Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My junior DS is a sprinter. I'm looking for any online resources, other message forums where I could get more information on NC/VA/MD track programs, other than just checking the T&F section on the college's website. For instance, which programs have well respected coaches and which seem to have high staff turnover? What schools have more and less desirable facilities? What are the programs that college kids are trying to transfer to or away from? Maybe this deeper dive into athletic programs doesn't exist.

DS is handling communications with coaches. But I know he won't be asking the above questions, and this is information I care about before I start writing checks.

He currently has D3 times and walk-on times for lower tier D1 schools

thanks!

You need to include yourself with communications. Let you kid do the talking, but always read and listen to conversations. It is a non-equal situation where 1) the coaches are adults 2) kids sometimes hear what they want to hear 3) kids write dumb stuff.

As far as coaching, you need to kind of read the bios. Coaching is an inherently transitory profession though.

Parents need to be careful about their involvement. At my D1 school, coaches really want to hear from the athletes without their parents. It is their filter to discern how focused the athletes will be when they arrive. Not sure it is a good one but it is their preference. The program has turned its approach around in the last five years, moving from a distance focus to sprints and field events, a wise move it appears as they now are consistently at the top of the conference. Sprinters and multi-event types - and that is where they are concentrating - typically compete in a number of events and the coaches want resilient and independent athletes. Fast sprinter? We may want you to jump for points. That kind of thing. Not every program is the same. My college roommate is the coach at an excellent mid major after a long stint in the Big 10, and he is receptive to parents. I would however let my kid give the impression they are charting their own course.

Perhaps. By weird coincidence (albeit a small sample size), I know two kids that were recruited by NESCAC schools for track and field. In both cases, it’s reasonable to assume that (as you pointed out), admission was helped by the sport. However, in both cases, no “merit aid” or other financial assistance was “found” as part of the recruitment.