Sue Enquist takes on early recruiting...

[marriard]

I think she is the perfect person to talk about this. If you are an alcoholic and you need to stop drinking, do they send you to a group of people who have never imbided? Or do they send you to meet with a group of people who have done everything you have done and even worse to discuss the difficulty and the absolute necessity of changing your ways?

As for hired guns, players who are at a school only for softball purposes. I don't believe for a minute that isn't happening right now all over the NCAA.

If Sue came out and said "I now understand that recruits need to be protected from coaches such as me" I would agree. Her plan is totally unworkable, but the discussion needs to happen. But the problem is exactly that - coaches who will skirt the rules and try to gain an advantage. Early verbals clearly were part of this - "I can't promise you in writing, but I promise you" was a way to recruit before you could really sign someone.

 

[JAD]

You have been misinformed in a way. If you think a D1 school is passing on a stud player who turns up in 16U or a player who suddenly grows 5" and is now +10mph as a pitcher because they are 'done' recruiting you are nuts. They will just let that 2020 they verballed go somewhere else.

A school can only have 12 full scholarships at any one time, so dropping an offer to a 2020 may not help them sign a 2017...

 

[marriard]

A school can only have 12 players on scholarship at any one time, so dropping an offer to a 2020 may not help them sign a 2017...

True... but they are certainly are not going to not verbal a 2019 or 2018 just because people think they are 'done' with 2020 recruiting or that they 'have their money committed'. I am friends with a local D1 coach - he feels he is about 300% over commited on verbals. I think he is underestimating it.

The verbal process is a terrible and parents always act so surprised when they get to the NLI/LOI point and reality hits and a college just lets that verbal from 3 years ago disappear into the wind.


A local 2020 verballed about 3 months ago. Coach stepped down last week. That verbal means nothing other than the new coach MAY look at them whoever it is going to be.
[MENTION=5663]JAD[/MENTION] - you just went through this yourself with the coach stepping down and being uncertain whether the previous regimes commitment was still valid. And your kid is a total A+ pitcher. You know it could well have been your DD looking for a new program as an upperclassman and having to stress out again (though I am 100% certain you would have a line out the door with offers).

 

[let it be fun]

If Sue came out and said "I now understand that recruits need to be protected from coaches such as me" I would agree. Her plan is totally unworkable, but the discussion needs to happen. But the problem is exactly that - coaches who will skirt the rules and try to gain an advantage. Early verbals clearly were part of this - "I can't promise you in writing, but I promise you" was a way to recruit before you could really sign someone.

As I understand it, according to NCAA rules, the coaches can't comment on recruits to the media until signing day. Everything that the media gets about verbals is from the player and/or HS/TB coach and can't be verified with the school until signing day. Therefore, NCAA rules would have to change in order for her plan to work. Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Westwind]

Thanks Marriard- I thought I was starting to get a handle on this process but it looks like I really need to sit down and look at it all again.

Do you think the process you described applies to hitters as it does pitchers also?

 

[marriard]

Thanks Marriard- I thought I was starting to get a handle on this process but it looks like I really need to sit down and look at it all again.

Do you think the process you described applies to hitters as it does pitchers also?

Yep, if not more so. Most players are finding their 'real' homes in their Junior seasons. Sure the top D1's have the pick of the talent and get first shot at all their verballed players from years past, but by Junior year EVERYONE is in play - D1, D2, D3, NAIA, Junior Colleges...... Players have come and gone - some have quit the game, some are late bloomers, some can't get the grades needed, boyfriends, majors, life goals, etc... It also really depends a lot on your real level of talent and what you can bring to a program. If you a 6' tall mature stud as a freshman maybe you are still going to the school that you verballed with... maybe not.

Finding the right school is a process. I can't imagine my DD committing to a school today as a HS freshman. I understand but still struggle with families who do.

Not saying don't start the process early and explore recruiting options and have your DD learn what she does and doesn't want. Just saying that the pressure to commit early or you will 'miss out' is not as powerful as people want to make it out to be.

 

[chinamigarden]

JAD- Maybe I misunderstood her, I took that to mean she was verballing them or talking to them in junior year.

I don't know of any D-1's in 2016 that have money left for the recruiting class that is in their junior year of hs. My 2020 is getting college interest but the big top program sb schools are supposedly done recruiting 2020's. Before my 2020 has ever been to a showcase. (First one in a few weeks). Are we talking about the same thing? Or have I been misinformed?

Maybe you missed her point. She would like to see it go back to Juniors being offered and not younger, as it once was. And those D-1s without money left will certainly withdraw an offer in the last minute if they can get a super stud instead of the good player they committed 2 years earlier.

 

[CoogansBluff]

For those who want change, what would your rule be? Is it enforceable?

Let's say you cannot make an offer until Sept. 1 of a player's junior year. How does a coach handle that? Make 12 offers and take the first 6 that accept? Is that what parents/players really want? You have no assurance that you'll get an offer until Sept. 1. How do you plan your life if you don't know what you really have and don't have?

Or let's say the offer can't be official until Sept. 1, aren't we back in the same place?

"I can't make you an official offer until Sept. 1 of your junior year, but just so you'll know, you'll get an offer.''

"OK, I can't officially accept your offer until Sept. 1 of my junior year, but just so you'll know, you'll get a yes.''

How do you stop it? Do you limit the amount of contact between coaches, recruits? How are coaches/players going to make better choices for their futures if recruiting/contact is limited?

 

[Jr10234]

Friends son verballed freshman year at D1 school. Full ride athletic scholarship, though he is a 3.5+ student as well. Summer before senior year, school said...they will allow him to tryout, but no scholarship gurantee. NCAA rules state if a student receives an athletic scholarship and is then injured, the school must honor the amount four the entire 4 years. He wasn't able to get anything else during that time, despite attending regional recruiting camps and being award best O and D player at every camp. He is now at a local CC with hopes to transfer in 1-2 years.
The school is always looking out for their best interest, not yours!

 

[riseball]

What you are currently seeing is what happens when you try to regulate a free market with arbitrary regulation. I have always thought that allowing recruits to sign an NLI as soon as they get into HS would sort the mess out in just a few seasons. After some coaches get stuck with kids that do not progress they will quickly pull back on the early recruiting.