WAG New NCAA Recruiting Rules

[Deleted member 14190]

Guys, I have had conversations with coaches regarding my 7th graders etc... Saying I want "sally" and "suzzie" . This is not an offer! they are just expressing interest. That is what happened with Boise. Neil is a very well respected coach and a mentor to me and many. Boise has not committed anyone who wasn't at least in high school for as long as I can remember. In fact they still have at least one 2020 spot open, (mic drop). Start sending emails parents of 2020 kids! Boise is a class act program, period. Please do not believe everything you read.

 

[amiandjim]

I mean, the girl posted the words “full ride athletic scholarship.” I doubt that was a miscommunication.

And I stand corrected! Poor girl!

 

[rjb123]

Oh that poor kid. I just can't even imagine how she must feel this morning knowing that "the whole world" saw this, and as we all know, on the internet it lasts forever. Regarding recruiting, I wonder if all of these websites sort of perpetuate this stuff - they are constantly publicizing these little kids and then the kids have this "fame" so if they hear "i want this kid" they BELIEVE it. And so they post it on the internet for the world to see and then this happens. Ugh. The post is STILL up on that chalk warrior website by the way.

 

[bogwoppit]

Oh how unfortunate in so many ways. That coach has some explaining to do.

 

[amiandjim]

And the poor girl has to compete this weekend!!

 

[coachmolly]

Very unfortunate for the child. I couldn't imagine a college coach offering a 12 year old level 9 a scholarship, especially not a program like Boise that isn't known for recruiting super young kids. The way it was posted with so much authority was just so strange. I'm guessing the club coach is on her first go around with the recruiting process and what more experienced coaches know to take as an "I'm interested, keep me updated" this coach took as a firm offer out of excitement. It's probably a piece of information that didn't even need to be shared with the athlete, let alone the whole world.
But there are several 8th graders who have verbally committed, so the overall problem itself is still very real. It's such a gamble on both ends. I know there are cases where it works out, but I'm sure there are plenty where it doesn't.

 

[SMH]

That’s a heck of a miscommunication/misunderstanding on her coaches part. Poor kiddo.

 

[gasrgoose]

Very unfortunate for the child. I couldn't imagine a college coach offering a 12 year old level 9 a scholarship, especially not a program like Boise that isn't known for recruiting super young kids. The way it was posted with so much authority was just so strange. I'm guessing the club coach is on her first go around with the recruiting process and what more experienced coaches know to take as an "I'm interested, keep me updated" this coach took as a firm offer out of excitement. It's probably a piece of information that didn't even need to be shared with the athlete, let alone the whole world.
But there are several 8th graders who have verbally committed, so the overall problem itself is still very real. It's such a gamble on both ends. I know there are cases where it works out, but I'm sure there are plenty where it doesn't.

But in most cases it seems to work out fine and as you say it's a gamble on both ends. I don't see a problem that the NCAA needs to address, clearly I'm in the minority. If there is a problem it is with the parents of the kids committing early. They are allowing their kids to contact the coaches and make these decisions. It seems odd that publicly almost everyone is against early recruiting but they keep happening. And there are always spots on even the best teams for a junior or senior in high school who is a great gymnast, I've personally seen it happen multiple times.

 

[MeetDirector]

... This is not an offer! they are just expressing interest. That is what happened with Boise. ... Boise is a class act program, period. Please do not believe everything you read.

Exactly what I thought was the case. I too have visited BSU and the program and school are both class acts. Having been there, I know how expressions of interest can get quickly blown out of proportion and it is difficult to put the genie back in the bottle. And, social media only makes it that much worse. Good luck to the athlete this weekend at Westerns! Hopefully she put all of this out of her head.

 

[gasrgoose]

I'm curious if the club coach has ever dealt with college recruiting. The gymnast's website says she is at Aftershock gymnastics. If it was my daughter with this big of a miscommunication, I'd consider finding a coach that has previously navigated the recruiting process.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Oh that poor kid. I just can't even imagine how she must feel this morning knowing that "the whole world" saw this, and as we all know, on the internet it lasts forever. Regarding recruiting, I wonder if all of these websites sort of perpetuate this stuff - they are constantly publicizing these little kids and then the kids have this "fame" so if they hear "i want this kid" they BELIEVE it. And so they post it on the internet for the world to see and then this happens. Ugh. The post is STILL up on that chalk warrior website by the way.

I replied to the post that chalk warrior has up telling her she should probably take it down. It’s still up this morning.

 

[bookworm]

I'm sorry but I don't think this girl "misunderstood" anything....even though a verbal offer is just verbal, it is explicit when offered and there is no grey area here...and when both of my girls had any offers, even ones they declined, I talked to the coaches about what exactly was being offered " are you saying you are offering my daughter a full athletic scholarship to X school that covers full tuition and fees for X school years , to be confirmed when she signs an NLI in the fall of her Senior year, pending her continued athletic skills "....to which the coaches all said "yes this is what we are offering, we want her on our team blah blah for X year"....and we asked if we were allowed to share the news and all said "yes, please do because we are not allowed to".

I find it hard to believe that this poor girl posted her commit, in complete Boise St regalia, based on casual comments exchanged between her coach and the BSU staff...Tina Resnick is listed as her choreographer so she obviously knows the kid and the kid knows her. Maybe something was said and BSU thought she'd keep it on the down low at least until she went Level 10 but I don't think the kid misunderstood...I think she did get a "for what it's worth at 12 years old verbal" and Yes, Boise tends not to recruit early but they knew this kid and I think they have a huge part in this embarrassing back track ...which BSU probably instigated after all the flack out there. The kid was duped ...welcome to NCAA...

 

[coachmolly]

But in most cases it seems to work out fine and as you say it's a gamble on both ends. I don't see a problem that the NCAA needs to address, clearly I'm in the minority. If there is a problem it is with the parents of the kids committing early. They are allowing their kids to contact the coaches and make these decisions. It seems odd that publicly almost everyone is against early recruiting but they keep happening. And there are always spots on even the best teams for a junior or senior in high school who is a great gymnast, I've personally seen it happen multiple times.

It is a gamble on both sides, but if someone loses in the whole deal, it's going to be the kid. It's the school that is calling the shots. They are the ones with power, they are the ones with a line of kids waiting to get scholarships. The kid is pretty innocent and clueless in this whole mess. The recruiting process is hard enough for high schoolers with sane parents and responsible coaches who know what they are doing, it doesn't need to be made more difficult by throwing in middle schoolers and parents with stars in their eyes who have no idea what is going on. I have no problem with college coaches looking at younger kids when they visit gyms, keeping tabs on them at meets, chatting with their coaches or even the kids themselves. I have no problem with a college coach telling a club coach they are interested in 12 year old Sally and want to receive video updates on her. It's the whole commitment language that bugs me and just doesn't sit right.
For the record, I'm not talking verbals from high school juniors who are a few months out from signing NLIs, I think that's a different story.

 

[gymdoc]

Also, just for the record . . . minimum age for instagram is 13, for just this reason. I know tons of girls are on their (mine included) but young girls simply have no idea the scope that one post can reach. I would suggest her mom pay a little closer attention to her daughter's social media use ....

 

[gymdoc]

Actually, now that I wrote that, I realize that sometimes it is the parent that might be more excited at the idea of the offer than the kid and eager to shout it out to the world

 

[duyetanh]

Thanks for the update. And getting to the bottom of that sure sounds like something Rhonda would do.

Who is Rhonda?

 

[coachmolly]

Who is Rhonda?

There was a thread about this started by Greg Marsden (former Utah coach) on Facebook with lots of passionate responses. Rhonda did some digging to get some information from appropriate sources, so I think that is who the above posters are referencing.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I'm sorry but I don't think this girl "misunderstood" anything....even though a verbal offer is just verbal, it is explicit when offered and there is no grey area here...and when both of my girls had any offers, even ones they declined, I talked to the coaches about what exactly was being offered " are you saying you are offering my daughter a full athletic scholarship to X school that covers full tuition and fees for X school years , to be confirmed when she signs an NLI in the fall of her Senior year, pending her continued athletic skills "....to which the coaches all said "yes this is what we are offering, we want her on our team blah blah for X year"....and we asked if we were allowed to share the news and all said "yes, please do because we are not allowed to".

I find it hard to believe that this poor girl posted her commit, in complete Boise St regalia, based on casual comments exchanged between her coach and the BSU staff...Tina Resnick is listed as her choreographer so she obviously knows the kid and the kid knows her. Maybe something was said and BSU thought she'd keep it on the down low at least until she went Level 10 but I don't think the kid misunderstood...I think she did get a "for what it's worth at 12 years old verbal" and Yes, Boise tends not to recruit early but they knew this kid and I think they have a huge part in this embarrassing back track ...which BSU probably instigated after all the flack out there. The kid was duped ...welcome to NCAA...

Boise doesn’t “tend” to not recruit early. They never have under Neil, period. Everything about the way Neil and Boise have acted in the past says they wouldn’t verbal a 12 year old. Just because your experience makes something “hard to believe” doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

 

[duyetanh]

There was a thread about this started by Greg Marsden (former Utah coach) on Facebook with lots of passionate responses. Rhonda did some digging to get some information from appropriate sources, so I think that is who the above posters are referencing.

Oh. I don’t do Facebook. But it sounds like Rhonda is in the know of things, not that I know who she is, lol!

 

[wandrewsjr]

Oh. I don’t do Facebook. But it sounds like Rhonda is in the know of things, not that I know who she is, lol!

And just to make sure no misunderstandings, not USAG Rhonda, a diff coach Rhonda.