<p>DD, a freshman, just received a handwritten note from coaching staff at a top D-1 school. She didn't initiate any communication with them. It was sent via her HS coach. It said the usual, can't recruit until junior year, but that they would like to follow her progress. How common are these things?</p>
<p>That’s pretty exciting, especially for a freshman. To keep it in perspective, though, some schools engage in massive direct mail campaigns for their recruits. D used to get lots of handwritten cards and letters from a couple schools (who was actually doing all that writing, I don’t know).</p>
<p>But it’s still pretty cool. Just don’t become enamored of this school because of the correspondence - make sure she investigates a wide range of opportunities as her HS career progresses.</p>
<p>Possibly the HS coach got her name out?</p>
<p>One other person at the school got one, and her brother was drafted to the same school a few years ago. I’ll enjoy my excitement, but I also know it is a long way from here to her signing day. Thanks so much for your insight.</p>
<p>It isn’t common at all, and it’s a very good sign that he’s making contact so early. He should know that it’s a violation of NCAA recruiting rules to intitiate contact like this, but that’s his problem, not your daughter’s.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your daughter.</p>
<p>^Sherpa, I think if it’s a non-specific greeting coming via the HS coach it’s okay</p>
<p>varska–I don’t think so. Coaches, after Sept 1 of the student’s junior year, for most sports, can start sending letters like that, but not before. Even then, they have to be generic informational mailings. A handwritten note saying we want to follow your progress is a pretty clear violation according to the NCAA website.</p>
<p>okay, even if it was mailed to the HS coach? I’m just thinking an awful lot of recruiting takes place in club sports during sophomore year with the club coach acting as the liason - so I’m not sure if going through an intermediary (coach) makes it ok in the eyes of the NCAA</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about NCAA recruiting issues as the school is at risk not your D. We had some college contact after the freshmen year, but it was very casual. I would describe it as more “introductory”. I think it also depends on the sport…is it a revenue sport or not?</p>
<p>As Varska points out , we also saw a serious amount of recruiting between soph and junior year by the club coaches (baseball). There were some elite D1 players identified here, and most went (verballed) to elite athletic D1 conferences by their junior year. The remaining D1 players verballed between their junior and senior year. Your D’s sport may vary on the timetables.</p>
<p>It sounds to me like the hs coach or travel coach put in a good word for your D, and the coaches are following up on those suggestions. They’ve identified her as a person of interest to their program…nothing more nothing less. They want to get to know her a little better and follow her development towards POSSIBLY becoming a college athlete. There is a lot of time between now and then. As others have suggested, try your best to learn about as many programs as possible while keeping the grades up…that is the recipe for having many choices and eventual success. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Actually, the coach IS allowed to contact you before your junior year - that’s when they can send an “informational” brochure, questionnaire or camp invite. I think they may be limited to one, but expect to receive alot of these if she is attracting top D1 level of interest. After attending Nationals summer after Freshman year, D & many of her team mates got their first letters of interest. A handwritten note TO the PLAYER would be illegal before Sept 1 Jr, but not to the coach about the player. Our coaches got lots of emails to pass on to the girls indicating interest and “please get in touch”. After Sept 1 of Junior year coaches CAN send personalized letters and emails and can return your emails. Still can’t call. D and all her team mates got literally flooded at 12:01 am on Sept 1 with email; letters, including handwritten, arrived within a few days.</p>
<p>To the original question, it is definitely a good sign at this stage and clearly more interest may come - you and your D need to get started now putting together a target list of schools and proactively contacting coaches. Put together some sort of “resume” and start getting video of her in action. The best advice we got at about the stage you are at was from D’s 15’s coach who had coached for many, many years including at the college and national level. He said the biggest mistakes kids make is letting the recruiters drive the process, rather than being the one in the drivers seat. “Be the salesperson, not the product” he used to say. Have fun, very exciting times!!!</p>
<p>edit - this is for volleyball, your sport may be different</p>
<p>Yes, this is without doubt a good sign, but as others have said, it is only a small step. Make sure your D doesn’t fall in love with the first suitor and decide she doesn’t need to actively search other schools. She needs to broaden her search as much as possible freshman year.</p>
<p>Regarding the handwritten letter: it’s pretty interesting. My S received a lot of verbal communication from college coaches through his club coach, who would then relay the message. This I believe is common practice. </p>
<p>Is it any different if the college coach sends a letter or email to the club/high school coach? I think it may depend upon the wording. For example, before September 1 of Player D’s junior year, College Coach sends the following email/letter:</p>
<pre><code> “Dear Club Coach: I want you to know that Big U is very interested in
Player D, and we see her as a potential impact player for our program.
We hope that she is considering Big U as a potential school to attend,
and we would love to hear from her and meet her on campus soon.”
</code></pre>
<p>Now, Club/High School Coach forwards the letter/email to Player D. Any violation of NCAA rules? Well, it arguably violates the spirit, but I am not sure it is a technical violation.</p>
<p>On the other hand, what about this:</p>
<pre><code> " Dear Club Coach: I would appreciate it if you would relay the following message to Player D:
Player D: I am the Head Coach at Big U. We have one of the best programs in the country, and we are always trying to identify elite players for our program. We believe you could become such a player. Please feel free to call me at XXX-XXX- XXXX anytime. I hope to hear from you soon."
</code></pre>
<p>I assume this is an impermissible, “direct” communication from the Coach to the Player. It doesn’t really violate the spririt of the rule anyore than the first email/letter, but it would appear to be a technical violation of the rule. What do some of you experienced posters think?</p>
<p>I don’t think coaches would have to send the second example and take a chance because they can accomplish exactly the same thing with the first by conveying everything they want to reach the player to the coach. In our experience, it was just as you said, “Dear coach x, saw your team, was very impressed, esp with player a & b. Let me tell you a little more about our program and our school… We would like to get to know player a & b better. Can you please tell us more about them and also please pass along my contact info to them? I look forward to hearing from them” I think this is very, very, very common. The club coach is the conduit for lots of communication prior to Sept 1 jr. We had a college coach call our club coach to tell him to tell our daughter to call him at x time at x number. Another school arranged an unofficial for her through the coach because we were having trouble connecting.</p>
<p>I’m no expert on NCAA compliance, but here’s my interpretation of the rules as they relate to underage recruits.</p>
<p>College coach sends generic informational mailing to student: OK
College coach mails HS coach expressing interest in student: OK
College coach sends student personalized letter of interest: violation
College coach sends student personalized letter of interest using HS coach as intermediary: probably a violation</p>
<p>Different sports have different compliance schedules and times,some like basketballl start as early as junior high and others like fencing begin in July of the senior year.</p>
<p>A college coach can contact a high school coach all they want, they aren’t recruiting the coach. What they can’t do is send personal mail to the athlete outside of designated times, even if it does go through the coach–and probably went through the coach because the college didn’t have the student’s home address.</p>
<p>Recruiting violations are something the athlete has to worry about. What if you commit to a school and part way through your sophomore year the school is fined and banned from post season play for recruiting violations? Maybe the coach you loved gets fired as a result? You do need to be concerned.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I agree with SteveMA. Also, do you really want to spend four years of your life under the authority of someone who believes that the rules do not apply to him? Do you want your name in the newspaper as the student who was involved, even innocently, in the recruiting violations that caused your college to be caught?</p>