RebKell's Junkie Boards

[tfan]

There is a commercial that I can't find now, where Becky Hammon says that when she applied for colleges she was told she was too slow or too small. Is it typical for colleges to turn down recruits by telling them their shortcomings, giving them a reason why they don't want them?

[SDHoops]

As a former HS coach, I had the opportunity to interact with some college coaches from the juco all the way to the D1 level via text, in person, on phone, e-mail, etc. Only two coaches offered a true evaluation of the player..one coach just broke the player's game down and said, "this is what you need to work on if you want to play at this level." But..for the most part, coaches gassed up players on what they did well. I'd imagine with Beck, maybe she wanted to go somewhere like Tennessee, Stanford, Louisiana Tech, etc. at the time, whom were the teams of the early 90's.

[SDHoops]

I'd imagine if the college coaches reached out to the player(s), then they'd probably do everything in their power to try and get them. If the player reaches out to the college coaches, which i've also experienced, usually there's no response at all or the classic, "our scholarships are filled."

[tfan]

[Slim3]

College coaches will, for the most part, be honest with kids about there game. If they are not high on a kid they may actually tell them their shortcomings or areas they need to improve. I have seen it where a coach was recruiting a kid and during the early signing period told her they wanted to take the season to watch how she improved her defense and handles. Ive also seen them say they are looking for a taller guard. Ultimately, its up to the student athlete to make coaches notice them.
While most coaches have certain attributes they look for in recruiting, the good coaches will notice the special and exceptional kids.

[myrtle]

Like everywhere in life, there are a wide variety of coaching attitudes/personalities. Some will go out of their way to give a kid (even if they don't want them in their own program) advice. Some will give them the 'you are great, but we don't have room...' stuff. Some will just not bother.

I'm not biased of course but it's something I admire about Tara. When a player she wanted couldn't get admitted, she actually asked a competitor if they would take her! (Davidson at Cal) That is really going out of your way to look out for a kid...

_________________
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if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
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