<p>I have been talking to a swim coach since February and I really like his school and program. I had it narrowed down to that school and one other and I just recently chose the other one. How do I tell him that I have chosen another school? He had me on campus for an official visit and it seemed like he was really looking forward to having me on the team. </p>
<p>Just write him a nice letter, really appreciating the time he spent with you and how welcomed you felt. I’m sure this is not an unusual thing, so he’s probably used to it, but make sure to thank him for his time if he really was looking forward to having you. Maybe a nice card or small gift would be nice. </p>
<p>You will not be the first recruit to turn the coach down. They have faced it before. Its probably more of a stress on you.
Dont write an email, letter or send a gift. Call the coach. Thank him for his interest and time, but you committed to a different school. Thats all they usually want or need to hear. If it makes you feel better, you can go into the “it was a difficult decision” stuff, but they dont really care. I just made my daughter do it for every school that was in play and wasnt selected. When she was done, she said that was easier than I thought.</p>
<p>Initially D wanted to email coaches to say she had made another choice, but eventually she built up the courage to make the tough phone calls. It was usually a pleasant conversation, but sometimes it was a little uncomfortable. She had to make four or five calls and this can be especially hard when a 16 year old has established a relationship with a coach and a team. However, making the call is an important step in development I think. In the end she felt better that she had picked up the phone and faced the issue head on. Certain sports can be a very, very small world. She has since seen two of these coaches at national level events and she was able to hold her head up, greet them and know she handled the situation in a respectful way. She will see some of these coaches when she gets to college and her team plays them during the season. I personally think phone calls are the best method. You could follow up with a hand written thank you note if an official visit is involved, but a gift probably isn’t necessary. One final thought is many of these coaches are holding off other players waiting for a decision and at the very least they will probably appreciate you letting them know as soon as possible with the quickest method available. Good luck to you! Others can weigh in, but this was my D’s experience.</p>
<p>I agree to call to the coach. The coaches my D called were understanding, thanked her for letting them know, and wished her well. One of her friends had a coach who was not so understanding when she let her know, but most of them seem reasonable. They are used to this happening.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice! It helped a lot!</p>