Anon Recruiting - June 15th coming fast! Any tips or scoops?

[Anonymous (7600)]

Help! ha ha! So my kiddo has had several conversations with a few coaches. ( both D1 ) She has a 4th call coming up with one this week and has run out of questions to ask! What should she start to ask at this point? She has not been invited on officials to either yet. One of them has gone over their process and has said they are waiting on more info with the NCAA lawsuit to see the exact number of girls they are able to get... The other in which is on call 4 with has said they take their time recruiting which we have noticed to be true with past years recruits. Now she isn't sure what else to ask or talk about? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I believe I mentioned earlier, but I may be off, but these calls seem to be more about the coaching staff to learn about the gymnast as a person versus some type of interview question and answer. But some questions that come to mind and you may have asked these: Where am I in their target list? Do they have a scholarship available? Where do they see me competing? All-around? Event specialist? How do girls make the line-ups? Practice schedule? Morning or afternoons? How do they handle practice in-season? Academic support for classes? Average course load during season? off-season? Summer practice? How often do they meet with the gymnast one on one to provide feedback and guidance?

Other than that, just try and have a conversation. Talk about how your training is going, ask how their first practices have been. If you know any tidbits about the coach, bring up relatable topics. Talk about your family or siblings, if you have any trips planned or if you have your meet schedule what you are excited about. Just use it as an opportunity to get to know you. If you really like the program don't be afraid to ask when you can schedule another call. Good luck!!!

 

[Anonymous (ebc3)]

Second visit completed! The logistics of the visit was consistent with the first one. Only additional information I can provide is on a subject that most parents are concerned with, which is $$. As a scholarship athlete, there are now 3 sources of money that gymnasts have access to above the scholarship which covers tuition, student dining, and rooming (if living on campus):

1. Cost of attendance: This amount adds up to about $12-15k of direct cash payments to the athlete. Student must be in school and enrolled to receive this monthly payment. The intention of this money is to provide a stipend to cover incidentals, weekend dining, etc, just those little costs that add up for any student going to college away from home. Factors that influence the amount depends on location of university (think city versus rural) and if student lives on campus or off-campus. (off-campus gets a higher stipend)
2. NIL Collectives: These collectives are primarily booster/alumni-driven regarding funding and are really focused on football and basketball. While the university does not run them they are affiliated with the university. These collectives are responsible for the stories you hear about with some college football player getting $1 million to play for a school. Some of the larger big conference gymnastics programs get money allocated from collectives. This is money that is provided to ALL gymnasts generally on a sliding scale (all-arounders/stars get a bit more than a non-starter). An example is the Utah gymnasts all get "free" cars to use while they are on the team. These cars are from the collective. The average amount that I have been told (and again remember this is for large top 10 programs) is $20-50k with top end close to 100K per year. Athletes sign an actual contract with the collective that typically requires them to maybe post once a month in support of the collective or show up to a fan signing twice a year, etc. There is an initial payment, then monthly payments, and a final lump sum payment after the transfer portal closes.
3. NIL Contracts: Think Livvy Dunne here. If an athlete wants to go out and sign a contract with Lululemon to promote that brand, they can. All these large programs have NIL offices available to the students that help facilitate these deals. They can be as large as something with Lulu or as small as the local sub shop. While they might not be big money contracts it can add up and can provide some additional money if a student needs it. Ultimately its about how much a student-athlete might want to invest in working on it.

A potential 4th is the revenue sharing that is supposed to go into effect in 2025, but it is still very much in the air and unknown what type of $ amounts that might trickle to gymnastics, but it can reasonably be assumed that some additional funds will come as a result of the revenue sharing ruling.

Now that you guys have gone on your second visit, are offers being made at these visits? We have heard that some make offers on the spot and have a limited amount of time to get back with them so that they can offer the spot to someone else?

 

[Anonymous (7600)]

Now that you guys have gone on your second visit, are offers being made at these visits? We have heard that some make offers on the spot and have a limited amount of time to get back with them so that they can offer the spot to someone else?

We have been fortunate that all programs except one offered before the official visit. The last one offered at the end of the visit. None of them have given a time-limited offer and we have been upfront about the visits we are taking and when we are taking them. But I do also know that some other girls were given time-limited offers, some incredibly short, like "we need to know by the time you get home from your official visit". So I guess the lesson is always to be prepared for that scenario.

 

[Anonymous (ace1)]

My daughter's experience has been different, and not nearly as straightforward. I will share some examples based on recruits who may not be in the top tier, but still in the mix, in case it's a helpful point of reference. These are all examples of things that have happened to either my daughter or others in her recruiting year.

* She has had coaches talk to her for months (more than a year), promising an official visit that never comes to fruition, and constantly saying things that give the sense that they are trying to keep her somewhat warm but ultimately are not that committal. In some cases these coaches make excuses for not being able to get an official visit together (blaming logistics, schedules, etc.) but then you see on social media that they are bringing others out.

* On the opposite end of the spectrum are coaches who either didn't respond at all early on, or who barely did, who then responded much later in the process, which was of course a happy surprise.

* Some coaches will talk for a while, decide on other recruits, and tell the kid "we went in a different direction," which is an incredibly respectful and straightforward way to proceed.

* After getting an offer, if the coach doesn't give a timeframe the athlete often asks for one. Sometimes the coach will say "take your time" but candidly I'm not sure they mean this. The kids take this at face value, however.

* A coach might say "We would absolutely love to have you on our team," which of course sounds a lot like an offer, but it's actually not because in a later conversation the same coach will say "we will be making decisions about offers in X month.

* Coaches made a verbal offer and then later went back on the offer, blaming external factors like NCAA changes, roster limits, etc. but reading between the lines and noting their broader recruiting behavior the reasoning doesn't really add up. (This is thankfully not a frequent occurrence but it has happened and it is absolutely brutal to the gymnast and can really foul up their process.)

* Coaches will invite an athlete on an official visit and ask about dates, but then the dates will come and go. The visit will often happen eventually but at some other time. In the meantime, the kid and family may be stressing and holding their schedule, wondering if and when the visit will happen.

* A coach will make an offer, and then something will go sideways in the administrative process, requiring the coach to work through some extra steps with the school. During this process the coach goes dark while making offers to other athletes, so the original athlete with the offer is left hanging, not knowing if her offer is still valid.

As all of the communication is taking place between adult coachers and teens (other than those fortunate enough to have club coaches who are deeply involved), it's especially hard as a parent to understand and keep track of what exactly is happening. I imagine that some parents have figured it out and are really good at it but I for one have found this recruiting process pretty rough. It seems like there's got to be a better way.

 

[Anonymous (e16c)]

We've seen multiple coaches/teams pushing their camps. Many coaches will respond to emails with camp dates, and some will do a call or multiple calls to make the athlete think they are interested, then the kid goes to camp $$$ and it's clear they already know who they want and are focused on those other athletes throughout camp. Kid busts their butt trying to impress and has a great camp, but then the camp is over and the coaches never call again and won't respond to texts.

 

[Anonymous (e16c)]

We've seen multiple coaches/teams pushing their camps. Many coaches will respond to emails with camp dates, and some will do a call or multiple calls to make the athlete think they are interested, then the kid goes to camp $$$ and it's clear they already know who they want and are focused on those other athletes throughout camp. Kid busts their butt trying to impress and has a great camp, but then the camp is over and the coaches never call again and won't respond to texts. And the kid could have gone to X, Y, or Z camp that weekend instead, but now those other opportunities are gone.

 

[Anonymous (7600)]

Thanks for sharing! There is without a doubt a different experience if you are a "Tier 1" recruit versus a "Tier 2 or 3". Unfortunately, it appears to be a trickle-down effect based upon when the Tier 1s commit. I do know that with the settlement it is a real thing for programs waiting to figure out how many scholarships that they might have. This is particularly pronounced for those programs outside the Top 25 or outside the SEC and Big 10. So maybe a little understanding on that part. (now if a program like UF is telling you that, you know they are not being truthful) If you are outside the Tier 1 group, patience and a mouth guard from the teeth gnashing is required. It stinks, the only way it could get better is if there was complete transparency where programs had to announce their targets and go from there.

 

[Anonymous (ebc3)]

I believe I mentioned earlier, but I may be off, but these calls seem to be more about the coaching staff to learn about the gymnast as a person versus some type of interview question and answer. But some questions that come to mind and you may have asked these: Where am I in their target list? Do they have a scholarship available? Where do they see me competing? All-around? Event specialist? How do girls make the line-ups? Practice schedule? Morning or afternoons? How do they handle practice in-season? Academic support for classes? Average course load during season? off-season? Summer practice? How often do they meet with the gymnast one on one to provide feedback and guidance?

Other than that, just try and have a conversation. Talk about how your training is going, ask how their first practices have been. If you know any tidbits about the coach, bring up relatable topics. Talk about your family or siblings, if you have any trips planned or if you have your meet schedule what you are excited about. Just use it as an opportunity to get to know you. If you really like the program don't be afraid to ask when you can schedule another call. Good luck!!!

Yes, but they really like them to have questions about the program and campus as well. Of course not like an interview, but more of a flow of conversation. Mainly i was just curious as to wh

My daughter's experience has been different, and not nearly as straightforward. I will share some examples based on recruits who may not be in the top tier, but still in the mix, in case it's a helpful point of reference. These are all examples of things that have happened to either my daughter or others in her recruiting year.

* She has had coaches talk to her for months (more than a year), promising an official visit that never comes to fruition, and constantly saying things that give the sense that they are trying to keep her somewhat warm but ultimately are not that committal. In some cases these coaches make excuses for not being able to get an official visit together (blaming logistics, schedules, etc.) but then you see on social media that they are bringing others out.

* On the opposite end of the spectrum are coaches who either didn't respond at all early on, or who barely did, who then responded much later in the process, which was of course a happy surprise.

* Some coaches will talk for a while, decide on other recruits, and tell the kid "we went in a different direction," which is an incredibly respectful and straightforward way to proceed.

* After getting an offer, if the coach doesn't give a timeframe the athlete often asks for one. Sometimes the coach will say "take your time" but candidly I'm not sure they mean this. The kids take this at face value, however.

* A coach might say "We would absolutely love to have you on our team," which of course sounds a lot like an offer, but it's actually not because in a later conversation the same coach will say "we will be making decisions about offers in X month.

* Coaches made a verbal offer and then later went back on the offer, blaming external factors like NCAA changes, roster limits, etc. but reading between the lines and noting their broader recruiting behavior the reasoning doesn't really add up. (This is thankfully not a frequent occurrence but it has happened and it is absolutely brutal to the gymnast and can really foul up their process.)

* Coaches will invite an athlete on an official visit and ask about dates, but then the dates will come and go. The visit will often happen eventually but at some other time. In the meantime, the kid and family may be stressing and holding their schedule, wondering if and when the visit will happen.

* A coach will make an offer, and then something will go sideways in the administrative process, requiring the coach to work through some extra steps with the school. During this process the coach goes dark while making offers to other athletes, so the original athlete with the offer is left hanging, not knowing if her offer is still valid.

As all of the communication is taking place between adult coachers and teens (other than those fortunate enough to have club coaches who are deeply involved), it's especially hard as a parent to understand and keep track of what exactly is happening. I imagine that some parents have figured it out and are really good at it but I for one have found this recruiting process pretty rough. It seems like there's got to be a better way.

Really really helpful! As i think there are a lot more girls in the pool that you are speaking of than the latter. in all honesty i feel there should be more rules in place for process... i say this in that we are supposed to let our 16 year olds interpret what is going on with adults. Not sure how others handle the calls, but my daughter is by herself talking to them. We stay out of the room so that she can not feel our eyes on her making it more stressful. Anywho, thank you for your take and insight!

 

[Anonymous (ebc3)]

We have been fortunate that all programs except one offered before the official visit. The last one offered at the end of the visit. None of them have given a time-limited offer and we have been upfront about the visits we are taking and when we are taking them. But I do also know that some other girls were given time-limited offers, some incredibly short, like "we need to know by the time you get home from your official visit". So I guess the lesson is always to be prepared for that scenario.

I guess i just haven't seen that many commits with how many visits that i am seeing. There are a handful so far, but that's it. All the top schools a vying for those top elites and then I guess it will trickle down from there.

 

[Anonymous (7600)]

Yes, I know there are several silent commits which stinks, again, wish more transparency. I also think that the floodgates will open for the commitments in the next week or two, especially by the first week of October.

 

[Anonymous (7600)]

Another visit completed, I think she is ready to commit. A couple new things in the general experience sense:

• If you are fortunate that you have several visits and programs talking to you, one thing we didn't think about in the moment is that the more programs you engage in and go on official visits to, the more programs that you are going to ultimately "disappoint" when you tell them "No". In a perfect world, I think 3 visits are ideal, and official visits can't be offered until a period of time after June 15th. This way there is more opportunity for conversations and reflection on the best-fit schools. I realize that is probably not the experience for a large number of girls, but it was a pressure situation starting June 15th with so many schools asking for official visits after the first call. And its like the Southwest boarding process, no school wants to be the last one on the recruit flight so even if they wanted to wait to offer an official, they have to. Honestly everyone is kind and there are some genuine connections made with some coaches. One almost feels guilty, like you disappointed a friend. But choosing a school is more than just coaches. I know I feel sad to tell some of these schools no, and I am not the one who has to make those calls to the coaches. Big ask for a young 16yo.
• I think this is relevant for everyone, regardless if you are highly sought after or not. I see that now we are 4+ weeks into the official visit season, girls are starting to make commitments, and this is having a cascading effect on other recruits. For the highly sought-after recruits, Universities are starting to pressure and make deadlines for recruits to accept offers. As girls make commitments, the other schools start feeling pressure because they don't want to miss out on someone who is let's say #5 in their list of 4 spots because that 4th girl couldn't decide. So, 1. for someone who has many schools pursuing them you might want to be strategic on when you plan your official visits, with the first visits being schools that you have a high degree of interest in. Because you might find yourself in a situation where the school offers a scholarship but wants to know shortly after your official visit to accept or decline. Ideally, you don't make your dream school or even one you're really interested in, your last visit because you just don't know the landscape come the end of October and you might end up going to that last one with no offers. 2. For someone who might not had much contact but is talking to schools, be patient, it looks like the first week of October schools will start moving to the number 5-10 spots of targets. Always keep those lines of communication open.

 

[Anonymous (7600)]

Commitment has been made! The whole thing was rather anti-climatic after all the anxiety and fretting about what to say and do. She just walked up to the coach and said I want to commit. So what now? The coach said they will probably keep in touch with monthly calls and texts. they told us that coaches are limited to only have 3 face-to-face "contacts" in a year with one of them being an in-home visit. They said they would probably want to do something at Nationals as one of the official contacts and then possibly if they come to the gym to scout other athletes, but that they might only be able to say "hi" while they are there. After that, they are putting us together with all the other 2026 commitments and said they will plan a football game next year where the 2026ers can all come (on their own dime, except for football tickets) and get to better know each other.

I do know that the cascading effect is starting, as one of her teammates was immediately offered an official visit after she canceled hers to that school. Again, happy to offer my opinion on any questions folks might have on the process and our experience. I hope all the other 2026ers are moving forwards and getting their opportunities.

 

[Anonymous (4a0c)]

Congrats to your daughter and family!! So exciting!

 

[Anonymous (ebc3)]

Commitment has been made! The whole thing was rather anti-climatic after all the anxiety and fretting about what to say and do. She just walked up to the coach and said I want to commit. So what now? The coach said they will probably keep in touch with monthly calls and texts. they told us that coaches are limited to only have 3 face-to-face "contacts" in a year with one of them being an in-home visit. They said they would probably want to do something at Nationals as one of the official contacts and then possibly if they come to the gym to scout other athletes, but that they might only be able to say "hi" while they are there. After that, they are putting us together with all the other 2026 commitments and said they will plan a football game next year where the 2026ers can all come (on their own dime, except for football tickets) and get to better know each other.

I do know that the cascading effect is starting, as one of her teammates was immediately offered an official visit after she canceled hers to that school. Again, happy to offer my opinion on any questions folks might have on the process and our experience. I hope all the other 2026ers are moving forwards and getting their opportunities.

Congrats! Has your daughter made her announcement on Social Media? What criteria did she use when making her choice?

 

[Anonymous (f59f)]

Commitment has been made! The whole thing was rather anti-climatic after all the anxiety and fretting about what to say and do. She just walked up to the coach and said I want to commit. So what now? The coach said they will probably keep in touch with monthly calls and texts. they told us that coaches are limited to only have 3 face-to-face "contacts" in a year with one of them being an in-home visit. They said they would probably want to do something at Nationals as one of the official contacts and then possibly if they come to the gym to scout other athletes, but that they might only be able to say "hi" while they are there. After that, they are putting us together with all the other 2026 commitments and said they will plan a football game next year where the 2026ers can all come (on their own dime, except for football tickets) and get to better know each other.

I do know that the cascading effect is starting, as one of her teammates was immediately offered an official visit after she canceled hers to that school. Again, happy to offer my opinion on any questions folks might have on the process and our experience. I hope all the other 2026ers are moving forwards and getting their opportunities.

Congratulations! Very exciting

 

[Anonymous (7600)]

Congrats! Has your daughter made her announcement on Social Media? What criteria did she use when making her choice?

Yes, she has announced on social media, with the obligatory cute video.

As far as criteria, I would like to say something like "academics, post-college success, NIL" but it is hard to bend the will of a 16 yo and get them to see the things you have seen. (Respect to those parents who are able to impose their will on their younger ones successfully). But in all seriousness, seeing these athletes' benefits and opportunities, we became less concerned about going to the most prestigious academic institution and more focused on her fit. They all get one one-on-one tutors, a person managing their schedules and course load, and very easy doors to walk through if they want a particular work experience, unlike the student experience the parents had lol. For her, it came down to how she felt with the coaches and the girls on the team, then her opportunity to compete and win a championship. She wanted to go to a program that would make her a better gymnast than she is now. Parents wanted a different school because we were alums, but we weren't the ones competing and going to college again. Obviously we are over the moon excited and proud and all in now, but maybe another thing to consider as your little one goes through this process. As much as we, as parents, have our opinions, it's their life to lead.

Thank you for all the congratulations! Anything I can do to help others please let me know. If you want me to individually message happy to figure that out too.

 

[Anonymous (ebc3)]

Yes, she has announced on social media, with the obligatory cute video.

As far as criteria, I would like to say something like "academics, post-college success, NIL" but it is hard to bend the will of a 16 yo and get them to see the things you have seen. (Respect to those parents who are able to impose their will on their younger ones successfully). But in all seriousness, seeing these athletes' benefits and opportunities, we became less concerned about going to the most prestigious academic institution and more focused on her fit. They all get one one-on-one tutors, a person managing their schedules and course load, and very easy doors to walk through if they want a particular work experience, unlike the student experience the parents had lol. For her, it came down to how she felt with the coaches and the girls on the team, then her opportunity to compete and win a championship. She wanted to go to a program that would make her a better gymnast than she is now. Parents wanted a different school because we were alums, but we weren't the ones competing and going to college again. Obviously we are over the moon excited and proud and all in now, but maybe another thing to consider as your little one goes through this process. As much as we, as parents, have our opinions, it's their life to lead.

Thank you for all the congratulations! Anything I can do to help others please let me know. If you want me to individually message happy to figure that out too.

Awe so amazing and happy for your daughter! Would love to follow her journey, but obviously impossible to know who she is! Did you guys have hire a recruiting agency? or was this done all on your own?

 

[Anonymous (7600)]

-9Awe so amazing and happy for your daughter! Would love to follow her journey, but obviously impossible to know who she is! Did you guys have hire a recruiting agency? or was this done all on your own?

Sure, if you want to email me at [email protected].

We did not use a recruiting agency. My 2-cents, using a recruiting service depends on a couple of factors.

1. Results - if your child is a L10 by 8-9th grade and is making nationals, placing in state and regionals and just finishing close to the top, scoring high 37s low 38s. Schools will see her.
2. Gym/Coach - if you are at a small gym and rarely have colleges coming in to evaluate prospects. The club coach is not well-established and doesn't have many contacts with college coaches, then a recruiting service might be helpful.
3. Money - It is definitely not cheap, ultimately I think there is only marginal benefit to these services. The best service they provide in my opinion (based upon what I know of others who have used them) is to help narrow down schools and focus efforts that might yield the best results. This site is great resource and even better if you can talk to others in your gym that have gone through the process.