Athletic recruit: things I have learned from this so far

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume all the anecdotes are from families who have never been through the recruitment process. Some are funny to read.

I’m a former D1 athlete and parent of 2 recruited D1 athletes. My good friend and former teammate is an AD at an ACC school. My advice is not anecdotal. Universities don’t suddenly have money trees growing on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume all the anecdotes are from families who have never been through the recruitment process. Some are funny to read.

I’m the D3 baseball player parent and I assure you I am real! I think the truth is that there is a huge range of experiences across schools, divisions, and sports. I try not to assume people are making stuff up but that their experience is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all very relevant to D1, but it a lot of it does not apply to D3, just so folks are aware.

There are very few perks like help with registration, no massages (unless it’s needed therapy), no tutors (but there is required study hall), no laundry service, no special housing or dining options. There isn’t any money so you can’t really negotiate, though you can negotiate academic merit money, like everyone else.

The issue of time and major is still something to think about but less cut and dry. My baseball playing son can major in anything he wants and can take a semester abroad. He has to be able to handle the load and figure out conflicts, though.

And he is so happy. He plays the sport he loves every day and gets an education. It’s the right fit.

My baseball son is starting to make a college list and we know now D1 is out of the question, D2 is a reach. Would love to know where your son is happy so we can take a look and see if it's a fit for our son. Thanks!

What academic level?

Average. Only going into 10th grade, so hasn't done the SAT's yet, but GPA is 3.8. His ADHD is debilitating when it comes to school work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Three pages of posts and no discussion of travel requirements. Kids miss a lot of class time at most P5 conference schools, especially for the more spectator popular team sports. Your kid is going to need that tutor when they have multiple travel days per week in season.

Is this true for women's cross country and track? I have a DD being recruited for D3 admission to a few LACs. How much travel and missing class occurs in D3 track & field and X country seasons?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Three pages of posts and no discussion of travel requirements. Kids miss a lot of class time at most P5 conference schools, especially for the more spectator popular team sports. Your kid is going to need that tutor when they have multiple travel days per week in season.

Is this true for women's cross country and track? I have a DD being recruited for D3 admission to a few LACs. How much travel and missing class occurs in D3 track & field and X country seasons?

Maybe a few Fridays or Friday afternoons for T/F and XC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all very relevant to D1, but it a lot of it does not apply to D3, just so folks are aware.

There are very few perks like help with registration, no massages (unless it’s needed therapy), no tutors (but there is required study hall), no laundry service, no special housing or dining options. There isn’t any money so you can’t really negotiate, though you can negotiate academic merit money, like everyone else.

The issue of time and major is still something to think about but less cut and dry. My baseball playing son can major in anything he wants and can take a semester abroad. He has to be able to handle the load and figure out conflicts, though.

And he is so happy. He plays the sport he loves every day and gets an education. It’s the right fit.

My baseball son is starting to make a college list and we know now D1 is out of the question, D2 is a reach. Would love to know where your son is happy so we can take a look and see if it's a fit for our son. Thanks!

What academic level?

Average. Only going into 10th grade, so hasn't done the SAT's yet, but GPA is 3.8. His ADHD is debilitating when it comes to school work.

Old Dominion conference recruits a lot in this area, and he may find a nice fit there. Catholic University has a good program locally. Skidmore, Dickinson, Macalaster could be good choices for stronger academics without admissions being insanely picky like Williams etc.

I’m not the original poster who brought up d3 baseball, but I could have written the exact same post. A wonderful balance for the player who isn’t going pro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all very relevant to D1, but it a lot of it does not apply to D3, just so folks are aware.

There are very few perks like help with registration, no massages (unless it’s needed therapy), no tutors (but there is required study hall), no laundry service, no special housing or dining options. There isn’t any money so you can’t really negotiate, though you can negotiate academic merit money, like everyone else.

The issue of time and major is still something to think about but less cut and dry. My baseball playing son can major in anything he wants and can take a semester abroad. He has to be able to handle the load and figure out conflicts, though.

And he is so happy. He plays the sport he loves every day and gets an education. It’s the right fit.

My baseball son is starting to make a college list and we know now D1 is out of the question, D2 is a reach. Would love to know where your son is happy so we can take a look and see if it's a fit for our son. Thanks!

What academic level?

Average. Only going into 10th grade, so hasn't done the SAT's yet, but GPA is 3.8. His ADHD is debilitating when it comes to school work.

Pardon my naivete but how is 3.8 average? It is not truly elite, but at least at my kid's school, that is well above average. We don't do weighting, etc. All of these posts with different averages/weighted averages confuse the heck out of me so pardon my ignorance.

Pardon the threadjack - just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you willing to share the sport ?

Is it a revenue (basketball or football) sport ?

Depending on the school other sports are plus revenue sports. Hockey is a revenue sport, as is softball at a growing number of universities.

The two you mentioned are certainly revenue sports but the way of thinking that they are the only two are outdated.

Hard to believe that softball is a revenue sport; can you name some schools where this is true ? TIA

Same for "hockey". Is that ice hockey or field hockey ?

Continuing:

While I understand that any sport can generate revenue through ticket sales, concessions, & TV revenue, my understanding is that, typically, all sports other than football & basketball need funding beyond the revenue generated by that sport. Often college football funds the overwhelming majority of an athletics dept. budget.

Men’s ice hockey is huge in the Minnesota / Michigan area and the New England area .

The Boston Beanpot is played every year at TD Garden and it’s top hockey teams BC, BU. and Northeastern play. The fourth team is Harvard, although they aren’t in the same conference and there are better New England teams it’s a tradition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is passionate about soccer. Is it too late get recruited at T10?

What grade is he?

[Anonymous]

If they are changing their desired major to fit what the school "allows" for athletes, I hope they're at least getting some NIL money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basically, at the more selective schools, they recognize that they can't put excessive requirements on athletes. They treat them foremost as students. This is why for the most part the Ivy league (even though DI) is not a powerhouse conference. If you want to play/compete, but don't want to be "owned" by the university, an Ivy is a great choice if possible (I recognize not all students can meet the academic threshold) or a D3. The guidance the OP gave really applies to the "Power" conferences (SEC, ACC, Big whatever, etc.)

Not everyone can afford Ivy at $95K a year, either, even if they can get in and get a spot on the team. OP is talking D1 schools with hefty athletic scholarships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume all the anecdotes are from families who have never been through the recruitment process. Some are funny to read.

PP here with recruited DC… what I said about Ivy training and expectations are not anecdotal. I mentioned it specifically because many parents on DCUM think that going “Ivy” is this perfect combination of academic prestige with the ability to play a D1 sport that is not “time consuming.” That is simply not true, so student athletes and parents who actually are going through the process or are thinking about it should ask the right questions. I also did say that it is sport and school specific.

DC committed to play at HA D3, and (for DCs non-revenue field sport) what people have said about NESCAC recruiting is
mostly true (I think it depends on the sport, but there is a lot of leeway at the C band level), that some schools in the Patriot League have a sliding scale for scholarships or offer only 2 slots and are need aware when offering slots, and that you don’t have to be the best student to get into an Ivy for a sport, you just have to be passable and that doesn’t included necessarily having “top tier” rigor or test scores either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume all the anecdotes are from families who have never been through the recruitment process. Some are funny to read.

PP here with recruited DC… what I said about Ivy training and expectations are not anecdotal. I mentioned it specifically because many parents on DCUM think that going “Ivy” is this perfect combination of academic prestige with the ability to play a D1 sport that is not “time consuming.” That is simply not true, so student athletes and parents who actually are going through the process or are thinking about it should ask the right questions. I also did say that it is sport and school specific.

DC committed to play at HA D3, and (for DCs non-revenue field sport) what people have said about NESCAC recruiting is
mostly true (I think it depends on the sport, but there is a lot of leeway at the C band level), that some schools in the Patriot League have a sliding scale for scholarships or offer only 2 slots and are need aware when offering slots, and that you don’t have to be the best student to get into an Ivy for a sport, you just have to be passable and that doesn’t included necessarily having “top tier” rigor or test scores either.

An Ivy told our child they needed at least a 1280 for them to issue a likely letter. We were shocked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you willing to share the sport ?

Is it a revenue (basketball or football) sport ?

Depending on the school other sports are plus revenue sports. Hockey is a revenue sport, as is softball at a growing number of universities.

The two you mentioned are certainly revenue sports but the way of thinking that they are the only two are outdated.

Hard to believe that softball is a revenue sport; can you name some schools where this is true ? TIA

Same for "hockey". Is that ice hockey or field hockey ?

Continuing:

While I understand that any sport can generate revenue through ticket sales, concessions, & TV revenue, my understanding is that, typically, all sports other than football & basketball need funding beyond the revenue generated by that sport. Often college football funds the overwhelming majority of an athletics dept. budget.

Men’s ice hockey is huge in the Minnesota / Michigan area and the New England area .

The Boston Beanpot is played every year at TD Garden and it’s top hockey teams BC, BU. and Northeastern play. The fourth team is Harvard, although they aren’t in the same conference and there are better New England teams it’s a tradition.

Hockey players start college at 23. Redshirt in HS. Farm league for a year or two…then college scholarship. And best if you are at a prep school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Getting recruited to a top 30 D1 academic school is a lot harder than getting straight As and maxing out standardized test. The competition to get recruited for these schools is insane. If you were to take all of the athletes interested and qualified for the slot it would be less than a 1% acceptance rate. The kids that get recruited are vetted for more rigorously than any regular student. Coaches watch them compete for over a year, have multiple calls with hs coaches, club coaches and teachers, do interviews with the athlete, and pre-reads with admissions before making their selection. Once the coach selects the athlete it’s pretty much guaranteed admissions, but that is because the kid has already been fully vetted by the time actual admissions happens.

This.