<p>Hey! I was just wondering what questions people were asking coaches on officials? I've been in contact with one coach for a while now, spoken on the phone, etc. Now I've been invited to visit the college and want some tips! </p>
<p>(Also, any visit advise would be GREATLY appreciated! This is my top choice - so I want it to be good!) - also, this is DI.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance</p>
<p>frosty, my D’s high school coach was absolutely her best resource on this topic: he knew what she needed from a program, what her issues might be concerning hours of practice, how many years kids stay with the program, whether freshmen make varsity, how transition for freshmen takes place, when athletes show up for training each fall, whether they’re expected to stick around during holidays and breaks. Well, you get the idea. If your high school coach has any idea about college sport, he might be a good person to generate a question list with…</p>
<p>Tell us the sport if you want specific help. Each one is so different…</p>
<p>frosty6 - One of the areas that we always asked the coach about was in the area of academic assistance. In other words, “How does the school help the student/athlete with studies?”. Be prepared…You will get a lot of different answers. Some schools are very structured, some have dedicated tutors, some will have informal study groups, etc… In my opinion, this is one of the most powerful questions (and important) you can ask. Also, I think you really know what is available from this 4 year resource, and how this will stack up against other schools you are interested in.</p>
<p>You have been given excellent advice above. Based on some of your other posts, I believe your sport is crew. One question I would be sure to ask, and see for yourself, is how far away the boathouse is. For some schools it is a short walk from campus and others it is a 15 plus minute bus ride. And the all important question for non-morning people, what time do you practice? And does this change throughout the season? </p>
<p>The unofficial visit is basically a fact finding mission, and not just about your sport. Talk to the admissions office. Spend some time on campus, eat on campus, talk to some students, visit the dorms if you can. It is about finding the right fit for you as a person, as a student and then as an athlete. If you are visiting several schools, keep a journal and jot down your impressions of each school while they are fresh in your mind. This is an exciting time in your life, have fun!</p>
<p>Congratulations on the invitation, frosty! You might want to read through the team’s schedule from last year so you can ask about: how many out of town regattas, are they overnight or multiple day trips, what is the winter season training like- how many hours a day of erging, weightlifting, running. How many post-season regattas do the team usually qualify for? Does the team ever/often get to Henley (which is in early July). Do professors give some leeway for travelling rowers?</p>
<p>I’d ask if freshmen team members are assigned other team members as roommmates. Whether you want this or not is a matter of personal prefernce. Having a roommate with a similar schedule to yours could be very helpful as far as compability and team bonding go. On the other hand, policies like this can be indicative of a high level of “social” control the coach has over the team, and could limit an athlete’s ability to make friends outside the team. In our experience, the same coach who had a team roommate policy, said he deliberately planned early morning practices the days after big party nights to control his kids. This might sound good to you, or not.</p>
<p>I’d also ask the coach what his goals are for the team, and how he’d see you fitting in to those goals.</p>
<p>oops, that’s supposed to be compatability ^</p>
<p>Frankly I think the idea of putting two kids in the same sport a good idea–if they have a similar major.
I know my spouse says that it was hard in undergrad to see guys in liberal arts majors with alot of free time and the ability to organize their class schedules differently while he had long hours in studio (architect)</p>
<p>so if our student ends up matched with a similar major/teammate that can be a good thing</p>
<p>and our student is all for healthy living/no alcohol so would not like having a partier as a roommate…</p>