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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2013 23:29:04 GMT -5
It would be interesting to hear why the actual athletes pick the programs they pick. I'd be willing to bet that the coach is not that high on the list of reasons, that the teammates and the atmosphere around the program are much more important.
But I don't know. No one's ever recruited me.
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Post by ggopher on Dec 16, 2013 23:30:42 GMT -5
What bothers me about the recruiting situation is that Minnesota is a difficult place to get outsiders to commit to. All opposing coaches have to keep saying is how cold it is in the winter (even if they are coaching at places not much warmer). What place isn't, for one reason or another, difficult to get outsiders to commit to? Just a scant few programs get top recruits from hither and yon. Even a recruiting powerhouse like PSU recruits from east of the Mississippi almost exclusively. Even a Washington relies on Pac 12 area girls, if not from Washington itself. The rest of the world relies mostly on talent from in-state or neighboring states. Do we really know that Minn has lost top recruits because the recruits thought it too cold, or some opposing coach said it was too cold? I doubt it. Minn's problem is that it can't furnish a compelling reason for that top recruit from far away not to go to some other school closer to her. Minn has therefore relied on the local talent, which has thankfully been plentiful. Minn has twin advantages in having a strong club program to draw from and no other Div I team in-state to compete with. If, as alleged, McCutcheon is turning up his nose at the locals, in the hopes of snagging even bigger prizes from far away, he is indeed gambling and going for broke. Nope, I don't have any idea what goes on in the recruiting process. I can only tell you what I would do if I were a rival coach, namely point out all the negatives in whatever school a recruit I was interested in favored. All I know is what all of you see and that is the end result of fairly good prospects ending up elsewhere. Why that is I can only speculate.
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Post by vbcoltrane on Dec 16, 2013 23:42:36 GMT -5
What bothers me about the recruiting situation is that Minnesota is a difficult place to get outsiders to commit to. All opposing coaches have to keep saying is how cold it is in the winter (even if they are coaching at places not much warmer). What place isn't, for one reason or another, difficult to get outsiders to commit to? Just a scant few programs get top recruits from hither and yon. Even a recruiting powerhouse like PSU recruits from east of the Mississippi almost exclusively. Even a Washington relies on Pac 12 area girls, if not from Washington itself. The rest of the world relies mostly on talent from in-state or neighboring states. Do we really know that Minn has lost top recruits because the recruits thought it too cold, or some opposing coach said it was too cold? I doubt it. Minn's problem is that it can't furnish a compelling reason for that top recruit from far away not to go to some other school closer to her. Minn has therefore relied on the local talent, which has thankfully been plentiful. Minn has twin advantages in having a strong club program to draw from and no other Div I team in-state to compete with. If, as alleged, McCutcheon is turning up his nose at the locals, in the hopes of snagging even bigger prizes from far away, he is indeed gambling and going for broke. Really good points. I mean, obviously, someone will not want to come to MN because of the cold, but is MN really losing out on scores of recruits because of the weather? VB is huge in the Midwest and, while MN may the coldest of the top-level Midwest schools, it's hardly alone in being in a cold(er) climate. All these great Midwest prospects, do we really think they're that turned off by the cold? One thing I always wondered about with MN was the campus right in the middle of the big city. It's so unlike most B1G 10 schools and their traditional college towns, or even some other schools in big cities that are more isolated within the city. I'm wondering if that matters to recruits. I'd imagine that some really like it, others don't.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2013 0:25:22 GMT -5
One thing I always wondered about with MN was the campus right in the middle of the big city. It's so unlike most B1G 10 schools and their traditional college towns, or even some other schools in big cities that are more isolated within the city. I'm wondering if that matters to recruits. I'd imagine that some really like it, others don't. Dinkytown doesn't really feel a ton like you're in the middle of a big city, though. I think it feels enough like its own area that it's comfortable. Most athletes live on the east bank, and there's not a need to go far - when I lived on campus, the farthest I ever felt I NEEDED to go was to Rainbow and Target in the Quarry, which is easy to get to. Having downtown a mile away is a nice bonus, but you don't have to actually ever go outside the area, which helps make it feel a bit smaller. If anything, I bet more people who are looking for a smaller feel are looking for that in the actual campus, not in its surroundings. Some people don't want possibly a 30-minute walk to their first class each day.
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Post by HeyHey on Dec 17, 2013 12:38:45 GMT -5
I know when my DD was being recruited the coach was very important to her. As were the assistant coaches. You spend hours and hours with these people so you better like them.
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Post by vbgirls2 on Dec 17, 2013 12:48:33 GMT -5
I agree Fireball, you get to know the coach and staff way before you ever get to know the school or campus. Kids also leave because of the coach, even when they still like the school. So I think the coach and staff are really really important.
Ggopher, most coaches do not recruit that way....they talk about their own program not others. Many coaches don't even ask what other schools are you interested in.
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Post by vbgirls2 on Dec 17, 2013 12:55:37 GMT -5
(R)uffda the program is the coaches. DD turned down many schools because she did not care for or felt like she clicked with the coach. Some were great programs.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2013 12:59:10 GMT -5
That's my question, I guess. What's the % that feels the same way? I don't know, but I suspect that's not the main reason for the majority.
It'd make a great survey, if someone hasn't already done it.
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Post by vbgirls2 on Dec 17, 2013 13:00:13 GMT -5
also with many coaches recruiting younger and younger, (h.s.sophomores) the teammates are not that important because they will not be there, once you get there.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2013 13:07:40 GMT -5
Sure. But they are there when they are making their choice. I'm guessing that kids look at the players there and think "that could be me" or "I could be a part of something like that."
But I could be totally wrong. I am not and have never been (I think) a teenage girl.
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Post by vbgirls2 on Dec 17, 2013 13:16:29 GMT -5
lol, probably don't want to be a teenage girl either!!!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2013 13:59:24 GMT -5
I have two, so that counts for something.
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Post by gogophers on Dec 17, 2013 14:12:57 GMT -5
It would be interesting and possibly fascinating if vbgirls2 and other parents of heavily recruited players, in a separate thread, were to recount the different approaches to recruiting that they have witnessed. They don't have to use names and I'm not looking for dirt; it's just that the recruiting part of the sport interests me and so I'd like to hear more about how programs try to differentiate themselves, assuming they do at all, from one another.
For instance, from listening to Elliot's interviews this weekend, I got the feeling that he relied on Mack Brown, who presumably has a very impressive office and is a master salesman, to pitch top vb recruits when visiting Austin. That surprised me. Is that common to enlist other popular/charismatic coaches to try to seal the deal?
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Post by vbcoach06 on Dec 17, 2013 14:47:50 GMT -5
It would be interesting and possibly fascinating if vbgirls2 and other parents of heavily recruited players, in a separate thread, were to recount the different approaches to recruiting that they have witnessed. They don't have to use names and I'm not looking for dirt; it's just that the recruiting part of the sport interests me and so I'd like to hear more about how programs try to differentiate themselves, assuming they do at all, from one another. For instance, from listening to Elliot's interviews this weekend, I got the feeling that he relied on Mack Brown, who presumably has a very impressive office and is a master salesman, to pitch top vb recruits when visiting Austin. That surprised me. Is that common to enlist other popular/charismatic coaches to try to seal the deal? Not a Minnesota fan, but this discussion has me intrigued. Thought I'd share some light. When I was recruited, I was actually quite surprised at all of the different tactics. Some were a stretch and way out there, some were subtle but effective. The first person you meet is the recruiting coordinator assistant, so your first impression of the school is what you get out of them. I turned down 3 schools (in my mind) at the airport simply by the discussion I had with the assistant. One of these schools actually had the prettiest campus I've ever seen. The dynamic with the players currently on the team helps, but it isn't a huge deal. As someone mentioned, pretty much the only people you will be playing with are the youngest ones. Those we're the ones I found myself talking to the most. Also, coaches tend to pair up the recruit with a freshman/sophomore (for overnight visits), so that helps with feeling the dynamic. For me, a big deciding factor was the initial conversation with the head coach. I was committing to spend 4 years of my life learning from this person-they needed to prove to me that they were the right person and fit for ME. I also put more weight into my position coach, knowing that I'd be working a lot with that person as well. I was a setter/libero, so while it was nice to like the coach that was instructing blocking, it wasn't a huge deal for me. OTOH, the assistant that worked with the setters needed to be a perfect fit for me. The atmosphere of the match helped greatly too. I never told any of the coaches this, but every match I attended as a recruit, the team I was visiting won. 11-0. I should be in a recruitment hall of fame. Also, wanted to touch on something someone else mentioned. Only 2 coaches in my recruitment process spoke negatively of another school/program. It made me not consider that school. I wasn't worried about why I shouldn't go to University X, I wanted to know why I was a good fit for University Y. The majority of the coaches know some of the other schools that are recruiting you too, and they know if you have visits scheduled. Once they have you on campus, that's their time to win you over, not get you to hate another program. The recruitment process was one of the most exciting (and nerve racking) processes I have ever been a part of. But, I loved where I ended up and was fortunate enough to make the right decision. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!
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Post by vbgirls2 on Dec 17, 2013 15:06:00 GMT -5
vbcoach06 is right on. Very similar experiences
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