'Unofficial' strategy

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Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
So, let's say you've got 2 unofficial visits lined up.

Team A is expected to make an offer, cautiously optimistic. Coach wants player to call every week, comes watches player play a couple of times.

Team B just says keep in touch and doesn't ask player to call, although is happy to take player's call. They've talked by phone only once. Doesn't come watch player play except once weeks ago, which led to visit invitation. But not since. Signs don't seem to indicate an offer is coming on the visit, but who knows.

Would you tell Team B that you're visiting Team A (a rival school) also? Would you call Team B regularly? How would you play this? My guess is that Team B is interested, but not in a hurry. Team A is in a hurry, and it seemed significant that Team A knew there was an impending visit to Team B. One of player's coaches said player should call Team B and ask if offer is coming, and if not, don't take day off school and work to go.
 
Mar 11, 2009
431
0
Are you going to team A or team B first? Hopefully team B, so you can see what their interest really is before you get an offer from team A. When Team A meets with you guys and extends an offer they will probably ask you what other schools are interested and what your DD interest is in those schools. Tell them the truth, having a rival school after you does two things, first it reassures that school that your DD can play at that level and in that conference, and second that someone else wants your DD and can use your DD talents to beat them. If you guys meet in head coaches office look for board on wall with short list of recruits for at least four graduating years. See where your DD falls on list and how many other players same age as your DD are on the list and what positions they play. as well as year before and year after your DD. Don't close any doors at this point and keep working hard until your DD gets where she wants to be. Make sure you have a list of questions you need answered while you are there....Good luck.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
Are you going to team A or team B first? Hopefully team B, so you can see what their interest really is before you get an offer from team A. When Team A meets with you guys and extends an offer they will probably ask you what other schools are interested and what your DD interest is in those schools. Tell them the truth, having a rival school after you does two things, first it reassures that school that your DD can play at that level and in that conference, and second that someone else wants your DD and can use your DD talents to beat them. If you guys meet in head coaches office look for board on wall with short list of recruits for at least four graduating years. See where your DD falls on list and how many other players same age as your DD are on the list and what positions they play. as well as year before and year after your DD. Don't close any doors at this point and keep working hard until your DD gets where she wants to be. Make sure you have a list of questions you need answered while you are there....Good luck.

Thanks! She's visiting Team B first, about 5 days before Team A.

Team A knows about Team B's visit, but not vice-versa. So do you think it would be a good idea to subtly let Team B know that she's visiting Team A? Don't want it to come across as trying to leverage things, but it might also be info they want to know about.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
The recruiting process is a little like playing poker....and until your DD verbally commits somewhere I would recommend staying in touch with as many college coaches as possible, and keeping all of them updated on your DD's schedule and her academic achievements (especially if they are good). Since partial scholarships are common in softball, it may help to play one school off another, even if the school is not one that your DD is particularly interested in attending. Getting a higher percentage offer can give you some leverage to ask for more from the school your DD really wants to attend. Just be careful if you are someone who likes to "bluff" when playing poker as college coaches do talk to each other regularly, so I would not recommend exaggerating competing offers. If the exaggeration is discovered you could wind up empty handed.
 
Oct 17, 2014
123
18
Call team B and ask what their level of interest is and let them know about team A's level of interest.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
Call team B and ask what their level of interest is and let them know about team A's level of interest.

Thanks, Maxx. Glad you commented because I was going to revisit this thread today. We've had a schedule change, and now Team A is scheduled ahead of Team B by about 10 days. So after the meeting w/ Team A, we'll know exactly what their interest is, and we then can tell Team B.
 
Mar 26, 2013
1,934
0
The first rule of negotiating is making the other side believe you have an alternative, regardless of what it is.
 
Oct 17, 2014
123
18
Thanks, Maxx. Glad you commented because I was going to revisit this thread today. We've had a schedule change, and now Team A is scheduled ahead of Team B by about 10 days. So after the meeting w/ Team A, we'll know exactly what their interest is, and we then can tell Team B.

I would still contact Team B and find out what their interest is and let them know of Team A's interest, especially since Team B has seemed less interested so far. It may get them to start showing more interest and re-thinking their position if they actually do have a sincere interest. Like SoCal Dad said, you want them to think you are highly sought after. You'd be amazed at how many kids/parents will say "your school is our #1 choice." Well, by saying that, you've already lost some bargaining leverage. Your offer is most likely not going to be as high as it potentially could be because you've showed your cards already. Let the coaches know you have other options, and make the coach make an offer first and then bring out your leveraging power, if you have any, based on other offers from other schools.

A lot of things go into making the decision of what to offer a kid, and a lot of the info is provided by the kids and parents unknowingly. If you ever watch American Pickers, they always say to never let the seller see how excited and interested you are in the item they are selling, otherwise you are going to pay THEIR price.

Now, all of this is assuming you are getting interest from schools who are talking about offering athletic money.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
We did this. We didn't show our cards at all. We visited what you would call "Team B" and when they seemed to be more interested, we asked them for an offer to take home and think about. They came with a statement that they would call us but also asked where we were going for other visits. I didn't say and do think that if I did, they would have backed out. We went to "Team A" and they had an offer. It was a little disappointing but could have worked. I think that the coach noticed that we didn't jump on the offer and so, kind of hedged his bets that he might have more available and would work with us some. IMO, playing teams against each other is very risky. In the end, Team A didn't raise offer and Team B made a similar offer. We went elsewhere.

Edited to add:

These schools were not rivals. One was a Missouri Valley School and one was a Ohio Valley School.
 
Last edited:
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
IMO, playing teams against each other is very risky. In the end, Team A didn't raise offer and Team B made a similar offer. We went elsewhere.

Yeah, I'm just thinking there's a subtle but significant difference between informing them and playing them. In our case, I'd like to think Team B would want to know that we're visiting Team A. If I were them, I would. As long as we're just being up front about it and not trying to leverage it.
 

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