<p>With upcoming official visits I was wondering what questions or types of questions I should be asking the coach and team members.
I'm going to 2 NESCACS and 2 other schools on the same academic level. I have already talked with all the coaches multiple times via email and phone, and during these I asked the lust ofvqueations I had. Each one of the phone calls lasted for at least 20 minutes some being an hour long. So I feel like I've asked all the question I could have. However, I don't want them to think I'm not interested if I don't have any questions when meeting them at the OV.</p>
<p>swimmer24,</p>
<p>The biggest shock from elite high school athletes to college athletics is the level of competition (everybody was a stud in high school) and the amount of studying necessary. The amount of studying necessary can vary by your major, the type of learner you are, and your desired results. So, I would focus my questions toward your major to get a feel for the time management needed. For starters, you may want to ask about the athletic time commitment relative to your intended major. Can you speak to an athlete with your major at the OV? How many athletes have recently graduated (under the current coach) with your major? Do many athletes start with your major and change in their soph or junior years because it becomes too difficult to manage or do they drop the sport? Is there an alumni network of professionals in your major? I think you get the gist of it.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Questions for College Coaches:</p>
<ol>
<li> What does a typical practice consist of?</li>
<li> How does your team train in the winter?</li>
<li><p>What academic support services are available to students? Are there any services (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?</p></li>
<li><p>Ask the about team members -about their course load 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.</p></li>
<li><p>Are there any majors that the coach would consider to be incompatible with playing your child’s sport? For example, the answer may be architecture, due to the great number of time-consuming projects.</p></li>
<li><p>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.)</p></li>
<li><p>What would a typical daily schedule look like for an athlete on this team? Frequency of practices? Weight/alternative training? Frequency of meets? </p></li>
<li><p>How often and to where does the team travel?</p></li>
<li><p>Are there any team obligations over school breaks and summers, such as practices, training regimens, tournaments, pre-season camps, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>How would the coach see your child contributing to the team, and on what timetable?</p></li>
<li><p>What is the philosophy of the school’s athletic program? </p></li>
<li><p>What does the coach consider to be his coaching strengths? Can he give examples of how has he helped current team members improve?</p></li>
<li><p>Does the coach require his athletes to room with team members? If not, how many team members do this voluntarily? </p></li>
<li><p>Is the team housed together in one dorm?</p></li>
<li><p>What health services, such as physical therapy, are available on campus for athletes?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Swimmer, like you, my S feels he has exhausted all the questions about the athletic program through phone calls and visits so far.</p>
<p>I don’t know if this is good advice or not as we are still on this ride ourselves but, I asked my S to ask HIMSELF - What do you need to know, feel, etc. to be an ED commit at this particular school?</p>
<p>My Son answered me with a couple of things he needs to get a better grip on before making the leap. So, that’s where the questions form. </p>
<p>I think any question shows interest. </p>
<p>Good luck with your visits. Have fun!</p>
<p>great list fogfog!
We asked a bunch of these at the UOV, but I think it wise to review them again as the UOV was so new. First OV starts Friday!</p>