<p>DD has gained some interest from some academically competitive schools as a rising junior this summer but has since been injured and is still recovering. How should we handle invitations to clinics and visits when we don't know yet how the injury will impact her ability to play her primary sport? She responds to every email and provides updates on academics but she is on hold as far as knowing when she can start to practice again. Should she disclose the injury?</p>
<p>I think you have to unless it’s minor and she will fully recover fairly quickly. I really wouldn’t be the best to answer not having that situation, but a teammate of my daughter’s in HS did and it was a torn ACL junior year and she had to wear a brace when she played from then until summer after senior year. Would have been impossible to keep that one from coaches and it probably was the cause of the coach dropping her from recruits at her #1 choice.</p>
<p>Here’s a link to a good discussion about the topic from a couple years ago.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/968662-injured-athlete.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/968662-injured-athlete.html</a>
Best of luck to your daughter.</p>
<p>On the flip side, a good friend’s daughter sustained a big knee injury in her senior year in the middle of recruiting season. She immediately called the coach and tearfully told him she would be having surgery the following Monday and hoped they could still talk about her future with the team. He unhesitatingly told her he knew she would recover, would continue to support her application and would keep in touch during her recovery. </p>
<p>She’s a soph at that school now and is doing great academically and in her sport. As you can imagine, the level of trust and dedication these two have for each other is unmatched. </p>
<p>I know there’s a difference between “just an injury” and a career ending one. But coaches know kids get hurt. The ones who are able to recover during high school and continue to compete at a high level often learn some limits and take care of themselves very well. </p>
<p>Hang in there, OP.</p>
<p>Bennnie,</p>
<p>I think you should disclose the injury to the intersted schools, and continue to do the things she is doing. If a high academic school is interested in her they will continue communication and try to see her play when she is healthy. I’ve seen this situation before, and believe it or not there is a silver lining. The schools that are genuinely interested in her will continue to be interested in her no matter what. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for your responses. They are truly helpful. Our biggest issue is we don’t know yet if the injury is career ending or not. We are fairly sure she’ll never be able to catch again but it wasn’t likely she’d catch in college regardless of her health. We think the schools were more interested in her for other positions anyway. I guess we just have to trust our best instincts and go from there. Its a bit reassuring to hear that its not necessarily a death knell. She loves her sport and wants to keep at it.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t tell anyone until I had “all the facts, ma’am”…They don’t tell you everything, and it’s very early in the game.</p>
<p>Agree with Oldbatesie. Hopefully she’ll get to play this spring and summer, and it’ll become clear whether she can and wants to play. It’s hard to change plans when you’ve sort of pictured a particular path. Best wishes.</p>
<p>Bennnie: being the father of a softball/field hockey player, if the DD can hit, the coach will find her a spot & she’ll play.</p>
<p>Best of Luck.</p>
<p>BK</p>
<p>I’m not sure how the non-revenue sports are, but for football and basketball it’s not unusual for a player to miss his senior year because of injury and depending on talent they land elsewhere. Now at an academically competitive school it might be different, because the emphasis on winning and developing professional/olympic athletes is different. </p>
<p>so being a great student but a risky athlete might open the do for the healthy marginal athlete…at best stay in contact with coaches and keep that alive.</p>
<p>threesdad - I hear you! And she can hit! Or she could before the injury. Nice combo of high BA and GPA!</p>
<p>And thanks again to all who have taken the time to respond.</p>