Trying to tie wins and losses from this season to ER is a tough sell. Parody is here because of the enhanced level of instruction and competitive exposure that is now available to kids from non-traditional areas due to club. ER has been going on for years, even when it supposedly wasn't. It just wasn't tweeted out every time a 9th or 10th grader verballed. They all do it, even Loyola BTW, despite the fact that their freshman attackman was a late recruit (and lets be real, he went to Boys Latin, so its not exactly a Cinderella story). Even if the NCAA makes wholesale changes, coaches will still find a way around it. So even in that scenario, young recruits will worry about "missing the train". The handful of coaches we spoke to all said they were against it but felt that they had to in order to be in the running for the top recruits. Most schools hold back a few spots as a hedge for late bloomers. But instead of discussing it philosophically, lets consider a real world scenario, put yourself in it:
-your 9th grade son/daughter is being recruited by XYZ University (which btw, your kid would probably not be admitted to without the sport)
-your club or school coach contacts you and gives you a number to call and try to speak to the coach.
-Your kid is very excited but you try to temper him/her by telling them to research the school and also realize that coach probably made a dozen calls after that tournament/event.
-your kid calls, speaks to a coach (eventually) several times and sets up a visit
-Your family visits, interviews, tours - the whole thing and tells you on the way home that he/she loves it. its the right fit (you think) and he loves the coaching staff, size of school, program, etc. He/She may even see the field some day!!!
-the school contacts your coach and says they really liked him/her and asks what your kid thought of their program
-you discuss the responsibilities and pressures of early committing to your kid but ultimately you tell him/her that they have to live with the decision.
-they want to commit (you're worried if its right but after all its X University)
-you set up a call/visit with the coach
-the call/visit happens and that's it - its done he/she is now verbally committed to X University class of 202?
So to all of the noble, sanctimonious posters out there I ask you - how would you have handled it?
a) tell your kid they are too young to make that decision and he/she should wait because you know better as their parent (ok, noble approach, but boy would I love to be a fly on the wall to hear that conversation if they loose the spot)
b) tell the coach "no, we have no idea that you will still be at X 3 years from now"
c) tell your kid that its too much to ask a 14/15 year old to stay strong academically, socially, and ethically for so long a period
d) have a heart to heart about how they are now responsible to something bigger than themselves, and need to maintain their academic and athletic strength and integrity because now its not only their mom and dad they will disappoint if they screw up but also the coach/program that had faith in them. But you support and will continue to support their decision and handle the next few years as a "team" to keep them on the right track (which we should be doing anyway of course)

Lets be real here, most will choose D

And before you respond that this is an example of why ER is bad because it puts kids under too much pressure, go back to my earlier comment. They will recruit early regardless of the "regulations". And its better to be on the inside looking out. How come nobody is complaining about all of these D1 "transfers" - what about that? so these kids are transferring because their original choice did not live up to their academic expectations - give me a break.