This is Brentt Eads of Extra Inning Softball.
Yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023), we finished our extensive look at the Class of 2025 as the Regional Rankings wrapped up and, today, we begin a detailed look at the 2024’s with the kickoff of our final edition spotlighting the current senior class via the Extra Elite 100 ratings.
It’s a quick transition from one talented grad year to another and, as I frequently explain to softball folks, the purpose of the rankings is to honor players and to recognize their talent, accomplishments, successes, and their drive to work hard and get better.
We do the Extra Elite 100 for each class with bios and head shots of every athlete in the top 100 and then list the 101-500 players as well as Positional and Regional rankings.
However, these rankings are NOT to be thought of as a scouting report or a recruiting service—we’re a media company that does a ton of homework reaching out to hundreds of coaches and scouts across the country and report what we see and hear.
But take note of this point: we don’t do an Extra Elite 100 bottom of the class list, that’d be absurd for sure, but you’d think by the comments received that we’re trying to destroy dreams, not recognize and promote them.
Do this: go through any bio of any Extra Elite 100 and find something negative about a player… you won’t find anything. That’s not the purpose—the purpose is to recognize an athlete in a positive way.
Yet, after the last ranking I had two coaches call me saying they had players sobbing because they didn’t make the top 100.
Recently, I was talking with someone I really respect in the sport and she said that some people around her don’t like that we rank younger kids—like those in junior high or younger.
Responding to that point, I first say that players, parents and coaches at those ages ask us to monitor and rank those ages because they feel they work every bit as hard as the older athletes and want to be recognized too.
But it’s too much pressure to put on kids at such a young age, some complain. They shouldn’t be honored until they’re older, until they’re able to handle the pressure of being—or not being—ranked.
And my answer to that is:
“Are not many of these 10U and 12U kids traveling nationwide to compete in games where EVERY SINGLE PITCH will have a winner and a loser? And yet a media list spotlighting some of the best in their grad class will be emotionally impactful in a negative way?”
Sorry, but if an athlete is willing to go out on a field where she’ll be watched by hundreds of fans at the risk of “losing” via a strikeout or giving up a game-winning hit, I don’t think the exclusion of being on a list is going to be the toughest thing in sports they’ll have to encounter.
Maybe I’m wrong and I’d love to hear what you players, coaches and family members think about this… email be at Brentt.Eads@ExtraInningSoftball.com.
When it comes to rankings and the response from the softball public, it’s almost always positive coverage but we do understand that there are some times when there is disappointment in the outcome: not being ranked highly enough, dropping in the rankings from where ranked previously or not being ranked at all.
That’s why this letter (below) from a mother of a current senior player meant a lot to us… because she wrote for no reason other than to say she appreciated the effort of trying to build up fastpitch softball and positively recognizing these amazing skilled softball players.
We’re keeping her name and other personal info private because, as she began:
“I’ve been wanting to comment, but honestly, I don’t like the attention and I don’t want it to come out wrong.”
But what she said—this mother of a 2024 who has signed with a DI program—I feel is very, very right because it puts into perspective at how the rankings should be looked at.
Here’s what she wrote us recently…
*****
Let me start off by saying what you do for the softball community and these girls is appreciated because it’s special to these girls.
It is also special to the parents because they see how hard their kids work when no one is looking. They sit in a silent car ride home when they have a bad game or celebrate by singing at the top of their lungs on the drive home from a successful outing!
It’s an honor to be ranked, whether people want to admit it or not and, although colleges may not care if you’re ranked, they do like seeing it and the attention it brings.
My daughter has been a top player in her class for years. Her breakout season was in 14U, when Power 5 and other schools started noticing her.
You guys have written small articles on her here and there.
However, she has never made the Top 100 list. Unfortunately, her coach doesn’t really submit nominations for some reason and on past teams I don’t think they’ve submitted either.
Was that the reason she wasn’t ranked? Who knows.
But it doesn’t define you as a player, it doesn’t determine your success and it doesn’t infer where you should, or will be, recruited.
All of these parents or coaches or aunties going crazy and literally saying kids don’t deserve to be there is insane!!
The emails and comments you are receiving is sad and I wish I could apologize on their behalf. Do not stop what you are doing… do I believe you miss a kid or two or a handful here and there? Yes, but all lists do!
No list is perfect but it’s perfect to you guys and that’s all that matters. You shouldn’t be getting attacked in this way.
This is getting way longer than I wanted it to ,but I say all that to say my daughter is fine!! This never affected her mental health. It was a good laugh, to be honest, at the dinner table. A sting of disappointment, of course… like I said, it’s an honor to make your list.
She had an amazing Sept 1st – the first day college coaches could contact her as a junior—with well over 20 schools wanting her to visit. She committed to where she felt she belonged, and she will be attending a college she loves and living out her dream!
I just wanted you to see one good email out of all the complaints you are getting. People need to get a grip! Lol!
Have a good week.
Mom of a college-bound softball player
