Campus Visits?

soccerobserver said:
MT this is an exciting time in the process. In contrast to what some others have said, Please realize the "official"and the "unofficial" visit have nothing to do with being "committed" or "not committed"

See the NCAA website for confirmation here: http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/eligibility-center/what-official-visit

The executive summary is basically that the "unofficial" visit is on your dime and is a great chance for you and your daughter to bond and see the school and learn more about the campus environment and the soccer program in person. At the D3 level it is also a way to signal to the coach that your player is taking the school seriously. The "official visit" involves an overnight stay and travel and the costs and expenses covered will differ from school to school. If you are looking at D1 they can roll our more perks and $$ for the travel. If it's D3 then they will cover travel to and from the airport to campus but no airfare. This is where a D3 coach will be showcasing the school and soccer program and your player will not be with you at all during the visit. You get some "Dad time" while she interacts with the players and coaches and stays in a dorm overnight. I am speaking in generalities. In general there is a big difference beteeen D1 and D3 so please keep that in mind as you hear other people's experiences since they may or may not apply to your situation. Best wishes as always. This was a lot of fun for our family and provided some great bonding experiences.
Click to expand...
Thank you, my friend. This has all been very helpful. I'm trying my best to enjoy the ride and take it all in.
 
CaliKlines said:
MT,

Best wishes as your daughter enters the meat and potatoes of the recruiting process. You should be able to learn alot from each visit, especially how much interest the school has in your player. In each of my daughter's visits, she met with the coaching staff in the athletic office, and then took a tour of the athletic facilities, and then the rest of the campus. She spent 2+ hours with the head coach of a Pac12 school and that coach even walked her all over the campus. No assistant coach was involved...that indicated a serious interest. A Big West school had the assistant show her around, and she had about 20 mins with the head coach. And at a Big10 school, she barely got a 1/2 hour meeting and a 15 min snapshot of the campus with the assistant. Very little interaction with the players in our experience. (She met some of the players at the Pac12 school during a tour of the conditioning facilities.)

She spoke with each coach prior to the visit to set it up. Much of these phone conversations revolved around specific game performances, and what they were looking for, and how she would fit in. The face to face meetings were a continuation of these conversations. History of the program, and their expectations of the future. Here are some of the stock questions we took with us to get answered:

-What style of play do you utilize, and how do you describe your personal coaching style?
-What is the team GPA?
-How does the school support their student athletes academically?
-What is a typical day in season? Out of season?
-Where do you see me playing?
-When is your coaching contract up?

The ACC coach at the school she picked met with her for an hour in his office in the athletic building. He spent another hour with her walking around the practice facility, soccer stadium, and student union. He answered all of her questions in a very forthright manner and made her feel very comfortable. We talked about scholarship opportunities briefly and he mentioned that they would be able to provide a substantial offer.

After the visit, she indicated her high level of interest in the program. After a couple of additional tournaments attended by the coaching staff, they made the offer, which was accepted about 2 months later. She never attended a college-sponsored ID camp, but she did participate in the Legends College Showcase and January College ID Camp. She also never made a video of game performances. Every route is different. After she made a list of college characteristics with her mom and myself, we made a list of interested schools that matched her preferences. Those are the schools we targeted, and it just worked out that she ended up at her #1 choice.

Hope you find this useful...Good luck with the process.
Click to expand...

Was this all during your daughter's Junior year? My daughter is going through the process, but she just finished her Freshman year. We have had an "unofficial visit" to the school she wants to go to prior to the rules change. They have indicated they want to commit her, but we haven't gotten an offer yet. In fact, I was told they would be making decisions on $$ after watching her at ECNL play offs. I'm wondering if/when that offer might come? Nervous times :(
 
Dubs said:
Was this all during your daughter's Junior year? My daughter is going through the process, but she just finished her Freshman year. We have had an "unofficial visit" to the school she wants to go to prior to the rules change. They have indicated they want to commit her, but we haven't gotten an offer yet. In fact, I was told they would be making decisions on $$ after watching her at ECNL play offs. I'm wondering if/when that offer might come? Nervous times :(
Click to expand...


Not to answer for Cali “the guru” Klines who has a very narrow perspective, however, an offer comes once the coaching staff has a consensus on whether your kid will fit and when they figure out how much money it is going to take to get your kid on campus versus her potential value. It is an inexact science but you are pretty close to party time so congratulations.

My one recommendation is that even if it is her first choice school that offers take at least the rest of the evening to consider the offer and reach out to her other top choices and inform them of the offer and whether you are considering taking it. Sometimes surprising thing happen when you do this. Good luck to you and your player.
 
MakeAPlay said:
Not to answer for Cali “the guru” Klines who has a very narrow perspective, however, an offer comes once the coaching staff has a consensus on whether your kid will fit and when they figure out how much money it is going to take to get your kid on campus versus her potential value. It is an inexact science but you are pretty close to party time so congratulations.

My one recommendation is that even if it is her first choice school that offers take at least the rest of the evening to consider the offer and reach out to her other top choices and inform them of the offer and whether you are considering taking it. Sometimes surprising thing happen when you do this. Good luck to you and your player.
Click to expand...
I imagine many people take the 1st offer and regret it later. Must be pretty stressful, especially if your player is good and not great.
This info is invaluable.
 
MakeAPlay said:
Not to answer for Cali “the guru” Klines who has a very narrow perspective, however, an offer comes once the coaching staff has a consensus on whether your kid will fit and when they figure out how much money it is going to take to get your kid on campus versus her potential value. It is an inexact science but you are pretty close to party time so congratulations.

My one recommendation is that even if it is her first choice school that offers take at least the rest of the evening to consider the offer and reach out to her other top choices and inform them of the offer and whether you are considering taking it. Sometimes surprising thing happen when you do this. Good luck to you and your player.
Click to expand...

I liked the first offer (alma mater), my wife the second (she went to the same church as the assistant coach's wife), the third was a joke, the fourth was good enough, but the kid wanted the fifth - which worked out well enough for him.
 
MakeAPlay said:
Not to answer for Cali “the guru” Klines who has a very narrow perspective, however, an offer comes once the coaching staff has a consensus on whether your kid will fit and when they figure out how much money it is going to take to get your kid on campus versus her potential value. It is an inexact science but you are pretty close to party time so congratulations.

My one recommendation is that even if it is her first choice school that offers take at least the rest of the evening to consider the offer and reach out to her other top choices and inform them of the offer and whether you are considering taking it. Sometimes surprising thing happen when you do this. Good luck to you and your player.
Click to expand...

MAP, thank you for the feedback. It is very helpful. I feel like we are close, but I don't really have a good read at this point. I know her coach told my DD to reach out and ask to connect (post playoffs) which she did. Coach also said they would reach out, but haven't heard anything back yet. If/when the offer comes, we will definitely take the time to review and do what you suggest, in terms of reaching out to the other schools on her list. Thank you again for your suggestions.
 
Sheriff Joe said:
I imagine many people take the 1st offer and regret it later. Must be pretty stressful, especially if your player is good and not great.
This info is invaluable.
Click to expand...

Sometimes they do. I am a firm believer in getting the most info and options possible that fit your players needs. If my player had taken the first offer or even the 6th it would have been the wrong school, although she would have won a natty last year instead of finishing as the runner up. Still in her opinion the best decision she ever made.

Good luck to you and your player sir.
 
espola said:
I liked the first offer (alma mater), my wife the second (she went to the same church as the assistant coach's wife), the third was a joke, the fourth was good enough, but the kid wanted the fifth - which worked out well enough for him.
Click to expand...

I didn't count what should be 3A - after the assistant coach (recruiter) for college #3 took a head coach job elsewhere, one of his first acts was an email to the kid to see if he was committed anywhere yet.
 
MakeAPlay said:
Sometimes they do. I am a firm believer in getting the most info and options possible that fit your players needs. If my player had taken the first offer or even the 6th it would have been the wrong school, although she would have won a natty last year instead of finishing as the runner up. Still in her opinion the best decision she ever made.

Good luck to you and your player sir.
Click to expand...

And alma mater had nothing to do with it?
 
MakeAPlay said:
Sometimes they do. I am a firm believer in getting the most info and options possible that fit your players needs. If my player had taken the first offer or even the 6th it would have been the wrong school, although she would have won a natty last year instead of finishing as the runner up. Still in her opinion the best decision she ever made.

Good luck to you and your player sir.
Click to expand...
How is the knee after her come back?
 
Sheriff Joe said:
How is the knee after her come back?
Click to expand...

It is back to 100% unlike last season. She is very excited about finally getting back out on the pitch. It has been 6 months since she last was on the pitch. It’s a relief that she has her outlet again. It takes her focus off politics....

Thank you for asking sir.
 
MakeAPlay said:
It is back to 100% unlike last season. She is very excited about finally getting back out on the pitch. It has been 6 months since she last was on the pitch. It’s a relief that she has her outlet again. It takes her focus off politics....

Thank you for asking sir.
Click to expand...
Great news, maybe I should take up another hobby.
 
My relief is tactical shooting at night in low light conditions with my 9mm and AR15. I put pictures of old, fat, washed up, mentally ill football players with obvious CTE on the dummies and shoot the hell out of them. It is fun.
 
MakeAPlay said:
Sometimes they do. I am a firm believer in getting the most info and options possible that fit your players needs. If my player had taken the first offer or even the 6th it would have been the wrong school, although she would have won a natty last year instead of finishing as the runner up. Still in her opinion the best decision she ever made.

Good luck to you and your player sir.
Click to expand...
Mine could have won one too, with two different schools, but the most important things are not as flashy.
She has been a part of a rising program that has won its first ever back to back conference titles.
Every person has a different vantage point.

I have another kid in d-2 who wants to be a doctor.
Straight As in medical biology.
Soccer gave her the opportunity, and its a tool to facilitate her dreams.
 
Dubs said:
Was this all during your daughter's Junior year? My daughter is going through the process, but she just finished her Freshman year. We have had an "unofficial visit" to the school she wants to go to prior to the rules change. They have indicated they want to commit her, but we haven't gotten an offer yet. In fact, I was told they would be making decisions on $$ after watching her at ECNL play offs. I'm wondering if/when that offer might come? Nervous times :(
Click to expand...
Dubs,

The unofficial visits occurred during freshman year, and the summer between 9th/10th grades. The offer was extended in Oct of her sophomore year. The good Sheriff said it correctly...don’t jump at the first offer. And the good offers will not put an artificial deadline of acceptance on the offer. My daughter waited until she all the information under her belt and then she went with the one that was at the top of her list. She committed to the program about 5 weeks after the offer was extended.

Also, make sure your player keeps up a good flow of communication with the coaching staff...inform them of upcoming tourneys, league performance, and other pertinent details to let them know of her continued interest. And most of all, enjoy the ride. This part of her life is fleeting and will be gone too soon. I hope she has fun with the process and the same for the rest of the family.
 
push_up said:
My relief is tactical shooting at night in low light conditions with my 9mm and AR15. I put pictures of old, fat, washed up, mentally ill football players with obvious CTE on the dummies and shoot the hell out of them. It is fun.
Click to expand...

Give me your phone number and we will see if you are all talk...
 
push_up said:
My relief is tactical shooting at night in low light conditions with my 9mm and AR15. I put pictures of old, fat, washed up, mentally ill football players with obvious CTE on the dummies and shoot the hell out of them. It is fun.
Click to expand...

Not to mention that sooner or later your daughter is going to tell somebody about daddy’s little games he likes to play. I knew that there were a lot of pedophiles in Arizona but you are the worst.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top