A parent's perspective on recruiting

Recruiting. Although this premise may get some degree of argument, it's the foundation for success in college basketball. Do it well (a definition open to interpretation depending on one's position in the equation) and you have a future. Stumble as a coach and it's start ordering the packing boxes.

We've all read accounts of the process involving coaches and players but rarely has the vantage point of a parent been presented..

Here's a take after talking with the father of a three star D-I prospect son who is in the midst of the recruiting proceedings. His offering are in quotations.

"It's like high school dating -- an emotional roller coaster. Coaches get hot and cold. It's like a girl going steady with a boy until a boy with a cooler car comes along."

For the family, there was this experience: "one school sets us down for a big talk, telling us 'we love your son' but then we haven't heard boo from them since."

Yes, the phone calls end, the attention fades but hopefully replaced by a new suitor.

But sometimes, coaches make a return appearance.

"Coaches will call back after being out of touch for a long time saying 'we've been real busy working on our next class but we really love you.' When what has really happened is some more desired prospects declined offers from that school and the situation became 'remember so-and-so, let's call them back up."

Then there was this: "Last year, a handful of coaches come see him at his school in September. This September it’s a new handful of schools with little contact from last year’s schools.”

Followed by this: "When my son was a ninth grader, a coach had us to campus and said 'you're our top recruit  and can't wait to offer when you're older.”

They are no longer hearing from that school.

The father also introduced what was a new term to these ears.

"In some situations you have early offers or what we call projection offers because there are a number of schools in the state and the competition and pressure is there to go after the younger kids, to get a jump on the competition.  Then, the kid doesn’t grow or progress like they expected and they are dropped like a box of rocks."

There was also homework to do and a reality to be discovered by the parents and prospect: "Before all this, we thought if they offered you a scholarship, you signed it and have your four years of school paid for. We didn't know they keep evaluating a kid annually and will cut him if they like a new recruit better.  Some schools have reputations for doing this so make sure your kid is at the top of their depth chart or he may be on the chopping block after his freshman year. Certain schools have much better reputations than others and are committed to seeing the kid through his education."

Regarding advice, a bevy was forthcoming.

*  “Beware that some schools hand out offers like candy.  Sometimes 15 offers for 2 available scholarships.  These are usually the schools that will throw out a lot of early offers or projection offers. Other schools are much more stingy with offers and patiently wait and evaluate the athlete until they are sure. One isn’t better than the other. You just have to be realistic and investigate what type of school is giving you that offer. A great sight is VerbalCommits. It is not totally accurate or up to date but it does give you an idea of which schools hand out the offers like candy.”

* As a warning, "you don't really know you have a legitimate offer until the call to sign the paperwork. They are all verbal offers and verbal commitments until signing day. A verbal offer is still better than no offer but either side can back out at any time. The coaches won’t tell you it’s not a good offer anymore. They just stop calling so you lick your wounds and go on to greener pastures. It all depends on who still wants you when it’s time to sign the letter of intent.”

* "Go to practices as well as games because you can learn so much more about coaching styles through practice."

* "'Do due diligence' as we actually made contact via Facebook with some former players at certain schools in order to solicit opinions about the education and coaches."

Now granted, all of the above is based on a small sampling. Coaching behavior runs the gamut -- good, bad and ugly -- just like it does in any other profession. An education on the process is necessary, much preferably before getting on the roller coaster.

The father closed with "I did fail to mention it has been pretty exciting when a program develops an interest in your son and then follows that up with watching him during the summer. Then it really is exciting when they like him enough to offer. Then it is even more exciting to have them follow an offer up with a visit. When you get the head coach on the phone and at your school then you know they are serious and want your son. Those are the best times!”

Rule changes and recruiting

Jeff Borzello checks in with a "Rule changes meant to speed recruiting are helping do the opposite" article.

All about recruiting

Mark Knight/The Husky Haul has composed a series of articles on and about basketball recruiting. Take a look.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

This will make you chuckle

From Jeff Borzello (now that the contact period is open for coaches and recruits): "One D-1 assistant said he's only texting 2013 kids right now. "2014s won't remember this s**t in six months"

Recruiting updates

Culled from the on-going 'chat' today between Josh Gershon, brian Snow and Evan Daniels:

"11:53: Langston Morris-Walker is now officially signed to Oregon State. "Langston is a terrific get for us," Beavers head coach Craig Robinson said via press release. "He is an off-guard, wing player and will be the sort of heir apparent to Jared (Cunningham) as a big guard who can defend." (JG)"

and

"10:13: Todd Simon informed Scout.com that the Findlay Prep boys will sign their Letter of Intents at 10:15 PST. Brandon Ashley will sign with Sean Miller and Arizona and Dominic Artis will make it official for Oregon. (ED)"

and

"9:58: Have been doing some digging on Robert Upshaw and his decision. One coach involved in his recruitment said, "Not signing today." Louisville, Fresno State, Georgetown and Kansas State are involved. Louisville and Georgetown may be the leaders here. (ED)"

The NCAA proposed changes in recruiting

Direct from the NCAA, here's the official release on the proposed recruiting changes as adopted by the D-1 Board of Directors.

Thankfully, one is paying for a parent/guardian to accompany a recruit on an official visit.

Here's more on the proposed changes in recruiting

Justin Young writes about the proposed changes in college recruiting, also offering his insightful take.

A recruiting change forecast from Eric Bossi

Eric Bossi is a Rivals basketball reporter -- here is his Twitter account -- and he recently posted this on a message board:

Changes looming to summer open period
 
While there's been a lot of speculation over the last year about changes to open evaluation periods in the summer for college coaches, it seems to be real close to happening.
 
Over the past few days, I've heard from a lot of people who have either been involved with the talks about the summer changes or talked to people and I think we will see changes soon.
 
Here's what I THINK could be happening if it all goes through as I've been told.
 
Final two weekends of April will be open for college coaches to go out and watch tournaments. In the past on those weekend tourneys, they could only watch on Saturday and Sunday,but it sounds like they'll now be able to start at 6pm on Friday nights.
 
Then during July, it looks like the two 10 day periods will totally change. It sounds like we'll now get broken up into three, shorter, open periods in the month. I've heard the time length of those periods will be anywhere from 4-5 days for each one. Although, it seems to be the change that is still getting debated the most. But, It would be a big surprise if there are still two 10 day periods.
 
So in theory, it would look something like this.

    April 20 (6pm)-22

    April 27 (6pm)-29

    July 11-15

    July 18-22

    July 25-29
 
Of course, none of this is for certain and I'm just doing my best to piece together what I've heard.
 
I HOPE that it goes down something like this.

This is a treat -- must reading for all recruits, would-be recruits and parents

The following is courtesy of Philippe Doherty, he of the Bay Area Hoosiers and also a former assistant coach at USF. Call it the authoritative questionnaire -- a visual comparative worksheet -- for succeeding in the recruiting process:

Take out a sheet of paper and write three big columns down.

On the left hand column list these 35 things:

* Head Coach - Strong?
* Experience of Head Coach (Pro and College)?
* Aptitude of Head Coach?
* Head Coach Honesty?
* Attitude of Program?
* What has Coach accomplished in the years he has been there?
* Can the team win league?
* Can the team make post-season?
* Can you play early?
* Will you develop - how fast?
* Will you be challenged?
* How are the type of players in the program?
* What do the players feel?
* Where is program headed?
* Environment?
* Academics?
* Major choice?
* School Location?
* Do players graduate in that program?
* Where do the players have jobs afterwards?
* School Alumni base - how big is it?
* What was the AD like?
* Is there a strength coach?
* Is there a nutrition program?
* What is the academic support like?
* If you get hurt is your scholarship honored?
* Can you take summer school before frosh year?
* Can you take summer school in other years?
* What is the housing situation like?
* How many years left on Head Coach Contract?
* Are there NBA teams in close proximity?
* What are the players in the previous recruiting class?
* What are the players in your recruiting class?
* Is there a trend of players transferring from the program?
* Style of play?
* Can your family see you play?
* How many teams in the conference are near your home town so family can support?

Then take a pen and write which school is better in that area and mark it down.

Here's a must-read article

Where are the adults in this situation who can get beyond/see beyond their own selfishness and immaturity? Who will do the right thing because it is best for the kid, even if it lessens their personal pocketbooks?

They thankfully do exist and their actions better not only the youth in our communities but the communities themselves. It's called giving, not taking.

Sure, it's a kid from the East Coast in the following but sadly there are plenty names of West Coast talents who could be inserted here.

Ledo having second thoughts about PC? No surprise there
Bill Reynolds
Providence Journal
February 3, 2011

I first met Ricky Ledo a year ago.

It was in the small basketball office at St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, but already he was at the epicenter of the basketball world, one of those kids who was anointed early, romanced early, recruited early, placed in the fishbowl early.

The year before he had jumped into the spotlight by scoring 31 points at the Ryan Center, taking a state final high school game between Hendricken and Mount Pleasant and turning it into a personal showcase. It was all display that afternoon, the size, the athleticism, the scoring ability, the promise that one day Ledo’s talents were going to take him to big games in big arenas.

On the day that I first met him he was being courted by some of the biggest basketball schools in the country, places like Kansas and Syracuse, in addition to PC and URI. He said that he was just starting to realize what it all meant, as if he’d had a glimpse of a world so different from the one he had grown up in.

But that’s only part of Ledo’s story, and in many ways, not even the most important part.

Or as Mike Hart, the St. Andrew’s coach said a year ago, “Basketball is not the issue. It’s the other stuff...”

Go here for the remainder (and it get better...or worse, depending on your perspective.

A fascinating article about mid-major (or even lower) recruiting

It's not northern California directly-related but read on if you wish to gain some degree of insight on the college basketball recruiting process:

Recruiting an emotional, physical roller coaster for UNCW coaches
Brian Mull
Star News
December 4, 2010

On a steamy morning in mid-July, UNC-Wilmington men's basketball coach Buzz Peterson and his staff met in the office of assistant Jamie Kachmarik.

Like practically every other Division I coach in the country, the four men entrusted with rescuing the Seahawks from CAA oblivion had spent the 10 previous days on the road. They sat on hard bleachers in hot gyms for up to 14 hours a day evaluating high school seniors-to-be playing in games that often deteriorated into rec-center pickup ball, sans skins.

Unlike 95 percent of their peers though, the new UNCW staff had to restock more than half its roster. They entered the July recruiting period with a lone verbal commitment and a half-dozen scholarships to hand out.

The Seahawks' coaches were in need of every essential – skill, speed, guards, big men.

Peterson and assistants Kachmarik and Matt McMahon arrived at UNCW in April from Southern Conference member Appalachian State. However, players of a higher talent level would be required to return the Seahawks to elite status in the CAA. The Southern had an average RPI of 19.6 (out of 31 Division I conferences) over the past five seasons. The CAA had an average RPI of 12.4 in that same period and three member programs won an NCAA tournament game.

The coaches were already evaluating potential Seahawks through a specific lens. They sought fundamentally sound, skilled players possessing a high basketball IQ, 3-point shooters, prospects with wide wingspans and the versatility to play multiple positions. All of these qualities must be inside a coachable package that includes high character and sound academics.

This was non-negotiable...

Go here for the remainder.

Recruiting questions from Philippe Doherty

There are countless more but here's a great series of questions compiled by Philippe Doherty, a former D-1 assistant at USF who played at Santa Clara and is one of the top basketball skills trainers in northern California.

* What majors do the players have on the team?

* How many scholarships do you have available for the year 2010-11 year?

* Do you want my son to sign in the early period?

* Where have your players gone on and worked in the work field after finishing eligibility?

* Do your players have to live on campus?

* What are your goals for the program and my son?

* What position will my son play?

* What other players do you see competing at that position?

* Is there a possibility to redshirt ­ determined by whom?

* What is your coaching style?

* When does the head coach’s contract end?

* Who do you play in pre-season for the next 3 years?

* What games are you trying to schedule?

* Who are some of your recruiting targets for that class - 2011?

* Do you have a strength and conditioning coach (if so is he only for basketball)

* Does the athletic department have a nutritionist and does he/she work with the team?

* What do you think my son has to work on?

* What do you think he does well?

* What is the biggest area that he will need to address before his freshman year?

* Do scholarshipped athletes need health insurance or does the school provide it or both?

* If a scholarshipped athlete is seriously injured while competing who will pay for surgery?

* What happens if a scholarshipped athlete wants to transfer ­ will you or the AD release him? (Maybe ask)

* Can your academic adviser help the scholarshipped athlete with the NCAA clearinghouse steps?

By the way, here's an earlier post we did on Philippe.

Recruiting for dummies (meaning all of us)

 Here's our shot at least regarding the basic of recruiting:

When it's good, like the girl with the curl, college basketball recruiting produces win-win outcomes for all parties involved. But when it turns bad, embittered feelings, language and actions come to the fore. Is there a righteous path that will guarantee that the former marks the outcome? The answer is no as even Lloyd's of London won't dare insure such a mercurial process. But there are guidelines that suggest, if not predict, mutual success -- here they are.

THE BEGINNING

Recruiting begins with form letters and questionnaires -- mass mailings to a degree -- sent to a prospect. Call it vague interest, a shotgun-type suitorship approach by colleges. It's a nice acknowledgment and an ego boost to be a recipient but these efforts have little or no actual meaning or value in the process

Then eventually comes the handwritten letters, the calls, the texts and the emails as a honing in of sorts. This is a whittling down of possibilities by the coaching staffs to something more manageable. trackable and serious.

Players are followed via open gym play, general camps, elite camps and unofficial campus visits.

Then, alongside high school play, comes the various spring and summer club team tournaments.

A key element here for a prospect is finding an appropriate club team that will meet individual needs. Factors to be considered are:

*  what's the history and reputation with the club and coach? Are players utilized as pawns for payments or for accessing an assistant coach or basketball operations position at the collegiate level?

* what spring and summer tournaments will be played in so as to maximize collegiate exposure?

* are certain players featured/does the mix of players operate as a team or as a showcase for the best on the squad?

* what's the level of the team roster turnover and why?

Additionally, prospects are also discovered by recruiters through word of mouth, professional contacts, cruising the 'net, the ever-burgeoning multitude of recruiting sites and sometimes by luck itself. The latter comes about through catching a previous unknown kid because a recruiter hit the wrong gym, arrived early or stayed late and witnessed an intriguing performance.

Individual prospect profiles are being pieced together all this time consisting of evaluations of work ethic, skills set, contribution projection at the next level, academics, mutual interest, sign-ability, and coach-ability.

Very critical to the process is an ordering of a player's value by a coaching staff. Recruits are ranked as #1, #2, #3, #4 , #5 and so on as 'targets' at each position.

The non in-person contacting remains in place until transforming into actual home visits and official campus visits.

One other action a player can take to increase visibility is putting together a videotape and mailing it out to selective college coaches. The best consist of a demonstration of effort and attitude on the floor, offensive strengths, defensive presence, passing and ballhandling skills and rebounding prowess. A listing of personal contact information (including that of your high school and club team coaches), SAT/ACT scores, grade point average and transcript availability information should be included. A rap soundtrack is not required.

TAKE A PERSONAL INVENTORY

Determine what you want in an educational setting -- is it a big school/small school, a city/suburban/rural school, a certain student/teacher classroom ratio?

Determine the basketball program you wish to join:

* is it an already winning program?

* do you see yourself more in the role of a program changer?

* is signing with the highest-ranked program that offers first and foremost?

* is the possibility for early playing time versus sitting a year or more a factor?

* what coaching style brings out your best -- a Phil Jackson type? Bob Knight? someone in between?

* is parents or relatives coming to home games a factor or not?

ACTUAL OFFERS

Once a formal offer is received, the ball still resides on the courts of both parties.

A player can 'commit' but nothing is 'real' until NCAA official until a letter-of-intent is signed, be it in the November or spring signing periods. A prospect will continue to receive contacts from the verbaled-to coaching staff and realistically other schools will continue making last-minute outreaches gauging the strength of the spoken commitment.

A prospect has the option to wait (for a little or a long while) in order to see what other offers are extended and/or to remain in play until the second basketball recruiting period opens

Some college offers are open-ended with one or both sides elect to letting it 'float' but others come with drop-dead dates in which an answer is required or the offer is rescinded.

The general advice seen most often is to remain open to all offers and interests until a formal decision has been made.

Some prominent factors to consider when deciding include:

* how many years remain on the contracts of the various coaches? are extensions expected? are the current college athletics directors the ones who hired the current coaches in your mix?

* what are the 'rumors' about the basketball programs? have the head coaches been prominently mentioned in conjunction with other positions or considered under fire?

* do the head coaches have a history of oversigning recruits and ultimately running off the ones no longer preferred as some are well known to be run-off coaches, whether it be a situation of a player not evolving as projected or a transfer becoming available who is perceived to be better or a recruiting target thought 'lost' or 'unreachable' expresses or renews interest.

* what's the focus of the each recruiting pitch? is a coach negatively recruiting or promoting the best of his school and program?

* does a specific scholarship offer also include tuition costs for a fifth year?

* how many, if any, scholarships are available? -- some schools wish to convince players to come as a  walk-on but want a recruit on campus before broaching this subject

AFTER DECIDING

Obviously, call the 'winning' head coach first with your acceptance of a scholarship offer but then also call each coach in your finals list of schools and thank them for the opportunity.

RETRACTING

Remember, college sports are a business, with a yearly scholarship renewal -- or not. There should be a mandatory tattoo required on the arm of each frosh to serve as a visible remainder of this etched-in-granite fact as all isn't little chocolates placed on your pillow each night after you arrive as a freshman on campus. This relationship can quickly evolve into a vituperous divorce the second it stops working for either party.

Hopefully, all the homework done will lead to for a successful and positive college and basketball program experience. But all is not lost if that doesn't transpire -- just learn from the experience and carefully repeat the guidelines and process.

This bill would help athletes and parents in the recruiting process

Let's hope this bill gets signed as there can never be too much transparency in recruiting:

Former UCLA linebacker Huma recruits Schwarzennegger for his cause
Tom Hoffarth, Columnist
Los Angeles Daily News
8/29/2010

Ramogi Huma can't wait much longer to get Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph. He's hopeful it's not the last thing the California governor does before leaving office, even though it could be the first major move in making sure college recruits and their families have less to be confused about.

A former UCLA linebacker and executive director of the National College Players Association, Huma has gotten to intimately know the Student-Athletes Right to Know Bill (AB 2079), which in the past three months has been passed in both the state assembly and senate.

It's demands are things you'd think would already be mandatory - universities will have to provide recruits a written summary of their policies on everything from medical insurance limits to athlete transfer rates and scholarship renewals, all within a week of contact...

Go here for the remainder.

and

More on the NCPA, Ramogi Huma and AB 2079
Tom Hoffarth
Los Angeles Daily News
August 29, 2010

Ramogi Huma, NCPA President with more -- what else he has to say on the state of college athletics:

== On the pending passage of AB 2079, the Student-Athlete Right to Know bill:

"Many people are shocked to hear the type of misinformation student-athletes get during the recruiting process, and the public really isn't informed, either. There is a lot of deception and omitted information and a lack of equality nationwide as athletes struggle to get by. It wasn't until after I was injured as a player did I realize the NCAA capped scholarships. The totals are even below the price tag of the school's academic scholarships. I don't think that's an accident. They know what they're doing. The players aren't met to get by. But they sell it as a full scholarship. It's very tough to navigate through this system.

"(Our organization) has a lot of goals, but this one is to create a very powerful transparency and honesty in recruiting. It's obvious when you talk about this issue, no one really knows all that's involved. Maybe they know one or two pieces, or some of the pitfalls, but not all of them. I've talked to lawmaker after lawmaker and finally go the support in California, and I hope it continues forward..."

Go here for the remainder.

A little good ranting is healthy (or so I'm told)

Recruiting is an aspect of basketball that floats the hopes and dreams of college hoops fans but it is also the element that brings out the worst -- it always has and always will -- in coaches, players, family members, shoe/apparel companies and, of course, anonymous message board posters. Money-to-be-had fuels most of the behavior but, as for the latter,  it's the opportunity to offer bombastic screeds -- aka too dangerous -- to be said face-to-face

Posting about where a prospect is leaning, committed, signed or any other status such as how he is playing generates reaction -- typically uninformed -- beyond the pale.

Applause, jeers, putdowns -- all the way stations of the spectrum -- burst forth. The level of animosity can be bewildering.

The sound and fury surrounding say someone like Drew Gordon's ceiling and college destination is a prime example. Granted it didn't equal the steroidal firestorm of the recent Lindsay Lohan media debacle but, more than was appropriate, bore a striking resemblance to individuals reacting as if Gordon had fouled their front lawns and escaped unpunished.

In reality, it was a 16 or 17-year-old kid playing a game yet a human dartboard full of code red venom strikes burst forth.

Why the wading into the personal end of the pool at all?

It's both fine and fair to have an opinion. It's even better when personal qualifications provide the background for such judgment calls. But wishes for struggles or even failure cross the line of decency..

No, all behavior need not be Little Mary Sunshine-ish 24/7 but where is the validity and what is there to gain from lambasting a high school youth?

and

Also, what about the club team coaches, relatives and billion dollar corporations who besmirch the game with their commodity trading behavior and other antics?

It's fair to question 'why should anyone be surprised by this occurring in the basketball realm?' After all, name any aspect of moneymaking life unburdened by parasitical behavior?

But still, the taking advantage of those too young, still very malleable, is simply pimping.

When a goodly number of these youngsters aren't privy to a positive role model, it's incumbent on the adults surrounding these kids to act as such and to not wave some Benjamins or, at the lowest level, new threads and shoes to incentivize kids to switch teams and allegiances.

On the flip side, the players and especially their families, fall short in their own behavior and invite such who-is-the highest-bidder behavior.

But all this would be incomplete though without recognizing the truly selfless adults, the ones minus the hidden motives and faulty agendas. These are the beneficial contributors to society, the individuals who add betterment during their lifetimes and understand it is not about them.

Theirs is a positive legacy.

and

Then there is the labeling of young men who change schools as some sort of an epidemic is simply a negative reaction to common, everyday events.

Folks -- divorce happens. Jobs are changed. If having previous girlfriends or boyfriends cue up a bad rap, then we are sunk as a society. In the pitching woo stage, a lot is said that isn't necessarily true.

It certainly can be but deciding to attend a different college isn't automatically an undeniable flighty change of mind. But yes, having three D-1 colleges or a lengthy mix of two and four year schools on your basketball resume is hard to validate.

When a basketballer sets foot on campus, the transactional phrase 'what have you done for me lately?' becomes the standard operating procedure.

It's produce, or else.

Granted, it cuts both ways as the grass can appear greener elsewhere for players while coaches backtrack when alluring new prospects are poised to say yes or contracts with more zeroes are dangled by another school.

However, an epidemic label is simply too broad a brushstroke. Individual, case-by-case analysis is required before issuing any judgment.


Thankfully, today's sermonette has concluded.

Here's a great story on basketball recruiting

You'' get a chuckle out of this but it's also informative:

Players Pay a Price for Recruiting Packets
Stephen Danley
New York Times
August 10, 2009

Pete Thamel’s story got it right. Roster packets at summer camps, giving the personal details of prospective student athletes, are exorbitantly priced. But portraying the coaches as the victims? Yes, those poor college coaches; having to pay others who are trying to earn a buck off of young talented athletes. Aren’t these the coaches who make their living off the athletic successes of those same 18-22 year-old athletes just a couple of years later? While playing at Penn, I had more than one assistant pull me aside and tell me I had to get my act together; that if we didn’t win an Ivy League title, he would lose his job and not be able to feed his family.

These packets primarily affect the athletes. It’s their information being sold so everyone else can make a pretty penny. Recruitment is a circus, but not always because of the scandals, free shoes, and wanna-be agents that we hear about. Your average recruit, with no N.B.A. future, isn’t trying to hide secret cash payments; he’s trying to balance offers from lower-tier Division I programs. Being recruited is more about figuring out if the letters you get from schools indicate interest — normally they don’t — and trying to keep assistant coaches from making friends with your mom when they call. That’s a classic, though embarrassing, recruiting tactic...

Go here for the remainder.

We love you Roberto Nelson

Snail mail, email -- it doesn't matter as we get far more junk-related offerings sent to us than any anything of value. In the following, the mailing campaigns meant to seduce eventual Oregon State signee Roberto Nelson are detailed. It's a very good read.

You've Got (too Much) Mail
In the age of Facebook, Twitter and texting, top prospect Roberto Nelson was still courted through thousands of postal deliveries from college coaches. Is the annual flood of letters effective—or a waste of paper?
George Dohrmann
August 3, 2009

During his sophomore year at Santa Barbara (Calif.) High, Roberto Nelson placed a cardboard box behind a green recliner in the family room of his home. It was a decent-sized container—it once had been used to ship a microwave—and a sufficient catchall. If he tossed something behind the recliner, it almost always fell safely into the box.

Mail arrived at the apartment complex where Nelson lived at around 2 p.m. each day. Larger envelopes didn't fit through the slot in the front door, so the mail carrier often dumped the delivery on the doormat. Nelson would leaf through the stack when he got home from school and then toss everything over the green recliner. Sometimes he would mimic a jump shot as he cast that day's bundle into the box...

Go here for the remainder.

This is a shame

Parents and recruits should make this item a mandatory part of their recruiting questions. And where is the NCAA and Myles Brand on this if the 'mission' of the organization is supposed to be looking out for student-athletes?

College Athletes Stuck With the Bill After Injuries
Kristinq Peterson
New York Times
July 16, 2009

After years of concerns about inadequate health coverage for college athletes, the National Collegiate Athletic Association started requiring universities to make sure their athletes had insurance before competing.

But the association never established clear standards for that coverage when it introduced the rule four years ago, leaving colleges to decide for themselves. While some colleges accept considerable responsibility for medical claims, many others assume almost none, according to a review of public documents from a cross section of universities and interviews with current and former athletes, trainers, administrators and N.C.A.A. officials.

University officials say they go out of their way to inform students about the limits of insurance. Yet the situation has confused and frustrated athletes and their families, some of whom have had to shoulder large and unexpected medical bills.

“I thought I would be covered,” said Erin Knauer, a Colgate University student who piled up $80,000 in medical bills after injuring her back and legs in training for the crew team. Insurance has covered less than a third of the cost because of the way her condition was diagnosed. “You never think you’re going to rack up that much of a bill.”

Other athletes discover their financial problems long after their bodies have healed. An Ohio University football player, temporarily paralyzed during a workout, learned that he still owed $1,800 in unpaid medical bills when he went to buy a car six years after his injury.

Many students, whether athletes or not, have medical insurance through their parents. But these plans often exclude varsity sports injuries, limit out-of-state treatment or do not cover much of the bill. Some colleges buy secondary policies to fill the gaps, although even these plans have holes. And only players hurt badly enough to require extensive care can turn to the N.C.A.A. for coverage. Its catastrophic insurance carries a $75,000 deductible, which will increase to $90,000 next year.

The absence of mandated coverage for athletes has prompted calls for change...

Go here for the remainder.