<p>Know a female athlete who watched movies and ate popcorn during OV with a team. Ended up committing and accepting scholarship to the school. Freshman year found out to her dismay that the girls on the team were wild partiers. Coach had strict no drinking rule on recruiting weekends, but every other weekend was one big party! Make sure your daughter tries to gets a real feel for the team culture on non-OV weekends…</p>
<p>MiniVan you hit the nail on the head. This was not standard protocol, rather it was, stay-out-of-trouble mode and she does know it. Nice that they didn’t do anything “bad” but unfortunate that she didn’t get a real feel…</p>
<p>My son went on his official visits, and to our dismay all were very similar. Please note that it could be different by sport and school, but please be aware that the coach is not supervising your child during their visit. Our experience only…</p>
<p>Friday: Airport pick-up with the coach.
Friday: Meeting with the coach and welcome from the team captains.
Friday: Audit a class (our request).
Saturday:Attend football game with coach and potential teamates.
Saturday: Hang with captains and teamates for weekend.
Friday and Saturday Nights: Attend wild parties for weekend at Lacrosse, Football, and Basketball Houses.
Saturday and Sunday: Meet with coach each morning to discuss, where you fit in, potential playing time, please come to my school, academic review with coach and admissions, scholarship discussions, finacial aid discussion, ect… My son said it was non-stop.
Sunday: Fly back home, pick up my son, hung over and exhausted.</p>
<p>Mother and Father very upset…</p>
<p>These were all very well known schools with great academic reputations. The process has not changed much from my experience.
Some kids can handle it some can’t. Captains and teamates are also judging each recruit (especially the kids the coach wants), positive feedback from teamates to the coach regarding the recruits chemistry with the team can make a difference (the real world). My son committed and attends one of the schools, loves it, and is doing well with his academics and sport. Glad that the process is behind us.</p>
<p>Good Luck to all.</p>
<p>MJP I had a good chuckle at the Friday and Saturday night activities.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that would have been my daughter’s experience were the team not in stealth mode. What you have shared is more the experience her friends are having at various different (very respectable) schools.</p>
<p>Recent OV…
while there was alcohol at the Fri eve hanging out–it was far more minimal compared to another visit which was off the hook. Our student said the kids were all cool and that it didn’t matter if recruits drank or not…and there was plenty of fun to be had without the drinking…</p>
<p>I am not saying that the coaches did or didn’t have anything to do with the very minimal presence --as I am sure they wouldn’t condone it to begin with–
We know there are going to be differences between OV weekends and regular weekends/football games etc…</p>
<p>Just glad that out student didn’t come home discouraged by outrageous partying and pressure to participate</p>
<p>My D said that there was no pressure on girls side. But boys were different. They had lots of pressure. Poor boys.</p>
<p>Party was big but she managed drinking none. Her host took them out from the party when it got wilder. Definitely they did great job. My D really liked this school.</p>
<p>I have been on a couple recruiting trips now and both times attending a party was a “mandatory” requirment from the team (obviously not the coach!) Alcohol was also widespread and it’s fairly hard to avoid</p>
<p>I think Jared is right … the only reason for the mellow weekend my daughter had at her first was the fact that there had been a big problem earlier in the year and the kids were sort of in lockdown mode…so she had to navigate it this week, but she managed fine. Might as well know what you’re getting into at each school, for real…I think some of the kids are starting to enjoy these free party trips they’re getting!</p>
<p>Jared–</p>
<p>Is your sport in or out of season?</p>
<p>D did not talk in great detail about the party scene during her OV’s. But from what I could glean from what little she did say, there was normally an “official” activity they took recruits to, such as a sporting event or dorm room get-together. But after that, they’d invite the recruits to go out to the parties, clubs, etc. D decided her game plan was to be social and go out with the girls on the team, but not drink (which she never did at home anyway.) She wanted to see how many kids on the team went out on a given Sat. night, where they went, and what they did there. This was very helpful information in her decision-making. Had she refused to go to parties out of fear of the presence of alcohol (which was what some girls did), she wouldn’t have learned what she needed to know. Also, she was afraid if she didn’t go out, that could send the message that she’s introverted or judgmental. It’s a careful balance they have to strike.</p>
<p>Thought this might be of interest–</p>
<p>[Lane</a> 9 News Archive: Alcohol and Swimming in College: Do They Go Together?](<a href=“http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/25105.asp]Lane”>http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/25105.asp)</p>