UNOFFICIAL AND OFFICIAL VISITS

ATHLETES WANTED

C H R I S K R A U S E

High School Edition

CHAPTER 6

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UNoffICIaL aND

offICIaL VISITS

ChApTER

6

eQuAte the reCruitMent proCess to marriage—a person does not go on one or two dates and then decide to get hitched. This process is about building trust between the student-athlete and coach, so the relationship should extend beyond phone calls and emails. We suggest that student-athletes begin taking unofficial visits to colleges as freshmen, continuing until they have signed on the dotted line.

unoFFiCiAl Visits

An unofficial visit is any visit to a college or university campus that is not funded by the institution. Unlike official visits, the NCAA does not place restrictions on when or how often an athlete can take an unofficial visit, so a student can start as early as his freshman year. A coach cannot, however, pay for any portion of the athlete’s unofficial visit, including lunch, park-ing, transportation, or accommodations.

During an unofficial visit, a coach will typically talk to the athlete about the university and athletic program, as well as give the student-athlete a brief tour of the athletic facilities. If a coach has seen the student play, he may give the student an indication as to how interested he is in recruiting the athlete. In some cases, highly recruited student-athletes receive verbal scholarship offers during unofficial visits.

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c o a c h ’ s t i PConnectingwiththecoachingstaffbeforeanunofficialvisitiscritical.Thepurposeofanunofficialvisitistoallowtheathletetoexperiencecampuslifeandbuildarelationshipwiththestaff.Butifthecoachesarenoteagertohostastudent,theylikelyarenotinterestedinrecruitingthatathlete.

scheduling unofficial Visits

If an athlete takes the initiative to schedule an unofficial visit and arrives with some knowledge about the university, as well as questions to ask the coach, the athlete is more likely to move up the coach’s list.

Before the visit, an athlete should call or email the coach to set up a meeting. Division I and II coaches are restricted from returning phone calls during a student’s freshman and sophomore years (and some sports restrict contact during the junior year, as listed in the NCAA Guide to the College-Bound Student-Athlete), so a student-athlete might need to make several phone calls before connecting with the coach.

A student who has a highlight or skills video available can send it, along with a résumé, in advance.

s a M P L e e M a i L

Dear Coach Smith,

i am in the process of scheduling my unofficial visits and am wondering if there is anything specific i should do to set up an unofficial visit with your university. in particular, i am wondering if you are available to meet on June 2 or June 3, and whether you recommend that i arrange for an admissions interview.

please click on the following links to view my highlight video.

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The athlete must arrive on time with a copy of his profile, highlight or skills video, and a list of questions. The student should also take notes during the interview. Parents should work with their child before the meeting to identify the specific athletic, student life, and academic ques-tion to ask (see Chapter 5 for sample questions). Of course, athletes should always ask these two crucial questions:

What else would I need to do to have a chance to compete for 1. your program and earn a scholarship?

What is the next step I should take with you?2.

These specific questions let the coach know the student-athlete’s inten-tions and that the athlete is serious. Compare these to: Coach, I am very interested in your program. This statement does little to establish expec-tations, and might tell the coach that the student-athlete is interested in walking on.

Parents need to counsel the athlete about which questions are appro-priate to ask and which should be postponed until the relationship has been built. If this is the first time the college coach has spoken with the athlete, the student might not want to ask if a scholarship is waiting for him, especially if the coach has not seen his skills video. But if the athlete has spoken with the coach three times, met with the coach once, and has been evaluated by the coach, she should find out exactly where she stands on the coach’s priority list.

Athletes should also be prepared to answer questions, such as:

What other colleges/programs are recruiting you? 1. Students should be prepared to list colleges comparable to, rivals with, or better than the institution they are visiting.

What colleges will you visit? 2. Answers should be honest but tactical. If this is the first college visit, the athlete should state that he is in the process

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of scheduling the rest of his visits, and then name other institutions that are comparable to, rivals with, or better than the institution he is visiting.

Has anyone offered you a scholarship?3. If the student has been offered a scholarship, he should tell the coach about it. If no scholarships have been offered, the athlete should state that he is in the process of taking visits and plans to discuss scholarships with those coaches when he meets with them.

When can you commit?4. If this is the student-athlete’s number one choice, he can commit, so long as he has completely researched all other choices. If he has other visits pending, he should tell the coach that he wants to visit a few other colleges just to make sure he is making an educated decision. He could say something like this, “I know this is a decision that will impact not only the next four years of my life, but possibly the next forty years, so I want to make absolutely sure I have chosen a good fit for both me and the college.”

He should also ask the coach how long the offer stands.

Game day Visits

Game day visits provide student-athletes with the opportunity to visit a campus with three tickets to watch a game. Game day visits are most common in football recruiting, but they take place in other sports as well. (See www.athleteswanted.org for a sample game day schedule.) Most football programs will offer game day visits to student-athletes on their recruiting list. Remember that the coaching staff will be busy preparing their team, so recruits usually do not get much attention during a game

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day visit. If this happens, athletes should not get discouraged, but be sure to follow up by calling to thank the coach.

oFFiCiAl Visits

If an institution pays for any part of a visit, the visit is considered an offi-cial visit. The NCAA restricts official visits: A student cannot take more than five official visits to Division I and II universities, and a student can only take one visit per university. With a few exceptions, official visits generally cannot begin until opening day of the athlete’s senior year in high school.

c o a c h ’ s t i PStudent-athletes should make the most of official visits.Athletesshouldwalkaroundcampusandgetafeelfortheatmosphere.Dothestudentsseemfriendly?Isthisaplacethey can imagine living for the next four years? Student-athletesmightalsowant to try tomeet the team, sit inaclass, or watch a practice. They need to be sure this is aschooltheywouldwanttoattendifathleticswerenotpartofthepicture.Thismightalsobetimeforstudent-athletestoarrangeaninterviewwithadepartmentheadoracademicadvisor.

Generally, coachesofferofficialvisitsonly to their toprecruits.Thenumberofofficialvisitsacollegeoffersvariesbydivision,sport,andtheschool’sbudget.

Ifacoachoffersanathleteanofficialvisit,thestudentismostlikelyveryhighonthecoach’slist.

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scheduling official Visits

By the time he is a senior, a student should be comfortable calling coaches, and he should have established relationships with several coaches. His best bet is to be upfront with a coach and ask if the coach plans to offer an official visit.

« « F a s t F a c t « «If aDivision I or II coach does not extend an offer for anofficialvisit,theathleteisprobablynothighonthatcoach’slistandnotbeingconsideredforascholarship.

If the coach extends an offer, the athlete should ask what he should bring on the visit. By now, the coach should have the student-athlete’s high-light or skills video and profile. The student will also need to send a copy of his transcripts before taking the official visit and be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Student-athletes should be prepared to answer questions similar to those listed on page 215 and 216. If a coach asks what other colleges the student-athlete is considering, the athlete should always list universities that are comparable to, rivals with, or better than the one he is visiting. If a coach believes his competitors are recruiting the student, it will raise the athlete’s stock!

As always, student-athletes should ask questions during the official visit. Refer to Chapter 5 for a sample of questions. Asking questions shows the coach that they are serious and prepared for college.

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« « F a s t F a c t « «With a few exceptions, football programs are limited toofferingfifty-sixofficialvisits,basketballprogramscanofferonlytwelveofficialvisits,andbaseballonlytwenty-five.

A student-athlete should be aware that being offered an official visit, does not necessarily mean he will receive a scholarship or a spot on the team. The coaching staff has identified the athlete as a top prospect, but the official visit gives them the opportunity to judge personality, lifestyle, and character. They often will use “hosts” to help get a real flavor of the student’s personality and character.

Though it isn’t a guarantee, many offers are made during an official visit, and parents might not be with their children when the offer is made. This tends to make both athletes and their parents uncomfortable. To navi-gate through this situation, athletes can simply tell coaches that they need to let their parents review any financial information before committing. If a university really wants the athlete, the coach will wait a few days or a week.

A student who feels pressure can say, “You are my number-one choice, but I promised my parents I would talk it over with them before making a commitment. For how long will this offer be extended?”

c o a c h ’ s t i PSincetheNCAArestrictsstudent-athletestotakingonlyfiveofficialvisits,heorsheshouldbesuretousethemonlyatschoolsthatarelikelyfits.

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Usually, coaches will match recruits with team members who host them around campus. These hosts are also evaluating student-athletes. The student should be himself, but remember that coaches want athletes who will be positive assets to their university and team. At some point during or after the visit, the coaches will ask the host about the athlete, so the student-athlete needs to be positive, courteous, and respectful.

host evaluation Form

Prospect: Roger ThomasHost: Alex Cole

How well will he fit in? 1. (X) Very well( ) Well( ) Okay( ) May not( ) Will not

Would you want to work with him for four years? 2. (X) Absolutely( ) Probably( ) Not sure( ) Probably not( ) Absolutely not

Is he interested in our university? 3. (X) Yes. We’re his #1 choice.( ) Yes. We are in the top.

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( ) Not sure( ) I don’t think so.

The biggest competition we have, in order, and why? 4. a. State College Why? Loved the campus. b. Academic U. Why? Wants to visit

Character Evaluation5. (X) Tops( ) Good( ) Not sure, check out further( ) Bad

What does he like about our university?6. Has liked us for a long time. Likes the togetherness of the team. Likes the fact that students can go out and have fun or stay on campus if they want it to be quiet.

Where do his parents stand?7. Concerned at first about distance, butthey seemed to be less concerned by the end of the visit.

Any other comments, concerns, or information?8. He doesn’t want to stay near home, and I would be surprised if he didn’t come.

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K e y P o i n t s

1. Student-athletes should start taking “unofficial visits” as freshmen. Un-

like “official visits,” unofficial visits can be taken by any student at any

time, though the coach does not pay for any portion of these visits. To

schedule an unofficial visit, the student-athlete should call the coach.

Because Division i and ii coaches cannot call underclassmen, freshmen

and sophomores might have to make several phone calls before con-

necting with the coach.

2. Student-athletes who take the initiative to schedule unofficial visits will

likely move up the recruitment list if they:

Bring a list of questions to ask the coach, •

Express knowledge about the program, and •

Arrive on time with a copy of their résumé and highlight or skills •video.

3. parents should counsel their children about the types of questions they

should ask and be prepared to answer.

4. Normally, a student can take five official visits during his senior year,

though he can only visit each university once. Official visits are an op-

portunity for student-athletes to get a feel for the campus and find out

exactly where they stand on the coach’s recruiting list.

5. Many offers are made during official visits. if a coach does not offer a

senior an official visit, that student is likely not high on the coach’s list.