Text messaging ban

[ESTRELLA]

baldyballer said:

Estrella,
I'm just saying that the athletes have a choice to give colleges their cell numbers and can stop text messaging without the NCAA's help. The things I have read states that it is the kids that are complaining about it being overwelming. There is no doubt some lazy or out of date coaches may be against it as well but I think they need to get with the technology age as well.
Text messaging is alot warmer than email. A kid checks their email about once a day, but has their cell phone with them constantly! I would say that makes it different than other forms of communication. And to answer your other question- kids didn't handle it before text messaging. They sent an email or letter periodically till their parents told them where to go to college, or they just stayed close to home to avoid the hassle (as a general rule). Giving the athletes the avenue to express themselves more and get information quickly is a good thing, and if you think it is not than just don't allow a college to get your number period.
If you were a recruiter, which I bet you are not, you would be looking at this as another way for the NCAA to handcuff coaches from getting to know their recruits better.

Baldy,
get some of it now, but will still have to disagree with certain points (seems that you have an ax to grind).

I agree that it is up to the athletes to give colleges their cell numbers so they can stop text messaging without the NCAA's help. Now if the kids are complaining about it being overwelming......is that wrong? Did you ever think that maybe the kid thought that it would be less intrusive?

Now because a coach does not want to get up to speed on technology categorize them as being lazy? Please.....can't you see that our youth is going down hill because they are lossing the interpersonal skill that is still needed? Did you forget that we are still humans and not ROBOTS/MACHINES?

What is wrong with a kid checking thier e-mail once a day? Will they know less about the school or will the school know less about them because they GET a response tomorrow? I don't think so! The only thing that I will agree is that there is a possibility you will get a faster response, but in a different language (if you know what I mean).

On your comment that the players/coaches in the past just sent an email or letter periodically till their parents told them where to go to college, or they just stayed close to home to avoid the hassle makes me laugh. If that is a general rule in your neck of the woods you have more issues that need to be taken care of vs venting about the lost of text msg.

I was once a recruiter, and always felt and still believe to this day that the best way to know a person is to talk to them real time: 1. Face to face, 2. phone (can hear the voice), and 3. by letter (they can express themselves in a way that all of us can understand). In fact I strongly believe that official visits should be allowed since they start HS and that they can only sign during their Sr year. This will allow them to mature, getting different views and make a better decision.

ESTRELLA

[baldyballer]

You make some good points Estrella and I don't have an ax to grind. The best way to communicate is face to face. But most teenagers have trouble doing that. In my opinion, they are working MORE on communication skills by allowing them to text. I obviously text alot to recruits, but eventually ask them to call me when they feel comfortable. That process has been less intrusive and successful.
Again, if a kid tries texting and finds it intrusive for them, they can change their number or tell the college they will not respond. Simple fix. No 6 months of discussion, votes, lobbying, etc. Do you think that if we all used a little common sense the NCAA recruiting guide wouldn't look like the phone book??
As a coach, I don't want to wait for a response for a day or several days. In fact, texting has made it easier on club and high school coaches because we don't have to bother them constantly to try and get a response. Alot of recruiting comes down to timing especially if the athlete is choosing between several schools (I can tell you horror stories about this), so I would rather see a more constant communication available.
Estrella dear, look at not just my neck of the woods for recruiting trends. Most kids stay within a 4 hour drive of home. Love your view on official visits though. Anything that gives kids a more informed choice should be supported. Oh, like text messaging!

[pogoball]

To me, text-messaging is the form of communication that most circumvents parental influence on the decision making.

Phone calls, face to face and emails can all be monitored to some degree by parents and allow some needed maturity into the college decision. Text messaging, not so much.

Thoughts?

[baldyballer]

Good point- but you can look at that both ways. Some parents feel it is all up to the kid on what school they choose and they just want them to be happy. Usually, coaches get kids more interested through texting then the family goes on a visit and makes more of a group-parental controled choice.