Scholarship Dilemma

Ain't that the truth...great response yankee. You have had a great handle on the recruiting process from Day 1

 

I agree coach, but the Mom asked this question....If the coach really wants her son to play for him, then why the deadline? Why not let him go through the recruiting process and keep the same offer on the table rather than have the kid make a decision and end up not being happy?

I explained how the coach must look out for the good of the entire program, but this coach must really see something in her son that has made the coach make such an attractive and early offer. She then went on to bring up what the high school coach had recommended about accepting then possibly backing out if a better offer came. She said she read in the paper where quite a number of football players had backed out of their verbals just last week on signing day. She is does not like the idea of not honoring your word, but to her, it seems in football backing out of a verbal is not really a big deal.

Should the young man ask for the offer to stay the same as while he continues to go through the recruitment process? Also, the Mom wanted to know how common of a practice is it for coaches to place deadlines on offers?

I have only heard of something like this but more dramatic. A college softball coach once put 2 recruits in 2 separate rooms and made the same offer to both. He then said which kid accpeted the offer first, received the scholarship. This backfired on the coach as neither kid accepted and both went on to play for the coaches biggest rival! It really made both parents very angry also.

Thanks for all the great responses. The Mom and her son are very thankful.

 

There is some very wise counsel contained in a number of the posts here.

Perhaps it's the much greater number of players involved in the football recruiting process; but, whatever the cause, football is DIFFERENT (in a number of respects) and should remain so. The incidence of withdrawn commitments...from either side...in baseball is miniscule.

The blemish on the player's reputation...and the potential backlash it could cause in the relatively close community that is college baseball...are not worth the potential gain from reneging on the commitment.

 

Hold on a minute..

I think there is something to be said for the COLLEGE coach who offered first and "showed" interest and yes it is not necessarily ethical for the young man to back out if something else comes along as stated throughout the posts... On the other side of the coin and having known quite a few college coaches myself they are hired and their profession is to WIN ball games period! Sadly enuf having lost perspective of why and how they got their often but making and molding fine young men who graduate!!! They are seeking the best player (s) out there and hopefully will be able to work and mold them into an outstanding college player! YES there is something to be said in regards to fit and grades and all that but there are many a coach by no means all of them that at the next level who are suspect ethically as well!!! Again not taking sides or trying to support and defend anyone JUST go with your heart! Where or what it is YOU think YOU will be happiest with! If that means backing out at a later time so be it! Most if not all coaches at the next level respect and well wish these kids if they think it is in their individual best interests... Bottom line look out for number one (yourself) and your best chances of PLAYING and getting a QUALITY education, period. Generally speaking when a college offers early they want and EXPECT you to produce immediately ie start contribute "otherwise" later means they aren t necessarily looking for that to happen... You can often times count on a good program and coach to come out and offer early for they are THAT impressed with your abilities! JMHO 2 cents and all that!

 

Homer3, years ago I coached and recruited on the Collegiate level so as you already stated you must realize that by extending the offer indefinitely that coach runs the risk of not only losing this boy, but also his 2nd, 3rd and 4th options. As a coach you have got to be constantly evaluating your chances of getting the prospects you're talking to and counting on.

Now lets talk this through from the coaches perspective and let me know how you feel as a coach. You make me an outstanding offer, particularly for a non-pitcher and you give me 5 months to make a decision. At the end of 5 months I ask you to keep hanging on. I'll venture to say you are probably going to have some trouble convincing yourself, or the Head Coach you work for that you'll end up signing me. Keep in mind that other kids, Options 2, 3 and 4 are pushing for an offer from you, their getting nervous that they may miss out of other offers they have. Coaches simply must ask for committments in the competitve recruiting world, or you run the risk of missing out on quality players.

I personally think he's in a great situation, now go to work and verify whether he's interested or not. 5 months is an eternity in the recruiting world for most prospects.

Regarding the decommitting - Yes, it's more prevalent in Football than other sports. With that said I hope everyone involved does their best to teach this young man that first and foremost, regardless of how others act, he is going to be a person who's word can be trusted, a man with Character, the world doesn't need more of the others. Sports can teach kids many lessons and make these young men better people. Help make him one of those.

Good luck to him and his mom - their lucky to have someone like you to help them.

 

Yankee-------WOW!!!!

 

Braves

Hope my blood pressure is back down, got to practice beating around the bush.

 

I've been known to have a problem with that ability too.

 

Diplomacy is not something found in y'all's vocabulary. Hang around me more...I'll teach ya

 

This is all great information. As far as a coach setting a deadline, I think they always have one in mind when they make an offer, whether it's verbalized or not. They have to, their jobs may very well depend on it. They have to know when to give up on #1 and start to persue #2, #3, etc......