<p>^what does the coach say about supporting your app?</p>
<p>He said when I visited him they’ll do all they can to get me there and later that he hoped that my application worked out with admissions and that I’d be an excellent addition to the squad.</p>
<p>POmani, those sound like the ‘sweet-nothings’ of a coach who isn’t offering much, if any, real support. </p>
<p>I would hope for the best, but move ahead as if you are not being supported.</p>
<p>POmani, I agree with varska. 'Coachspeak" is very difficult to understand under any circumstances, but it becomes almost impossible if the coach is purposefully being vague at crunch time.</p>
<p>After going through the recruiting process with two sons, I have concluded that a coach’s general tone of emails and conversations is as important as the exact words he uses. A useful exercise to evaluate where you stand with a coach is to look at the process as you would courtship. I mean, if a guy asks a girl out and she hedges, comes up with excuses for different nights, or flat out tries to ignore him, he intuitively knows that she doesn’t want him.</p>
<p>And if she sends mixed signals – such as flirting at times, ignoring him other times, feigning confusion about her feelings etc – he intuitively knows that she’s not really into him OR, at best, she likes another guy more and is hoping she can land the other guy. But the guy, because he wants so much to take the girl out, can’t really see what’s happening, so he becomes confused due to blocking out the obvious, i.e., rather than admitting to himself that “she’s not really into me,” he convinces himself that “I need to try harder to get her to like me.” Although it almost never works out, it sometimes does and the guy is rewarded for his patience. But it’s a painful road so the guy needs to be sure the girl is worth the risk and the pain.</p>
<p>If the girl really likes the guy, the guy will know where he stands right away. The girl will be happy, say yes, and continue to chat him up, text, email, come by his house etc. She might even ask him out first. Basically if the girl wants the guy, the vagueness and ambiguity go away. Communication becomes fluid and easy and transparent. </p>
<p>Although simplistic, viewing recruiting as a courtship helps a recruit keep the big picture in mind and helps him evaluate where he stands. As I told S2, when you’re wanted, you’ll know it. If you’re not sure if you’re wanted, then you probably are not.</p>
<p>I think varska and evertonnut are probably correct.</p>
<p>But it would be very useful to know what words in coachspeak or what actions do indicate serious interest or desire and are not just “sweet-nothings.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So true, GolfFather…I think a “Coachspeak to English” translation guide may be in order.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for everybody’s responses. Particularly yours, Evertonnut - very thorough and informing. Despite being one of the slower athletes the coach’s probably talking to I feel we’ve developed a good relationship. I too am interested in the answer to GolfFather’s question.</p>
<p>I will say, one thing that indicates serious interest on the part of the coach is when they try to sell you on the school. </p>
<p>For example, if a coach says, “When you are sitting down with other coaches, don’t let them hard sell you. Think about what the whole school can offer you, and when you do that - I hope you’ll realize that we’re the right choice”</p>
<p>or “if you are ready to commit to us, we are ready to commit to you”</p>
<p>These types of statements are very positive:</p>
<pre><code> “We want you to come here. What can we do to make that happen.”
"I've given admissions your file and designated you as the first
(or second, third) player our program wants out of this recruiting
class. They told me everything looks good for you being admitted.
I can't make guarantees but based on history you likely will be admitted"
" I feel our program is the strongest in the conference and fits perfectly
with your skill set. What questions do you have for me? Is there anything
more you need from me before making your decision? "
" You'll have a great shot at starting here as a freshman. If you go to University
Y, your chances of seeing any playing time freshman year are slim. "
</code></pre>
<p>And then, hopefully:</p>
<pre><code> " Are you willing to commit to our program? To help you make a decision,
here’s our offer: (Likely Letter, scholarship, grant, etc)"
</code></pre>
<p>Then at some later point:</p>
<pre><code> " When can you give us a decision? We would like to know (or sometimes
need to know) by ______" (Note: too much pressure to make a quick decision
is a whole other topic)
</code></pre>
<p>But these are just examples. Some coaches can play word games. That’s why context and intuition become so important. Both S1 and S2 were baffled by many things along the way (especially S1), but they both knew immediately when a coach really was serious. In most human interactions, your intuition is a powerful tool.</p>
<p>It’s art more than science. S3 is just starting the process. I told him he’ll encounter a bunch of uncertainty along the way but to trust his instincts.</p>
<p>Great stuff, both of you. Thanks!</p>
<p>Monepo, my D is a D1 coxswain recruited as a freshman at a top-10 school two years ago. There are many programs that actively recruit coxswains (have you tried posting on one of the sports recruiting sites?). As a side note, before the coaches at the top schools would express more than initial interest they had her send her transcript/SAT scores for their review. Most coaches would not want their recruits to fail academically and lose their rights to play!</p>
<p>It’s like playing a musical instrument in an orchestra - some orchestras need a piccolo player, others are all set. Teams don’t need as many coxswains. You’ll find a place that’s a good fit - but unless your dreams are to go to the Olympics select a school that you will be happy with overall in case you decide not to continue with crew/ are injured and unable to continue (more common with rowers)!</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>Very interesting reading. Thanks for the insight. If the language is very vague and not clearcut, is it bad form to ask the direct question: “where do I stand on your recruitment list, and how many recruits do you believe you will be allowed? How many of those will receive OVs / likely letters?”</p>
<p>Rowmom, once your child goes on an official visit, this kind of directness is in order. This is basically the conversation you have right before you commit. If the coach says “I get 3 spots, and you’re number 3 on my list” this is likely to precipitate a decision at your house. You might get a call a week later saying, “number 4 is ready to commit, so I need to hear from you in 24 hours.” My sense is coaches don’t always know their exact rank order until after visits, but that’s based on a sport that isn’t rowing.</p>