official visit for athletics

MSNavy

MSNavy

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We are about to go on an official visit with our son. He is being recruited for a sport. His application is complete to usna and all packets turned in for nominations. What can we expect at the official viist? Can they make offers like non academy schools? We are also working through a medical waiver.
 
They are not like other non-academy schools. He should not expect an offer.

Enjoy the visit. The campus is nice and the town is very friendly.
 
Congratulations and good luck! The Yard is an amazing place. Which sport?
 
MSNavy said:
We are about to go on an official visit with our son. He is being recruited for a sport. His application is complete to usna and all packets turned in for nominations. What can we expect at the official viist? Can they make offers like non academy schools? We are also working through a medical waiver.
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The answer will depend on the sport, but in general it's just like every other Div 1 program. They take you on the tour, show you the athletic facilities and weight room, and then get you into the office for a conversation. An offer could very well be made. If its truly an "offical visit" where they are paying for transportation, hotel, and meals, they aren't bringing you out just to meet you and learn more about you. The big difference is, there is no discussion of scholarship money. If you are to the point of a visit, presumably the program has already done its due diligence on your child's grades, etc, and are comfortable with their admissibility.
THParent said:
They are not like other non-academy schools. He should not expect an offer.

Enjoy the visit. The campus is nice and the town is very friendly.
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Respectfully, this isn't accurate. They make offers just like every other Div. 1 program. The savvy consumer will understand that the offer isn't exactly the same as at non-academy schools, as there are a lot more hurdles to climb over to get to the appointment, but the athletic department doesn't spend much time going over that issue at the time of the offer. They are looking for the oral commitment, and worry about the admission process later.
 
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“Offer” is in name only, in the spirit of contractual NCAA offers. There is no such contractual NCAA obligation with a SA. A student athlete can quit the sport at anytime during their years with no loss of ‘scholarship’ since everyone is on ‘scholarship’.

“Offer” in term of support from the sport? Yes. Still no NCAA contractual obligation by either party however.
 
Do the coaches have visibility of the medical part of the application? We were hoping to work through the medical waiver prior to the visit. It is an official visit with them paying for the trip.
 
MSNavy said:
Do the coaches have visibility of the medical part of the application? We were hoping to work through the medical waiver prior to the visit. It is an official visit with them paying for the trip.
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The coaches can help accelerate the waiver review and influence the outcome, depending on how much power they wield with admissions. Which sport are we talking about?
 
Apparently, I should have been more clear. Considering that there's apparently a medical waiver being reviewed and the candidate has no nomination in hand, do not expect an Offer of Appointment.
 
THParent said:
Apparently, I should have been more clear. Considering that there's apparently a medical waiver being reviewed and the candidate has no nomination in hand, do not expect an Offer of Appointment.
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I agree with this, but an LOA is a possibility.
 
My DS went through this last year and was asked to "commit" after his visit and some back and forth conversations. DS fully understood he still needed to secure his MOC nomination and receive an Appointment, even with his LOA.
 
Every team does visits a little differently. You will get yours of campus, facilities, team facilities. Are you guys going to a football game? Usually there is a reception before the game woke recruits with a nice spread. Your son will spend time going to classes and spending time in the hall. Really get the chance to see and feel USNA and the team. Usually some nice meals out too. Every team is different in their nuances, but that is the high level gist.
 
MSNavy said:
Do the coaches have visibility of the medical part of the application? We were hoping to work through the medical waiver prior to the visit. It is an official visit with them paying for the trip.
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I seriously doubt it due to HIPAA regulations.
 
DD did a her 4 officials a few years back. For what its worth, my one piece of advice for Navy would be to stay in the background as much as possible at NAVY (BTW--I'm not saying U R a Helo parent, or you'd want to make the call for your kid). I get that at most Div 1schools things like Facilities, training tables, academic support are all things that a parent might want to check out ; you wanna know that they are gonna take care of your kid.

Have a look around, meet the coach if you like, but know that If your DS becomes a Mid (athlete or non athlete), the USNA will take real good care of him and his education. The US Navy is investing in every Mid on campus, you don't need to worry that part.

More than any other Official Visit, Help your son to focus on meeting his potential team-mates and other mids. Maximize that time, even if you have to hang back more than you'd like. "The Mids" are special, and IMO the USNA's top recruiting asset. My own DD liked campus and facilities at Duke, Yale, even, USC better than USNA's. She came home troubled from her USNA visit. She really wasn't chasing an appointment and had intended to check the box on a NAVY visit and move on to other more "normal" choices. Those Mids had made an impression on her; they were the reason my kid picked Navy.

Good Luck to your son. Says something about Mom&Dad that USNA wants to have a look at him.
 
My DS had an official visit last Fall. Flew into BWI on Thursday and home on Saturday afternoon. USNA arranged and paid for all travel. He went alone and I don’t think that parents attending was even an option. He spent a lot of time with the team - slept in Bancroft with a future teammate, meals with team and watched them compete in a few matches. His couple of days at the Academy for his visit were very informative and helped him make his decision. He had visited the Academy several times in the past (summer seminar and twice to visit the coach), but his official visit was the decider for him and allowed him to really get to know his teammates and the coach. The coach picked him up from the airport and dropped him back off two days later which allowed great one on one time. At the time of his visit he hadn’t yet received his LOA - which came the following month. I agree with other peoples’ comments to be in the background as parents and let your recruit have his own experience.
 
Our DS also went alone. Agree with the last two posters that the visit is what solidified his desire to attend, and mostly because he was “among his people”. It felt like home. But always remember the end result is serving for a minimum of 5 years! That has to be on the radar, as well as your sport.
 
THParent said:
They are not like other non-academy schools. He should not expect an offer.

Enjoy the visit. The campus is nice and the town is very friendly.
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+1 this. He isn't going to get an "offer". He is honestly late in the recruiting process for a lot of sports also.
 
MSNavy said:
We are about to go on an official visit with our son. He is being recruited for a sport. His application is complete to usna and all packets turned in for nominations. What can we expect at the official viist? Can they make offers like non academy schools? We are also working through a medical waiver.
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It’s very, very important to understand the nuances of a SA “commitment”. Or “offer”. Every year, there is someone who was recruited and ‘committed’...thinks they have it all in the bag. Then they end up mad an bitter because their ‘commitment’ was not honored (in their eyes).

There is no such thing as a contractual offer/commitment at a service academy. Either person can “walk away.” Read: student can quit their sport...or decide to attend another college despite ‘committing’. Similarly, a coach can find another recruit they want more and you are no longer their ‘main man/woman’, essentially pulling away their support of you. Even late.

I don’t know your level of understanding of the process...but since you are wondering about receiving an offer at your visit, I’m thinking you may not know.

Offers and commitments at a service academy, and the related “blessed to commit to USNA xxx” posts on social media, have not a drop of contractural obligation (not what other D1 ncaa offers and commitments are) by either party.

So the point of this post is to make sure you understand what the SA is....perhaps you are a blue chip athlete and the coach can assist with the admission process....but there isn’t any contract or obligation legally as in a ‘normal’ D1 ncaa offer.

It’s prudent to still have a backup plan especially since things can change in the world of sports recruiting. And often do.

Have a great visit. I would put money on the guess that you will fall in love with Annapolis. It’s a magical place!
 
2024candidate said:
Oral commitment means nothing!
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Of course they don’t. They don’t mean anything at any school. But if the Academy requests an oral commitment from a kid and drops them like hot potato later, good luck with recruiting. They will quickly lose all credibility with club programs that produce recruits and those club programs will steer kids away from that coach. So no, an oral commitment legally means nothing, but practically it means a lot if the coach has a track record of following through with his commits.
 
First-time poster, long time lurker. 2 years ago we took our DD on an unofficial USNA sports visit the first Saturday in October which, coincidentally, was also Navy/Airforce gameday. DD had previously submitted the sports questionnaire via the Academy website and had been in email contact with the Navy coach of her sport. We drove very early to watch the Saturday morning workout and possibly talk to the coach. There were several official/invited visitors, both male and female attending the practice as well. The coach graciously spent time talking with our family and let us tag along with an official visitor while they checked out the midstore. After the midstore we attended the admissions briefing on our own then took the public guided walking tour of the yard and by chance witnessed the brigade begin the march from Bancroft Hall to Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

The following June saw my DD attending Summer Seminar where she first met the new coaches of her sport and later that summer was offered an official visit which took place late September or early October of her senior year. DD was met early Friday afternoon at BWI by her perspective position coach and transported to the yard where she met and bunked with a Plebe who was a top recruited athlete in her sport. She was very impressed during her visit while the head coach and the team captain took her to a nice dinner and breakfast in DTA. Her perspective position coach shuttled DD to BWI to catch a late Sunday afternoon flight back home. A few days after Christmas last year DD received her LOA stating her assurance of appointment pending the only remaining requirement on her application - securing a nomination. DD earned/received her nomination from our local congressman and the letter of appointment to USNA soon followed. She is currently a Plebe living in Bancroft Hall and thriving.

The point is - DD pursued every nomination source with vigor and ultimately secured her nomination from our local congressman. This was a requirement as stated in the LOA. The USNA did not offer DD an appointment because she can run fast. The academy offered DD her appointment because she is well rounded; academically, physically and spiritually. She also earned/received a congressional nomination on her own. We don't know if the academy or her coaches could have secured an alternative nomination source had she not been nominated. It wasn't necessary. Leave nothing for chance.
 
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