When you go on college visits, it’s your job to ascertain the answers and ask the questions that NO 17-19 year old will ask. All your child will be interested in is the glitz and glamour. So as a parent where do you start? Start with what’s important to your family, incorporate your young adults expectations, and determine what his/her needs are and go from there. Remember this is the place where they will transition from your child to adulthood.
Questions you should ask:
What academic support do you have in place?
How often does the coaching staff meet to discuss each player’s academic profile and standings?
What is the coach to player ratio for academic and personal accountability for the player?
What’s the teams graduation rate?
Where do you see my child playing in your system?
How many players are truly in your rotation out of the 15 spots?
How many guards (position specific to your child) are in your starting lineup?
What offense do you run?
What is the player cost of attendance? (why is this important?-because it determines how much support you will have to provide throughout their attendance at the school)
How is team chemistry orchestrated outside of the court?
How long is the head coaches remaining contract?
How many contracts has he had at the school?
What's the schools win/loss record? (which helps with determining how long contracts will last)
Ask the coaches how many players are you recruiting at this postion?
Things you should think about after you've asked all your questions:
How many other schools are recruiting him/her in this conference at this level?
Does my child fit into this offensive/defensive schema?
Will he/she have a chance to develop into the position as a starter or off the bench?
Does the coach recruit over current players?
No coaching contract is ever guaranteed but look at the wins record and the interaction with the athletic director. Did you get to meet him/her? What is there opinion of the program.
What sport is most important on campus?
The staff will ask you on your visit, “How do you feel about the school, your visit thus far?” My advice is that you be respectfully honest. If there are things you really like let them know. But if there are things that you don’t, then make them aware and give them a chance to address it.
Let’s be honest, in most cases as a player you are being prioritized by visit date. Let me start out by saying this is not always the case but most often and this is why the question about how many recruits to you have lined up for visits is important.
What week did the coaches bring you in to visit?
Does the coach respect the parents role in the process? In addition, how were they treating before the visit? Did they respect your boundaries and expectations as a parent?
How seamless is the process throughout your visit? Was the visit well thought out and inclusive of things you had already identified as important or are they haphazard and random?
How’s the chemistry between coaches?
How did the athletic support line up with your beliefs on what your child will need? Meaning….what level of engagement and impact does proper nutrition, physical development and modern technology used for maximization of performance play in the overall aspect of the player.
Is the level you are being recruited accurate? Will your child thrive here or would they be better suited in a different conference or different school?
Is it the right “FIT” for your child?