Wesleyan--not a good player

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What advice would those of you who have been through the d3/nescac recruiting process give to high school juniors - what specific questions should they be asking coaches? my dc is in early stages of this for his sport and is trusting what he is being told by coaches, but also likely isn’t asking them the precise questions to avoid being caught unawares like perhaps is what happened to the Wesleyan prospectives. Thanks for any advice, as it will all be very helpful if/when he decides to which college to apply via ED.

Where am I am on the list. Find out if you are the top recruit.

Find out if you get one of the "protected" spots - each coach has a small number of these. Find out how many your DC sport gets and if DC is one of these.

Keep academics very high, prep and do well on sat or act, and get a good pre-read.

Take the application seriously including all supplements.

And based on this thread... investigate the reputation of the school and coach to be sure the answers you getting are reliable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What advice would those of you who have been through the d3/nescac recruiting process give to high school juniors - what specific questions should they be asking coaches? my dc is in early stages of this for his sport and is trusting what he is being told by coaches, but also likely isn’t asking them the precise questions to avoid being caught unawares like perhaps is what happened to the Wesleyan prospectives. Thanks for any advice, as it will all be very helpful if/when he decides to which college to apply via ED.

Where am I am on the list. Find out if you are the top recruit.

Find out if you get one of the "protected" spots - each coach has a small number of these. Find out how many your DC sport gets and if DC is one of these.

Keep academics very high, prep and do well on sat or act, and get a good pre-read.

Take the application seriously including all supplements.

And based on this thread... investigate the reputation of the school and coach to be sure the answers you getting are reliable.

Regarding the application...apply as if you are not an athletic recruit and highlight all academic and non athletic achievements. These schools are looking for scholars that can play sports, not the reverse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What advice would those of you who have been through the d3/nescac recruiting process give to high school juniors - what specific questions should they be asking coaches? my dc is in early stages of this for his sport and is trusting what he is being told by coaches, but also likely isn’t asking them the precise questions to avoid being caught unawares like perhaps is what happened to the Wesleyan prospectives. Thanks for any advice, as it will all be very helpful if/when he decides to which college to apply via ED.

Where am I am on the list. Find out if you are the top recruit.

Find out if you get one of the "protected" spots - each coach has a small number of these. Find out how many your DC sport gets and if DC is one of these.

Keep academics very high, prep and do well on sat or act, and get a good pre-read.

Take the application seriously including all supplements.

And based on this thread... investigate the reputation of the school and coach to be sure the answers you getting are reliable.

It also varies by sport. Some sports are allotted spots, other sports not so much. After the pre read and coaches give a positive signal from admissions and tell you where along the spectrum you are of likely getting in according to admissions that year. They don’t guarantee a spot, they put it a good word for you in the admissions office and that is it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s actually simple - and this thread is a crock of excrement.

Kids looking to play a college sport will consider several schools. You put in applications at all of them. Since we are not talking big time D1 football or basketball here - kids, and parents, will have several conversations with administrators about costs, financing, scholarships (no athletic money for D3), and the specific team requirements and fit.

Schools and coaches are open about what they can and cannot do for prospective athletes. Yes - particularly with D3 and Ivies, you can get kids who decide they are going to that school whether they can make a team or not. But, all athletes keep options open for as long as possible until a final decision is made. The big thing is assessing playing time potential. Even at D3, being on a team is a big time commitment and absolutely not worth it if you are not playing (or likely to play).

Conversely, from the school’s perspective, they just want someone who will be there 4 years and contribute to the school community. Again, for D3 no scholarships are at issue, so it is more a matter of making sure kids who are coming to play a sport will stay after they quit playing (or get cut). Typically, about 50% of non- full ride athletes will quit by the start of their junior year. If they also leave the school at that point - that’s revenue lost for a D3.

This is wrong. Kids who want to play their sport at a NESCAC school get 1 ED bullet. If the coach tells the kid that the coach is using a slot for that kid, admissions does a pre-read and gives a thumbs up, and the kid applies ED and then the kid does not get in, that’s a real problem. That’s what happened at Wesleyan as related on CC. The kid could have tried to use the ED bullet at another NESCAC school they were considering but was misled by Wesleyan.

+1

I don’t think the PP above understands athletics recruiting. If this story is true this isn’t a case of an eager kid misunderstanding a coach. This seems like Wesleyan did something very shady.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What advice would those of you who have been through the d3/nescac recruiting process give to high school juniors - what specific questions should they be asking coaches? my dc is in early stages of this for his sport and is trusting what he is being told by coaches, but also likely isn’t asking them the precise questions to avoid being caught unawares like perhaps is what happened to the Wesleyan prospectives. Thanks for any advice, as it will all be very helpful if/when he decides to which college to apply via ED.

Get your kid to see if they can lead the coach to making an unequivocal offer via text

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s actually simple - and this thread is a crock of excrement.

Kids looking to play a college sport will consider several schools. You put in applications at all of them. Since we are not talking big time D1 football or basketball here - kids, and parents, will have several conversations with administrators about costs, financing, scholarships (no athletic money for D3), and the specific team requirements and fit.

Schools and coaches are open about what they can and cannot do for prospective athletes. Yes - particularly with D3 and Ivies, you can get kids who decide they are going to that school whether they can make a team or not. But, all athletes keep options open for as long as possible until a final decision is made. The big thing is assessing playing time potential. Even at D3, being on a team is a big time commitment and absolutely not worth it if you are not playing (or likely to play).

Conversely, from the school’s perspective, they just want someone who will be there 4 years and contribute to the school community. Again, for D3 no scholarships are at issue, so it is more a matter of making sure kids who are coming to play a sport will stay after they quit playing (or get cut). Typically, about 50% of non- full ride athletes will quit by the start of their junior year. If they also leave the school at that point - that’s revenue lost for a D3.

This is wrong. Kids who want to play their sport at a NESCAC school get 1 ED bullet. If the coach tells the kid that the coach is using a slot for that kid, admissions does a pre-read and gives a thumbs up, and the kid applies ED and then the kid does not get in, that’s a real problem. That’s what happened at Wesleyan as related on CC. The kid could have tried to use the ED bullet at another NESCAC school they were considering but was misled by Wesleyan.

+1

I don’t think the PP above understands athletics recruiting. If this story is true this isn’t a case of an eager kid misunderstanding a coach. This seems like Wesleyan did something very shady.

+1 Also, comparable programs will have filled out rosters. Those kids will now have to try to walk on if they want to continue playing which is a much harder road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What advice would those of you who have been through the d3/nescac recruiting process give to high school juniors - what specific questions should they be asking coaches? my dc is in early stages of this for his sport and is trusting what he is being told by coaches, but also likely isn’t asking them the precise questions to avoid being caught unawares like perhaps is what happened to the Wesleyan prospectives. Thanks for any advice, as it will all be very helpful if/when he decides to which college to apply via ED.

Where am I am on the list. Find out if you are the top recruit.

Find out if you get one of the "protected" spots - each coach has a small number of these. Find out how many your DC sport gets and if DC is one of these.

Keep academics very high, prep and do well on sat or act, and get a good pre-read.

Take the application seriously including all supplements.

And based on this thread... investigate the reputation of the school and coach to be sure the answers you getting are reliable.

It also varies by sport. Some sports are allotted spots, other sports not so much. After the pre read and coaches give a positive signal from admissions and tell you where along the spectrum you are of likely getting in according to admissions that year. They don’t guarantee a spot, they put it a good word for you in the admissions office and that is it.

Maybe it does vary by sport. In sport for my DC, coach was very clear about how many players needed, what positions, where my DC fell, how many spots were "protected" and explained that if a player was recruited for one of those rare spots and the pre- read was approved, it would take a major change in grades or a arrest or something like that to derail the admittance. Coach also inquired about finances and NPC to be sure finances were solid.

In exchange...the student applies ED which is binding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s actually simple - and this thread is a crock of excrement.

Kids looking to play a college sport will consider several schools. You put in applications at all of them. Since we are not talking big time D1 football or basketball here - kids, and parents, will have several conversations with administrators about costs, financing, scholarships (no athletic money for D3), and the specific team requirements and fit.

Schools and coaches are open about what they can and cannot do for prospective athletes. Yes - particularly with D3 and Ivies, you can get kids who decide they are going to that school whether they can make a team or not. But, all athletes keep options open for as long as possible until a final decision is made. The big thing is assessing playing time potential. Even at D3, being on a team is a big time commitment and absolutely not worth it if you are not playing (or likely to play).

Conversely, from the school’s perspective, they just want someone who will be there 4 years and contribute to the school community. Again, for D3 no scholarships are at issue, so it is more a matter of making sure kids who are coming to play a sport will stay after they quit playing (or get cut). Typically, about 50% of non- full ride athletes will quit by the start of their junior year. If they also leave the school at that point - that’s revenue lost for a D3.

This is wrong. Kids who want to play their sport at a NESCAC school get 1 ED bullet. If the coach tells the kid that the coach is using a slot for that kid, admissions does a pre-read and gives a thumbs up, and the kid applies ED and then the kid does not get in, that’s a real problem. That’s what happened at Wesleyan as related on CC. The kid could have tried to use the ED bullet at another NESCAC school they were considering but was misled by Wesleyan.

+1

I don’t think the PP above understands athletics recruiting. If this story is true this isn’t a case of an eager kid misunderstanding a coach. This seems like Wesleyan did something very shady.

The mom on that thread never said the kid was promised a "slot" position. It's too bad, because I think that thread is very misleading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s actually simple - and this thread is a crock of excrement.

Kids looking to play a college sport will consider several schools. You put in applications at all of them. Since we are not talking big time D1 football or basketball here - kids, and parents, will have several conversations with administrators about costs, financing, scholarships (no athletic money for D3), and the specific team requirements and fit.

Schools and coaches are open about what they can and cannot do for prospective athletes. Yes - particularly with D3 and Ivies, you can get kids who decide they are going to that school whether they can make a team or not. But, all athletes keep options open for as long as possible until a final decision is made. The big thing is assessing playing time potential. Even at D3, being on a team is a big time commitment and absolutely not worth it if you are not playing (or likely to play).

Conversely, from the school’s perspective, they just want someone who will be there 4 years and contribute to the school community. Again, for D3 no scholarships are at issue, so it is more a matter of making sure kids who are coming to play a sport will stay after they quit playing (or get cut). Typically, about 50% of non- full ride athletes will quit by the start of their junior year. If they also leave the school at that point - that’s revenue lost for a D3.

This is wrong. Kids who want to play their sport at a NESCAC school get 1 ED bullet. If the coach tells the kid that the coach is using a slot for that kid, admissions does a pre-read and gives a thumbs up, and the kid applies ED and then the kid does not get in, that’s a real problem. That’s what happened at Wesleyan as related on CC. The kid could have tried to use the ED bullet at another NESCAC school they were considering but was misled by Wesleyan.

+1

I don’t think the PP above understands athletics recruiting. If this story is true this isn’t a case of an eager kid misunderstanding a coach. This seems like Wesleyan did something very shady.

The mom on that thread never said the kid was promised a "slot" position. It's too bad, because I think that thread is very misleading.

If they asked them to move to ED2 that is really shady, regardless of whether the mom said the kid was promised a slot position or not. It is the move to ED2 that is sleazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I went there the athletics were terrible. Maybe they’ve improved. But it was not a sports school that anyones athletics “career” would be ended. But sad to not get in if you thought you would.

For being an alum of a pretty impressive college you sure do not understand things

It is not Wesleyan that is in itself ending an athlete's career when they do not follow through on a recruitment promise. It is that the athlete once they receive that verbal commitment from a college must act in good faith and withdraw from any other verbal commitments to play at other schools that they may have received. Those other schools then of course move on and make verbal offers to other athletes. If by the time a school like Wesleyann fails to stand by their verbal word, the athlete will most likely find they are out of luck as the other schools that they had promise with but said "no thank you too", have moved on and filled their rosters. The rejected athlete could always try to walk-on to a team if they are accepted at the school but that is very much a long shot. So, with no options the student athlete will no longer be able to play their sport on a collegiate level (in this case DIII) and, thus, their athletic career at a (DIII) high level will be over. (yes, they can always try out for a school's club level team but that is not what we are talking here)

[Anonymous]

Waitaminit, I thought athletes had it easy all the time and it was a cakewalk for them! At least that's what I thought from reading this forum...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I went there the athletics were terrible. Maybe they’ve improved. But it was not a sports school that anyones athletics “career” would be ended. But sad to not get in if you thought you would.

For being an alum of a pretty impressive college you sure do not understand things

It is not Wesleyan that is in itself ending an athlete's career when they do not follow through on a recruitment promise. It is that the athlete once they receive that verbal commitment from a college must act in good faith and withdraw from any other verbal commitments to play at other schools that they may have received. Those other schools then of course move on and make verbal offers to other athletes. If by the time a school like Wesleyann fails to stand by their verbal word, the athlete will most likely find they are out of luck as the other schools that they had promise with but said "no thank you too", have moved on and filled their rosters. The rejected athlete could always try to walk-on to a team if they are accepted at the school but that is very much a long shot. So, with no options the student athlete will no longer be able to play their sport on a collegiate level (in this case DIII) and, thus, their athletic career at a (DIII) high level will be over. (yes, they can always try out for a school's club level team but that is not what we are talking here)

What was the verbal offer? be very very sure DC understands the different levels of offer and what exactly is on the table. If it is not one of the few Guaranteed" type spots, move on to a different coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s actually simple - and this thread is a crock of excrement.

Kids looking to play a college sport will consider several schools. You put in applications at all of them. Since we are not talking big time D1 football or basketball here - kids, and parents, will have several conversations with administrators about costs, financing, scholarships (no athletic money for D3), and the specific team requirements and fit.

Schools and coaches are open about what they can and cannot do for prospective athletes. Yes - particularly with D3 and Ivies, you can get kids who decide they are going to that school whether they can make a team or not. But, all athletes keep options open for as long as possible until a final decision is made. The big thing is assessing playing time potential. Even at D3, being on a team is a big time commitment and absolutely not worth it if you are not playing (or likely to play).

Conversely, from the school’s perspective, they just want someone who will be there 4 years and contribute to the school community. Again, for D3 no scholarships are at issue, so it is more a matter of making sure kids who are coming to play a sport will stay after they quit playing (or get cut). Typically, about 50% of non- full ride athletes will quit by the start of their junior year. If they also leave the school at that point - that’s revenue lost for a D3.

This is wrong. Kids who want to play their sport at a NESCAC school get 1 ED bullet. If the coach tells the kid that the coach is using a slot for that kid, admissions does a pre-read and gives a thumbs up, and the kid applies ED and then the kid does not get in, that’s a real problem. That’s what happened at Wesleyan as related on CC. The kid could have tried to use the ED bullet at another NESCAC school they were considering but was misled by Wesleyan.

This is correct. PP at top is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Waitaminit, I thought athletes had it easy all the time and it was a cakewalk for them! At least that's what I thought from reading this forum...

Yep. The truth is that to be a recruited student-athlete at the DIII level an applicant has double the work and stress as a normal applicant. But of course folks like to attack before fully understanding the DIII process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s actually simple - and this thread is a crock of excrement.

Kids looking to play a college sport will consider several schools. You put in applications at all of them. Since we are not talking big time D1 football or basketball here - kids, and parents, will have several conversations with administrators about costs, financing, scholarships (no athletic money for D3), and the specific team requirements and fit.

Schools and coaches are open about what they can and cannot do for prospective athletes. Yes - particularly with D3 and Ivies, you can get kids who decide they are going to that school whether they can make a team or not. But, all athletes keep options open for as long as possible until a final decision is made. The big thing is assessing playing time potential. Even at D3, being on a team is a big time commitment and absolutely not worth it if you are not playing (or likely to play).

Conversely, from the school’s perspective, they just want someone who will be there 4 years and contribute to the school community. Again, for D3 no scholarships are at issue, so it is more a matter of making sure kids who are coming to play a sport will stay after they quit playing (or get cut). Typically, about 50% of non- full ride athletes will quit by the start of their junior year. If they also leave the school at that point - that’s revenue lost for a D3.

This is wrong. Kids who want to play their sport at a NESCAC school get 1 ED bullet. If the coach tells the kid that the coach is using a slot for that kid, admissions does a pre-read and gives a thumbs up, and the kid applies ED and then the kid does not get in, that’s a real problem. That’s what happened at Wesleyan as related on CC. The kid could have tried to use the ED bullet at another NESCAC school they were considering but was misled by Wesleyan.

This is correct. PP at top is wrong.

In order to learn from this, it is critical to know if the coach lied and said they had a guaranteed spot or not. Did the coach mislead or did the student misunderstand? If the coach can tell you exactly where the player stands and if they do or do not give a defended spot...the player needs to move on. Ask as many questions as needed to understand the exact process.