How character comes through in the athletic recruiting process

I heard a very interesting story about a Division I sporting program ended up securing a commitment from a player.  The athlete was a small school player who was very successful at whatever he did, regardless of the sport.  This success helped him in the eyes of college coaches simply because he had a knack for winning.  This athlete did the right things in the off-season and got in front of enough coaches to receive a Division I offer.

The first Division I offer that he held was from a smaller program that had recently made the move from Division II.  This was a solid, full ride offer but was not the dream school that this athlete had been hoping for.  His dream school talked to him off and on but there was no assurance that they were going to offer anything.  Early in the fall, the dream school called him and told him that they would be no longer recruiting him.

Obviously for any recruit, it was a difficult phone call to receive.  Even though it was a bad thing, at least the coaches were being honest during the process and telling him where they stood.  Then some tings things started to change during the recruiting process for the coaches at this school.

They had an out-of-state athlete that they were showing a lot of interest to and had offered a scholarship.  They liked the recruit but then he got in trouble for robbing someone.  As a coach, do you really want to deal with someone who is in serious trouble with the police?  Not just off the court, coaches love to coach athletes who listen, work hard, and put the time in to get succeed.

Shortly after that, the coaches at the school contacted the recruit who they told they would no longer be recruiting him.  The coaches basically turned their back on what they said and brought him to campus for a visit.  At first, they offered him a preferred walk on role with the team.  This would obviously be a great thing at his dream school but with another Division I scholarship in his back pocket, it would be tough to land him with that.

The coaches went down to the school one last time and watched him play.  They saw how he had a great ability to lead his teammates.  No, he may not have had the talent of the arrested prospect but he was a dream to coach.  This was the type of kid that coaches would not have to worry about where he was at 2 AM on Saturday night.

After that trip, the head coach came in the next morning and said we are offering this prospect with his head on straight a scholarship.  The coach was so sick of kids decommitting to his school and having behavior issues with others that he decided to offer this athlete a scholarship.  If there were any questions about character or problems away from the court, there is no doubt in my mind that this athlete would not have ended up with an offer.

In the recruiting process for any sport, there is no doubt that your ability is what will make or break your chances of getting a scholarship.  But if you work hard and are a good character person, things may work out in your favor.  For this athlete, he will be getting the chance to play for his dream school.  A big part of that has to do with an out-of-state athlete he has probably never met before getting arrested.

So for those recruits out there reading this, think long and hard if drinking or going to a party where alcohol is at is the right decision.  If this athlete had any questions about his character or had been arrested before, there is no doubt that he would not be getting a scholarship at a school he dreamed of playing for.

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