<p>Some questions to ask:
–What academic support services are available to students? Are there any services (eg. counseling, study halls, priority course registration) especially for student athletes or athletes from that specific team? Is there a charge for tutoring or is it free?
–(Ivies can’t redshirt except for injury, but for other D1 schools:) Do you redshirt to gain competitive advantage? If so, how many athletes are currently redshirted for reasons other than injury? How many of these are freshmen? What kind of financial aid or athletic scholarships are available for additional years of enrollment if the student were to retain a season of NCAA eligibility after the first 4 years?
–Ask the team members about their courseload and majors. How many credits/units they are taking per semester/quarter? Are they on track to graduate with the rest of their class? How accommodating are the professors regarding their travel schedule.
–Are there any majors that the coach would consider to be incompatible with playing your child’s sport? For Cornell, the answer may be architecture, due to the great number of time-consuming projects.
–Which coaches would be working with your child? Make sure you meet everyone who will be in contact with your child–not just the recruiter or head coach. What is the authority structure of the coaching staff? The team? What are the responsibilties of the captains? (Questions of this nature cue you in to how paternalistic the coach is, and how much the team controls the athlete’s life.)
–What would a typical daily schedule look like for an athlete on this team? Frequency of practices? Weight/alternative training? Frequency of games/matches/meets? How often and to where does the team travel?
–Are there any team obligations over school breaks and summers, such as practices, training regimens, tournaments, pre-season camps, etc.
–How would the coach see your child contributing to the team, and on what timetable?
–What is the philosophy of the school’s athletic program?<br>
–What does the coach consider to be his coaching strengths? Can he give examples of how has he helped current team members improve?
–Does the coach require his athletes to room with team members? If not, how many team members do this voluntarily? Is the team housed together in one dorm?
–What health services, such as physical therapy, are availbable on campus for athletes?</p>
<p>GFG - thank you so much for that list!</p>
<p>My pleasurem kttmom. By the way, that was not supposed to be a smiley icon above, but rather an ordinary colon and parenthesis, lol.</p>
<p>This is stating the obvious, but you and your son have to determine in advance what factors are important to him having a good collegiate experience as you define good, and what things would be deal-breakers. Then phrase questions designed to elicit this information and do it in a neutral way so that you will get honest answers. I’m a talkative, open person, so it was hard for me not to lay my cards on the table from the onset. I don’t think I always masked my feeling about topics as well as I should have, so I would suggest that you prepare your script in advance.</p>
<p>kttmom–new to this thread but enjoy the moment. Another good question: have your S ask the coach what his players would say they like best and least about him. His answers will tell you what he’s proud of and values, as well as what he’s least comfortable about. He should also ask the players the same question: what they like most and least about the coach. And be prepared for the coach to turn around and ask him the same thing (i.e., what would your high school or club coach tell me he likes best and least about you). If he’s prepared to answer that ahead of time, he can use it to present himself in the best light possible. Good luck–sounds like he’s covered either way.</p>
<p>Sorry to barge in with a question
I know that D3 schools gives out official visits, and that not all expenses are paid. I’ve been talking to several coaches and they have mentioned visits, but I don’t know whether they meant official or unofficial. How should I phrase the question, without sounding too bold, if I can get an official visit or not ?
Or should I just not ask and wait?</p>
<p>There was an article in ESPN magazine a few weeks ago about how the Wake Forest Football Coach revitalized the program by red-shirting nearly all incoming freshmen to let them incubate and learn the system. Among the red-shirted included very top players, including a first round pick IIRC. Not sure how common it is for schools to do it but certainly several consider it for its potential advantages.</p>
<p>In answer to Jumper101’s question: I had the same concerns with my S’s trip to Rice. We were new to this process and I didn’t know what an official visit covered. So when the coach started talking times of flights I simply asked who would be purchasing the airline tickets, explaining that we were new to the process and wanted to make sure we had the right expectations. That opened up the dialog for the coach to say he would purchase S’s ticket and pay for hotel and food, but we were responsible for H’s airline ticket.</p>
<p>Quick update on S’s story: H and S loved all things baseball about Rice. Really like the coaches, S had dinner with team after both games in clubhouse, plus a weekend ‘red shirt’ escort. Stadium was nicer than our hometown A-league team. Lots of support in place for athletes, etc. But…</p>
<p>No athletic or academic scholarships available (all given out) - should get FA, same as Cornell so to me that is a wash. The emphasis is definitely on baseball and the goal is to 1) win and 2) be drafted by a major league team. </p>
<p>Getting a degree (especially in engineering) would be difficult. S thought the school was small (it is, compared to all the others he was interested in) and I think if he was honest he really likes Cornell better. we told him he has to pick the school he likes best without the baseball. He may get injured and never play a game. He listens and nods, but doesn’t offer anything (typical MO for him) - he has stars in his eyes. The coach wants him to fill out an application so he can move the process along and the coach wants him to come back in July for their camp (on our dime).</p>
<p>Told S he needs to make a decision! If he wants Rice, fill out the application. If not, don’t waste any more of the coaches time and our money and tell him you have decided to go to Cornell.</p>
<p>Still no decision…</p>
<p>Is Camp ever on the school’s dime (before one is enrolled)? From what I’ve seen all of Ds recruit class is paying for camp this summer, and I’ve not heard of camp being covered by the school (for prospective athletes). I figured there’s some NCAA rule on this. Does anyone know?</p>
<p>^^They cannot pay for the camp before you are enrolled.</p>
<p>kttmom…is your son a senior (and still hasn’t applied)?</p>
<p>Yes, he is a senior. Accepted to Cornell. Caught the eye of a scout late in the game (no pun intended). Getting accepted will not be a problem - he has the stats.</p>
<p>Kittmom:</p>
<p>Be VERY aware of the subtleties associated with becoming a recruited walk-on at a power D1 baseball program.</p>
<p>Will you get playing time, or relegated to the bench? If you do not get playing time, you can never prove yourself. If you do not get playing time, you do not get better in game situations. If you do not get playing time, you do not stay on the team the following year.
If you do not get playing time, will you be sent to a high-end collegiate summer league where you will play or will you be sent to a high end league where you will ride the pines? Playing time is the only way to get better. (Note: the IVYs do not have the same access to these high end leagues. But, if you dont get game time, what is the difference?) </p>
<p>If you are a recruited walk-on, the school has nothing invested in you and you can be sure that the school is out there looking for a younger model to test drive the following year.</p>
<p>Ask the Rice coach to detail the whereabouts of the recruited walk-ons for the last 3 years. Then break that list down by position (pitchers are often kept while first baseman disappear a team needs 15 pitchers but only 2 first basemen). Ask how many of these recruited walk-ons (and under NCAA rules a team with a full roster of 35 will have a minimum of 8) received athletic schollys the following year.</p>
<p>Do not be shy about asking and if you do not understand the answer (athletic ambiguity rules coach-speak); ask until you get an answer you understand (you may not agree with the answer, but you need to get to the facts).</p>
<p>If you make the 35 man roster, check on how many players travel. Many schools voluntarily or due to conference rules have a traveling squad of 25ish leaving 10 members of the team home for some road games.</p>
<p>And, on top of that, even if you are getting no playing time, you still cannot go to your labs!</p>
<p>At the IVYs, even if you dont play the first year, you will not be cut. Why? Because each school only brings in 6 8 baseball players a year (ask Rice how many freshman/JC transfers/returning redshirts they brought in last year, and the year before that then ask how many more recruited walk-ons were brought in on top of that). D1 Baseball powers will bring in freshman/JC transfers/returning redshirts often in excess of 20 per year. These young hotshots push out the fringe players. </p>
<p>Where do the guys who get pushed out go? If they want to pursue baseball they transfer (yet another topic on the transfer eligibility issues). If they do not want to pursue baseball, they hang up their cleats and become a highly motivated student!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, in the recruiting world of baseball, late bloomers are playing eternal catch-up. Now, some make it to the front of the pack; others dont. (Actually, much has to do with the [advanced] ages of the HS recruits, but that is another story which has been documented in several studies.) </p>
<p>This is such a personal decision that there is no right or wrong path. But, the more educated you are as a consumer, the more variables are identified and understood, the less a coach or school can bedazzle you (actually the athlete) during the recruiting process and the coaches are experts on bedazzling!</p>
<p>Final update: S has decided to go to Cornell - and will play baseball @ a DI school - something he never dreamed would happen.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for your help and advice!</p>
<p>That is a great ending to your unexpected saga!!! I hope your son is as happy and proud as he should be - the Rice interest was very flattering, of course, but his heart was already at Cornell perhaps. CONGRATULATIONS!!</p>
<p>Yay ktt!!! As mayhew said, it seems like Cornell was the “right” choice for him all along, but so nice to confirm that feeling with a visit to another outstanding school.</p>
<p>Have you ordered the sweatshirt yet? Enjoy every minute!</p>
<p>Congratulations, kttmom! That’s very exciting.</p>