Many times, families that reach the point of a coach expressing interest in a student-athlete are very excited that the recruiting chase is reaching its peak. It is at this point that the discussion becomes more real than previously understood - you are effectively deciding on where your son/daughter will be spending the next four years of their lives.

As we have discussed many times, this is when the preparation work to identify your top ten academic and athletic choices is really put to the test. Before meeting with the college coach, a family meeting is needed to talk about some serious issues covering location, finances, commitment, and ultimately desire. BOTN Industries has found that these areas are well covered with the following questions to be asked over a family dinner.
  • What travel distance from home are we willing to accept?
  • Should we restrict our search to be within X hours of our home? (Translation : Do we want to see her play and how often can she come home during the year?)
  • What financial planning have we done for her college career? (Translation : Can we afford to have her dorm away from home? Can we afford $30,000 per year for the academic bill? What is our financial limit?)
  • What finanial aid is required? (Translation : Do we have more than $100,000 in cash assets? Is our combined income in excess of $150,000 per year?)
  • What area of the country interests our student-athlete?
  • What competitive level is he/she truly capable of achieving? (Translation : Are we looking at UNC or Duke with an average player? Have we seen a collegiate game to know what is to be expected - FOX/Soccer channel is great for seeing women's collegiate games though not in person of course.)
  • Is he/she considering a NCAA Division I, II, or III caliber commitment?
Once you are all on the same page, getting ready with the questions for the college coach are that much simpler. More details on the college coaching discussions to follow.