Overrated Recruiting Factors --WHOA!!!

Preach, Mark Lewis, Preach!!!

I'm sure there are some college coaches rolling their eyes at Mark Lewis on this article.. But he is telling the truth...Break it down for the parents and student-athletes, Mark.

I've posted Mark Lewis articles before. But just in case you don't know who he is. He is a former womens basketball college coach that currently writes for ESPN Hoopgurlz. And I am so happy he wrote about this because so many players and PARENTS get caught up in the hype and selling of a college program. Then they get to campus as a freshman and get a rude awakening............

Here is the break down:


Facilities

Easily one of the more overrated and often too influential aspects of some player's decisions are the athletic facilities that a university has to offer. It's hard for anyone to walk into a massive, high-tech, first-class arena and not be impressed. When you've been playing club ball in crowded multi-court facilities all over the country and lining up for high-school games in gyms that predate the Eisenhower administration, your first instinct might be to say to yourself, "This is it, I'm home." A reality to keep in mind though is that no player ever became a success because of 15,000 seats or an enormous, animated video scoreboard. That happens on the floor -- and they're all 94 feet long and 50 feet wide..............

Program's amenities

Another aspect of the recruiting process that often gets more attention than it should is the program's shoe contract or equipment deal. I was guilty to the fullest degree of promoting this when I was a recruiting coordinator, acting as if a particular logo on our shoes or uniforms made our school a better option than another for an athlete. When a coach has you on campus and tells you that you get unlimited pairs of shoes, cross trainers, running shoes, travel warmups, fleece sweats, travel bags, jackets and polo shirts, they're not telling you anything about their coaching ability or style. A lot of bad coaches hand out a lot of good equipment. Down the road there'll be no logos on your cap and gown at graduation anyway.

Past success

The previous success of a program deserves a lot of consideration but again has to be tempered against the value that recruiters will try to put on it. Past success may be an indicator of the potential for more, but it's certainly no guarantee. When considering the performance of a particular school or coach you have to narrow the time window as well as the setting of their achievements. Even a program coming off its best year in history needs to be looked at through their whole body of work rather than that one shining moment. Look at the last five seasons and consider the won-loss record, graduation and transfer rates as well as the caliber of recent recruiting classes. A coach waving around her or his first and only championship ring or another showing off a 10-year-old NCAA watch both need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Coaching staff

That special connection or great relationship with an assistant coach is important, just not to the degree that you might think. The dynamics of your interaction with that individual are going to change once you're on campus and that coach is focused on the next recruiting class. That's not to say that they'll start to ignore you but things aren't going to be just as they were in the recruiting process. They won't be bad, just different...............

Football weekend

One of the greatest distortions in the recruiting process is the visit to a campus during a football weekend. The setting at big football schools on the weekend of a home game bears little resemblance to the daily atmosphere and environment that normally surrounds the campus. It's a great time to visit and a lot of fun, but not an accurate gauge of what you might find once you show up as a freshman. It's no coincidence that recruiters are always trying to get you to visit, both officially and unofficially, when kickoff is scheduled on their home field. Enjoy the fun, but don't let it cloud your vision.................

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