I am a new to recruitment process so looking for suggestions on how to navigate the process.
My son has been talking to Caltech coach for D3 soccer, we did pre-read and we applied REA and are accepted. We are very proud of his efforts, along with soccer he has balanced his academics quite well. The hard part is done and we are happy with the results.
We have already applied to back up OOS schools and California UCs but there is no soccer offer from any of the schools so far. We already have an acceptance from a school with only academics.
My son also is interested in MIT and we tried to meet the coach on 3 different occasions in east coast camps/campus visit. Every time he did not show up and he never responds to email. It has been a year. He is not on social media(linked,facebook, twitter), have tried to reach to assistant coach but no response. On other hand Caltech coach has been texting/emailing/phone call every 2 weeks.
Looking at the forum, I am aware that things happen and we need to plan a backup. We have academic backup schools and we are done with those applications and also have an acceptance. Struggling to decide on how to manage academic+soccer backup school.
Question : Do D3 schools give any thing in writing for soccer position ? Specifically does anyone know if Caltech gives anything in writing ? Would it be wise to ask this question to coach ? His Academic+soccer backup school is MIT, while planning for backup and waiting for the result until March I don’t want to miss this opportunity.
Any thoughts on how best to navigate the situation.
I don’t understand…you say here your S is already accepted to CalTech as a recruited athlete. Is that correct? If so, why is he speaking with other coaches?
I don’t understand. Your son applied to Caltech restricted early action with coach’'s support and was accepted? If so, congratulations! You are done!
Should there be something in official writing for us to sign , the admission email is only academics and the conversation with coach is on text and email.
I have read on the forum that sometimes coaches leave and new coach may not honor previous coaches commitments.
That is why I am trying to see if we should ask for something in writing and plan for a backup.
Your student is already accepted, and that is as a recruited athlete correct? Or did the student not have coach support during the admission process? This is important for you to clarify for us.
There is never anything separate in writing for sports at the D3 level, just the admissions decision. Even for recruited athletes, making the team and playing time are not guaranteed.
The backup plan and risk of coach leaving is for BEFORE the recruit is accepted.
OP says student had a pre read and had been in contact every two weeks so I am assuming this applicant had support and is the division 3 version of committed/accepted. I may be over assuming.
OP you will not ever have any written commitment from an athletic coach regarding playing time, position, etc. The level of coach engagement you have experienced at a highly academic division three school such as Caltech suggests the coach envisions your son being a contributor to his team but the specifics of that should have been asked and answered long ago.
FYI you may be thinking of likely letters which some division one schools admissions departments send out. They are in essence acceptance letters having nothing to do with athletics.
Most importantly congratulations your kid is in at a top notch school and apparently is a highly thought of athlete.
Now stand down. These circles are fairly small and you seemingly made a commitment unless we are missing something. You don’t want to accidentally alienate a coach who seems to have gone to bat for your family.
I agree, I just wanted to clarify as it seems maybe OP isn’t a native English speaker.
Simply:
If OP’s S had coach support at CalTech, they are done with recruiting and must stop talking with other coaches. I agree these coaches talk, and OP’s S risks making the CalTech coach extremely cranky if they found out the S was still talking with/contacting other coaches.
If OP’s S didn’t have coach support at CalTech, they can keep talking with coaches.
Not an athlete parent but if it was my kid I would punt MIT unless he’s not concerned with soccer.
Doesn’t sound like the kind of coach he would want to play for.
I agree it sounds like Cal Tech is done.
Love the one that loves you. From a soccer POV at least MIT would be far down my list. If he decides Cal Tech isn’t for him, find another school with a coach that shows love, even if it’s not at an equivalent academic level.
Yes we made a commitment and we know these circles are very small and coaches know each other hence treading the path carefully and avoiding any mistake.
We are still waiting to hear from Financial side but most probably we will not get any scholarship/financial aid.
When we did a pre-read process, we were told clearly that coach can only help in giving a pre-read spot, that technically does not means a form of support.
At Caltech and MIT the final decision is with admission department. Hence we should not count pre-read spot as a support from the coach.
There were other kids who were rejected in pre-read process as admission department did not give a go-ahead(this was shared by the coach). So a pre-read is not really a support.
Now after REA results things are locked in for admission as a student.
We are already removing other schools from the list but MIT is D3 and has walk-on option so we have been debating if we should apply and leave it as backup in case if something unforeseen scenario comes up and his soccer position is taken away.
Even without talking to the MIT coach we can still apply and still have a backup. This way we don’t burn any bridges and still have some protection if things change.
I can’t answer the process question but if soccer were not involved why would MIT be his second choice ? Wouldn’t you look to find other strong schools, even if a tad lower academically where he could get a coaches support.
MIT is great but this has the potential to be the best four years of his life because of soccer. I would think if he has the ability to play soccer - wouldn’t a Harvey Mudd or JHU or Rochester or Brandeis or even a not quite elite LAC like Trinity or Connecticut College enrich his life more?
Walking on seems unnecessary for a kid that has the ability to earn a coaches support.
One can get a top level STEM education at many places.
Only someone who is being recruited gets a pre-read. This is done so that the coach isn’t supporting athletes who will not pass admissions standards. If you are not sure of where you stand with the coach who supported you and arranged the pre-read, ask. This will put your mind at ease.
Don’t risk your relationship with the Caltech coach or anyone else by applying to MIT as a back-up plan.
You had coaches support. All students put forward for athletic Pre read have that support. Your sons acceptance was based on his academic strength and record along with the coaches support.
Stated differently if another candidate had the same application “score” as your kid the coaches support is why your kid was accepted.
I am advising you as a former recruited div 3 athlete and parent who has been very actively involved with advising numerous athletes. You will be playing a dangerous game.
Several recruiting cycles previously one of my sons friends had gone through the same process you describe your son completing but at MIT. He had some second thoughts and contemplated trying to rekindle discussions with Div 1 Brown. He reached out to a coach to “update” him. Unfortunately the Brown coaches brother in law was an assistant coach at MIT. The Brown coach had absolutely no interest given the athletes moral commitment and the player was never fully able to repair his relationship with his MITcoach although he did graduate from MIT.
You made a deal, had the benefit of a Pre read and support. It is morally wrong to leave that coach with an unfilled slot.
If you are suggesting leave his application at MIT out there and only act on it (if accepted) in the unlikely event the Caltech coach leaves seems a bit far fetched and would hardly be the norm. I would not however under any circumstances be calling or contacting other coaches.
If your son went through the process and was accepted to CalTech and he is happy with the results, full stop. Congrats! He has been accepted and should be focusing on moving forward with Caltech.
If the MIT coach did not get back to your son by text or email and did not show up for visits, that should be a pretty clear message from the coach about his level of interest; frustrating, but pretty definitive.
Again, congrats on CalTech and I hope your son has an awesome time in the classroom and on the soccer field there!
You did have coach support, as much as you try to spin that you didn’t. ALL final decisions at ALL schools come from admissions, not coaches.
You said the MIT coach hasn’t engaged with your S, so how do you know there’s a walk-on option?
I don’t think so, regarding the coach support at CalTech. Your S verbally committed to the CalTech coach, does that not mean anything to him?
I get that your S can still apply to MIT, but if he were to be accepted and go to MIT, he would have cost another student a spot at CalTech, AND cost the coach an athletic slot. Not great in terms of ethical behavior.
Again, there are no guarantees at any school that a recruit will make the team, or see playing time…but your S is in at his first choice school where the coach gave him support and they verbally committed to each other, which you stated above:
To the casual observer, this thread reads like you have a preference for MIT over Caltech, and you don’t want to close the door on MIT even though the soccer coach has been unambiguously not interested.
Obviously I don’t know your intentions. But if I were on the coaching staff at Caltech and saw this thread, I would be concerned about your resolve to honor your commitment. Keep in mind that this is a public forum, and anyone at Caltech who knows the incoming class of soccer recruits would know exactly who you are from reading your posts.
Hopefully your son is clear about his commitment, and your thoughts here are just those of a parent who is still attached to the idea of MIT. But I agree with the others who have cautioned you about unintended consequences.
Congrats on Caltech. BTW, compare the current weather in Cambridge and Pasadena. Where would you rather be at soccer practice?
