The problem with early commitments

It seems as though girls are verbally committing to colleges earlier and earlier. And it's not just happening in softball, but in other sports as well. What are the pros in doing this? What are the cons?

There are a few articles that have already been written on this subject that you can read up on:
What You Need To Know About Verbal Commitments
Softball players making college choices before their first high school games
Recruiting, commitment process begins early for softball stars
NCAA softball coaches troubled by recruits committing at younger ages
The Early Recruiting Dilemma (Part 1)
The Early Recruiting Dilemma (Part 2)
Early commits: Pros and cons of latest prep trend

Don't get me wrong, how great is it when your not-yet-freshman has already been offered a scholarship to play softball at a great institution? Oh the stories you can offer to friends and family about how your super star is going to ______ and she hasn't even graduated high school or taken her SATs yet! Oh the many social media posts bragging about such a feat.

But is it really in your child's best interest? Sometimes, girls have not yet developed into the body that they will have in college. There are ever-changing and evolving skills that they can pick-up or lose. There are, knock on wood, injuries that could be game changers. What if the coaching staff at that institution changes over and the new staff will not honor the original offer from 4-5 years ago that the previous staff made? What if little Janey changes her mind and decides she doesn't want to leave sunny Southern California and live in the middle of Oklahoma?

It's really a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. Many times girls haven't even matured enough to know what they want in 8-9th grade. I guess it all depends on the girl, the family, the coach, the institution and the other miscellaneous circumstances around the situation. But be forewarned, if you accept an offer early because you can't wait to brag and tell everyone and their moms about it, it's probably not the right decision.