<p>Ok, so although I'm very excited as I just verbally committed, I am also nervous about telling other prospective coaches this... I have been speaking with three schools pretty seriously this year. I told all the schools I was very interested, although there was one school I really wanted to go to. I wasn't sure I would be able to get an offer from this school so I was keeping my options open. Anyways, school choices 1 and 2 gave me offers two days ago and I didnt think I would get one from the number 1 choice so I told those coaches I'd talk it over and get back to them. Yesterday to my surprise I got a call from the coach of #1 offering a spot. I was ecstatic and obviously said yes as this is the school I want to go to. I have been getting numerous emails from the other 2 coaches asking to call them as to if I will commit... I'm just nervous because I led these coaches on and now I have to tell them I'm going elsewhere. I think one coach thought I was definitely going to attend their school. I just find it awkward and was wondering about advice as to what I should say.</p>
<p>No easy way to do it, but do it soon so they can move on with other recruits.</p>
<p>A verbal commitment is exciting. It is also non-binding. </p>
<p>Be careful how you say no to the other coaches. Last year, one of the girls who ended up on my daughter’s team had a verbal with a coach. He reneged 2 days before signing period. </p>
<p>Fortunately, she still was on good terms with other coaches and still landed a spot on extremely short notice, which is almost unheard of. It was sketchy, though.</p>
<p>What is the commitment on the part of the school to you? Do you have anything in writing?</p>
<p>Wow. I guess it depends on your sport, but except for academic reasons, I’ve not heard of a coach reneging after a verbal offer. Recruiting is a pretty small world, and I’d be extremely wary of going back on your word.</p>
<p>It is wonderful to be wanted by more than one school, and you are in a great “difficult” situation. Since you’ve already verbaled to your #1, you must tell the other coaches asap. Has your contact been primarily by email? Then it’s fine to email this information. If you’ve been talking by phone, then that is the right way to continue. An email can say “It’s been amazing working with you through this process and as one of the most difficult decisions in my life, I have accepted an offer from xyz college. I can’t thank you enough for your interest in me. Thank you.” Write yourself a script for a phone call. Short. Two sentences.</p>
<p>Coaches recruit a lot of athletes and they hear this a lot and you will not be the first athlete to commit to the “other” school. How they respond will tell you about their character, just as how you inform them of this decision will tell them about yours.</p>
<p>Bottom line, I am sure you are ready to start telling your family and friends about your decision. Be sure to tell the coaches first. It’s a small world.</p>
<p>The better you handle this, the more likely you are, in the very very very very very small chance that a coach renegs (seriously, I can’t even imagine…) to call a coach back and share your story and get another offer. But again, I can’t see this happening.</p>
<p>For offers, I think this is something that needs to be done on the phone. You don’t want to burn any bridges for the schools that offered. For schools that have not offered, I think an email is appropriate.</p>
<p>Thank them for their interest and time. Tell them why you selected XYZ (academic major, financial, athletic, proximity to home, etc…). They do this for a living and it won’t be as devastating to them as you think. They hear rejection fairly regularly. The most important thing is to be honest, and gracious. While they may not be excited about the message, but they can better understand your reasons and character for following up with them. Good luck.</p>
<p>Chicago - I am pretty sure that no offer will be in writing until the November Letter of Intent. If anyone has any different experience, I’d like to learn about it. This is why the verbal commitment means everything.</p>
<p>My daughter, like many, many others, is in the same boat. (No pun intended 
)</p>
<p>Three coaches, so far, have stated they she is “in.” (That she would be a great asset, that they want her on the team, that she would excel, that she would start on varsity, etc.) And one other coach is very close to that point.</p>
<p>I know my D is dreading having to tell all but one of the coaches that she will be going some place else. (Wherever that turns out to be.) We have also told the coaches that money is a very important deciding factor {*see other thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/1522848-when-bring-up-cost-coach-administrators.html[/url][/i]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/1522848-when-bring-up-cost-coach-administrators.html*</a>} so, hopefully, that will help “soften” the blow, so to speak.</p>
<p>Imafan, I think you are right in that from everything I have seen here and heard, it is unlikely for a coach at the level where likely letters, etc. are not offered to reneg on a verbal commitment, the problem comes when it’s a verbal commitment on the coach’s part that the admissions committee doesn’t follow through with. That’s where it gets scary. The coach said yes; the admissions committee said no, and although it works out in the end far more frequently, the unpleasant surprises do occur with some regularity. </p>
<p>I know I have read here about athletes who were given “green light” pre reads and nevertheless were turned down at ED time. I know there is one article in a series about recruiting at Haverford where a player was promised all the way up until he did not get in, and supposedly it was a total shock. He was also a very qualified student. Fortunately, I believe the student athlete ended up at Swarthmore instead going ED2.</p>
<p>I think it might make a difference here whether you’re pursuing a likely letter or NLI. With likelies, it makes sense to me–even if a kid currently has a strong preference and the coach is willing to give a verbal–to do September OV’s and then commit verbally before October 1. What’s the advantage of committing before then? </p>
<p>I’m coming from a prep school orientation here, but I’d equate those September OV’s with “revisits”–visits kids do to private schools after they’ve been admitted. Going in with the coaches’ assurance that you’ll have full support, the September OVs give you (and the team) an opportunity to be sure that the fit is really a good one.</p>
<p>racon45 You should tell the coaches exactly what you have told us you gave a verbal commit to another school. As others have cautioned a verbal is just that, it is non-binding, until you sign an NLI and are admitted to the school it is not a done deal, coaches know that. If you feel awkward, send a personal e-mail to the coach you have been talking to telling them the situation. Most times everyone honors their word (both athletes and coaches) but you want to end discussions in a courteous and polite way. i.e. Dont let them see an article from your local paper that you committed elsewhere before you tell them. If you do it right, the losing coach may actually respond with something like Let me know if your situation changes or Call me next year if you made the wrong choice</p>
<p>Imafan, </p>
<p>The coach that I spoke of that went back on his offer did it - allegedly - because a girl that he didn’t expect to say yes, did. He had promised her a full ride if she came. Once she said yes, he had to change his offers to the other girls on team leaving the verbal commit with no money or spot there.</p>
<p>While it doesn’t happen everyday and hurts coaches reputation with future recruits, it happens.</p>
<p>SLShark, yes, that’s what I’m talking about. Coaches really don’t know how things are going to sift out over the season so everyone’s playing a poker game. I get this now and it has helped to exchange information with other parents. </p>
<p>You don’t want to show your hand, your hand changes, a lot rides on whether your read of the person on the other end is accurate because when the game is on, everyone wants to make everyone else at the table believe that they have the potential winning hand. </p>
<p>In the end, though, everyone has to show their cards and there are players on both sides - coaches and athletes - who will have an interest in recouping their positions if they need to.</p>
<p>However, I guess no one gets a pass. Even Ivy coaches risk giving spots to players who leave, every coach risks their job every year. It’s a privilege to get something like a Likely Letter. Everything else is welcome to the real world.</p>
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<p>Yeah, why does it say that?</p>
<p>A few math nerds have explained it to me in past, but some sort of CC glitch.</p>
<p>OK, thanks.</p>
<p>:confused:</p>