By Bob Chmiel
As I travel around the country speaking to student-athletes and their parents concerning the recruiting process, one point I stress is they are probably going through this process for the first and last time. And to leave no stone unturned, and to have no regrets when the process is complete.
I also let them know that I do not consider myself more intelligent than any of them, but I remind them that I went through this process several more times. I have experienced every side of recruiting. It began as a student-athlete many years ago, then as a high school coach, next as a college coach, and finally as a father of two daughters who were recruited student-athletes.
Looking in the eyes of the parents and student-athletes in attendance at various combines, I can see the attention in their eyes. Mothers begin to slide to the front of their chairs; they begin to take out pens and pencils for note taking. At times, the portable cameras begin rolling. The lights are on and I love it. I welcome the opportunity to perhaps assist or coach a family in pursuing the dream of their son’s journey to a college education.
The phone calls and visits of the recruiting process are critical as to how a young man is going to present himself to the colleges. Their athletic ability and potential is just one part of their resume for those schools that have serious interest in him.
What about character? What about his communication skills? Will he impress his hosts and his potential teammates during an official visit? How will admissions react to his interview? Will he impress the professors in his chosen major as he meets with them on the Saturday morning of his visit?
As the initial contact and calling process begins, the recruit is adding or subtracting from his resume each time he speaks to one of the assistant coaches. I always facetiously relate the story about the recruits who early on in the process respond with "yes coach, no coach, thank you coach." And as the process moves on, "Bob can you hang on? I’ve got someone on the other line?" This is an obvious exaggeration, but the dialogue can change as the year moves on.
Permit me to digress a moment. The official visit system in place under Coach Holtz and briefly for his successor was that the individual would meet with Dan Saracino, the director of admissions at Notre Dame. This meeting would take place on either Friday afternoon or early Saturday morning.
Later on Saturday morning, the recruit would attend an overall academic meeting, and then meet with professors and deans specific to his potential academic pursuit.
Afterwards, the prospect would attend a presentation by the strength and conditioning staff. While he attended this presentation and took a campus tour, the admissions people would discuss each recruit and created an academic profile of the individual as to his ability to succeed in the classroom rigors of Notre Dame.
In this profile he would be ranked as to his abilities as they viewed them at that time. Was he attentive? Did they feel education was important to him? Did he have an honest sense of a sincere desire to succeed at Notre Dame?
Please understand that this was a part of the process and that the generous academic people were not attempting to disqualify and individual based upon a two hour time frame, but rather to make the overall evaluation as accurate as possible.
In all candor, I actually witnessed more young men enhance their position as opposed to disqualifying or lowering their status in the eyes of the academic community. I felt this was a great system, very fair and a great indicator of the academic potential of the recruit in question.
I can tell you that these interested faculty and admissions people gave up their time and expertise in a most generous and objective manner. They sincerely cared about our football program, they loved the university, and many of these great women and men continued to mentor the recruits through their time at Notre Dame, and well after. Notre Dame is fortunate to have them.
And if I may add, Mr. Saracino is as good as it gets when it comes to an admissions director. As I witnessed it, he is only concerned about all that is potentially good for Notre Dame and the recruits in question.
Over the years I did witness a few incidents that were a complete disqualification for the individual in question. Once during an unofficial visit, I hosted a family who was fairly affluent and had come to my attention through a strong Notre Dame reference. The young man in question came into the football office and passed the eye test – looking the part as if he just walked in from an NFL roster.
As we settled into a meeting in my office, he sat across from my desk between his mother and father. This was a preliminary discussion to basically get to know one another and to discuss the process and how he might become a part of Notre Dame football.
As the conversation continued, this young man began to use profanity the likes of which I had not heard from any recruit in my 20 years. Now let me repeat, his mom was sitting right next to him. I about fell out of my chair; it was almost surreal. Had I heard profanity before? Absolutely, but never in this setting, and yet in front of the people he should have respected the most.
I briefly excused myself, gathered my thoughts and secured a copy of the Notre Dame visitor’s guide. I went back into my office and pointed the family in the direction of campus. Somebody forgot to remind this kid he was at Notre Dame and sitting across from an assistant coach. Show some respect for the place and realize your mother is sitting next to you.
Here was a scenario where this young lad had the potential to realize the Notre Dame experience, and make an impression that could possibly alter his life in a way that relatively few have experienced. And in one fleeting moment he exposed his character to be flawed in a way that indicated he would not be a fit for this potential extended family.
Obviously, I spoke to the head coach who supported my initial decision. We made record of the incident out of respect to the Notre Dame person who mentioned this young man to us.
As I have written in the past, the academic portion of the official visit always took place on Saturday morning around 10 a.m. After a brief introduction, I would turn the floor over to the academic support staff for an overall academic support introduction.
From time to time as I stood nearby, I witnessed the degree of interest as the presentation progressed. Through the years, I saw young men ask unbelievably perceptive and intelligent questions. And at other times, I witnessed young men embarrass themselves with a total lack of respect and lack of interest in the subject matter at hand. These observations were duly noted as we met to discuss who was to be offered and who was of serious concern in the process.
Finally, you must be able to realize how important these telephone and personal contacts can be in putting together the character, academic and athletic profile of an individual. When you think of the cost and the honor of being selected to put on that gold helmet, you can realize what is at stake.
Coaches want to select the best of the best in every facet of the individual’s talents. And from the other perspective, you will go through this only one time. Do not have any regrets when the process is complete.
Source: http://www.blueandgold.com/content/?aid=1763
