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Recruiting questionnaire

A

askin

New member
I'm new to this forum and have a few questions regarding the recruiting process. I have a grade 8 daughter who received a recruiting questionnaire from a very good Div 1 school. Is it common that schools send these out this early (Grade 8 kids)? Should I fill it out - should I call the school?

It seems crazy that they are already looking at her (4+ years down the road) but perhaps it is common that they send many of these out???
 
Re: Recruiting questionnaire

askin said:
I'm new to this forum and have a few questions regarding the recruiting process. I have a grade 8 daughter who received a recruiting questionnaire from a very good Div 1 school. Is it common that schools send these out this early (Grade 8 kids)? Should I fill it out - should I call the school?

It seems crazy that they are already looking at her (4+ years down the road) but perhaps it is common that they send many of these out???
Click to expand...

There are a few threads on this forum about the recruiting process if you look through them. Congratulations to your daughter for receiving this type of attention so early in the process - she must be a very strong player - schools do not contact a lot of players in 8th grade. Specific to your question, the rules have changed somewhat in the last 1-2 years and recruiting is getting earlier and earlier. An official questionnaire from a school to an 8th grader is probably OK because she has not entered high school yet. Once she enters high school, the contact rules kick in and I'm not sure if the questionnaire would be OK anymore (as stupid as that may seem). If you were sent the questionnaire by the school's coaching staff, you are perfectly free to complete it and return it and would be wise to do so.

Also, you could contact the coach who sent the form to discuss their interest. They may not be able to return a phone call due to recruiting restrictions, so if you don't reach the coach when you call, leave a time when you will call back. It is generally best for the player to make this contact, not the parents. This will demonstrate to the coaches that SHE is interested herself and that she has the maturity to have these types of important conversations. I would suggest practicing a call with her so she is prepared for the discussion. Hope that helps.
 
Re: Recruiting questionnaire

askin said:
I'm new to this forum and have a few questions regarding the recruiting process. I have a grade 8 daughter who received a recruiting questionnaire from a very good Div 1 school. Is it common that schools send these out this early (Grade 8 kids)? Should I fill it out - should I call the school?

It seems crazy that they are already looking at her (4+ years down the road) but perhaps it is common that they send many of these out???
Click to expand...

While I know of Division I offers being made to Freshman, that is not the norm and if they were that interested they would contact your daughter's coach.

For the vast majority of us, questionnaires are merely a fishing expedition to get your info into the system. It cost them almost nothing. My guess is some schools send out thousands of these. It is a way to eliminate kids who don't respond. My experience is that many (most?) schools do not even use them. So, they got your email from somewhere ... some camp or showcase is likely. If your daughter has interest in the school, fill it out promptly.

How interested in your daughter are they - she is one of a thousand who received it. With that said, the best thing about my daughter receiving "questionnaire request" emails (freshman year?) was that the possibility of playing Division I hockey in her mind became "real" and her primary goal. When she started getting these emails I noticed that her attitude changed dramatically. She started focusing on making it a reality after that by working extremely hard on keeping her grades up and on the ice and off.

So, while the questionnaire emails are for the most part the most insignificant part of recruiting, they signal the beginning of a long and intense process.
 
Re: Recruiting questionnaire

Questionnaires are also sent out after NDC tryouts, or the camps themselves, when "Scout" books with contact info are made available to the coaches. Sometimes they are broadcast (usually after the NDCs), or specifically directed when players stand out.

While it may seem to be "early," recruiting is about salesmanship. Contacting an eighth grader is about creating a first impression and putting the program/school on the player/parent's radar. An eighth grader will enter college in 2018, but if the player has potential to be an impact player the decision making process is more likely to be two years out.
 
Re: Recruiting questionnaire

I was surprised to get this already and will likely try to find out their level of interest.

thanks for the replies
 
askin said:
I was surprised to get this already and will likely try to find out their level of interest.

thanks for the replies
Click to expand...

Do not confuse inquiry with interest or interest with commitment. Assistants are in charge of identifying future prospects. They are ones in charge of the mailings. In many cases the head coach and assistant will see a player differently. Good luck.
 
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