Post by muoh61010 on Apr 19, 2007 13:43:20 GMT -5
There is an article in today's (Thursday, April 19) Chicago Tribune about the NCAA banning text messaging for recruiting.
I was just wondering if this method was used to recruit volleyball players as well.
NCAA May Pull Plug On Text Messaging
By Reid Hanley, Tribune staff reporter.
Tribune staff reporter Neil Milbert contributed
Published April 19, 2007
If the NCAA Division I management council has its way, recruits soon may finish dinner without interruption and their cell phone bills might shrink.
The management council has recommended a ban on electronically transmitted correspondence, including text messages, between coaches and recruits. E-mails and faxes would be exempted but limited. While there are limits to phone calls and personal visits, there are currently no text message limits on coaches.
"It's part of recruiting right now," Indiana acting football coach Bill Lynch said on his cell phone as he drove from Ft. Wayne to South Bend on a recruiting trip. "It's such a way of life with kids these days. It truly is their form of communication. But it has gotten out of hand. I can't imagine the number of text messages a highly recruited kid gets."
The NCAA Board of Directors will review the recommendation at its April 26 meeting. If it is passed, as expected, the ban will take effect in August. If it is not passed, it again will be open season for text messages.
Recruiting has joined the electronic age enthusiastically. Coaches have been giving their thumbs a workout since the BlackBerry became part of the modern world. Many recruits have cell phones but not computers at home. Text messaging is an important part of Northwestern's football recruiting.
"I'm disappointed if there is going to be a ban on text messaging," Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "If used properly, it is an excellent way to communicate with young people today." With no limit to the number of texts, a recruit might get multiple messages from different coaches from the same school. As long as a recruit has his or her cell phone on, schools can make their pitches. Coaches can text a recruit, asking them to call to get around the NCAA rules. The time and place is irrelevant. Some coaches reportedly have managers do the texting for them. One publication reported a top recruit was getting 40 a day from one school.
"Like a lot of rules, it gets abused," Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber said. "The thing I don't like is you have kids texting you while they're in school -- and they're questionable students -- and late at night. It's like: 'What are you doing?' "
Text messages aren't all bad and Fitzgerald points out parents have the option of not letting their children receive text messages. Bradley basketball coach Jim Les said restrictions on personal contact and phone calls have made it more difficult to get to know a recruit. Text messages fill a need, he said.
"What I like is sometimes kids are more open with their thoughts," Les said from his cell phone. "They might not verbalize as well and are able to type their thoughts in text."
Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, whose son James is a Division I recruit, reluctantly entered the text message fray. He's all for the ban but would like to see contact rules expanded to fill the void.
"I think our jobs should be bigger than text messaging," he said. "Don't they have better things to do like coach their players? My only complaint would be not soon enough."
I was just wondering if this method was used to recruit volleyball players as well.
NCAA May Pull Plug On Text Messaging
By Reid Hanley, Tribune staff reporter.
Tribune staff reporter Neil Milbert contributed
Published April 19, 2007
If the NCAA Division I management council has its way, recruits soon may finish dinner without interruption and their cell phone bills might shrink.
The management council has recommended a ban on electronically transmitted correspondence, including text messages, between coaches and recruits. E-mails and faxes would be exempted but limited. While there are limits to phone calls and personal visits, there are currently no text message limits on coaches.
"It's part of recruiting right now," Indiana acting football coach Bill Lynch said on his cell phone as he drove from Ft. Wayne to South Bend on a recruiting trip. "It's such a way of life with kids these days. It truly is their form of communication. But it has gotten out of hand. I can't imagine the number of text messages a highly recruited kid gets."
The NCAA Board of Directors will review the recommendation at its April 26 meeting. If it is passed, as expected, the ban will take effect in August. If it is not passed, it again will be open season for text messages.
Recruiting has joined the electronic age enthusiastically. Coaches have been giving their thumbs a workout since the BlackBerry became part of the modern world. Many recruits have cell phones but not computers at home. Text messaging is an important part of Northwestern's football recruiting.
"I'm disappointed if there is going to be a ban on text messaging," Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "If used properly, it is an excellent way to communicate with young people today." With no limit to the number of texts, a recruit might get multiple messages from different coaches from the same school. As long as a recruit has his or her cell phone on, schools can make their pitches. Coaches can text a recruit, asking them to call to get around the NCAA rules. The time and place is irrelevant. Some coaches reportedly have managers do the texting for them. One publication reported a top recruit was getting 40 a day from one school.
"Like a lot of rules, it gets abused," Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber said. "The thing I don't like is you have kids texting you while they're in school -- and they're questionable students -- and late at night. It's like: 'What are you doing?' "
Text messages aren't all bad and Fitzgerald points out parents have the option of not letting their children receive text messages. Bradley basketball coach Jim Les said restrictions on personal contact and phone calls have made it more difficult to get to know a recruit. Text messages fill a need, he said.
"What I like is sometimes kids are more open with their thoughts," Les said from his cell phone. "They might not verbalize as well and are able to type their thoughts in text."
Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, whose son James is a Division I recruit, reluctantly entered the text message fray. He's all for the ban but would like to see contact rules expanded to fill the void.
"I think our jobs should be bigger than text messaging," he said. "Don't they have better things to do like coach their players? My only complaint would be not soon enough."