The first of September has always been a day of opening doors in the recruiting process. For the longest time it was simply the first day for permissible correspondence to juniors. At one point coaches obsessed about making sure something was on their doorstep that first day but then the NCAA overnight delivery ban came into play and now they live and die by the September 1st postmark. It’s ironic that there was (and still is) a warped perception among seemingly well-educated coaches that being first actually made a statement about the veracity of their interest or the value in what their school has to offer.
Nowadays it’s also phone calls and, to prove that the coaching community has indeed lost their collective minds, text messages and other electronic communication. Texts were also at one time impermissible under NCAA guidelines before sadly returned in 2014 like a bad rash that refuses to go away. None the less, it’s that time of year once again and the 2018 class is now “in play” at a whole new level. With the doors of communication now open even further, it’s important for recruits and their parents to control and interpret this new level of conversation in a way that will make it productive, revealing and, most of all, accurate.
Good luck with that.
You’re dealing with college basketball recruiters. They’re the athletic equivalent of the illusionists that somehow managed to package Hillary and Donald as the very best options once respected political parties have to offer as the next leader of the free world. Stay on your toes because the coaches now knocking on your door will make those folks look like amateurs.
The biggest thing is getting past the inherent speed bumps that come with a little attention, human nature and, subsequently, ego. First and foremost, it’s important to put aside the novelty of the situation. Yes, it’s an honor and a compliment to be recruited in the first place. And yes, it’s also fun to get to know the coaching staffs and experience the choreography of the different recruiting efforts. Every phone call, piece of mail, etc…is a compliment. Yet, at some point the reality has to set in that it’s simply the next part of the process and something that coaches do with literally thousands of recruits across the country. A week has passed so now it’s time to reel things in and keep it all in perspective.
Just like the effort and sweat that goes into your on court skill training sessions, the recruiting process is hard work and requires your undivided attention if you hope to get the results that will lead to a well thought decision. Particularly with those phone calls. It’s not social hour, it’s an opportunity…if you’re smart enough to view it that way. There needs to be an objective in each and every phone call (regardless of who called who) and it should always serve the needs of the prospect rather than that of the recruiter. Never lose sight of the fact the process belongs to the athlete…NOT the college programs.
I used the word choreography earlier and it’s very accurate terminology. In reality, the NCAA Tournament isn’t actually the big dance, the recruiting process is. And it’s important that you lead if you want to make a decision based on the priorities that are important to your future. In that light, it’s imperative that you dictate the conversation. No matter how friendly they might seem…how interested they appear to be in each and every aspect of your life or if you begin to feel like they’re your long lost brother or sister…never forget…it’s still a business call.
Rest assured that any coach worth their salt has strategic talking points they want to touch upon before they even pick up the phone to make any recruiting call. With stronger, experienced staffs there’s always a coordinated effort among all the coaches regarding what “message” is currently being shared with recruits. Nothing is ever left to chance. If you allow them to dictate the direction of the conversation you’ll end up getting the answers they want you to have before you even realize what the questions might actually be. Always beware of any coach trying to tell you what you “need” to think, do or ask.
In taking that approach, they’re not being insincere or dishonest. It’s their job to make you feel comfortable, obtain information about you and to “sell” their staff, program and university. Keeping that in mind, understand that they’re going to attempt to paint you a picture. There’s nothing wrong with that but just make sure that that you’re the one choosing the brush and colors. By that I mean you need to be asking the questions. You should be the one with a list of things you want to know from a program before the phone rings again. Keep them following your script rather than allowing them to do a rewrite of their own. When you vision yourself as a part of their program it should be through clear lenses rather than ones tinted by their school colors.
As you receive knowledge from them it’s critical to understand that most recruiters will “spin” that information to portray it in the best light possible. While perfectly understandable, it can also be misleading. An example might be that they tell you a coach has a five year contract but leave out specifically when it expires. That coach could be in their final year of that agreement and be long gone before you arrive on campus. Not a lie, but not exactly crystal clear either. They might tell you that “every player who has finished their four years of eligibility has graduated”. Well, yeah, I should hope so. Sounds good on the surface, but shouldn’t that be a given if someone has spent that kind of time on campus? Ask them what percentage of all of the head coach’s career NLI signees have graduated. Now you’re getting into revealing, and more importantly, potentially impactful information.
Whether it’s over the phone, on a web site, social media or even through the mail it’s also important to strip the packaging off of the information provided and see it for what it really is and could possibly mean to your future. Some of the best wrapped presents under the tree may not be the things on your Christmas list that you were hoping for from Coach Santa and the Assistant elves. Elaborate web sites, active and cutting edge social media, or anything else dressed up with video, music and graphics are nothing more than presentation. Twitter, Instagram, Photoshop and YouTube do nothing for your academic, athletic or personal experience once you’re on campus. Cut through the frosting and see what the cake is really like.
A couple of other reminders
- Take note of who you’re hearing from…Was the head coach on that first phone call?…If not, understand that you’re not at the top of their list…Assistant coaches are fine but in the end they’re not who you’re going to play for…Head coaches are calling, and hand writing their top recruits…(Assistants can text from the boss’s phones!)
- Following every call, letter, e-mail or any other form of communication, ask yourself what do you know now that you didn’t know before…Communication for the sake of “touching base” is like dribbling without advancing the ball or improving a passing angle…No point to it and a wasted opportunity
- Take notes after each call…Know what you want to ask them next time or as a reminder to yourself about information they were supposed to be getting for you…Also, make notes to ask other programs about something that might have impressed you or caused concern…Being special or negative in one program doesn’t mean that it is the same highlight or red flag with the others dialing your number
- Just as you have to get past the packaging of information, you also have to get past the “amount”…Having something in the mail, your in-box or on the screen of your phone everyday doesn’t mean that they want you any more or that they’re a better option than anyone else…Being “there from the start” and “how much” are the most overrated and misleading elements in recruiting…They don’t mean a thing once you’re on campus
- The same applies to phone calls…There are coaches who will talk with you till the break of dawn…Don’t confuse the ease with which you converse with someone to mean that they might be a better fit…It’s important that you’re comfortable with them but never forget that it doesn’t change the options available to you in their program
Recruiting communication is a means to an end. It allows you to get to know a program and its coaches as well as learn about the opportunities you might find on the court, in the classroom and living in that environment. However, it’s critical to realize that the dynamics of that communication change once you’re on campus. You won’t be getting all the warm and fuzzy notes, calls asking about every little thing in your life or the constant warm embrace that comes in the recruiting process. Sincere coaches will continue to provide a setting that maintains a similar feeling but you’re now one of their players rather than a recruit and the specifics of your relationship are going to be different. That’s not a good or bad thing, it’s just a reality.
That’s why it’s so critical to get past the fluff, window dressing and make-up that recruiters use to get your attention. Underneath all of that there are many great situations for almost every recruited athlete. Too many players on today’s extensive list of transfers are the result of emotional decisions, poorly thought priorities and a willingness to let the college coaches drive the process. You have to control the conversation and set the agenda if you’re going to find that “fit” that will help you succeed athletically, academically and personally.
