During two recent engagements where I was speaking to audiences on the recruiting process, I asked who was taking Unofficial Visits, and who knew what they were. Only 5% of the audience was taking the visits and about 10% understood Unofficial Visits. The majority of families out there mean well, but they have not been educated about the rules of recruiting. It is important to utilize NCSA’s pool of over 30 former collegiate and professional athletes who are available to speak in your area.
I interviewed James Kluckhohn, the Track and Field Head Coach at Benedictine University (near Chicago) about visits, and he shared some insights that can be helpful in the recruiting process and for finding the right fit for young athletes at the next level.
Benedictine University Coach James Kluckhohn
The NCAA official definition of Unofficial Visit is: “Any visit by a prospective student-athlete and their parents to a college campus paid for by the prospective student athlete or the prospect’s parents. The only expense the prospective student-athlete can receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. The prospect may make as many visits as he or she likes and may take the visits at any time. The only time the prospective student-athlete cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.”
I have long felt that a major reason athletes don’t have success in recruiting, or don’t find the right fit, is that they wait too long (until 12th grade) to start taking visits of any kind, and then have a stressed out scramble trying to get recruited. By taking multiple Unofficial Visits starting in 11th grade (or earlier), a young person gradually hones in on what the right fit will be for them.
“It is so important for them to get on campus,” said Kluckhohn, “and to meet people. That is the number one thing in finding the right school for them. It is for me as a coach as well. You don’t really know a person until you meet in person. You get a good feel for who they are. They should be coming in for Unofficial Visits at least by the end of their junior year. It helps them to start to figure out what school is the right school.”
Kluckhohn and I agreed that starting visits early allows a young person to decide on a college before the stretch run of the “Senior Year Experience” so they can enjoy that once-in-a-lifetime stretch without freaking out about where they will be a student-athlete in College.
Kluckhohn coaches at the Division III level of the NCAA. Division III does not offer athletic scholarships, but well-rounded young people can qualify for numerous other scholarships.
“I try to get families to understand it is more than grades and SAT/ACT,” said Kluckhohn. “Sure, those are important and are barometers, but we as a University look at the other things they are involved in at High School, such as leadership roles in Student Government. We go, ‘Hey, there is a student that will get involved and not just sit on the back row in classes.’”
High School student-athletes with Division I abilities almost always want to play at the next level, but Kluckhohn has seen many other athletes overlook the opportunities available in Divisions II & III, the NAIA, and Junior Colleges.
“There are a lot of people out there that love their sport in High School,” said Kluckhohn, “but don’t think they can continue on at the College level, probably more on the women’s side. But, if they love what they are doing, there are opportunities and as a College student-athlete it can enrich their overall College experience. There is the physical outlet and the team experience that makes it more memorable. There are so many High School athletes that didn’t accomplish a great deal there but if they continue on they can become really, really good. I hate to see some close the door, even All Conference athletes in High School. They may go, ‘Ah, I’m not D1 so there’s not a lot out there for me.’ Actually, there is.”
The NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network is about Athleadership, which means developing leaders through sports. NCSA, led by of former Vanderbilt student-athlete Chris Krause, firmly believes a young person who plays their sport at the College level will be branded for life in a positive way, and develop the skills to help them be successful for the next 40 years and beyond.
“I’ve heard numerous times from employers that College student-athletes are attractive because of their varied experiences,” said Kluckhohn. “Being multi dimensional shows significant involvement, and they are all immersed in teamwork. Not that you can’t get that in other things, but there is nothing like teamwork in athletics. It’s a good resume and helps you stand apart from the typical College student. For example, I hear Law Enforcement agencies often look specifically for athletes and I have had former athletes of mine say being an athlete helped them get into Medical School. It takes a lot of other things to get into Med School, but having played College sports certainly looks good on their application papers, they tell me.”
Charlie Adams, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Speaker
cadams@ncsasports.org
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The photo below shows Athletic Director Aaron Charles of Clinton Central High School introducing NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified. Parents, and athletes in such sports as swimming, baseball, volleyball, cross country, basketball, football and softball where there that night, and left equipped with the tools to understand what they should be doing, and when they should be doing it in the recruiting process.
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Clinton Central H.S. Ath. Dir. Aaron Charles introduces NCSA's Charlie Adams
