I have read with great interest over the past month the various topics on this forum and one in particular, Recruited Athlete. Since this is my area of expertise I wanted to clarify some of the myths regarding a recruited ahtlete.
NCAA definition of a recruited athlete which every coach must abide by.
Recruited Prospective Student-Athlete
Actions by staff members or athletic representatives that cause a prospect to become a recruited prospect at that institution are:
A. Providing the prospect with an official visit.
B. Having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospect or the prospect's parents or legal guardians for the purpose of recruitment;and
C. Initiating or arranging a telephone contact with the prospect, the prospects relatives or legal guardians on more than one occassion for the purpose of recruitment and
D. Issuing a National Letter of Intent or the institution written offer of athletic related financial aid to the prospect (excluding summer term awards prior to inital full-time enrollment).
Now before anyone jumps I am aware that WP does not do a National Letter of intent.
Some clairifications: Just because a coach or assistant coach sends you infornmation by mail or emails you, requesting information does not mean you are a recruited athlete. If you are invited to a prospect camp, it does not mean you are a recruited student athlete. It means the coachs run their camps to make money. Do they sometime find a potential student athlete they want to recruit, yes. But you are not a recruited athlete until they make more than one call to you, your parents or legal guardians for recruiting purposes or until they invite you for an official visit.
In my experience and dealing with WP coachs they make their own decisions and are very honest and direct individuals. Someone posted that a potential candidate was a soft recruit. There is no definition for a soft recruit, you are either recruited or you are not. When player's make early comittments it is called a soft verval (maybe that's what whomever wrote that, meant) and that can be to any institution. There were over 150 plus soft verbals this year where player's changed their mind, so they mean very little.
One last point, Athletes as well as their parents should know coachs are hired to do one thing and that is win. I am sure someone will come on and take a different view especially about WP but that is what they are hired to do. They look at hundreds of players no matter what sport (some more than others) and they do what is best for their program. I have seen coachs change their mind about a recruit days before signing. Thats the reality of college sports. Anyone wishing additional information on this subject may PM me.
NCAA definition of a recruited athlete which every coach must abide by.
Recruited Prospective Student-Athlete
Actions by staff members or athletic representatives that cause a prospect to become a recruited prospect at that institution are:
A. Providing the prospect with an official visit.
B. Having an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with the prospect or the prospect's parents or legal guardians for the purpose of recruitment;and
C. Initiating or arranging a telephone contact with the prospect, the prospects relatives or legal guardians on more than one occassion for the purpose of recruitment and
D. Issuing a National Letter of Intent or the institution written offer of athletic related financial aid to the prospect (excluding summer term awards prior to inital full-time enrollment).
Now before anyone jumps I am aware that WP does not do a National Letter of intent.
Some clairifications: Just because a coach or assistant coach sends you infornmation by mail or emails you, requesting information does not mean you are a recruited athlete. If you are invited to a prospect camp, it does not mean you are a recruited student athlete. It means the coachs run their camps to make money. Do they sometime find a potential student athlete they want to recruit, yes. But you are not a recruited athlete until they make more than one call to you, your parents or legal guardians for recruiting purposes or until they invite you for an official visit.
In my experience and dealing with WP coachs they make their own decisions and are very honest and direct individuals. Someone posted that a potential candidate was a soft recruit. There is no definition for a soft recruit, you are either recruited or you are not. When player's make early comittments it is called a soft verval (maybe that's what whomever wrote that, meant) and that can be to any institution. There were over 150 plus soft verbals this year where player's changed their mind, so they mean very little.
One last point, Athletes as well as their parents should know coachs are hired to do one thing and that is win. I am sure someone will come on and take a different view especially about WP but that is what they are hired to do. They look at hundreds of players no matter what sport (some more than others) and they do what is best for their program. I have seen coachs change their mind about a recruit days before signing. Thats the reality of college sports. Anyone wishing additional information on this subject may PM me.