture need to be a big part of it). I am sure there are kids who played freshman football and aren't playing any more at the top schools like Cov Cath, Highlands, Trinity and a lot of 6A schools or playing but getting very little playing time who could go to a smaller school and start, maybe even be one of the key players. There are good basketball players at a school like Cov Cath who get cut from the freshman team that would start at small schools. But they don't think they will get cut when they go to that school. Or they know there is a chance they might get cut but they are going to the school because they want to be part of that school.

 

I look at a player like Jake True at Highlands. He was a stud athlete all the way through youth sports and chose to go to Highlands. Yes, as a senior he is finally starting and getting playing time but even now he is losing plays because there is so much talent at Highlands. Yet I doubt he regrets the decision because he has been a part of a state champion and one of the top programs in the state. Even though I am sure he expected or hoped his career would be more personally, he has been a part of a great program and pushed himself to get the most out of his talent. I don't think he would trade being the star running back at another school for what he has experienced at Highlands.

 

Bottom line, these decisions can't be made in retrospect. You have to take an honest look at yourself and your talent and then make a decision on what you want. Do you just want to play or do you want to challenge yourself? Is the success of the team and level of play mean more than you getting playing time? Those types of questions have to be answered and the only person who can answer them is the athlete. The athlete has to make the decision that is right for them.

There is no one right answer.

 

Every kid is different and NEEDS different things from college and academics in and of itself is not THE factor ALL THE TIME.

 

I bet there are higher rated academic institutions than OU that offered Kirsten a scholarship. She picked what she thought was right for her.

 

Harvard offered Austin Collinsworth. Was he wrong to go to ND?

 

I agree and this is a softball board not one about academics. I guess I just assume Academics is always first or almost first in everyones mind.

 

Allen and her family had to put a great deal of time and money to get her to where she is at today so I am sure they made their choice based on alot of other things than just academics. Plus aren't most colleges pretty good, are you really going wrong if you did pick one for sports unless you are going for a certain degree that the school is really well known for.

 

There are ten of thousands of girls that would love to be in her position so by no means do I think she made the wrong choice. To have a chance to go to the college world series every year would be real cool.

 

Rachel Riley and Allen were by far 1 and 2 in the state their senior year. Allen got Ms Softball in part bc Riley blew out her ACL before the season but there is a real good chance she would have received the award either way. Riley went to UK and seems to be doing great and playing a lot for a team not rated as high as OU and Allen went to OU and seems to be having a great time also just not playing as much. Both great players but chose to go in different directions.

I agree with Clyde that there is no right or wrong answer. It is just personal preference. There is more to it than just the sports side, but let's look at it from the sports only point of view. I can see it both ways. There is nothing better than winning and being a part of the best. And there is something to be said for challenging yourself to see how good you truly are. I would guess Allen thought she would be that #1 pitcher when she went there, or at least had a chance to be #1. She probably wanted to find out if she was that good. If she had gone to a smaller school and had great success, she might always wonder what might have happened if she had gone to OK. So I guess the answer is that she, and other athletes in her situation, don't go to that top school expecting to be the #2, 3 or 4 pitcher. They go there thinking they will be the star. But you just don't know up front how it is going to turn out.

 

I would liken this to decisions kids make on where to attend high school (again, focusing on the sports side... I know academics and the school environment/culture need to be a big part of it). I am sure there are kids who played freshman football and aren't playing any more at the top schools like Cov Cath, Highlands, Trinity and a lot of 6A schools or playing but getting very little playing time who could go to a smaller school and start, maybe even be one of the key players. There are good basketball players at a school like Cov Cath who get cut from the freshman team that would start at small schools. But they don't think they will get cut when they go to that school. Or they know there is a chance they might get cut but they are going to the school because they want to be part of that school.

 

I look at a player like Jake True at Highlands. He was a stud athlete all the way through youth sports and chose to go to Highlands. Yes, as a senior he is finally starting and getting playing time but even now he is losing plays because there is so much talent at Highlands. Yet I doubt he regrets the decision because he has been a part of a state champion and one of the top programs in the state. Even though I am sure he expected or hoped his career would be more personally, he has been a part of a great program and pushed himself to get the most out of his talent. I don't think he would trade being the star running back at another school for what he has experienced at Highlands.

 

Bottom line, these decisions can't be made in retrospect. You have to take an honest look at yourself and your talent and then make a decision on what you want. Do you just want to play or do you want to challenge yourself? Is the success of the team and level of play mean more than you getting playing time? Those types of questions have to be answered and the only person who can answer them is the athlete. The athlete has to make the decision that is right for them.

 

I agree with you for the most part but OU #1 pitcher is Keilani Ricketts, her sister was an all american at OU and I believe she may have been a coach at OU when both were being recrutied. I would think Allen would have known there was a real good chance she would end up there. As much fanfare that Allen got around here (and deserved) Rickettes is on a whole other level so she may or may not have known what she was getting into when she chose OU.

Follow your dreams and adjust as needed!

Follow your dreams and adjust as needed!

 

Well Said paNDA.