verbal commitments and ethics

I saw this on HSBBWEB, thought I would put it to readers on this board.

Is it ethical for player who has verbally commited to a school to change his mind in favor of a better offer at a later date?

Is ethical for a school to with draw an offer in favor of a better player at a later date?

I personally am not sure about whether it's ethical or not, but I am "old school". I was raised to believe that a man is only as good as his word and have tried to teach my son the same values that I was taught. The only excuse that would be exceptable to me would be if some sort of catastrophy struck a family and made it impossible for them to to afford that school.

I think that most coaches will stand by their word. Their very job may depend on it, after all, they are representives of their schools. But in this day in time where so much pressure can be put on a coach to win, some may give in to that pressure.

Just some of my thoughts. Hopefully we will hear from some coaches as well as some players and parents, especially those with some experience.

 

Fabulous topic.

Here's my read on it from the coaches perspective.

Early on in the recruiting process, if a coach gets a reputation for not honoring his verbal commitments, it will hinder his recruiting in all subsequent years. The baseball fraternity is rather small, particularly in the coaching ranks. Word will spread quickly and other institutions may decide to let players know if they are on the fence in deciding between the two programs.

From the player's perspective.

Your word is your bond. It's a reflection of your character. There are few things more important in life than maintaining your integrity. If you make a verbal commitment, you should honor it if at all possible. Not informing another coach that you have already committed invites the temptation. Strive to show your character at all times. One of the most important life lessons you may learn is that "your actions have consequences and you must learn to live with those consequences".

 

What I've learned in the recruiting process this year:

1. A verbal, by either player or coach is none binding. Until NLI is signed, nothing is guaranteed, even by the school.

2. I've talked with two coaches, one today, who said they had made offers to players and waited on a response to their offer. In the meantime, three additional players commited. The coach called the first guy and said, "We'd still love to have you, but I can't give you but x (lesser) amount of money."

3. One coach offered two position players the same deal. When the first accepted, he had to call the other and retract the complete offer.

4. JUCCOs and the NCAA don't recognize the other's NLI. You can sign either, and break either, by going to the other school. I'm not saying this is right, just stating the facts.

5. The MLB Draft. It's understood, by all parties that if a players is drafted and elects to turn pro, all agreements are void.

I don't see this discussion as just being a matter of ethics, it's more. Before a player commits to a school, they better have several facts in order. Is this the school I want to go to for four years? If baseball is somehow taken away, is this where I want to be? Don't go just because you like the coaches - coaches take better jobs and get fired from others. Don't go because they belong to a certain conference - conferences change. Don't go because your girlfriend wants to go there - girlfriends come and go.

If the schol has the curriculum you want and you can get a few dollars in scholarship then go. If not, wait.

 

I agree with you NC. There are however exceptions to every rule, and I could not help but think about the time that Rob Davis committed to Furman and then decommitted and went to Army. I dont think that I have met someone within 5 years of my age with greater integrity than him. He is a model for how to have stellar character. I have mentioned him in this regard on the board before, but he was the first person that came to my mind.

He is like I said,he is an exception.

 

A young man I have mentioned on this board before was recruited by two schools. He commited to one, a JUCO. He then went to NC State Games as a senior, had a wonderful week, and was suddenly presented with an offer to play at NC State. He accepted the offer from State, then called the JUCO coach who understood the situation completely. Not your typical example.

But to try and stir the pot, how many of these coaches will sit in your living room, or in the stands at their field and sign your (or your son's) praise. Jimmy is the greatest player to come along in 10 years, he will be the core of our upcoming squad. Then Jimmy gets there and is relegated to pitching charts for 3 years. I think you should try and appraoch this with as much integrity as possible but you still have to do what is right for you. The coaches are doing what is right for them. If that wasn't the case, then there would never be a transfer player from another school who now starts in front of you.

Just my humble $.02 worth.

 

By the way, UP is also loaded with integrity. I have seen his integrity and morals first hand.

 

Good idea RCBBFAN! I have read all 16 pages of posts on this topic over at HSBBW.

This happened to someone I know. He had an offer from a NC D1 school. He committed to this school that he wanted to attend. Both parties seem to be happy. The school gets a commitment from another kid. The school calls kid1- that commited reduces the offer that they had made and commitment they accepted.
Kid1 withdraws his commitment and commits at another school!
What do you guys think!
I'm not sure how often this happens but it did.

 

A system such as a recruiting process is only as strong as the integrity its participants bring to it. As soon as the players, their parents, and the coaches begin to undermine its itegrity, it suffers. However, it is also the creation of humans; and humans are going to fail it at times.

So, how do you approach it? With respect...and a critical eye.

You should try not to do anything to undermine it; so, you do your best to keep your word and follow through with your commitment. Meanwhile, you should expect and encourage all other participants to act likewise.

If participants violate the trust which serves to make it work for all, they should be held accountable for their actions. In real life, this tends to be the case, as coaches or players who renege on their commitments tend to be known and avoided, subsequently.

Finally, recognize the fact that the baseball world is divided into related, but separate, pieces. Generally, the categories are (1) 4-year, college programs; (2) junior college programs; and (3) professional baseball. Each of these entities has chosen to follow its own course. As a result, it seems to follow logically for me that a player and his family ought to be able to approach their dealings with each separately.

That doesn't necessarily mean not telling the coach of a 4-year program, for example, that you're talking with a coach from a junior college. But, the divided process does suggest generally to me that each should be dealt with separately.

 

Just a note about the previous post of the kid backing out of his commitment to a JUCO (Spartanburg Meth.) and going to NCSU. Coach Wallace was very upset over this situation, he wasn't "all for it." Just ask Avent at NCSU what Wallace told him about this situation. I'll just say it isn't appropriate to post on here and I don't think he'll be sending any players to NCSU in the near future. Just to give everyone an idea, it is considered an unwritten rule that if a player commits to a school, other schools should stop recruiting them. It is considered poor ethics to do such a thing, unless the kid were to commit to a 4 yr school then not make the grades. Then it is fair game for JUCOs to begin recruiting them again. Usually 4 yr schools like to keep JUCOs happy because they will recruit some of their players in the future and try to avoid situations like the one mentioned above. Although it does happen from time to time that a school will recruit a kid that has verbally committed, it doesn't happen that often. As was said earlier, word gets out on the unethical coaches and eventually they pay for it in the long run. I say for a kid to check all his options before doing any kind of commitment, then decide where they would like to attend. A player, nor a program, should ever back off of a commitment. Even if grades are an issue, the player should realize that his grades may be a problem and not commit to a school where they may not be able to get in to. Thereby, no one is mislead and no one is upset or potentially upset.

 

Our family's experience suggests that coaches are much better about honoring a player's commitment if they coach within the same college category (i.e. 4-year programs vs. JUCO's). After our son's late-August commitment to a 4-year college, we continued to receive correspondence and phone calls from junior colleges...even after it was very common knowledge that he'd committed. This includes area junior colleges that have good reputations for ethical recruiting standards, otherwise. Meanwhile, ALL phone calls and the vast majority of correspondence from 4-year programs ceased.

Several junior college coaches who called the house or approached us at fall tournaments his senior year explained that it was due to the fact that the two groups were subject to completely separate National Letter of Intent programs and different recruiting timelines.

I came away from the experience concluding this:

That a player and his family should be honest and straightforward with all coaches about their intent and current disposition.

For example, if a player is having difficulty deciding between junior college and a 4-year program, both sides should be aware of that. That protects against the sense of deception and betrayal that can accompany the sort of situation described earlier in this thread.

All of the coaches are "big boys," fully knowledgeable about the rights and responsibilities that go along with their recruiting activities. If you stick to the truth and are straightforward, it goes a long way to avoiding difficulties.