When my son was going through the recruiting process I was amazed at how college coaches would court him. Some would tell him how important he was to their recruiting class, others would say how he could start as a freshman at their school, and yet others would tell him that he was better than some of the players on their current squad, etc., etc., etc. Well, the truth is college coaches will tell athletes and their parents almost anything to get their attention and interest.
You see recruiting is a game played by professionals. And those professionals are the college coaches! You have to be able to tell when a coach is being sincere and when they are blowing smoke at you. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two so here are some pointers.
Tell the college coach or recruiter that you the parent are involved and somewhat knowledgeable of the recruiting process. Then tell them that you love your child and you simply want to help them to find the right fit and the right college for them. Go on the “offensive”. Don’t wait for a coach to shower you or your athlete with sweet talk. Have a conversation with them that starts something like this.
First, ask the coach, “Where is my son or daughter on your “recruiting list”? Are they number 2 or 3 or are they 10 or 11? If you ask this question directly you will probably get a straight answer.
Next, ask them if they plan on offering your athlete an “Official Visit”. These are visits the college pays for and they usually happen at the beginning of their senior year.
And finally, ask the coach if they plan on offering your athlete ANY financial aid (scholarship).
The answers to these three questions will tell you which schools are really interested and where you should focus your recruiting efforts.
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