Question on Recruiting

[posttopost2]

My daughter is a goalie and is just starting the recruiting process. She has not really spoken to any coaches yet. She has her first meeting next week. My question for anyone who has gone through this process is this.. Is there any specific things she should be look at (beyond the academics - this one school has her major so that is a very good thing). As a goaltender, does the school provide the equipment? Should she ask about playing time as a freshman? Any advice would be helpful. She is very excited. She has a couple of DIII options and a couple of DI.
Thank you

[Blackbeard]

Re: Question on Recruiting

My daughter is a goalie and is just starting the recruiting process. She has not really spoken to any coaches yet. She has her first meeting next week. My question for anyone who has gone through this process is this.. Is there any specific things she should be look at (beyond the academics - this one school has her major so that is a very good thing). As a goaltender, does the school provide the equipment? Should she ask about playing time as a freshman? Any advice would be helpful. She is very excited. She has a couple of DIII options and a couple of DI.
Thank you

Goalie or skater, I suggest you take a pro active roll to help out...pronto.

Specifically, (if you haven't already done so), I would strongly suggest putting together a skills DVD and don't be afraid to spend some money to have all the good out takes from your videos put together by a professional onto a DVD, if you don't have the ability or equipment to do so yourself. It might cost you $200-300 but that's peanuts compared to the potential reward. And spend time on the intro and the closing, making very clear and in large print your daughter's name and all contact info. The higher the quality of the job the better, since you are now entering the field of sales and your goal is to make an impression...to sell the viewer on your daughter...meaning at least enough to consider your daughter by making an inquiry...or better yet, by sending one of the asst. coaches out to scout her...(these programs consider scores of these every year)...but, this can be accomplished without spending much more than I've indicated above, providing you already have a good amout of footage that you've taken of her play.

And I suggest that you take a hands on approach in which clips get included in the DVD from your footage as opposed to leaving it up to someone (the person putting the DVD together from the footage that you shot) who most likely dosen't have a clue and worse, dosen't care. You're paying them for their technical skills, not for their hockey knowledge.

Don't make your video more than 10 minutes in length...you want to strike a balance between giving the viewer a good look at your daughter, (enough to whet their appetite), and trying their patience.

I would also suggest that you put together a history, in chronological order, from earliest to most recent, of all of your daughter's athletic accomplishments.

If possible, but highly recommended, add a few genuine letters of recommendation from people who know your daughter and who have credibility in the hockey community...the more crediblity, the better.

Then get as many copies of each made as you feel you will need...then fire off a package (with all 3 items enclosed) to the head coach of each of the programs that your daughter would be interested in playing for...you might also want to consider mailing the packages in envelopes that draw the reader's attention by having the word "URGENT" in red ink professionally printed on the envelopes.

Remember, the goal is to get their attention and to stand out above the pile of others that are sitting on their desk so that they will actually be motivated to view the DVD. Once they do, the quality of the DVD that you've put together should make a further impression. The greater your daughter's skill level that is showcased on the DVD is that much more to the good.

Doing the above should dramatically increase your daughter's chances of getting some calls, thereby increasing the options that she will ultimately have.

Best of luck.

[Hux]

Re: Question on Recruiting

Goalie or skater, I suggest you take a pro active roll to help out...pronto.

Specifically, (if you haven't already done so), I would strongly suggest putting together a skills DVD and don't be afraid to spend some money to have all the good out takes from your videos put together by a professional onto a DVD, if you don't have the ability or equipment to do so yourself. It might cost you $200-300 but that's peanuts compared to the potential reward. And spend time on the intro and the closing, making very clear and in large print your daughter's name and all contact info. The higher the quality of the job the better, since you are now entering the field of sales and your goal is to make an impression...to sell the viewer on your daughter...meaning at least enough to consider your daughter by making an inquiry...or better yet, by sending one of the asst. coaches out to scout her...(these programs consider scores of these every year)...but, this can be accomplished without spending much more than I've indicated above, providing you already have a good amout of footage that you've taken of her play.

And I suggest that you take a hands on approach in which clips get included in the DVD from your footage as opposed to leaving it up to someone (the person putting the DVD together from the footage that you shot) who most likely dosen't have a clue and worse, dosen't care. You're paying them for their technical skills, not for their hockey knowledge.

Don't make your video more than 10 minutes in length...you want to strike a balance between giving the viewer a good look at your daughter, (enough to whet their appetite), and trying their patience.

I would also suggest that you put together a history, in chronological order, from earliest to most recent, of all of your daughter's athletic accomplishments.

If possible, but highly recommended, add a few genuine letters of recommendation from people who know your daughter and who have credibility in the hockey community...the more crediblity, the better.

Then get as many copies of each made as you feel you will need...then fire off a package (with all 3 items enclosed) to the head coach of each of the programs that your daughter would be interested in playing for...you might also want to consider mailing the packages in envelopes that draw the reader's attention by having the word "URGENT" in red ink professionally printed on the envelopes.

Remember, the goal is to get their attention and to stand out above the pile of others that are sitting on their desk so that they will actually be motivated to view the DVD. Once they do, the quality of the DVD that you've put together should make a further impression. The greater your daughter's skill level that is showcased on the DVD is that much more to the good.

Doing the above should dramatically increase your daughter's chances of getting some calls, thereby increasing the options that she will ultimately have.

Best of luck.

I think if you talk to most coaches you will find this qualifies as "over the top" and smacks of helicopterparentitis.

Yes, a player needs to market themselves. However, the best way to do this is to express an interest via e-mail, and include a schedule of your games. The big tourneys are a must, as you need to show you have the goods against top level competition.

If that isn't in the cards, using video will certainly help show your capabilities. However, send a complete video, not highlights. Coaches need to see the good and the bad, how a player handles various situations etc. Highlights are just that, all the goodies without blemishes.

It sounds as if the young lady already has the attention of a number of coaches. She has already placed herself on their radar. Now she needs to seal the deal. That comes from showing a genuine interest in a program, having the personality to handle the demands of being a student-athlete, and having the grades and test scores to get into school in the first place.

The final part is having parents who pass the coach's litmus test. Part of this is conversing with the coach when your daughter has her meeting, but not dominating the conversation. Let her sell herself. Be supportive, not the ringleader.

[videohockey]

Re: Question on Recruiting

I think if you talk to most coaches you will find this qualifies as "over the top" and smacks of helicopterparentitis.

Yes, a player needs to market themselves. However, the best way to do this is to express an interest via e-mail, and include a schedule of your games. The big tourneys are a must, as you need to show you have the goods against top level competition.

If that isn't in the cards, using video will certainly help show your capabilities. However, send a complete video, not highlights. Coaches need to see the good and the bad, how a player handles various situations etc. Highlights are just that, all the goodies without blemishes.

It sounds as if the young lady already has the attention of a number of coaches. She has already placed herself on their radar. Now she needs to seal the deal. That comes from showing a genuine interest in a program, having the personality to handle the demands of being a student-athlete, and having the grades and test scores to get into school in the first place.

The final part is having parents who pass the coach's litmus test. Part of this is conversing with the coach when your daughter has her meeting, but not dominating the conversation. Let her sell herself. Be supportive, not the ringleader.

Excellent post, Hux. Been there, went the same route you say and my Goalie D's still playing!

[hockeyfan1]

Re: Question on Recruiting

I think if you talk to most coaches you will find this qualifies as "over the top" and smacks of helicopterparentitis.

Yes, a player needs to market themselves. However, the best way to do this is to express an interest via e-mail, and include a schedule of your games. The big tourneys are a must, as you need to show you have the goods against top level competition.

If that isn't in the cards, using video will certainly help show your capabilities. However, send a complete video, not highlights. Coaches need to see the good and the bad, how a player handles various situations etc. Highlights are just that, all the goodies without blemishes.

It sounds as if the young lady already has the attention of a number of coaches. She has already placed herself on their radar. Now she needs to seal the deal. That comes from showing a genuine interest in a program, having the personality to handle the demands of being a student-athlete, and having the grades and test scores to get into school in the first place.

The final part is having parents who pass the coach's litmus test. Part of this is conversing with the coach when your daughter has her meeting, but not dominating the conversation. Let her sell herself. Be supportive, not the ringleader.

Well done some of the best advice I have seen on here. It works, it did for my D. Remember the coach wants your D on the team so she needs to take the point on this. Be professional with all schools regardless of interest level and return all communications.

[leswp1]

Re: Question on Recruiting

Agree again. Been around men's div 1 hockey for 25 + yrs. Can't see it as much different as this. You can spend a ton of money "marketing" but that will do nothing if they aren't already interested. They don't care about a video- they will go watch the real deal. A list of where your daughter can be seen is good enough. There aren't many stories you hear of getting discovered late for a reason- no one flies under the radar these days. If they have a chance at players with crazy pushy parents or parents that are reasonable they will take the latter every time. No one wants to deal with the pushy parent for 4 + yrs. There are some kids that actually lose out, even after they get to the team because the coaches cannot deal with the parents.

Most coaches will lay out what their 'system' is as far as Philosophy, what the team expects, schedule, support off ice for academics, etc. The most important thing about playing somewhere is fit- Playing for a super elite team who are jerks isn't better than playing for a team with great people who may not win as much. Remember they are your 'family' for the next 4 years and you have to live with them almost every day.

[goaliedad35]

Re: Question on Recruiting

Completely agree Hux, with one perhaps exception and that is if you're interested in a far distant program. In this case a video of some sorts may be helpful. I have heard this from the horse's mouth. Particularly if she is playing in a remote location to start with and/or not participating in the usual high profile tourneys. Also the D3 programs likely have a far more limited recruiting budget. As far as content and format of the video I would think asking the coach what he wants to see may be prudent.

[ARM]

Re: Question on Recruiting

She is very excited.

This is a plus for your daughter; teams want players who want to be there. One of the best resources for advice is older student athletes who have already traveled the path she is taking. Perhaps she knows former teammates or opponents. Players on the roster of schools that she is considering are an excellent option. She'll wind up spending a lot of time with these people, so if she learns in advance that she hits it off better with one potential team than another, that's good to know.

[posttopost2]

Re: Question on Recruiting

Thank you everyone.
The last thing I want to be perceived as is a helocopterparent and I am a little bit worried about that persona since I am a goalie mom (he he).
I am finding that letting go is the hardest thing after all we have been through with goalie coaching, prep school - early morning practices, travel to tournements etc... I want the best for her and we are very aware that the next four years is IT - there is no more after this so I want her to be happy with her choice.
Unfortunately, she is one of these players who have flown under the radar so her being picked up is HUGH for us and many of her other teammates have never played in college. We moved a lot and being a goalie, it is difficult to get on those big name teams. This has come about by her doing the e-mails to the coaches, calling them, camps and tournements but still playing on the third teams. Also she played on a team that won the Polar Bear in her division last year so that helped. That being said, we also don't know any big names in the hockey world.
She is very excited and happy and waiting patiently for the prep-school season to start.
Thank you everyone as we go for our first "official" visit tomorrow. I will keep everyone's advice in mind.

[Blackbeard]

Re: Question on Recruiting

Unfortunately, she is one of these players who have flown under the radar so her being picked up is HUGH for us

This was the whole point of my suggestion to you...to increase the odds of her having as many options as is possible. Even with the coaching community being as small as it is this wouldn't be the first time a player has flown under its radar.

As well intentioned as some of the posters' advice to you has been...and I agree with a lot of it, some of them have read way too much into what I was suggesting. "Helicopterparenting" was not what I was suggesting. You can do much or all that others were suggesting in addition to what I was suggesting...they don't have to be mutually exclusive...they can compliment one another.

Regardless of whether or not a player has flown under the coaching community's radar the point of the excercise should be to make sure that you have done everything reasonably possible to increase your daughter's options. Just hoping and praying doesn't always cut it...but this is pretty much what most people do...being too intimidated/too afraid to annoy someone, or worse, being too lazy to put in some extra work. Wouldn't you rather know that you had taken that extra step for your daughter even though it didn't draw any more interest as opposed to not having taken that extra step and always be wondering what might have happened if you had?

Marketing is a battle of perceptions...and coaches are not immune to it... don't make the mistake of thinking that this is not business...but there can be no marketing if there is no awareness on the part of the buyer that there is a particular product or service that is now available.

In other words, if a particular program is unaware of your daughter it is unrealistic to assume that they will show any interest in her. My suggestion to you was a fairly simple way to correct that problem...to raise the coaching community's awareness of your daughter's existence. You have to get to first base before you have any hope of being able to get to second base. You are giving them a fairly simple way, after causing them to become aware of your daughter, to determine if they want to pursue her.

What's the worst that could happen? As some of the posters seem to think you might annoy a coach or two. I doubt that that would happen but even if it did...so what? You've just annoyed a coach that wasn't aware of your daughter in the first place...your daughter has lost nothing. Furthermore, I'd have to question such a coach's response for being more concerned with his/her ego than the task at hand of leaving no stone unturned in an attempt to improve their team.

Again, I was not suggesting that beyond what I posted that you should go down to the rink and/or interview(s) constantly beating the drum for your daughter.

Once again, best of luck.

[posttopost2]

Re: Question on Recruiting

Thanks again.
We did the video route but we had a unique response to the videos - the coaches didn't like them because her "talents far exceeded her competition and her team - also the video's showed that she was playing below her level" when we heard that from a couple of coaches asking for new video's, my daughter and I were dumbfounded we searched teams for her to "play at her level" but being in prep-school made a club team impossible this year just due to distance.
Hopefully that will change this year with her skating prep and her coach told me that he handles the video marketing for the players since he has been fairly successful getting girls recruited in the past.
I will let everyone know how tomorrow goes - we are visiting a school that is in the process of rebuilding (don't want to get too specific here).
So far no one is beating down our door this has all been leg work on her own and sending out the "bad" video that we did have made up.

[IceIsNice]

Re: Question on Recruiting

PBRazeau, please click on "User CP" at the top left of the screen.

[Padstack]

Re: Question on Recruiting

Similar to IceIsNice, I also have a D1 goalie daughter. Ask your daughter to spend time finding what kind of school she wants to go to. Large/small, East coast/midwest, city/rural etc. Then consider the hockey program. Being a goalie means that they're most likely looking for a goalie every other year, unless you're looking at that third spot. Think about the goalies that are there, when they graduate, how much they play, etc. Do the coaches have a history or taking only larger (taller) goalies? Have your daughter research the coach. Is he or she a screamer or more reserved. If necessary, find a player who is there or went there and talk to them. After my daughter went through all of this, which took several months, we found that there were only two, possibly three, programs that she could go to and really meet her objectives. She was fortunate that one of those wanted her and recruited her. As everyone else has said, Best of luck, and make sure she's the one choosing, not you.

[spike]

Re: Question on Recruiting

In a perfect world, every daughter would play forward and defense, and not care about which school she goes to, and be financially strapped so that she will get full aid regardless of scholarships. In that perfect world, all of our daughters will get what they are looking for. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect. If you care about what school you attend, that limits your choices. If you care about playing time as a goaltender, that further limits your choices. If you need money, that also limits your choices. A poster once suggested that being a goalie going through recruiting is the worst possible scenario. I agree.

[UCONN FAN]

Re: Question on Recruiting

Thanks again.
We did the video route but we had a unique response to the videos - the coaches didn't like them because her "talents far exceeded her competition and her team - also the video's showed that she was playing below her level" when we heard that from a couple of coaches asking for new video's, my daughter and I were dumbfounded we searched teams for her to "play at her level" but being in prep-school made a club team impossible this year just due to distance.
Hopefully that will change this year with her skating prep and her coach told me that he handles the video marketing for the players since he has been fairly successful getting girls recruited in the past.
I will let everyone know how tomorrow goes - we are visiting a school that is in the process of rebuilding (don't want to get too specific here).
So far no one is beating down our door this has all been leg work on her own and sending out the "bad" video that we did have made up.

Videos help but are only a small part of the picture. Few parents (me include) would show their daughters weaknesses in a video so the video really becomes a "sport center top plays" tribute to your daughter. I only had one coach ask my daughter for a video so its not something I would spend a lot of money on. Good luck! This is tough process on the both of you but it will work out.