2018 was fortunate enough to receive an offer from a school that is a definite possibility. No deadline for decision so 2018 wants to explore other options. Question is, how often should he contact the coach who offered? Weekly, monthly, twice a month?
Thanks for any insights.
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Have your player ask the coach, in his next conversation, what his timeline is for the offer. Offers are not open ended. Most won't pressure too hard, but he does have a timeline!
Agree with Backpick. If he is a 2018 with an offer seems like he would have more coming, but it depends on where that school is on his list as far as how much contact.
Have his top schools been in contact at all? If so you could use that offer to start a conversation with them to see where you stand on their board. Agree with those on here that have said it is better to get the answer no from a school than not know anything.
Good lLuck
If your son will improve and has other schools that are his focus, then appreciate the offer but i wouldn't worry about responding and asking for a timeline. Believe me, they will ask for your answer. Especially if they hear about you visiting elsewhere etc. My son's first offer was from a mid major and even though we told them thank you for the offer, we need to think about it and visit other schools to get an idea of whats best for him....they called within a few weeks and gave us a deadline. My son had just finished his sophomore year and was playing summer ball. Don't make any sudden decisions without thinking things through...that would be my one piece of advice to anyone receiving their first offer. He eventually committed to his current school the next summer. Good luck.
Thanks for the info folks. Backstop-at least a couple of his top schools have him "on their list," judging from responses/feedback we have received. This summer should filter things out. Just don't want to lose track of the first offer as it appeals to 2018 and his parents.
To offset the good advice not to make any sudden decisions, also be aware that they will be actively looking to fill that spot all the while... more aggressively than they would if they had your son's commitment. A reality of the process. But then, if he projects high enough on the school's depth chart, this could be a non-factor.
If they haven't put any deadline on a decision yet, I don't think his communication needs to be more than once or twice a month unless they call back to speed up the process. Of course, he will want to give the courtesy and respect of responding in a timely manner any time the school initiates communication.
Congrats on the offer!
A story of one school...
When my 2018 got his first offer from them, there was no timeline set. The second offer from them had a deadline of a month. The third offer from them had a timeline of 4 days. The first two offers were about a week apart, the third came a month later.
If your son is seriously considering this school, I'd say weekly or every two weeks is good. I'm definitely not as seasoned as some here, but that's been my experience.
As backpick25 suggested, it wouldn't be a bad idea (or practice) for your son to ask the coaches how often they'd like to talk the next time he speaks to them. I think it is most important to understand why they offered with no deadline. There has to be a logical reason.
My son's experience was similar to ffxfireman where my son was offered by the AC with no deadline. 3-4 weeks later (after the initial offer) there was an absolute deadline (72 hours - over the weekend) as my son was headed off to a prospect camp at another school. My son's travel coach leaked some information about the prospect campe, and they came back to us with a larger scholarship offer but a firm deadline. After the initial offer, my son tried to communicate with the AC and RC on a regular basis but frankly they were difficult to get in touch with as they were travelling constantly. This was his dream school when he was growing up, so it was an offer he took very seriously.
So, we found out years ago (through several members of HSBBWeb) that initially offering 25% with no deadline was standard operating procedure with this specific D1 school. Their admission standards are high, and it is a fairly expensive D1 in the south. This is their way of finding out how interested a recruit is in their school while they continue to shop around for additional recruits. Essentially, my son was the first local recruit to meet their needs (after seeing him play 6+ times + a couple unofficial visits) so they decided to offer. It was his first offer, and frankly it was a God send at the time. So, I would do my due diligence with the Financial Aid office, look into any academic scholarships that may be available, and continue to compare the school to other opportunities. I can guarantee you the school will continue to look at other talent. In my son's case they found someone in CT that was similar to him, and then they put the 72 hour full court press on him. So, while the offer is great in some regards I wouldn't be too surprised to get a phone call asking your son to decide with a specific date and time. At least that was our experience.
Good luck!
