<p>Our son was deciding between two great liberal arts colleges. He has been recruited to play D3 level baseball at these schools. He was asked to apply Early Decision by both coaches. He told coach #1 he was going to apply ED. He then went to visit the other school and decided he wanted to apply there ED instead. He contacted the first coach to tell him he has changed his mind and the coach was not very kind with his response. Are there any rules/guidelines that a recruit needs to follow when deciding this matter? Our son was upset with this experience and feels like he has done something wrong.</p>
<p>You might want to post this in the Athletic forum: <a href=“Athletic Recruits - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/</a></p>
<p>My guess, and it is a very uneducated one, is that he should not have given a response to coach #1 until he had visited school #2. Coach #1 probably would have continued reaching out to other students if he had known that your son was still visiting another school. Recruits hope that coaches are sincere when they say they are supporting an athlete so the coach expects the same from the athletes.</p>
<p>But, as I opened with, there are many well-informed and very helpful parents on the athletic recruit section.</p>
<p>Thank you for your response. This has been a very overwhelming experience. You are correct in your statement
about sincerity. I will check out the Athletic forum.</p>
<p>A lot of athletic recruiting takes place in our area (not my children) and based on everything I have heard, it can be a roller coaster! Good luck to you all!</p>
<p>When we went through nescac recruiting last season, we were very open with all the coaches that as his parents we would not let our son commit to any one school until all his overnights were completed by the 3d week of October. All the coaches seemed to understand, but I had the feeling that if we hadn’t made it clear we were making the call to do all the visits first, that he would have had a hard time with the pressure too early. He ended up choosing the school with the very last overnight; but that coach told us that he wouldn’t have wanted him to commit had he not been able to see all the schools first. Good luck bball4 with your son’s recruiting journey this fall.</p>
<p>“Are there any rules/guidelines that a recruit needs to follow when deciding this matter? Our son was upset with this experience and feels like he has done something wrong.”</p>
<p>There are no formal rules with regards to D3 verbal committments. There are informal rules or etiquette, and your son most likely made a mistake by committing too early. He isn’t the first and will defintely not be the last. It is not the end of the world, and that coach should have been a little more understanding. This is the most important decision your son has ever made in his lifetime not to mention the family investment in his education. This is a small mistake compared to going to the wrong school or playing for a coach you don’t want to play for. Yes, it could been handled better with the first coach, but you shouldn’t lose any sleep over it. JMO.</p>
<p>My son went until the last minute (day, anyway) to decide where to ED. He ended up applying ED to the school he told was his top choice, but didn’t tell he would apply there ED.</p>
<p>The only reason I could see the coach being very upset is if he had a pre-read done for your son, and went to bat for your son already. Yes, I’d be upset if I had done that and player said “oops, never mind”.</p>
<p>I agree with Fenway. </p>
<p>One interesting aspect of D3 recuiting is the lack of symmetry between the athlete (who has no assurances of actual admission) and the school (which can, but decides not to give assurances [i don’t think there is an NCAA rule precluding the use of a device similar to a LL.). The deck is tilted towards the school which wants an absolute comittment expressed via ED leaving the athlete to either be admitted and happy, admitted and blindsided by the lack of acceptable aid (I understand that one can back out of ED based upon financial reasons, but the recruit has taken himself off the market and the game of musical chairs is way further down the road), or rejected (see my last comment on the musical chairs).</p>
<p>Additonally, I bet the coach didn’t sign anything promising to remain there for your sons collegiate career. And, as so many people know, most coaches are simply “renting” the job until a better offer comes along. It can be devastating to the athlete to have a coaching change (not that it wouldn’t happen at the preferred school).</p>
<p>My point here is that the coach was crying crocodile tears; he’lll recruit a replacement without another thought.</p>
<p>Eighteen year olds are allowed to make mistakes, change their minds, and evolve their thinking. Any coach who truly doesn’t understand that is going to be a crappy coach.</p>
<p>Go where you feel is the proper fit under these circumstances.</p>