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I've never been a big fan of Vegas. You do it once, and it's really the same thing time and time again. Nevertheless, that's exactly where I'm at, out here to sit by the pool at the Venecian, visit two friends and do a story on Bishop Gorman for ESPN.com.
Before I give you my thoughts, I want yours regarding this - how involved should parents be in the college recruiting process?
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Until the parents suit up and play for the college team they are trying to get junior into, they should not be part of the process.
I'm not sure why as a parent you wouldn't want to be involved in your
son/daughters recruiting process . Assuming you have a decent
relationship with your child , this is still one of the BIG 5 decisions
that they will make in their lives. The process is very intricate, if
you want to do it right , and I think too much for just one person so
young to wade through. It's also a huge financial decision , and in
most cases parents are footing the bill. I trust my son's decisions and
after all it is his future , but as a parent , I feel I should be there
to supervise and make sure that his decision is a good one. On the flip
side , how would we feel if they make the wrong move and we chose to
sit idly by and do nothing. It's a no-brainer for me
vegas isn't always the same thing =) something must be wrong if you think you've seen it all
I see parent's role as helping child focus on why they are going to college. It is great that a coach wants you to play soccer at their school, but if they don't have the major you are interested in, if they are not the type of school you a kid said they always wanted to attend, its a parents role to not let their kid get caught up in the excitement of "being recruited".
I think kids need to run a process of identifying what they want in a college during their soph/early jr year. And then start contacting coaches at their target colleges early in the junior year - don't wait for the calls. Parents can help kids understand the need to start early and help on the quality of initial contacts or unofficial visits.