So after going through the first summer under the recruiting rule change, what do you think the consequences are?
1. Think twice about spending money on expensive showcases this coming year. There was a massive drop in college coach attendance at some top 2020 (9th grade) showcases this summer, so expect the same next summer when the 2021s are that age. The 2018-2019 season will be the big one for the 2021s.
2. Consider whether to bother with too many college ID camps. The focus will be almost entirely on 2020s this coming year.
3. The importance of your club's prior relationships with college coaches is diminished now regardless how much bragging and boasting the club directors engage in. There will be much less guess work on the part of college coaches, who probably did rely on club directors prior to the rule change. They were committing 8th and 9th graders who were still physically developing, but now they have plenty of time to see the girls play after most of them are much closer to full athletic development, and the girls are more mature about their decisions.
4. The pressure is off young girls now, and a lot of power has been shifted from club directors to the players. I think club directors are feeling it, too. This is a good thing.
The rule change has gutted the players ability to evaluate these coaches, programs and schools. You may not see that until offers come on 9/1 of their junior year and the pressure to commit is immediate. How much interaction did your daughter have with the coaches, the athletic support staff, academic staff and a detailed tour and overview of the school before making this decision? If you have multiple offers, now you have to find time to make all those visits or make that decision blindly? This going on during your fall sports season in a critical academic time as well. Under the old system, parents and players willing to put in the work had all this done ahead of making a decision.
Oh, please. The process is the same, just in a shortened format. A format, let me be clear, that is pretty new in the recruitment world. Just 8 years ago players were <gasp> committing in their junior years and everyone was fine with that.
I also question the judgement skills of 14- and 15yos when evaluating their futures.
