Official and Unofficial visits play a considerable role in the decision making process of choosing the perfect fit in a college or university. Every student athlete going through the recruiting process should visit a minimum of 3 college campuses. It’s imperative to sit in a class, stay in the dorms, try the food, and try to envision yourself at a college. This is a decision that has an affect on a student athletes life for the next forty years. It should not be taken lightly! A student athlete should be prepared prior to visiting any college campuses and meeting coaches. One of the exercises I ask my clients at My Recruiting Solutions to do is to put themselves in the coaches position. If they had $200,000 to give to a student athlete, what kind of expectations would they have of a player in the classroom, on and off the court?
It’s funny, most student athletes will say that they would want a good student with a positive attitude. They would look for a player who wanted to play for them, attend their university and be a good team player. Hmm, do you think this would be any different from a college coach? I talk to my clients about putting their “best foot forward.” The recruiting process is a lot of work, if it’s not a lot of work you are doing something very wrong! There is a lot of prep work that goes into taking an official visit. If your student athlete is getting ready to take an official visit, it’s crucial that they dress professionally on day 1. No flip flops, cut off shorts, jeans, or tank tops. Day 1 should be a skirt, dress pants, a nice shirt and dressy casual. Day 2 can be a bit more casual but the same rules apply, you need to look clean, your hair should be done and you should be putting your best foot forward. Take into consideration you will be meeting professors, the coaching staff and faculty in the admissions office. The players are evaluating you as a person and a potential teammate. Are you going to be a good teammate? Will you add something to the team, or do you have an attitude?
If you need any assistance with preparing for your official visit, you can always set up an appointment with a My Recruiting Solutions Recruiting Coordinator. We would be happy to provide you the support and guidance to be successful with your visits.