<p>Our D is a h.s. jr soccer player. Asked to go on unofficial (out-of-state) to a D1 school. Already told what $ amount would be for her (a very nice amount!). Very small, Jesuit college. We are going - we have to! Plus it will give her an feel for this type of school. But, since they are heavilty recruiting her, will they be expecting a verbal commitment soon after our visit there? She has one other unofficial set up, but is hoping for more after the next couple of showcases. Would be nice to be able to wait till at least summer (before senior year) to see what her choices are and then make a decision. </p>
<p>Will coaches wait (maybe 5 months) for a verbal from you, if they are interested - or will they move on to someone else?</p>
<p>Any input would be appreciated.</p>
<p>exciting</p>
<p>they may ask for a commitment, she should tell them her coach wants her to wait until the fall to commit, and her coach should be saying that.</p>
<p>Don’t rush, see what else comes up</p>
<p>I would wait to make a verbal commitment until she has weighed all of her options and picks what is best. College coaches already have a rated list of players 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. 1 being the top choice 2, second on their list, etc. If they tell her that she can walk on, they will not come back and say that “No she cannot come because she took too long.” Also, don’t forget that a verbal commitment can always be changed. You can always decommit from a school that you gave a ‘verbal’ to without a penalty. Nothing is official until you sign the letter of intent, once you sign that, then you cannot decommit without a penalty (in D-1)</p>
<p>CalPolyMom,</p>
<p>Good questions. Here is my two cents…tHey are going to continue to recruit whether your daughter “verbals” or not. This is what they do, and they have a tough job looking at hundreds/thousands of recruits. They are trying to get the best possible athletes for their school. They are competing against other D1 soccer programs at this point in time. With that said, you have to do what is right for your daughter and family. This is absolutely a two way street, and it has to work for you and them. Don’t be afraid to tell them this is your first visit, and you have other visits scheduled. They will understand, trust me. They will probably ask for her decision timetable, which is a fair question. She should tell them her timetable, and she should ask them what they think of that timetable. </p>
<p>Your daughter will have a lot of questions, and she should feel comfortable asking her potential coach any question related to the program. One of the most important aspects of the visit is the follow up communications. PLease make sure your daughter follows up even if she is just casually interested. She should touch base with the coach/recruiter on a fairly regular basis just to see where things stand. The more she does this process, the more comfortable she will be. My son is an intravert, and he was not comfortable with this initially. Today, I have no question that he could handle himself in just about any complex situation like this with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back. :)They learn very quickly that this is their “rodeo”.</p>
<p>Bottom line is managing communications and expectations, just like anything in life. Be honest with them and demand the same. Good luck with your first visit and the many visits to follow. It is a great time in her life.</p>
<p>You can always wait to commit and I think you should wait if this is your D’s first visit. </p>
<p>On the other hand, there are relatively few athletes for whom coaches will “hold” a spot. Most coaches told us that their job is to recruit and fill their rosters, so they are doing that each week until it’s full. So at some point you should be aware that waiting too long may cost your athlete a spot - how soon that happens probably depends on the sport, level of competition and how highly valued a recruit your D is. </p>
<p>So go on as many visits as you can fit in and collect as much information as you can, but once your daughter has truly found a good fit, my advice would be not to delay too long in making a commitment.</p>