HighSchool OT

RE: Coaches , graduating seniors, and recruiters

Interesting topic. I can't imagine a coach, high school especially, saying something that would negatively impact the recruitment of one of his student-athletes, UNLESS, one of two things occurred. First, the college coach asked a very specific and directed question that was asking for essentially confirmation of something they probably knew something about and simply needed clarification. Point here is that the question is being asked because there is a good chance it is important and real. The coach is in a position, from an integrity perspective, to relay the truth. Second, and this has been stated, most coaches understand that student-athletes being recruited are mostly going to the D-II and D-IAA level. My point is that the five stars where the intangibles can sometimes be overlooked a bit aren't there. Rather, as someone indicated the kids being recruited at the D-II and D-IAA level can in many cases be replaced by any number of other student-athletes. In this environment, it's imperative that a high school coach for the benefit of every current student-athlete and every future one he coaches, provide information to college coaches that is on-point. If you say student-athlete is A, B and C. And they end up being F, F, and F in each category and I'm not talking as much about the athletic side of things, but coachability, accountability, etc. Then over time the college coaches will look for similar talent from other schools w/ coaches that tell you when a student athlete is an A, B and C when they are as well as telling you when they are a B, C and C when they are.

If a coach provides an on-point assessment, but has a student-athlete that they believe is making progress as that B, C and C individual, then that coach is going to add the caveat to the discussion that they may be here now, but they have confidence they can improve. But if that isn't the case - well...

the DFBFan via Bull City Football for Starters (BCF4S)
At http://durhamfbfan.blogspot.com
On Twitter durhamfbfan >> http://twitter.com/durhamfbfan

RE: Coaches , graduating seniors, and recruiters

Coaches are adults. This is crazy. I can't believe this is even a topic. What is happening to our culture? Coaches are educators and they want kids to go to college. They are also men of integrity. They tell the truth, even if it hurts. I feel bad for kids and parents that don't live by that.

Read this article. Would you give this kid a recommendation?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-cole_janoris_jenkins_pot_children_corneback_draft_022612

Sad isn't it. Accountability at a player level has diminished. I can't believe any team would consider this kid. His four kids with three women will probably be the kids that write on these forums some day. Now I know why Urban Meyer left Florida. Why would anyone want to be a part of something like that?

RE: Coaches , graduating seniors, and recruiters

UPS the kids your talking about is an awesome talent and will do great on the next level.

RE: Coaches , graduating seniors, and recruiters

Unfortunately some coaches are NOTORIOUS for manipulating recommendations for kids to try to promote their own coaching career. Come on man. To hold back a recommendation for a p*t smoking partier is one thing, but we are not talking about that here. This could be a kid who played 4 years for you, ran through walls for you, was a big part of your coaching success and fully expects your support as his coach. Now the kid has a chance to have hundreds of thousands of tuition and debt removed from his future and you as his coach gives him a poor recommendation behind his back...! That sounds vindictive to me. In the business world if I can't give a man a good recommendation its up to me, morally and ethically, to tell that man that I will be unable to give a quality recommendation to him. Not go ahead and agree to be his reference and then hammer him behind his back because he couldn't perform up to my standards. Can you imagine going to your high school counselor and getting their help with entrance registrations, exams etc... into college then you leave their office and they contact the college and tell them not to take this applicant because of their attitude??? 80 - 90% of kids don't "figure it all out" until college. Man I just don't think thats in the "coach/mentor" job description.

RE: Coaches , graduating seniors, and recruiters

I found this forum by googling what is happening at my son's school with other kids. Most of you have no idea what you are talking about. Because you do not or would not sabotage a player_you have no idea how evil some people can be. A college coach/friend told my husband so many horrible stories......thankfully when a person sees through so many negative comments they may find the truth. And game film? If the coach does not give the play time there is no game film. My point_don't speak about what you know not.

Re: Sabotaged by the trusted

'bixbybill'...........I totally agree with you.

RE: Coaches , graduating seniors, and recruiters

Attempt to google the subject....you will find many college coaches stating they request game film from coaches but never receive it, they send mail addressed to both the student and coach that is never delivered but the mail addressed only to the student is delivered, phone calls during spring training never returned. I can not answer the motive but I know it does happen

RE: Coaches , graduating seniors, and recruiters

andionetwo-

You are correct that only the individuals directly involved in a given process can state the why's of the situation, but I think an important element of this discussion is to look at the picture from all sides. I offer that point not as criticism of anything you or others wrote, but rather as something to consider. In over ten years of coaching, I never witnessed a coach purposefully and without logic hold back the progress of any student-athlete, BUT, I did see a number of situations where the perspective from different sides was different.

Reality is that this discussion has a lot of merit on a number of levels, whether this actually exists or not - if folks think it does and it actually doesn't in a given situation, then it ultimately gets back in part to a failure in communication. But as I said earlier, it's a subject with lots of layers.

If you are the advocate of a student-athlete and you and the student-athlete have an interest in participating at the next level, then take the time and go out and do the research. Don't assume anything - go out and find folks you trust and get information, from multiple sources to make sure it's legit. And make sure that legit doesn't equate to what is good to hear, but what is logical and makes sense. Sometimes those things don't always mesh. Take that information and move forward, in the vast majority of cases, the staff is going to support that effort and will support it with truthful advice. In the end, all should win. And winning may NOT be playing ball at the next level. It may be finding out that the student-athlete can go to Harvard to study genetics as opposed to a D-III school to play football while majoring in something completely different, because of differences in curriculum.

the DFBFan via Bull City Football for Starters (BCF4S)
At http://durhamfbfan.blogspot.com
On Twitter durhamfbfan >> http://twitter.com/durhamfbfan

RE: Coaches , graduating seniors, and recruiters

What a novel thing--parents disgruntled because their kid didn't get a scholarship and blaming the coach. Coaches don't give scholarships, they don't give bad recommendations for kids who don't deserve them, and if your kid can't get playing time in high school he sure as heck isn't college material.