Parents, I know you get tired of the sermons and suggestions and warnings about recruiting, but conversations with a couple of college coaches let me know that we need to remind you one more time.
5 Things That You Must Stop Doing
- Stop writing e-mails for your kids. High school kids and adults speak differently, write differently, and communicate differently. College coaches can tell right away and they don’t like it. They want to get to know your kid. And they want to know if your kid is really interested. If they can’t take the time to write their own e-mails…
- Stop calling the coach. Again, college coaches want to get to know your kid. They are going to spend 4 or 5 years with a player. Getting to know that player in the recruiting process is important. And, if your kid doesn’t care enough to call…
- Stop acting crazy! Screaming at the umpires, screaming at your kid, coaching your kid from the stands, being in a parent clique, or just plain acting crazy is a kiss of death for college coaches. When you act the fool, they wonder if your kid is worth it. Do you want them wondering?
- Let your kid talk. When you meet with a coach on a visit, or after a tournament or at a camp let your kid talk. The college coach wants to get to know your kid and the more you dominate the conversation the less they get from it. And if your kid doesn’t care enough to talk…
- We! So many parents talk about what “we” want or did or expect. All “we” do is drop her off at school. You don’t have any eligibility left so saying we is a real red flag. It means you are living this process through your kid and that is not a healthy way to proceed. Coaches want to know what SHE is all about and doesn’t care at all about “we”.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Well, now you know. Stop doing these things or…
