Parents of Athletes: What NOT to Do in the Recruiting Process | NCSA Live

Parents of athletes often question their role in the recruiting process. Do parents go on official visits? Should parents talk to college coaches? Find out. --Click SHOW MORE for links--

TIMESTAMPS
What is the parents’ role in the recruiting process? [2:37]
Don’t be overbearing sports parents [4:00]
Parents, it’s not about you, it’s about the athlete [8:14]
Don’t come unprepared [10:30]
Live Q&A [18:21]
Ring the Bell: NCSA commitments [33:46]

SUMMARY
-College coaches across all sports agree that parents play a significant role in the athletic recruiting process.

-The best things a parent can do are to provide support and encouragement, avoid taking the lead in interactions with coaches and allow their student-athlete to be the one to shine.

-Supportive and encouraging parents can have a positive impact on an athlete’s process, while negative sideline behavior and helicopter parenting can scare away coaches.

-College coaches aren’t recruiting parents – they’re recruiting student-athletes. The more involved parents are, the more it detracts from the athlete connecting with a coach, and ultimately, hinders their chances of getting recruited.

-Parents should not be doing the legwork for their athletes, especially at the beginning of the recruiting process. Student-athletes need to be the one communicating with coaches – if a parent is reaching out to a coach on behalf of their child, it could deter that coach from recruiting that student-athlete.

-Prepare for official and unofficial visits. Parents should let their child take the lead asking questions, but it’s OK for parents to ask a few of their own too. Have a list of questions prepared to ask the coach.

Here are a few examples of questions to ask college coaches:
-What does a day, week or year in the life of one of your student-athletes look like?
-What types of on/off campus activities are available to athletes?
-What type of academic support do athletes receive?
-What are the housing accommodations like?
-Do athletes have the same meal plan as regular students?
-What is the college doing to create a safe campus?
-What happens if the athlete gets injured?
-What is the application process like?
-What about scholarships and financial aid packages?
-What are the next steps?

Have more questions about the role of parents in recruiting? You can DM @coachdannyncsa, send an email to live@ncsasports.org, leave a comment below, or visit our website for more information:

RESOURCES
Should parents talk to college coaches https://www.ncsasports.org/blog/2019/08/05/parents-talk-college-coaches/
Parents can have a huge impact on an athlete’s recruiting process https://www.ncsasports.org/state-of-recruiting
8 simple rules for sports parents [infographic] https://www.ncsasports.org/blog/2016/09/08/8-simple-rules-sport-parents-infographic/
Preparing for official visits https://www.ncsasports.org/ncaa-eligibility-center/recruiting-rules/official-visits
Preparing for unofficial visits https://www.ncsasports.org/ncaa-eligibility-center/recruiting-rules/unofficial-visits
10 questions parents should ask college coaches https://www.ncsasports.org/blog/2019/08/08/10-questions-parents-ask-coaches

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