What are some questions I should ask the coach while on a phone call with them?

As with most conversations between a coach and a prospective teenage recruit, the coach will seem to be the one talking the majority of the time because he or she is trying to build a bond.  If the coach doesn't talk during most of the time, then there will be a lot of dead air and awkwardness.  If you want to take control of the athletic recruiting process yourself, you should not let this happen.  Instead, what you should be doing is asking questions and trying to find out as much as you can about the school.  Find out which questions are among the best now!

When thinking about any potential college, think long and hard about what you want to know.  If a coach is calling you, there is a solid chance that they hope to have you as a student athlete at their school.  So any questions you throw their way will either be answered or researched and then responded to.  The more questions you ask, the more interested you seem in the school.  The most you are wasting is the ten or so minutes you are on the phone with the coach.

Here are some of the most important questions you should think about asking when these calls are arriving.  It is easy to think of more but these are some of the most obvious ones that should be brought up:

• How will I fit in on the team?
• Do you plan on redshirting me my first year?
• (If the team is struggling), what is the coaching staff doing to turn things around?
• (If the team is doing well), what is the coaching staff doing to continue to help the school have success?
• (If the coaching staff may be good enough to move up to a better job), what are the possibilities that the staff will be in place during my four or five years at the school?  This same question applies if the staff is doing a poor job as well.
• Where do you see the program in the next four or five years?
• How many other players are you recruiting at my position (this may receive a very interesting response)?
• How do athletes balance academics and athletics?
• Is there help in the classroom if I am struggling in a class?
• Are you able to help set up internships with former alumni in my field of study (ask this to the head coach)?
• How would you describe your coaching style?
• What are the best features of your school?
• Why should I pick your program over a conference rival that is recruiting me?
• How is the admission process handled and will any preference be given to student athletes?
• If there is a concern with the city/area, ask about it.
• Will the facilities be updated any time soon (take what they say with a grain of salt)?
• How will you help me become the best player I can be?
• What does the depth chart at my future position look like?
• Are you looking to bring in other scholarship recruits at my position?
• How well does the school/student body support the program?
• Does the team go on any unique travel opportunities during the year or the summer?
• How is the training staff at your school?
• Is there a full time strength and conditioning coach that is willing to help me become a better athlete?
• How is scholarship money handled and when do I know a final total for how much I am paying (this one obviously depends on the level you are looking at)?
• How would you describe the overall attitude of the team?

Again, there are so many others that you can add to the list.  These are just some common questions.  All should be considered but it is probably best that you only pick a few because if you have a talkative coach, you may be on the phone with them for hours.  That won't look good on that eventual cell phone bill that your parents will be paying for!

Who Pays for College Athletes Health Care?

All college athletes are required by the NCAA to have healthcare insurance. The NCAA does not mandate colleges to pay the healthcare costs for athletes. Should a player be injured, the parent's insurance is considered the primary insurance for paying for the athlete's injury costs. This shouldn't come as a surprise since the term "student-athlete" was created so that colleges wouldn't be held liable for sports related injuries.

Some may find it surprising that the organization that specifies the number of phone calls recruits can receive to whether or not athlete can accept rides to school doesn't specify college athlete's insurance requirements. The type and cost of healthcare an athlete will receive will depend on the school.

When the NCPA (National College Players Association) surveyed Division I athletics departments in 2009 to disclose specific medical policies the association was seeking, about 90 percent of the schools refused. The NCPA wants more states to pass legislation requiring public universities to provide additional transparency about how they care for injured athletes.

Why the push for more transparency? Because as reported by The Atlantic Monthly, "after an incoming student signs a letter of intent binding him or her to a university, many schools have no contractual obligation to treat injuries or strains that result from playing for that college." Furthermore, while players can't lose their scholarships because of injuries suffered while playing, the school isn't obligated to renew their scholarships for the following year.

The cases of Stanley Doughty of the University of South Carolina and Kyle Hardrick of the University of Oklahoma may be extreme, but they are examples of what happens when colleges get to decide what sort of medical coverage they provide.

Medical coverage has been improving for athletes, although some school are improving more than others. The New York Times reports

Ellen J. Staurowsky, a professor at Drexel who is studying health care policy at universities in the five wealthiest conferences, said coverage varied widely. Some universities, she said, guarantee medical care only as long as an athlete is in school, while some provide it for an extra year.

Some conferences, such as the Big 10, are including medical insurance as part of their plan to provide more benefits to student-athletes. In California, universities that generate more than $10 million in revenue from athletic programs are required cover healthcare costs of a sports-related injury for up to two years after a student leaves the university. The City of Boston is working on passing student-athlete bill of rights that would include covering long-term medical expenses. Maybe conferences will start offering more medical benefits as a way to attract recruits.

A few states are pushing colleges to disclose more information to prospects in the recruiting process. Both Connecticut and California have Student-Athletes Right to Know laws that require schools to provide recruits with information on what medical expenses are covered. However, until all colleges and universities specify their college athletes insurance coverage and medical treatment policy, it is up to student-athletes and their families to ask for the information as part of the recruiting process.

What happens during the recruiting process?

The recruiting process is about a coach evaluating you, you evaluating the school/coach and making sure you are going to meet the academic requirements. The process is not quick and it is not easy, but you are making a very important decision when selecting a college and it is important to take the time in evaluating your options.

College coaches evaluating you

College coaches are evaluating you athletically, academically and personally. Athletically they are trying to determine if you can come in a play right away and/or projecting how good you can be. Academically, they want to make sure you can get into the school, you will be academically eligible and that you will be able to maintain your eligibility while in college. The last area coaches are evaluating you is trying to determine if your personality will fit their school and program.

As a recruit, you want provide coaches with what they need to evaluate you. This means sending them video, playing in tournaments and attending camps. Once you have established contact, make sure to keep a good dialog with the coaches so they can get a better sense of what kind of person you are.

You evaluating coaches and the school

When thinking about a particular school you need to be able to answer yes to this question; would you want to attend this school even if you weren't an athlete? If the only reason you are attending a particular school is because you are getting a scholarship, you are not going to enjoy your time in college. Being an athlete is only one part (all be it a very big part) of your experience in college.

You want to consider things like what size school you want, whether you want to play right away or take time to develop, what you want to study, what kind of weather you like, what the coach is like, among several other things.

Meeting the academic requirements

Many athletes confuse the academic minimums set by the NCAA or NAIA as the requirements in order to get into a particular college. For example, just because you would meet the GPA requirement with the NCAA or 2.3, doesn't mean you would be able to get into Stanford. College coaches know what you need academically in order to get into their school and unless you can meet those minimums, there is nothing they can do about putting you on their team.

One of the first things you want to do once you establish contact with a coach is set targets for your academic qualifications. Having a clear expectation from the coach about what your GPA and SAT or ACT test scores needs to be can help in avoiding any problems in not qualifying late in the process.

What is a verbal scholarship offer?

When a college coach offers a scholarship to a potential student-athlete verbally, this is considered a verbal scholarship offer. Verbal scholarships are not binding, but more of an agreement that the student-athlete will attend their school and sign a National Letter of Intent.

A verbal scholarship offer is not a binding agreement. At any time, a student-athlete or a coach can back out of a verbal agreement if they choose too. The verbal scholarship offer is made by the coach and not the athletic department, so it is not an official agreement until financial aid papers and the contract has been drawn up.

Getting a verbal scholarship offer from a college coach is an exciting event in the recruiting process. There are two things a student-athlete can do when a verbal scholarship is offered to them. First, they can graciously accept the offer and move forward in making arrangements with the coach. Or, they can ask the coach for more time in making their decision.

College coaches understand that making this decision is a big deal, and many athletes might need some time to talk to their parents or wait to hear from other schools. If a coach allows you some time to think about it, honor their offer and make sure you get back to them by the deadline.

5 Facts about FastPitch Recruits

50 Reasons to Contact College Coaches

Being proactive in the recruiting process is a must. Coaches are trying to evaluate hundreds of athletes each year, and the easier you make it for them to recruit you, the better your chances getting a scholarship will be. If you can't think of a reason to update a coach, check out the list below. Is there something that we missed? Do you have another reason to update a coach?

 

The 50 Reasons You Should Contact College Coaches Now

 

1. Share your new highlight video or action clip with them on YouTube

2. Make sure they know your travel ball club team schedule

3. Let them know you will be attending their camp

4. When you receive all-league, all-region, all-state honors

5. When you establish a new personal best

6. When you beat a higher ranked opponent

7. When you get new ODM scores

8. When you get your SAT or ACT scores

9. The end of the semester/quarter to update coaches with your grades

10. When you are done with your season

11. When the school year is starting

12. When the school year is finishing

13. To wish them a happy holiday

14. When one of their athletes receives a prestigious honor

15. When they have a big win

16. After they win a championship

17. When you want to schedule an unofficial visit to their school

18. When you have submitted your application to their school

19. When you have decided to accept another scholarship offer

20. To let them know when another program has offered you a scholarship

21. When you have calculated how much your family will be able to pay for college

22. Letting them know how your summer time training is going

23. When you have game film from your best games of the year

24. When you have developed a new skill

25. If your team has won a championship

26. To ask for advice on what you should work on in the off season

27. When you have a new reference for them to contact

28. To thank them for their evaluation of your video

29. To establish a time you can call them

30. To find out what tournaments they will be attending in the spring and summer

31. To find out where you rank in their recruiting class

32. To ask if they are going to offer you an official visit

33. To ask if they are going to offer you a scholarship

34. To see what camps or combines they will be working at over the summer

35. To see if you can get tickets to their home game

36. When they receive an award or coaching honor

37. At the start of their season

38. At the end of their season

39. After they sign a major recruit

40. When you have signed up for the NCAA Eligibility Center

41. When you have signed up for the NAIA Eligibility Center

42. If you have narrowed down your list of potential schools

43. If there was a natural disaster near their campus

44. If the university gets a national honor

45. If a different team at the school wins a championship

46. To confirm when you will be visiting campus

47. To ask where you rank after they sign a new recruit

48. To see if they need more film on you

49. Just to say hello

50. Because you should try to always learn more about the program and university

What should I look for in a potential college?

As an athlete you have more to think about when considering what school you might want to attend then a normal student. You need to consider the normal things like the educational and social opportunities, but also does the athletic program fit what you are looking for. Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself.

Athletic Considerations

• What coaching style do you prefer? Can you handle coaches yelling and being high energy or do you prefer a coach who stays more under control?
  
• What are the athletic facilities like? Specifically, consider the training room and gym because chances are you will be spending a fair amount of time there over your four or five years.
  
• How important is playing time and starting as a freshman? It is very rare for an athlete to come in and play as a true freshman. Sometimes athletes choose smaller schools or other division levels to get more playing time.
  

Academic Considerations

• Does the school have your major or at least a couple different majors you might like to study? A lot of small schools have limited majors, but if the school has the major you want, it can be a great fit for you.
  
• Do you like big or small class sizes? Huge schools with 20,000+ students have classes with 300 or more students in a single class. Does that sound like something you would like?
  
• What type of academic support does the athletic program provide? Some schools have free tutors and additional support for athletes, other schools won't. Do you think you will need the help in college?
  

Other Considerations

• What kind of setting do you envision for your university? Can you see yourself in the big city like Columbia University in the middle of New York or more remote like the University of Wyoming?
  
• Do you want to live next to campus or would you be okay with driving to and from school?
  
• What kind of weather do you want to live in? You are going to be at school during the late summer, fall, winter and spring. If you don't like the heat or want to avoid snow, make sure and take that into consideration when choosing a school.