Recruiting Tips for Parents Just Starting the Process

Real Deal said:
I've stated before that I think sophomore year (10th) is the optimal time to start the process. And honestly, I'd have to argue that they don't know much more about what they want in 11th grade than they do in 10th. You are talking the difference between a few months. And since you asked, I didn't declare my major until sophomore year in college. If I had been lucky enough to have a verbal commit, with money, in sophomore year of high school, I would've been ecstatic. It takes so much pressure off. For an athlete, for the ones who care, it allows them to focus more on their sport while also exploring what it is they want to do besides it in life. With some exceptions (math genius, star debater, violin virtuoso), any major decision like choosing a college, for a 16,17 year old, is just taking a flyer. Who knows if it'll work out? Why not have them benefit from the hours and hours and hours of hard work put into their sport with a little relief from the tension of high school? These kids are under constant pressure from the competitive environment of athletics. Why can't they verbally commit in 10th grade? This is the one break we can give them.

PS- it takes pressure off the parents to know the financial situation as well.
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Commit with money in 10th grade is illegal under NCAA regs.
 
Real Deal said:
I've stated before that I think sophomore year (10th) is the optimal time. And honestly, I'd have to argue that they don't know much more about what they want in 11th grade than they do in 10th. You are talking the difference between a few months. And since you asked, I didn't declare my major until sophomore year in college. If I had been lucky enough to have a verbal commit, with money, in sophomore year of high school, I would've been ecstatic. It takes so much pressure off. For an athlete, for the ones who care, it allows them to focus more on their sport while also exploring what it is they want to do besides it in life. With some exceptions (math genius, star debater, violin virtuoso), any major decision like choosing a college, for a 16,17 year old, is just taking a flyer. Who knows if it'll work out? Why not have them benefit from the hours and hours and hours of hard work put into their sport with a little relief from the tension of high school? These kids are under constant pressure from the competitive environment of athletics. Why can't they verbally commit in 10th grade? This is the one break we can give them.

PS- it takes pressure off the parents to know the financial situation as well.
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I agree. My player committed as a sophomore and from that point on she focused on working on what her future coaches wanted from her. It worked out. She graduated in the top 10 in her graduating class academically and took classes that were transferable to her university which will help her to graduate as soon as her season is over her senior year. Now I know that my player had a pretty unique situation (the is attending the school that she has loved since she knew what college was) but it was still a relief to her and us.
 
espola said:
And people get tickets for it.
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It's called a verbal commit, Espola. I hear they are giving those to 7th and 8th graders. No one actually signs anything until 11th. I'd say just get rid of the middle school verbals and let them commit in 10th and up.
 
Don't yell but what is the rule that you are referring to, I don't know it. Verbal commitment and acceptance constitutes a contract, correct? The colleges reinforce that contract when they ask for the players to post their commitment online and post it on any recruiting materials that are handed out by their club team. My daughter has also been on campus's where they have put the offer on paper and although we were not allowed to take it with us we did take a picture of it. From what i have gathered these verbal commitments/contracts are very rarely broken by the college's. Do you have evidence to the contrary. Am I naive? If the conversation is recorded does that make it more binding. I hear what your saying but to my knowledge it's more of a contract then what you are saying and would not think it is illegal, enlighten me.
 
A coach can offer a scholarship "promise" at any point and a student-athlete can accept it. It's non binding on anyone's part, but it isn't illegal. Why do you keep saying it's illegal? It isn't. What IS illegal is coaches calling kids directly before their junior year, paying for them to come on visits, and the like. But offers and commitments are not illegal.

The new rule proposal is ehhhh to me. Sept 1 is a terrible time (for coaches) to unleash the floodgates of recruiting. That's week 1 into the season or close to it, right? I'd agree with above that sophomore year is fine. I'd change contact and visits allowable after Jan 1 of sophomore year would be fine for all involved. And I would change that if you are on campus on your own dime, you can talk to the coaches. We were staying with family in a random city last summer and walked through the campus and met the soccer coaches...and our kid is young! Super nice to chat with them and for our kid to put some foundations and specifics under a nebulous dream of "play college soccer."

We will see if it passes. These things only pass if it benefits the big 5 schools and jury is out for me if these changes help them.
 
full90 said:
A coach can offer a scholarship "promise" at any point and a student-athlete can accept it. It's non binding on anyone's part, but it isn't illegal. Why do you keep saying it's illegal? It isn't. What IS illegal is coaches calling kids directly before their junior year, paying for them to come on visits, and the like. But offers and commitments are not illegal.

The new rule proposal is ehhhh to me. Sept 1 is a terrible time (for coaches) to unleash the floodgates of recruiting. That's week 1 into the season or close to it, right? I'd agree with above that sophomore year is fine. I'd change contact and visits allowable after Jan 1 of sophomore year would be fine for all involved. And I would change that if you are on campus on your own dime, you can talk to the coaches. We were staying with family in a random city last summer and walked through the campus and met the soccer coaches...and our kid is young! Super nice to chat with them and for our kid to put some foundations and specifics under a nebulous dream of "play college soccer."

We will see if it passes. These things only pass if it benefits the big 5 schools and jury is out for me if these changes help them.
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The NCAA was created to level the advantages the rich schools had. The news stories about violation of recruiting, scholarship, and eligibility rules rarely involve small schools.
 
espola said:
The NCAA was created to level the advantages the rich schools had. The news stories about violation of recruiting, scholarship, and eligibility rules rarely involve small schools.
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The rich schools (Poser 5 conferences) stuck it to the NCAA and demanded that they allow them to pay the true cost of attendance or they would pull out and form their own organization with their own rules. I think that they should. Now all the full ride athletes get an extra $1500-$2k a month for basic stuff like toiletries. Personally I think that the NCAA is completely self serving and full of $hit.
 
MakeAPlay said:
The rich schools (Poser 5 conferences) stuck it to the NCAA and demanded that they allow them to pay the true cost of attendance or they would pull out and form their own organization with their own rules. I think that they should. Now all the full ride athletes get an extra $1500-$2k a month for basic stuff like toiletries. Personally I think that the NCAA is completely self serving and full of $hit.
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It will be interesting to see how much comes out of the latest FBI investigation.
 
Today, I heard it directly from a head coach of a major D1 woman's soccer program that the new verbal commitment rule is a done deal and going to be in effect at the end of this month. They can still lock up younger recruits until the end of April. After this month, no commitments can be made until September 1st of the recruit's Junior year in high school.
 
davin said:
Today, I heard it directly from a head coach of a major D1 woman's soccer program that the new verbal commitment rule is a done deal and going to be in effect at the end of this month. They can still lock up younger recruits until the end of April. After this month, no commitments can be made until September 1st of the recruit's Junior year in high school.
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That's a major bummer for the kiddos. Is this just a rule for soccer or for all sports?

On the bright side, no real reason to start club soccer until 12 or 13 then. :cool:
 
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davin said:
Today, I heard it directly from a head coach of a major D1 woman's soccer program that the new verbal commitment rule is a done deal and going to be in effect at the end of this month. They can still lock up younger recruits until the end of April. After this month, no commitments can be made until September 1st of the recruit's Junior year in high school.
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"commitments" -- that's funny.
 
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