Parental Do's and Don'ts

The do list has already been covered in the previous posts, and they will continue to be talked about in future posts. Keep following the guidelines I have previously talked about and you will have a great chance of getting your child noticed.

I want to take a few minutes and list some of the don'ts. Hopefully you can learn from some of the mistakes I made during the process.

First: Don't alienate any of the programs that are looking at or have offered your child. During Vince's recruitment I allowed people's comments about me and my son to get to me, and as a result I bad mouthed one of the programs that offered him. In hindsight I shouldn't have paid attention to what people were saying and just stuck by what I knew to be true about that program, and that was that the program was a first class organization. It's very easy to get caught up in the criticisms of your child, and your natural reflex is to lash out. Remember to always consider the source before you react.

Second: The NCAA has very strict rules regarding the recruitment of prospects. Before you do ANYTHING that you're unsure about...check with that college's compliance office to make sure it's okay. There are restrictions on who you can talk to, where you can go, and what you can and cannot accept from people or schools. Always check with the compliance office before you do anything that might be considered a gray area.

Third: Allow your child to make their own decision in regards to what school they choose. The fact is that maybe the school you always dreamed of them playing for may not be their best choice. And your choice may not be their choice. Look objectively at every option, check the depth chart, see how they use kids at your child's position, check the academics, location, coaches, and teammates. After you thoroughly research everything, you can guide your child and weigh the pros and cons with him. With your help he will be able to make his own educated choice.

Fourth: Remember to be supportive and keep the process fun. Your child will have a lot of attention on him during this process, and with attention comes pressure. As a parent you shouldn't be too overbearing...he'll get enough of that from the colleges recruiting him, and the critics criticising him.

Until next time you can write me at: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com