Full disclosure:
The vast majority of the time, I will tell a coach I am against group visit recruiting days.
I’ve seen more go wrong with them than I have seen go right. Honestly, more disaster stories have originated from large campus recruiting visit days than most other parts of the recruiting visits that we’ve analyzed:
- Recruits go to campus expecting to receive personal attention, and instead come away with a feeling like they’ve just been lost in a crowd in a big group recruiting visit.
- Recruits go to campus thinking they are coming to a program that wants their individual talents, and leave a big group visit feeling like they are just one of a large number of recruits.
- Recruits come to campus wanting to be around other top-tier prospects, and instead see a large group of what they would define as mediocre fellow prospects.
- Recruits come to campus excited about visiting and finding out about your program, but instead get matched with a visiting prospect who is negative about your program and school – and immediately poison the mindset of the recruits you worked so hard to get to come visit your college.
That’s not a complete list, but if any of it sounds remotely familiar to what you’ve seen happen with any of your visits, you get the idea: When you introduce a large group of prospects to each other in a new setting, the potential for disaster is there. Not always…and sometimes, you can get a solid commitment from a student-athlete prospects when you’re staging group visits. But the risk is always present on group recruiting visits.
And that’s why I am generally against recommending group recruiting visit days for your program.
All that being said, there are times when you need to stage large recruiting visits. So, let’s talk about how to make the best of what can often be a challenging situation, Coach. There are a few key components of a group visit that can put the odds of impressing your important recruits in your favor.
Before the group visit, define why you want them there. Them, specifically. Why are you bringing them there, and what should be understand about how they fit into the larger group they’re going to see on campus? Be as specific as possible, and focus on how they should see themselves in a large group setting.
Schedule time for your top kids (and their parents) away from the group. One of the key pieces of advice that upper-tier athletes and their parents give us is how they are looking for one-on-one time with the head coach of the program they are visiting. Make sure you schedule private time with them, and when you talk to them make sure you outline why they are different than the other recruits who are visiting that day. It’s critical that your top recruits understand their place in your recruiting class.
Define the group setting to everyone. If they’re wondering where they stand with you as they look around at everyone else on the visit, tell them that one of the reasons you want them there as a group is to give them a chance to get to know their potential future teammates. You have to define the group visit dynamic to them, and make it positive.
Try to get them alone with some of your Freshmen. As much time as possible. One of the most powerful aspects of the visit for your recruits is getting a good idea as to whether they are wanted by your current team. No matter what else has to be shortened or canceled as a part of the visit, do it. Time alone with your current team is vital if you’re looking to make an impression with recruits.
Define this group visit as the first of two. Tell your recruits, as a group, “All of you are getting a good picture of what it’s like here in a big way, but this should be the first of two visits you’ll plan on taking here. We want you back for a one-on-one visit with us, and I’d love it to be before <date>.” Or, something like that. The point is, make sure they understand that you want them back for a second visit…soon. The goal is to get them back on campus for a more personalized experience.
Those are the essentials, Coach. You’ll notice that each of the five core components are all geared towards them, their feelings, and their motivations. Follow them, and you’ll begin to even the odds for a good experience from your group recruiting visit experience.
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