I too get why you are worried. To have to have another “try-out” in order to actually make the team is a little scary in that a small injury or an off-day could end up impacting whether or not she makes the team.
" Heck, my older D who ran for a top Div. 1 program and who WAS actually at the bottom of their talent pool and not a scholarship athlete, was still never told she had to try out all over again. And she certainly didn’t have to prove herself before she even got on campus." I think the difference is the fact that D3 does not actually sign recruits in the same fashion as D1. As you know, D1 can formally commit to an athlete, offer money and usually recruits much earlier than D3. In this day and age, D1 pretty much has their roster set before the start of the year (and usually much earlier) and rarely gives walk-ons much of a chance. On the other hand, D3 does not involve any formal commitment by either the coach or the athlete. Depending on the school, D3 could potentially have an unknown athlete show up at the beginning of the season, have a phenomenal try-out and bump out a "recruited athlete. The chances of this happening are not huge but it does happen. It sounds like your daughter is a hard worker and the chance of this happening to her is very small, but it does add that unknown that is a little nerve-racking! I think the best thing she can do is answer the questions honestly. If she second guesses the coach’s intent behind his questions and answers the way she thinks he would like, she may end up with answers that neither she or the coach like. I hate questionnaires like that- unless the coach is a trained psychologist, I really doubt that he is getting much insight into your daughters make-up based on her answers! Nothing like adding a little more pressure to an already tough process! Best wishes to her!!!
@Chembiodad , I see that on Midd’s website now. Everything else about it looks pretty hush hush - no roster, no schedule. Who else does this? I’m learning a lot today!
So I figure the “why do you run?” question should be answered in a way that reflects intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation. Any ideas for what sort of athletic accomplishment she should highlight, assuming she has no preference among several?
I’ve seen similar questions used by HS and club running coaches, usually just to get to know an athlete’s personality. Often, they don’t get any responses, which also indicates something. I’d just take them at face value and be honest.
In addition to a motivation tool, is it possible that some of this is related to the loose definition of ‘recruited’ in D3? The coach probably talked with a wide range of athletes during the admissions process, perhaps ranging from sub 19 to 25+ min 5k runners. Perhaps the same letter goes to all of them, and the intent is to make clear that there will be some filtering. That probably means finding ways to filter out the 25+ min girls (or whatever the relevant time is for that team). Not many D3 programs can afford to ‘cut’ girls running decent times (even if slower at an out of season time trial). Also, some of the girls this coach talked to in the fall will have since decided not to continue running (even if they don’t say so). He needs to know that asap, and some of these tools are more effective than simply asking.
Absolutely understand the ‘now I’m worried’ situation. The summer before freshman year, my daughter worried about making the team and if she’d be picked to play at all. She was not prepared to be on the bench and picked this team and this school because she thought she’d play a lot, but was still worried. The summer after freshman year, she worried about being a starter, about whether some incoming freshman would take her spot. The worry is always there.
What can be done? Show up prepared. Complete the summer training program. That’s all she really can do.
I agree that the coaches don’t want to drop recruits. Even though D3 athletes haven’t received money, the coaches have used a slot or nod or tip to get the athlete admitted to the school, and they don’t want to waste that. Coaches are also building a continuing team, so won’t cut all the freshmen even if the upper classmen are faster because they need the freshmen to be the experienced runners next year, and for the year after that.
@TheGFG, which conference is your DD running in as my DD (also a XC/track student athlete) was also recruited by a NCAC conference school that mentioned a preseason training camp? My DD decided on a NESCAC school and they can’t do them, although DD’s school starts earlier so they get a jump on the others.
To the OP: the coach letter which referred to possibility of not making team, was it a letter to all incoming freshman, or all current and incoming athletes? I ask because my kid’s D3 soccer coach has talked about mandatory standards and that not all players will make team etc… After a nervous summer, we realized that communication was really directed more at the upperclass students who might be inclined to slack off and come into pre-season not match fit. If there were statements made by the coach about her role in freshman year, I understand your unease but would take some comfort in whatever those were.
That being said, my interpretation would be that what matters is her performance in the timed trials and preseason (recognizing the nervousness that can go with that) rather than her answers to what makes her run and her favorite events. I’d be honest in answering those question but put the answers in the best light – if she likes to run because she is good, practice makes her very good, and she likes the certainty of the clock – then those all sounds like great answers. I’d definitely be honest about her favorite events – but be strategic, perhaps including a relay event which shows off her teamwork, as well as individual events which show off her hard work and talent.
And we’ve realized, the worry doesn’t stop after freshman year – it just morphs into worry about playing time, starting, whether a hotshot recruit will claim your spot. . . . . hang in there.
Thanks so all. D just sent off the form, giving an intrinsic answer for the “why do you run?” question, and relay team-based answer for her favorite athletic accomplishment.
D will be in the Centennial Conference. The letter went out to all freshmen who stated they were interested in being on the xc team. The upperclassmen may have been sent a similar motivational letter, but they were not on the mailing this for this particular one. The coach said he expected to have a large team this year and therefore would have to be selective. Actually, I should mention that the existence of a summer training camp totally took us by surprise. At the college’s xc and track recruiting event we had specifically asked the coach about whether there would be a summer training camp, since D needed to plan her Aug. work schedule and get plane tickets. The coach said no, but then this letter came talking about bringing kids early for training. Sigh.
I am sure you can all understand why D is now a bit concerned. When you are not in the top group from the start, it is very hard to get off the bench/sidelines in a sport. In fact, since you receive less attention and less competition time, you can easily fall even farther behind than where you started. My main worry stems from the fact that D is a stronger track runner (mid-distance) than she is a cross country runner, though she is decent at both. since the fall season provides base for the indoor and outdoor track seasons, missing out on that to any degree would definitely impact her ability to then make the track teams too.
That said, I took the letter as being mostly a scare tactic, and suspect D will be fine in the end. Adding to my worry is the fact D will be living away from home in a hot climate this summer and working outside 8 hours a day. So getting in good training will be tougher than usual. My pep talks to her have already started!
Being in shape when arriving is very important, especially for a fall sport. You’d think it would go without saying that when the coach sends out a training packet, the team members and recruits should complete it, but they don’t. The ones who do are the ones who play. The others should be worried that a freshman will take their spots.
As midwest mom says, the worrying never stops, just changes focus (captain? playing time? all American?).
We’ve all been through the “high school coach,” perhaps a word is in order about the “college coach.” Nothing is guaranteed about being on a college team – ever. We all get that. For the D3 athlete, a sport is a part of life but likely not his or her future profession. For the coaches, winning is very important. It is their career. Thus, a significant proportion of coaches do use head games to get the best performances from the team. One of those head games is the fear of being cut.
Most teams cut some people each year. Perhaps not the recruits in the first year, sometimes that is protected (although a parent at a showcase proudly announced to me that her son walked on to a college baseball team and a recruit was cut instead). But really, anyone is fair game. I wouldn’t put it past a coach to make an athlete’s life so miserable that he or she decides to quit (elective cuts). Sometimes it is obvious. A kid gets to college and wants to experience other things – his heart just isn’t in it. Other times, it is purely subjective.
So, that summer packet – it is not a suggestion. The coach really means it - all of it. In fact, it may not be a bad idea to supplement with a strength and conditioning coach in the summer.
There are things within your D’s control and things outside of it. Just tell her to be in top shape, enjoy her new teammates, and to forget about the rest. Things will work out just fine.
My suggestion is to use the questionnaire as a way to begin the relationship with the coach on the right foot (pun intended) . Fill it out honestly, since you aren’t a mind reader and there doesn’t seem to be any right/wrong answers to the questions. If she has backed off on mileage or training intensity due to a lengthy outdoor track season, call that out. Every runner experiences injuries, and if she is pro-active and has built in recovery time before coming to campus she should say so.
If she likes track better than xc make sure you put that in somewhere, so the coach knows that what he/she sees in xc may not be indicative of her performances in indoor or outdoor. However, if she likes cross country better, make sure that comes out in some way, too.
One thing I can’t tell from what you have shared is does your daughter want to run cross country in addition to track or is she a middle distance runner who would be happy with track only. It may be that the coach is uncertain of the traveling or “A “team for the Fall, and needs to reduce the number of athletes on the x-country roster, but intends to have a larger number on the Indoor/outdoor team. This is typical of most schools. If she will not be running cross country she wouldn’t need to show up early, but this doesn’t mean she is off the track team. This isn’t unique to D3.
Answer the question about which performance she is most proud of in a way that will support what event she wants to compete in. If she prefers cross country, make sure she highlights a performance where she scored points and made a difference for the team. Cross country, for most college meets, is about place, not time. Courses, weather, conditions vary and if she had a great finishing place on a day that was snowing, raining, a long car overnight trip away from her home course, it shows character. If she loves track more than cross country, highlight a PR at a meet, where even though she may not have won, all of her training and preparation showed results on the clock. Use that question to help guide the coach in placing her correctly in an event. The cross country roster will consist of athletes who run anything from the 800 meters on the track to the athletes that run the 3000 only and want to do learn steeplechase. Make sure she helps the coach find the best fit for her.
Also have her end with a request for a suggested training plan (if it hasn’t already been sent) to arrive on campus or to camp in the expected shape.
Chembiodad - Yes, good point. And I absolutely agree, most schools have limits on rosters. I just wanted to point out that the cross country team roster at most schools is usually smaller than track.