Last year's season high was 330.
Was this a reflection of a series of non-competitive years? Or the lack of promotion? It seems that a few promos with girls softball leagues could generate more than this.
Last year's season high was 330.
The new coach won't be an in-office hire.
Would help recruiting if we could play under the lights at home. Unfortuantely, doesn't look like that will ever be possible.
No team in Division I averaged 3,000 per game last season. Only 2 topped 2,000/game (Alabama and Arizona). 13 others cracked 1,000/game (6 SEC, 2 Big 12, 2 Pac-12, 1 B1G, UL-Lafayette, and Fresno State).
How does that help? My daughter plays high-level travel softball, and the past three weekends her team has been under the lights, and it has been miserable. 45 degrees with a 20mph wind is 26 degree wind chill. You can't feel your fingers in those conditions. Knowing that you're going to be playing in Ames at night in March and April is not going to bring more recruits.
Someone in here already nailed it. Our next hire MUST recruit in state. Iowa and Iowa State fail to do so and it costs us.
There is currently a player at Alabama from Iowa who will be playing all 4 years. I think she is a senior now.
Paige Lowry was a top lefty pitcher two years ago in Iowa high schools that went to Mizzou and has done a great job there.
Lindamann from Centennial is the best player in Iowa softball history and she's going to Minnesota.
The best shortstop in the state right now (from Johnston) will be heading to Missouri after next softball season.
Is weather just enough warmer in Missouri to matter though? Would think recruiting at home makes'sense but even our good programs'struggle to keep top talent home.
Is weather just enough warmer in Missouri to matter though? Would think recruiting at home makes'sense but even our good programs'struggle to keep top talent home.
It will bring fans to games. Right now, attendance is miserable because half our games are at 2 in the afternoon on a weekday.
And to be quite honest, if any player complains that it's too cold, they probably shouldn't be playing spring ball in Iowa period.
And to be quite honest, if any player complains that it's too cold, they probably shouldn't be playing spring ball in Iowa period.
Isn't that the point? It is a recruiting disadvantage.
It's not just recruits. If you think fans are coming to games in those conditions, that's just silly.
And let's say you're getting great Midwest kids from programs like Beverly Bandits, Iowa Premier, Illinois Chill, KC Peppers, etc. You aren't filling your roster from those teams, you don't have the cache to pull girls from those programs. And if you take kids from lesser programs, you're not competitive either. You need to dip into California, Texas, and Florida to complete the roster. Night games won't help that.
Dillinger got 6 years, and you think Minatta should be canned after 3?
I would be crazy to think that we could fill our rosters with kids from those "elite"programs, but I'd also be crazy to think that there aren't better players out there that aren't a part of those top club programs.
Someone in here already nailed it. Our next hire MUST recruit in state. Iowa and Iowa State fail to do so and it costs us.
There is currently a player at Alabama from Iowa who will be playing all 4 years. I think she is a senior now.
Paige Lowry was a top lefty pitcher two years ago in Iowa high schools that went to Mizzou and has done a great job there.
Lindamann from Centennial is the best player in Iowa softball history and she's going to Minnesota.
The best shortstop in the state right now (from Johnston) will be heading to Missouri after next softball season.
Minnesota has been a Top 25 team the last few years with similar weather. To be fair, they of course don't play conference opponents from TX and OK.
Michigan won a national title and Northwestern played in the national finals. The weather is worse in both those places yet they compete every year at an elite level.
Michigan has Hutch, a hall of fame coach who is extremely popluar in softball circles and has built that program for 30+ years.
Northwestern offers one of the most prestigious degree pedigrees is the US.
ISU has neither of these.