<p>Thanks. I’ll plan to review in detail. Much like the coaches, we’ve caste a wide net in hopes that something will stick. </p>
<p>As I read these threads that indicate even verbal commitments are not sure things I plan to be very cautious. I think the more challenging part for us will be to curtail our enthusiasm if/when that time comes. </p>
<p>The ivy athlete topic leads me to another question: Are stats typically available regarding the success of student athletes? </p>
<p>IF he were to attend an ivy school for football where he likely wouldn’t have made the cut otherwise, will he be able to succeed? I know you can’t answer this for my specific child but I’d be curious how many athletes exceed the eligibility requirements year to year (since I wouldn’t want him to eek by with the bare minimum).</p>
<p>My son is a soccer player, but I think his experience will relate, and this thread is useful for his experience.</p>
<p>He added a school that he wasn’t interested in before, because he was at a multi-college camp and he was assigned their coach. He really liked the training level (intense) and how the guy dealt with his players.</p>
<p>Point is that the camps can be a two-way street, with the player identifying new colleges to target (or crossing some off the list) based on coaches he deals with at the camp.</p>
<p>S2 went Patriot League. Was recruited by top academic/lower DI schools, Ivies, military academies, DIIIs. Attended range of camps in NE area three summers to explore options but camps at school he ended up attending and another at second Patriot school were most important in final decision. We asked for Likely Letter from first choice (school did not normally do them) and got it, applied ED a few days later and was accepted. I can say that skill, size, stats can carry a lot of weight in admissions process at some schools. </p>
<p>Process was maddening, though, because there were some honest, honorable coaches and some really sketchy ones and it was really hard for us parents to tell the difference sometimes, let alone son. </p>
<p>I would be remiss if i didn’t mention here that son was seriously injured freshman year, then again in sophomore season and chose not to return for junior year, retiring from football. Picking a school one can be happy at if playing a sport doesn’t work out is not just a thing parents say–kids really need to think about it. Son lost many of his team friends when he gave up playing. The huge daily routine of workouts and practices needed to be replaced with new activities (his grades soared!). He ended up writing about sports for the school paper!</p>
<p>Hilldweller, this is what happened to someone I know well. She was recruited to college for sports, ended up with an ACL injury, but finished up as the first female sports editor of her Ivy League school paper, and even spent two years announcing live games. She is still in sports information to this day.</p>
<p>Since this is a featured thread on a relevant topic, it makes sense to fire it back up (a) to learn what happened last year to the 2014 HS grads and (b) to gain insight from their experiences. </p>
<p>My S, like a number of others, is a rising junior, who attended several camps in the summer of 2014, received some interest and an invite or 2 for an unofficial campus visit, and is presently playing HS football, while receiving invites to games from several D3 and D1 colleges, blast emails and little else. </p>
<p>My son attended the Elite back in July. He toured and interviewed with admissions at several NESCACs. Upon returning home, got an offer of support from a local D3 (west coast) that was back east recruiting that he isn’t too interested in. 2 Nescac coaches called him last week to confirm that his transcripts/test score were submitted to football staff over the summer because they are just now taking it in for a prereads. Cutting it close as HS guidance counselor wants an almost completed app turned in for his ED1 choice by 10/1. His ED1 choice is contingent upon the feedback he gets from his prereads. Also, he took the ACT over last weekend so hoping scores will be out as early as 9/22 as stated on the act wesbsite</p>
<p>Similar question. Son is h.s senior waiting to hear from coaches. When can he expect to get calls of support from NESCAC schools? He has gotten calls from non-NESCAC schools but not NESCAC. Is it too late? Should he reach out to coaches? Current players or parents please advise!</p>
<p>Nescac coaches are still waiting for chips to fall. Your son may not be top of the totem pole, but his stock could rise based on the kids that they don’t get to commit to ED rated above him. I wouldn’t reach out until about a week prior to the ED1 deadline.</p>
I suspect that NESCAC and Ivy recruiting, especially in football, has been strongly impacted by the decision of the Patriot league to offer full, athletic scholarships starting in 2013. In football, these teams may offer 15 per season with a cap of 60 over all. This change was apparently made to increase the ability of the Patriot League teams (i.e. Lehigh, Bucknell, Fordham, Holy ross etc.
Due to injury during spring football, my son only recently started attending camps and visiting interested schools D1AA and D3 schools that held earlier camps that he could not attend. Many of the camp participants had been personally invited by coaches, who had seen them at earlier camps. That stated, the qualitative difference between the D1 and D3 athletes was easy to recognize, although in fairness there seemed to be a couple of D1 types at the top LACs’ camps.
Recruiting seems to be getting much more serious with the coaches mostly showing the love to the difference makers. It seems that the top D3 LACs are increasingly focused on obtaining transcripts, scores and next year’s course load so they can set their boards. The Patriots pretty much seem to want the same thing plus fall film. There is an increased emphasis on making fall visits when the schools are in session. There is a lot of talk about getting completed applications in by October with a goal of converting to ED1 if admissions gives the go-sign. The second tier D3’s seem resigned to taking a wait and see attitude.
It also seems much easier to gauge the level of interest. For example, at one college, the coaching staff was polite, but obviously could care less. In contrast, a rival school had the team captain give my S a school tour, followed by a viewing of its recruiting film, and then followed by a 3 hour meeting with multiple members of the coaching staff etc. It was not hard to figure out which school had a genuine interest and which didn’t.
I can tell you with absolute certainty that South Florida Select is an incredible camp. I went there with one of my sons last summer and he had quite a few conversations with coaches and got one :offer" on the spot. The coaches are readily available and wait around to talk with the kids it is all the NESCAC schools, the Ivies and other big academic schools there. Last year there were only about 300 kids there with probably 75 coaches. My sone actually ended up taking an offer from a bigger school, but the experience at South Florida Select was second to none. I highly recommend it for any kid who is academically ready and wants to play football at the DII or DIII levels