Haven’t heard of Margaret McCaffery or her apple cobbler with caramel sauce?
Don’t feel bad. Neither had I until I read this week’s Sports Illustrated, which featured this year’s college basketball previews.
And right there on page 97 is the story of Margaret’s apple cobbler, the secret weapon to the rise of the Siena Saints men’s basketball team. Here is the excerpt:
Siena’s recipe for mid-major success begins in an actual kitchen in Loudonville, N.Y.
There, Margaret McCaffery cooks her famous deserts – most notably French apple cobbler with caramel sauce – while fostering the warmth that has enticed recruits since her husband, Fran, became coach of the Saints in 2005.
The team regularly stops by the McCaffery’s to eat, watch sports and receive impromtu mothering in a pinch. "We promise our players’ parents that we’ll watch out for them," says Margaret. Adds senior point guard Ronald Moore of the family atmosphere, "It’s a reason a lot of guys choose to come here."
I added the bold emphasis because what Coach Fran McCaffery and his cobbler-cookin’ wife Margaret (pictured to the left) are doing at Siena is right on target. Coaches who share the positive aspects of their personal lives, and those that are close to them, with their athletes are following the key principles we discuss in our recruiting guides for college recruiters. They are adding an effective weapon to their recruiting arsenal.
Why? Because today’s recruits value personal relationships a lot. And, most are looking for a connection with a coach as a primary method of determining which school is the "right fit" for them (our studies prove it).
Are you doing that, Coach? Are you letting your personal side show in a positive way, and letting those that are close to you be involved in your recruiting message?
You should. Here are some practical ideas on how to do that based on what we’ve seen work with other colleges we’ve had the chance to work closely with:
- Don’t look past good home-cooked apple cobbler. Or lasagna, or cookies, or burgers. Food is the tie that binds, if you let it. And if you have a spouse or significant other that can lend their hand at cooking for a prospect and their family, find a way to get them involved.
- Don’t be afraid to let your kids be kids around your prospect. I have a three year old son, and any of you who have small boys in the house know that they can be destructive, pooping little horrors. And that’s just what you want if you have a recruit nearby. When we conduct surveys with athletes during our On-Campus Workshops, one of the things that we discover is that they are looking for the security of a family while away from home. The typical mayhem and chaos of a house with kids provides one of those aspects of "family" that they are searching for in a coach. It also allows them to see who you are as a person, and not just a coach.
- Don’t look past opportunities to connect in their home. If you are a coach doing a home visit, take the time to connect with their family. Not just the recruit, not just their parents…everyone in the house. Quick story: An athlete at a D1 school we work with told me that she chose that school because when the coach visited her house, he took the time to play with her younger sister in the backyard on the swingset. "Seeing the coach taking the time to play with my sister," said the athlete, "told me right away that he was someone I could trust and that I wanted to play for." The truth of the matter is that recruits are looking for "tie-breakers" that will help them choose between schools. Give them reasons to choose you based on the personal relationships that you forge.
- Make your relationship at home the subject of your recruiting messages. Helping your prospect connect with you and your family isn’t reserved for personal visits. Find ways to include personal stories – family stories – into your recruiting letters and emails.
- Remember that "family" also includes your current team. If you can find ways to make them a part of a prospect’s recruiting experience, in the context of your team becoming new big brothers or sisters to this new prospect that’s searching for a place to belong, do it. Connecting with your team is VERY important for your prospect, Coach. They are one of your best "family" examples for your recruit.
Can any of this beat Margaret’s apple cobbler? I can’t answer that, of course.
However, I can tell you that this generation of recruits put a strong emphasis on feeling connected and looking for a family setting. Guys included, by the way.
Actively look for ways to incorporate your personal and family life into the recruiting experience that you create for your prospect. It works (just ask Fran and Margaret!).
Want more of the story on Margaret, who has coached in the NCAA tournament before and was once kicked out of the arena while watching her husband’s team play a game? Click here.
Want more information on how SFC can work personally with your program to develop a more effective, more results-oriented recruiting game plan? Click here.
