Six Degrees of Separation (Sometimes Less!)
February 6th, 2009 - byThis week, Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach, Pat Summit captured her 1,000th career victory! A feat never accomplished by anyone, male or female, in NCAA Division I coaching. Better yet, a record that seems out of reach for anyone else in the future! Putting it in perspective, Coach Bobby Knight (2nd to Summit with 902 wins) said it would take another coach 30+ years of 30-win seasons to ever reach that Summit! That coaching longevity is hard enough. But to have to have 30+ wins in EVERY SINGLE ONE of those seasons?? Even Pat has only done that 18 times!
In looking back on Summit’s career, I found another staggering statistic. The amount of coaches (in all ranks) that have sat alongside Coach Summit on the bench, either as a player or a coach.
It was another reminder that the coaching community is quite an impressive network. Something to be respected as you go through your recruiting process.
At NCSA, we stress the importance of replying to all coaches who contact you as a student-athlete. Even if you don’t believe that a certain college is big enough or competitive enough or not the right fit for you, take the time to respond. Consider first, that you may not have all of the information. From a recruiting standpoint, it is best to research the school to see what they have to offer academically, athletically, socially, and more. Take the time to hear the coach out as they begin to correspond and gather information about you, as well as share information about their program and school. You may find out a lot more than you thought you knew. Also consider, you are building a reputation for yourself as a student-athlete. The manner in which you respond (or don’t respond) to a coach, may set off a ripple effect in the coaching community that you were not even aware of.
Coaches talk to other coaches. They talk on the recruiting trail. They talk when they are competing against each other. If they are in the same league or conference, they talk a lot. If they are in the same community or even the same state, they talk. Even nationally, coaches at conferences and clinics, talk with one another. This connection in the coaching community can be the biggest contributor to your recruiting story. Or, it can be the kiss of death. It depends a great deal on you and the reputation you build for yourself.
You could correspond with a coach at a certain school, but it may not turn out to be the right fit for you. Consider the fact that they will potentially have a conversation with a coach from another school that just might be the perfect fit. What do you want that conversation to sound like? ”Hey, I talked to a kid quite a bit, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to work out. He’s a super kid. You should take a look at him.” Or…. “I was looking at that athlete as well, but he was hard to get a hold of. Couldn’t communicate well at all. Didn’t seem to know what he wanted. I think we made a good choice passing on him.”
Finally, think about the fact that coaches move around a lot. Maybe as a sophomore, you talked to a coach that you really seemed to like, but the school was not what you were looking for. Now, as a senior, that coach is at a different school that you are really interested in. Is that coach still going to be interested in you? Did you have a good correspondence with them 2 years earlier, regardless of the final outcome? Or did you burn that bridge once you decided you didn’t like the school?
As a recruit, you need to keep an open mind. And an open line of communication. You may not ever know all of the conversations that take place about you during the recruiting process. But remember……it is YOUR process. You create the image these coaches will have of you. So, make it a great one!
