Once an athlete verbally commits to a program and has been given a roster spot by the coach, should the athlete expect communication during their spring semester? Our D made a decision and the coaches were very happy etc. but since that conversation she has not received any feedback. She sent an email about logistics for the fall… but none of the coaches have responded. Since she is not a NLI athlete (walk-on) just wondering if lack of communication is something to be concerned. She does not want to bug the coaches and is excited about the opportunity. We are not sure what the expectation should be in this instance
Thanks
If it’s a spring sport, the coach is busy both with the college team and with recruiting high school kids who are also in season.
My daughter’s coach (D2) sent texts and things to the recruits, but not that much. There are a few dead periods when there can’t be contact, and many D3 coaches also honor the dead periods.
Agree with the above poster. My DD1 was recruited at a D1 school and there are NCAA rules for coaches and athletes regarding contact and “dead periods.” I remember that she got a few texts from him but not frequently. I wouldn’t be too concerned. Congrats to your DD!
Has she been admitted to the school?
If not, I’d be worried.
Thanks for the feedback. This week the athletic liaison emailed her about orientation and setting up her class schedule so I think everything is good.
8bagels: Yes, she was admitted in the fall.
Another question: The coaches want her to room with another athlete that competes at her same position. I was talking to a mom the other day whose D is also recruited at a different university and she told me their coaches never put athletes together who will be directly competing with one another. What do you all think?
My daughter roomed with her teammates last year. Because of a housing department mix up, the 9 freshmen ended up 4-4-1 (my daughter was supposed to live with the ‘1’, but the mix up…) I didn’t think this was a good idea from the beginning. They are all together WAY too much. Way too much. Any roommate issues become on field issues, on field issues become bathroom cleaning issues, food stealing issues, taking out the trash issues (they lived in a 4 person suite). My daughter’s group of 4 just started ignoring each other. One girl took her stuff into her individual room (toaster? lamps, video stuff) Just girls being girls. The other group of 4 actually made one girl move out in Jan, and it was a mess on the team too. But the ‘1’ was the first to leave the team, so what do I know!
This year my daughter lives with other athletes, but not on her team, and it’s better. They just co-exist but aren’t best friends, teammates, bus traveling companions, etc. They keep athletes hours for working out and games and school time, etc., but they aren’t together all the time.
She still doesn’t know what she’s going to do next year. Living on campus is so convenient but it is expensive. Guess there are no perfect solutions.
Our child was recruited by a major school but did not sign an NLI. But decided to go anyway in the fall. The school announced his intent
However, we have a change of heart and want to speak to the coach of the another school. do we need to advise the school who thinks we are coming before talking to another coach?
Not if you didn’t sign an NLI and he hasn’t played for the school yet. As they say, “Verbals aren’t worth the paper they are written on.”
Do be aware that most coaches know each other and word could get back to the original school. I wouldn’t ask permission, but I wouldn’t avoid the question if asked. I’d just say (if asked) that you want to make sure you are making the right choice. If the coach of school A didn’t offer any money, he knows that there is a possibility that someone else will and he’ll lose the player.
My freshman daughter is rooming with another athlete, but not her sport. Several of the schools that recruited her all said the same thing: the shared experience brings empathy for schedule and lifestyle requirements, and separation from teammates allows some breathing room each day. These kids do spend a LOT of time together.
^I think this is the BEST solution. My daughter lived with 3 teammates her first year in a suite. It was fine for most of the year but at the end there was tension. She was with both goalies, and of course only one goalie could be the starter, so… there were squabbles about the toaster and taking out the trash, which carried over onto the field and onto the bus trips. My daughter was the least involved with the drama of the apartment. The other group of 4 freshmen in a suite didn’t make it through the year. One team member was forced to move out in February, right before the season started, and of course they all still had to play together. More drama and it lingers even now. The one forced to move out doesn’t have a lot of friends on the team.
Sophomore year she lived with 3 softball players. She liked it because she did nothing with them. One is in the same major as D, so they had classes together, but the others traveled a lot so D had the apartment to herself.
Next year she’s back to living with teammates, and I’m not happy about it. They are the 3 captains of the team, and that will be drama in itself (also not happy about that - I think there is no benefit to being captain). I really wish daughter had just stayed living in the dorms.