<p>OK, the last few weeks have been fast and furious. My son has visited 8 schools and with the exception of one they are all schools he would be happy to attend. Met all the coaches,watched some of their games, we were invited to the teams tailgate party which was fun and a good way to talk to other parents.
Bottom line...he walked away from these last few weeks with a clear frontrunner. A school he knows he would attend in a heartbeat. So.....at what point is it appropriate to tell a coach this and how best to convey it? If all the stars line up and under a perfect scenario he is hoping that by end of summer the coach too will somehow convey to him that he too is one of his top picks and that it looks likely.
Again I have no idea how this really plays out so maybe I am being shortsighted or too optimistic? Whats the timeline that a school and an athlete collectively decide together that they are a good fit for one another?
Is it too early for him to write a heartfelt email explaining that this is now his number one school? Any insight into how this should play out, would be welcome. Thanks.</p>
<p>Let it play out. You don’t know how they feel about him yet. Continue to stay in contact and remain interested and engaged. Continue to look at new schools as you keep in touch with the others. Remember, most recruits do not pick the school…the school picks the recruit. Hopefully, there will be a time when it is most appropriate to tell the school of his wishes. Best of luck!</p>
<p>most recruits do not pick the school…the school picks the recruit.</p>
<p>But, how exactly?</p>
<p>One coach so far has actually said that to my d. … we want you … you’re in. But all the others are still in the “talking stage.” Will they, if interested, also come right out and say it? Is there a coach-speak code word we should be looking out for?</p>
<p>I’m curious about this too. Suppose schools, as a precursor for offering an OV, ask this directly? Common sense suggests to me that, with a limited number of OV’s to offer, they want to know that they are in the top two or three on the kid’s list–particularly if they know the kid is being recruited by a more prestigious or higher ranked school.</p>
<p>Momoffour11</p>
<p>I think what your describing is very common and the process needs to play out a bit more. Each athlete has a slightly different experience depending on ability, sport, and academics.</p>
<p>It is a very fluid situation and things change even at the last minute. When he goes for overnight visits he may get a different feel for the school, coach, and other players.</p>
<p>I would send a positive message to all the coaches at these schools " I could see myself at this school"-which is true. I think its ok to tell the coach at his favorite that " at this point … this is my favorite school and I would like to learn more about"…</p>
<p>Nothing is set in stone after all. Just be honest about your feelings with the coaches. Just make sure you cast a wide net (which it sounds like you are doing). When he does his OV the choices will become more clear and coaches’ interests will be more specific.</p>