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How many times have you read about it, seen it on TV or heard about it? A local high school prospect signs a National Letter of Intent during the NCAA early signing period only to later have a change of heart, quits during their first semester of college or transfers to another college because their chosen school was not what they anticipated or were promised. It happens far too often and National Scouting Report scouts around the globe are taking the subject seriously with their prospects.
College recruiting is the most hectic approaching the NCAA early signing period. Compared to the more relaxed regular-signing period the following spring, the earlier period is like Black Friday at Walmart.
Prospects who receive offers to sign early are cornered into making a decision which will affect their lives at least through the next academic year and can have far reaching consequences. With verbal scholarship offers from college coaches coming sooner than ever, prospects are under the intense heat of a spotlight to decide sooner than later. It’s a spotlight which can blind them to do what is best for them and their families. So, naturally, avoidable mistakes happen in the haste of the moment.
“If the school which has offered is the student-athlete’s No. 1 choice then, yes, they should sign,” said NSR area director Cary Nadel of Connecticut. “Let me qualify this by adding it assumes the scholarship dollars and financial aid package are acceptable. If the school is not the No. 1 choice, and if the NSR scout and the student-athlete feels other offers will come after the early signing period, then I would recommend waiting. Remember, this is a huge life decision.”
Someone once famously said: “Peer pressure and social norms are powerful influences on behavior, and they are classic excuses.”
It’s enormously difficult for most 17- or 18-year-olds to make a flawless decision regarding which college and athletic program is an absolute best fit for them. Yet, these youngsters are put in that position by being asked to sign a legally binding contract to seal their decisions.
“Some coaches make them think if they don’t sign [during the early signing period] that the scholarship opportunity won’t be there in the spring signing period,” said Stacey Harris, NSR area director in the California Bay Area.
But, historically, if a coach really wants to sign a prospect, odds are the program will wait for the prospect’s final decision. Sometimes stepping away from the pressure of signing early helps a prospect to clear his or her mind and look at their situation more reasonably.
Yes, it’s a nice problem to have. No one will argue that point. But what can a high school athlete do within the NCAA rules to reduce the chances of making the wrong decision?
“Pressure generally comes from hearing others have signed who our [NSR] student-athlete feels is not as good as they are,” Nadel said. “Another pressure factor is fear — fear that no other school will want them. The student-athlete needs to involve their NSR scout because we’ve been around the block several times. We need to know the financial promises made by the coach, the student athlete’s “feel” for the program, the teammates, freshman year playing time (red-shirting included), etc. We all need to fully understand the impression gained from the official visit when speaking with the coaching staff, players, and others on the campus. With all that information, we can offer the athlete and family our overall perspective while presenting what we believe are their alternatives.”
This advice normally comes from a less myopic view than the athlete’s. If the athlete continues to teeter about the decision, NSR scouts typically ask the prospect and family to consider these key points:
- Take additional campus visits. This gives the prospect unpressured opportunities to evaluate schools on a more down-to-earth, personal level. Ideally, these visits should occur without announcing them to anyone who could skew the visit in the school’s favor. Merely walking around campus, sitting and observing the atmosphere, eating in the dining facility and sitting in on classes can reveal important elements of a college which an official visit, hosted by the coaching staff, cannot offer.
- Sit down and talk academics with school professors. This is invaluable. Learning what professors expect, how they teach, and how they interface with students, not just athletes, can be eye-opening for a prospect who might be sitting in a particular professor’s classroom come next fall.
- Talk to students on campus, away from coaches and current athletes on the squad. This is a must-do. Whether a student is sitting on the lawn alone or a group of students has just emerged from a class, striking up a conversation about the school and how they view athletes and their role on campus can provide insights the prospect most likely wouldn’t get otherwise.
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.