NESCAC Basketball recruiting

gointhruaphase
Tue, 23 May 2023 20:16:22 +0000

I would recommend the Amherst report over the three articles in the Bowdoin Orient. The reason being that the Amherst report comes from the school, whereas the recruiting information in the Bowdoin articles comes from a student who interviews people from the school. https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/PlaceOfAthleticsAtAmherst_Secure_1.pdf

Here is the skinny: There are 2 slots for most NESCAC teams. Those slots allow coaches to dip down below the usual admission standards to recruit 2 talented athletes. There also is additional room for athletic recruiting for “tips” - these are students with essentially the same athletic achievement levels as the rest of the class. If you look at page 7 of the Amherst Report, this will be explained, but take note that slots are called “athletic factor” athletes (67 admitted each year) and tips are called “coded” athletes (60-90 admitted each year) in the report. It is unlikely that a coach will talk to you about this distinction as it is inward facing, unless of course you ask. A slot is not more likely to be admitted than a tip because a coach will jigger the designation depending on how much he/she wants a kid vs. the academic achievement of the athlete. Many NESCAC schools talk about bands (A, B, and C). These bands give guidance on how low in terms of academic credentials a coach may dip to recruit an athlete.

I will say that the recruiting process makes the coach who is recruiting your kid an advisor of sorts. This is because – for now – the interests of coach and student are in alignment. We don’t know how good your kid is at his sport. We don’t know what kind of student he or she is. Therefore, direct communications with the coaches are your best bet. If you haven’t visited one of these schools, go ahead and schedule a meeting with the coach (parents can attend). Bring your kid’s unofficial transcript and college CV with you to the meeting. Then ask the tough questions. Is your kid going to get in? Ask the coach to explain the process. Ask about the coach’s timeline. Ask what comes with recruitment. Are tryouts open? Are athletes guaranteed a roster spot. Ask where they anticipate your kid fitting into the team. This will help you to understand exactly where your kid stands.

I can’t emphasize how important it is to ask the coach if your kid can be admitted. So many folks worry about being too forward, or maybe they are just scared to hear the answer. If a coach looks at a transcript and says “yeah, it might be tough.” Then you know. Move onto the next option. There is no use falling in love with a school if admission is unlikely. Ask. Ask. Ask.