WAG 8th Grader Verbally Committed Today. Class of 2023

[Texastwister]

I know this early recruiting happens at many of the D1 schools, and that it is a systemic problem rather than an isolated incident. However, with this recruit and the Hailey John announcement earlier, Auburn is standing out as the biggest offender. I wish all the best to this young recruit but condolences to those who are trying to play by the rules and contact schools for opportunities that remain when their athletes are juniors in high school.

But they are playing by the rules.

 

[Texastwister]

But they are playing by the rules.

I would not wait till junior year to start contacting schools.

 

[tomtnt]

If it makes everyone feel better, things are actually MUCH slower this year. This time last year, most of the 2021 spots for the top programs were already filled. Currently, there are only a handful of 2022 verbals (none in the PAC-12)... Florida with 2, Oklahoma with 2.. few other programs with 1..

https://www.collegegymfans.com/recruits-sp-367083677.html

One reason may be that the college programs can no longer arrange for the gymnasts to come for unofficial visits until Jr year?

 

[gymgal]

If it makes everyone feel better, things are actually MUCH slower this year. This time last year, most of the 2021 spots for the top programs were already filled. Currently, there are only a handful of 2022 verbals (none in the PAC-12)... Florida with 2, Oklahoma with 2.. few other programs with 1..

https://www.collegegymfans.com/recruits-sp-367083677.html

One reason may be that the college programs can no longer arrange for the gymnasts to come for unofficial visits until Jr year?

Or the colleges and gymnasts are doing a better job keeping quiet about it...

But they are playing by the rules.

While they are technically playing by the rules, they are not playing by the intent of the rules. Problem is that rules are not written specific enough to eliminate making offers. Of course, I am thinking the offers would still be made, would just go underground

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

In the next two weeks there will be 6 different D1 coaches at our gym recruiting the elite girls, ages range from 9 to 13. Lily was also told today to start calling these coaches before they come to the gym. I guess that December has a “dead” period where no recruiting can be done so they are all rushing to get gym visits done this month and before thanksgiving. I have no idea what to expect....

 

[3rd_time_around]

In the next two weeks there will be 6 different D1 coaches at our gym recruiting the elite girls, ages range from 9 to 13. Lily was also told today to start calling these coaches before they come to the gym. I guess that December has a “dead” period where no recruiting can be done so they are all rushing to get gym visits done this month and before thanksgiving. I have no idea what to expect....

The thing is, when my daughter was 13, she was on top of her gymnastics world. She went to Easterns, she placed well, she was amazing! The next year started level 10, and she had injury after injury, a growth spurt, 2 surgeries, etc. The teams were all looking at her, then they stopped. 9 - 13 is just ridiculous. they have not even set foot in a high school much less can know where they want to go for college. But we had 3 seniors at our gym all make D1 teams their senior year.

 

[Texastwister]

Or the colleges and gymnasts are doing a better job keeping quiet about it...


While they are technically playing by the rules, they are not playing by the intent of the rules. Problem is that rules are not written specific enough to eliminate making offers. Of course, I am thinking the offers would still be made, would just go underground

If there is some underlining “intent” then they would just make it the rule. If offers were made underground, that would be less meaningful then a verbal. Although verbals are not binding , they are public. If you have a college consistently breaking verbals, it will be hard to attract recruits.

 

[doubleback9999]

I would not wait till junior year to start contacting schools.

You are correct - it is technically true that they are playing by the rules. It is no less disappointing to me that the sport has embraced this approach. We just went through the college search process with our older daughter. What was important to her in selecting the school had a whole lot to do with her academic goals and life experiences in high school. College gymnastics was not in play for this one, but prior to her Junior year we would not have had success in finding the right school for her. She just changed too much in the last 2 years. I don’t think that this decision can be made with conviction at such a young age unless the goal is simply to get a scholarship at a D1 school and assume the rest works itself out. It is hard for me to see the strategy here on either side of the commitment.

 

[Hollowarchkick]

So several thoughts on this thread...

First, my experience as an athlete that got a scholarship as a boy was different than the girl’s now. But I will say that I based my entire decision on my recruiting trip and how I felt about the team and coaches. My parents didn’t go to college and there wasn’t the internet to help with understanding the academic requirements of the school. I basically would talk to coaches and then ask my parents to take me to the airport when I was going to visit. Obviously that’s not the best situation and more info is available now. As parents, it’s imperative that you help with researching the academics of the school and the reputation of the programs. I went to a great school but I would’ve been better off at another that offered me a place after I’d verbally committed. I would’ve actually preferred the second program but it was getting late and I decided on the other school. The coach of the second program even said that if I hadn’t signed that it wasn’t too late to change my mind. But I felt that “commitment” meant just that. It ended up being a really bad choice. I know all of you on here are on here to help your child and educate yourself on the best way to do that. I’m telling you now... educate your child on what’s best for their educational future. Please!!!
Second... as a coach, if a child is trying to go elite, I coach them differently from a very early age. The skills I choose, the results I concern myself with... totally different than if they’re going to be JO and possibly collegiate athletes. The rush to get to level 10 is ONLY for colleges to see them and hopefully start looking at them. There is never a thought of getting through the JO levels and then go elite. It just very rarely works that way.
I absolutely hate the early recruiting. I had a kid a few years ago get her first letter from a college and was excited to tell her dad... she called him and said “daddy, I got a letter from (mispronounced state name).” It was so absurd. She was in 4th grade... and as a side note she should’ve known how to pronounce the name (jk kinda). She has been offered many options and we, as a staff have done our best to put it off as long as possible. Fortunately she’s very talented and will not have to worry about if she gets an offer. But most aren’t in this position. It makes sense to take a good offer if they are satisfied. But what does an 8th grader know about what they want their profession to be? As a junior, senior, hell...25 yr old, I didn’t know. Help your child. Listen to everyone’s opinion and help them make a decision WHEN the time is right.
Another anectdote... I had a junior commit to a program a few years ago. It wasn’t a very highly ranked program but she hadn’t had great results due to injury and bad meets here and there. But then she started to come into her own. As a junior (after committing) she was I think 12th at nationals? She was going low to mid 37s consistently. She went to her future school’s camp and realized the equipment was going to be a lot on her body. But she’d “committed” and that matters. When a top school came in to watch, they noticed her and happened to have a spot open. She had already made a commitment and that does matter. But then the coach left and that changed things. She went from a junior going to a small school to a senior going to a very top school. She’s had an unbelievable experience and that is because the school had an opening late and the athlete had a change of circumstance. It was a better fit for everyone. Wouldn’t that be better for everyone? The colleges would know more history and see what they were getting and the athletes were more mature. The rules must be changed and loopholes closed. It’s better for everyone.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

In the next two weeks there will be 6 different D1 coaches at our gym recruiting the elite girls, ages range from 9 to 13. Lily was also told today to start calling these coaches before they come to the gym. I guess that December has a “dead” period where no recruiting can be done so they are all rushing to get gym visits done this month and before thanksgiving. I have no idea what to expect....

You realize how ridiculous this sounds right? A 9 year old? Even for a 12 year old this is just silly. Be patient. If these girls still have what it takes in a few years then there will be place for them. This is WAY WAY WAY too much pressure for little kids.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

You realize how ridiculous this sounds right? A 9 year old? Even for a 12 year old this is just silly. Be patient. If these girls still have what it takes in a few years then there will be place for them. This is WAY WAY WAY too much pressure for little kids.

I agree.

 

[Flyaway]

I agree.

And yet you'll still do it right? Because it feels too risky not to. I'm not criticizing you at all, I think I would feel the same tension if I were in your position. This is why I maintain that these practices by schools/gyms set a bad precedence. Like stated above, maybe it "works out" for the few early recruits, but what about all the young kiddos that have to go through the stress and pressure of visits like this, beginning at age NINE! Many, MANY of them will never compete in college due to a variety of reasons. I just struggle with this and the justification that because it seems to work out ok for the few that actually commit and make it to college then it's fine for everyone else too.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

And yet you'll still do it right? Because it feels too risky not to. I'm not criticizing you at all, I think I would feel the same tension if I were in your position. This is why I maintain that these practices by schools/gyms set a bad precedence. Like stated above, maybe it "works out" for the few early recruits, but what about all the young kiddos that have to go through the stress and pressure of visits like this, beginning at age NINE! Many, MANY of them will never compete in college due to a variety of reasons. I just struggle with this and the justification that because it seems to work out ok for the few that actually commit and make it to college then it's fine for everyone else too.

The coaches are coming in during practice to “recruit”. I honestly don’t even know what that means outside of just watching the girls during practice. So to ask if I will still do it, yes, I will still send her to practice those days just like I would any other day.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

And yet you'll still do it right? Because it feels too risky not to. I'm not criticizing you at all, I think I would feel the same tension if I were in your position. This is why I maintain that these practices by schools/gyms set a bad precedence. Like stated above, maybe it "works out" for the few early recruits, but what about all the young kiddos that have to go through the stress and pressure of visits like this, beginning at age NINE! Many, MANY of them will never compete in college due to a variety of reasons. I just struggle with this and the justification that because it seems to work out ok for the few that actually commit and make it to college then it's fine for everyone else too.

I agree. I think this nicely sums up what I am getting at. And if a 9 or 12 year old is already committed, it doesn't leave them much room to decide that they don't even like gymnastics. They would feel like they were letting down their family, their team, the school, etc. And how prepared are kids for college if they spend all of high school just going through the motions academically? How do you get a really lab-based chemistry class in an all online environment?

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I agree. I think this nicely sums up what I am getting at. And if a 9 or 12 year old is already committed, it doesn't leave them much room to decide that they don't even like gymnastics. They would feel like they were letting down their family, their team, the school, etc. And how prepared are kids for college if they spend all of high school just going through the motions academically? How do you get a really lab-based chemistry class in an all online environment?

My daughter still attends regular public school and the plan is to keep it that way hopefully through graduation.

 

[gymgal]

And how prepared are kids for college if they spend all of high school just going through the motions academically? How do you get a really lab-based chemistry class in an all online environment?

You could say that about more than half of the general high school population though. As for labs in online schools, My kids have attended an online high school. No it's not the same as being in a real lab (with more sophisticated equipment) but they do a good job with virtual labs for things like dissection and with kitchen based experiments, which is enough to teach them documentation, scientific method, etc. They have projects where they have to build a model of DNA or meiosis (which son is doing now) like in brick and mortar.

 

[josie55]

In the next two weeks there will be 6 different D1 coaches at our gym recruiting the elite girls, ages range from 9 to 13. Lily was also told today to start calling these coaches before they come to the gym. I guess that December has a “dead” period where no recruiting can be done so they are all rushing to get gym visits done this month and before thanksgiving. I have no idea what to expect....

I have to wonder if there might be some sort of miscommunication or misinterpretation here. There are no 9 year-old "elite girls" to my knowledge, and very few gyms even have more than a couple of elites so I'm guessing there isn't a big recruiting effort to come and grab this big group of 9-13 year-old elites, right? Could it be that the college coaches realize there's some potential future talent at the gym, and they are just coming to check things out? That seems to happen at my dd's gym, but I don't think the parents are told that the college coaches are coming to recruit their kid (in fact the parents aren't even told - they may find out when their kid comes home and says "the coach from X was visiting today," or a parent happens to notice an unfamiliar face on the gym floor wearing a college logo.)

When a coach comes to actually recruit someone it's typically for a particular kid I think. Other times, I'm guessing, the college coaches are just sort of making the rounds, checking things out, etc. It seems similar to how some schools, as a matter of course, send out recruiting packets to every kid who qualifies for Hopes -- just to sort of get on the radar, but not actively recruit. I'm no expert, but would love to hear from some of the coaches who have relevant experience on this (looking at you, @coachp

I think it's fairly typical at stronger clubs to have college coaches visiting somewhat regularly. Sure maybe they'll inquire about a little one and maybe even jot down a note about it, but in my mind that's far from "recruiting."

Anyway, I guess I'm just chiming in to make sure that *we* are not the ones who are part of the problem when people talk about the madness of early recruiting.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I have to wonder if there might be some sort of miscommunication or misinterpretation here. There are no 9 year-old "elite girls" to my knowledge, and very few gyms even have more than a couple of elites so I'm guessing there isn't a big recruiting effort to come and grab this big group of 9-13 year-old elites, right? Could it be that the college coaches realize there's some potential future talent at the gym, and they are just coming to check things out? That seems to happen at my dd's gym, but I don't think the parents are told that the college coaches are coming to recruit their kid (in fact the parents aren't even told - they may find out when their kid comes home and says "the coach from X was visiting today," or a parent happens to notice an unfamiliar face on the gym floor wearing a college logo.)

When a coach comes to actually recruit someone it's typically for a particular kid I think. Other times, I'm guessing, the college coaches are just sort of making the rounds, checking things out, etc. It seems similar to how some schools, as a matter of course, send out recruiting packets to every kid who qualifies for Hopes -- just to sort of get on the radar, but not actively recruit. I'm no expert, but would love to hear from some of the coaches who have relevant experience on this (looking at you, @coachp

I think it's fairly typical at stronger clubs to have college coaches visiting somewhat regularly. Sure maybe they'll inquire about a little one and maybe even jot down a note about it, but in my mind that's far from "recruiting."

Anyway, I guess I'm just chiming in to make sure that *we* are not the ones who are part of the problem when people talk about the madness of early recruiting.

It’s a mix of both for us. There is a group of 5 girls training elite at our gym (hopes and junior elites). A few of the D1 coaches will be coming in on a Wednesday, which is usually a no training day, to “recruit” (this was the term used in the email our coach sent out to all the elite parents letting us know of the upcoming visits) the elite girls along with a couple other level 10s. Some of the other coaches will be coming on a Saturday which is a regular training day for all elites and JO girls.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

And as far as the 9 year old goes I highly doubt she is getting recruited, she just happens to be in the elite group and will be there when the coaches are there. I’m guessing they will be watching the 12 and 13 year olds.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

Anyway, I guess I'm just chiming in to make sure that *we* are not the ones who are part of the problem when people talk about the madness of early recruiting.

Yes and we can start stopping being a part of the problem by calling 9 year olds elite. They are not elite, nor are they training elite.