From Student Sports Softball:
The tough part of being a recruit and her family is you usually only go through the process once so there's a lot to learn and a steep learning curve!
One mother (who has asked to remain anonymous) has learned a lot as her daughter was being recruited and ultimately signed with a Top 25 university.
Today, she often speaks to younger players and teams about NCAA rules and what is important to know as a prospect and family.
She says, ?I often get the same common questions from recruits? parents about NCAA rules and thought it would be helpful to answer the ones most frequently asked. The rules change often so be sure to verify these with a university?s compliance officer as you do get recruited or check with the NCAA directly to get the official answer.?
Also, note that there may be variations in rules between levels (Div. I, II, II, NAIA, etc.) so be sure to research if you have any other questions! Note that she is not an official
Here are some of the questions she frequently receives and what she tells the prospects and their families?
***
When can schools contact you?
In writing, September 1 of your junior year; by phone, July 1 of your senior year.
When can I call a college coach?
You can call a school at anytime. However, the coach may not return your call. Tip: in your message to the coach, give a date and time you will call back and be persistence and follow through with the repeat call.
What?s the difference between an Unofficial versus an Official Visit?
An Unofficial Visit is a campus visit with all expenses paid for by the recruit. As an example, don?t be surprised if you are taken to a tailgate area and asked to pay $10 or $20 to attend the tailgate. The coach must split the expenses of the tailgate by all attendees and ask you to pay your pro-rated family portion.
What is a ?verbal? and does this take me off the market?
In softball, there is a coaches? ?gentlemen?s agreement? to not contact recruits already verballed. Some coaches do, however, ignore this unwritten rule. There is no NCAA rule that says once a recruit commits that others coaches cannot contact her so technically you are still ?on the market.?
Is a verbal binding? Can a coach put my offer in writing before Signing Day?
A coach may not give you a written offer. They may outline the offer and out of pockets expenses but they cannot give you a formal written offer until Signing Day (which is the second week of November in your senior year).
What if I do not sign during the early signing period?
If you don?t sign in that November early period, you must wait until the Spring signing period.
If you navigate the recruiting waters well, you may end up with a smile as big as the one shown here by Erika Leonard who signed with the Univ. of Maine.
If you navigate the recruiting waters well, you may end up with a smile as big as the one shown here by Erika Leonard who signed with the Univ. of Maine.
Is texting in recruiting ever legal? If so, when?
Like phone calls, a prospect can reach out to a coach via texting, but the same contact rules apply from coach to recruit. New technology like texting and tweeting has been debated and discussed and the rules aren?t always clear?in basketball, texting by coaches has been allowed in certain circumstances but the other sports are still waiting on clarification.
What risks are there to the athlete if a coach violates a rule?
It depends on the intent and severity of the violation. In worse cases, the school can no longer recruit the athlete. If it?s a minor violation it can results in a small penalty. For instance, one school accidentally butt-dialed a player and the coach self-reported the contact to the NCAA after we called them and let them know. The consequence was that once the full-contact period began, the school had to wait a week to call her!
When and what is full contact?
The key dates is July 1 after a player?s junior year, which is when a coach can contact a prospect off the school?s campus and also begin making one phone call per week. The previous Sept. 1 (early in the junior year) a coach can send info such as media guides, brochures, hand-written letters and so on, but it?s in the summer before the senior year when contacts can be made in-person and by phone.
If we see a coach at a tournament or showcase, can we talk to them?
Parents often do not know they can NOT talk to coaches at events?it puts the coach in a compromised position! I always remind them of this. One parent can be a designated brochure giver, but his or her name should be on the brochure as the ?team manager? and they should not talk about his/her own kid. I recommend this parent as being the one that tells a program that a player has verballed to a school and is off the market.
Is a Letter of Intent a binding contract?
Technically yes, but you may appeal to be released which is what some have done. A school can release you with no restrictions, release with restrictions (often can?t play in same conference without sitting out a year), or refuse to release the athlete.
I?ve heard LOI?s are written for one year only. What happens if my athlete does not perform well or gets hurt?
Actually, a hidden fact is that LOIs may be written for four years. Most schools only write them a year at a time to not lock in the money. Most coaches honor the offer for four years verbally. But beware, if coaches need money for a transfer or a stud recruit they may alter a current player?s percentages. Tip: ask for four years on your LOI; all they can say is ?no!?
- See more at: http://www.studentsports.com/softba...eat-sheet-ncaa-rules-88/#sthash.F7E7CdGu.dpuf
The tough part of being a recruit and her family is you usually only go through the process once so there's a lot to learn and a steep learning curve!
One mother (who has asked to remain anonymous) has learned a lot as her daughter was being recruited and ultimately signed with a Top 25 university.
Today, she often speaks to younger players and teams about NCAA rules and what is important to know as a prospect and family.
She says, ?I often get the same common questions from recruits? parents about NCAA rules and thought it would be helpful to answer the ones most frequently asked. The rules change often so be sure to verify these with a university?s compliance officer as you do get recruited or check with the NCAA directly to get the official answer.?
Also, note that there may be variations in rules between levels (Div. I, II, II, NAIA, etc.) so be sure to research if you have any other questions! Note that she is not an official
Here are some of the questions she frequently receives and what she tells the prospects and their families?
***
When can schools contact you?
In writing, September 1 of your junior year; by phone, July 1 of your senior year.
When can I call a college coach?
You can call a school at anytime. However, the coach may not return your call. Tip: in your message to the coach, give a date and time you will call back and be persistence and follow through with the repeat call.
What?s the difference between an Unofficial versus an Official Visit?
An Unofficial Visit is a campus visit with all expenses paid for by the recruit. As an example, don?t be surprised if you are taken to a tailgate area and asked to pay $10 or $20 to attend the tailgate. The coach must split the expenses of the tailgate by all attendees and ask you to pay your pro-rated family portion.
What is a ?verbal? and does this take me off the market?
In softball, there is a coaches? ?gentlemen?s agreement? to not contact recruits already verballed. Some coaches do, however, ignore this unwritten rule. There is no NCAA rule that says once a recruit commits that others coaches cannot contact her so technically you are still ?on the market.?
Is a verbal binding? Can a coach put my offer in writing before Signing Day?
A coach may not give you a written offer. They may outline the offer and out of pockets expenses but they cannot give you a formal written offer until Signing Day (which is the second week of November in your senior year).
What if I do not sign during the early signing period?
If you don?t sign in that November early period, you must wait until the Spring signing period.
If you navigate the recruiting waters well, you may end up with a smile as big as the one shown here by Erika Leonard who signed with the Univ. of Maine.
If you navigate the recruiting waters well, you may end up with a smile as big as the one shown here by Erika Leonard who signed with the Univ. of Maine.
Is texting in recruiting ever legal? If so, when?
Like phone calls, a prospect can reach out to a coach via texting, but the same contact rules apply from coach to recruit. New technology like texting and tweeting has been debated and discussed and the rules aren?t always clear?in basketball, texting by coaches has been allowed in certain circumstances but the other sports are still waiting on clarification.
What risks are there to the athlete if a coach violates a rule?
It depends on the intent and severity of the violation. In worse cases, the school can no longer recruit the athlete. If it?s a minor violation it can results in a small penalty. For instance, one school accidentally butt-dialed a player and the coach self-reported the contact to the NCAA after we called them and let them know. The consequence was that once the full-contact period began, the school had to wait a week to call her!
When and what is full contact?
The key dates is July 1 after a player?s junior year, which is when a coach can contact a prospect off the school?s campus and also begin making one phone call per week. The previous Sept. 1 (early in the junior year) a coach can send info such as media guides, brochures, hand-written letters and so on, but it?s in the summer before the senior year when contacts can be made in-person and by phone.
If we see a coach at a tournament or showcase, can we talk to them?
Parents often do not know they can NOT talk to coaches at events?it puts the coach in a compromised position! I always remind them of this. One parent can be a designated brochure giver, but his or her name should be on the brochure as the ?team manager? and they should not talk about his/her own kid. I recommend this parent as being the one that tells a program that a player has verballed to a school and is off the market.
Is a Letter of Intent a binding contract?
Technically yes, but you may appeal to be released which is what some have done. A school can release you with no restrictions, release with restrictions (often can?t play in same conference without sitting out a year), or refuse to release the athlete.
I?ve heard LOI?s are written for one year only. What happens if my athlete does not perform well or gets hurt?
Actually, a hidden fact is that LOIs may be written for four years. Most schools only write them a year at a time to not lock in the money. Most coaches honor the offer for four years verbally. But beware, if coaches need money for a transfer or a stud recruit they may alter a current player?s percentages. Tip: ask for four years on your LOI; all they can say is ?no!?
- See more at: http://www.studentsports.com/softba...eat-sheet-ncaa-rules-88/#sthash.F7E7CdGu.dpuf
