When the NCAA meets for its annual convention in January it will vote on one proposal that could have a significant impact on Division I swimming and diving recruiting.
The Big XII Conference has proposed striking rules that prohibit text messaging to prospective swimmers and divers while also allowing for telephone calls to begin starting September 1st of a recruit’s Junior year. At present swimming and track are the only two sports to prohibit texting and limit telephone calls until July 1st prior to a recruit’s senior year. “This proposal,” the sponsors explain, “will benefit the communication process for prospective student-athletes.”
Juniors: Excited But Worried
The proposal has excited current juniors and alarmed current coaches. An overwhelming 84% of current Juniors and expressed support for the proposal. Many respondents mentioned that they would “welcome” and seemed excited at the prospect of coaches courting them. Parents felt that the current timeline for making a decision was exceedingly short.
“Starting the process sooner opens the door to help athletes make better informed choices and be more thoughtful in the school selection than the current process,” explained one father of a current Junior. “The current timeline seems extremely tight for actively recruited athletes who want to sign and accept a scholarship.”
Parents who opposed the legislation, however, were far more vociferous in their arguments. Key among their objections was the importance of a swimmer’s Junior year from an academic and athletic standpoint. “Earlier communication is not a good use of anyone's times” explained one parent. With no SAT or ACT scores available and 27 months of development prior to the start of their freshman year, one parent explained, “there is so much less information available to determine if there is a good match between the school and the swimmer.”
One top-twenty Junior explained that “all the college emails I've gotten take a back seat and don't get looked at until the weekend” because of the exceedingly demanding course load this year she is taking this year. “I feel like if I'm trying to keep up with school work, training, and college calls I wouldn't be focusing on the right things. I would get distracted from school and I wouldn't have enough time for rest or for any other activities.
- The number of calls from colleges was annoying. Only e-mail contact should be allowed and then you could call or e-mail back who you wanted to. That way, no one is wasting their time. Once you have replied to a coach, then they can call more.
- I received 13-15 calls on July 1st. It was very difficult to keep up with that many each week, and to narrow it down to five was even harder.
- The number of calls was extremely exhausting. Good thing for the once a week rule.
- Receiving numerous calls as a senior is a weird experience as its stressful to be ready to receive a phone call at all times, rather exhausting to talk to coaches all day, but through it all, it's exciting.
- two full years of phone calls will be too much and overwhelming. I am already busy enough and junior year is one of the harder years so making time for phone calls now would be very stressful. I think the phone calls should be saved for senior year.
Seniors: Been There, Done That
While Juniors were enthusiastic for the proposal, Texas’ Eddie Reese explained that “Everyone likes them [calls] at the beginning, then it becomes a bother” and said, “Ask the seniors how they feel about more calls.”
We did, and not surprisingly they were not as enthusiastic about the prospect of phone calls their Junior year. Seniors explained that the volume of calls was “annoying,” “overwhelming,” “exhausting,” and “weird.”
While some admitted that a longer window of calling would allow them to get to know coaches better, most felt that the prohibition against calls allowed them, not the coach to control the recruiting process.
“When you have to reach out to the coaches for opportunities to give them calls,” explained Michigan commit James Jones, “it puts you in the driver’s seat and allows you time to prepare in a way that would not be possible if coaches were calling at their convenience.”
Northeastern-bound Sarah Schlesinger suggested limiting coaches to calls to recruits who had initiated contact first. “Once you have replied to a coach, then they can call more. That way, no one is wasting their time.”
But no phone calls from coaches didn’t limit the recruits who were driven. Most top-end recruits began building a relationship with their future coaches and team early in the process via letters, e-mail and arranged calls made at the recruit’s expense. Those coaches that initiated contact on July 1st were already dead in the water. Arizona State commit Joe Molinary looked forward to July first, “but to be honest, by then I had already talked via email and my calls to the coaches of the schools I was interested in.”
Coaches: Absolutely Not
College coaches were the most vehement opponents of calling Juniors and their arguments were multi-faceted. They cited the time spent away from current student-athletes, the inability to gauge the ability of rapidly-improving athletes’ ability to perform on the Division I level and finally the fact that Juniors can and do already call coaches.
Time vs. Times
Many coaches, at both large and small schools, explained that recruiting already consumes an inordinate amount of their time and that this change would only exacerbate the problem. Many, like North Carolina’s Rich DeSelm, felt that as a sport, swimming was equipped fiscally or personnel-wise to accommodate the new rules.
“Recruiting is our life-blood, but it can take over the focus of where coaches place their time, energy & attention” DeSelm explained. “I respect the coaches and staffs of the revenue sports, but (I sense) they may have more resources and personnel to absorb an additional junior year recruiting load.”
Competitive Advantage
The lack of time argument is exacerbated by differences in each school’s investment in swimming. On one hand, major BCS-conference schools with combined coaching staffs would have an edge on personnel. One coach, who has been exceedingly successful despite not having a full staff explained that calling Juniors would “further overload us and skew an even greater advantage to fully staffed teams.” Another was more succinct, explaining, “Single sex programs [which are limited to two full-time swimming coaches] get screwed.”
Even major players, however, felt that this legislation would advantage destination schools. Some felt that a program like Texas “If this was in effect this year, Texas could be calling juniors that are coming to their pool in December.” That gives them twelve weeks to build a relationship prior to talking face-to-face, and that they could “even set up their junior day Sunday after the meet (I would)” where they can make verbal offers, “While all the other coaches at the meet just sit in the stands and watch it happen.”
It should be said when asked, both Texas men’s head coach Eddie Reese and women’s head coach Carol Capitani, opposed the legislation.
Division I Material?
The NCAA has a longstanding history of ignoring competitive equity as a factor in legislation. Many coaches, however, questioned the usefulness of starting the recruiting process earlier from the standpoint of student-athlete welfare.
Aside from a select group, they explained, few juniors have revealed themselves as legitimate Division I swimmers. “Recruiting Juniors in essence means we have to look at and track three classes as opposed two,” explained Northwestern men’s coach Jarrod Schroeder. That early recruiting could lead to a cycle that gives a recruit unrealistic expectations. Said one coach, “I would hate to lead a swimmer on in September of their junior year if they don¹t get any faster.” At the same time, another coach explained, “I would still have to contact mediocre kids, just on the off chance they get faster.”
Even if earlier phone calls would help coaches land earlier commitments, some coaches fear those commitments blowing up in their faces – especially with schools moving towards four-year scholarships. Swimming, one explains, could end up “like soccer or softball and getting commits from sophomores and juniors, and then things not panning out.”
Worse, one coach felt that earlier calls created a culture of entitlement. “They do not need any more attention. Especially since they are getting faster and faster until their mid-20s.”
Beyond the physical maturation, Richmond’s Matt Barany expressed concern about sophomores’ and juniors’ development in other areas. “Do they attempt their standardized tests earlier? Do they cram SAT prep classes into already saturated schedules? Do they sacrifice higher test scores to commit early? Does this hinder their chances at getting into a top tier academic institution? Does an early commitment deemphasize their high school education after they decide? Is a 15 year-old equally equipped to make a college decision as a 17 year-old?”
Opposition Isn’t Unanimous
Although three-quarters of Division I head coaches opposed the legislation, some offered up alternatives, while others, like Boston University’s Bill Smyth support it. “It's about time that swimming and diving rules legislation caught up. It has very little to do with recruiting advantages or disadvantages, and much more to do with ease of communication with prospects.” Smyth added that his non-swimming coaching peers already communicate with Juniors without issue.”
Other coaches felt more receptive to the idea if swimming had a defined recruiting calendar (which prohibits all contact during certain times and places). Others agreed that the current July 1 start date for early signing was tight and that some middle ground – between January of a swimmer’s Junior Year and the last day of NCAA’s – made sense.
Is Legislation Even Necessary?
A quick look at the commitments page of CollegeSwimming.com shows several top recruits are making their decisions earlier. The earlier process has resulted from coaches being more aggressive in their efforts to contact Juniors and more initiative on the part of rising Seniors. That begs the question, is there a need for this type of legislation”
USC’s Dave Salo believes “There are plenty of opportunities for juniors to make visits to schools and meet coaches” and feels that Juniors “should work on the process of narrowing down their school choices without the complication of fielding calls from coaches.”
Stanford men’s coach Ted Knapp feels that Juniors can accomplish everything they need to via e-mail. He expressed support, however, for earlier electronic contact with recruits in order to better guide them through the recruiting process and expectations (academic and athletic) to compete at a highly-selective institution like Stanford.