GaryMe posted:Fenway, I love the "backseat voice of reason." - that is perfect.
Reasonable time to evaluate offer? Easy one, if it's where he wants to go to school and play ball, a quick answer is fine. If you need to mull it over or are making a decision on multiple offers, my opinion is 30 days is reasonable because those coaches are going to need to fill that slot with a guy as high as they can get on their board. Time is money...and it also depends on where you are in the recruiting cycle. D1s want to have their classes locked up late summer/early fall of that class' senior year in HS typically. There are always late adds, but that is the exception usually. If your kid is not a rising senior when they get their offer, they may and probably will give them more time to make that decision.
As a voice of reason, you need to keep the kid focused on the goal. If it's a college education, then make sure the school is going to meet their wants and needs. If it is to continue developing for a draft possibility out of college, same applies. But most of all, make sure the kid is going to a school where they are going to have a reasonable assurance of success. That doesn't mean they shouldn't challenge themselves, but they should be recruited at the right school, in the right conference that their skillset mirrors. I know a kid that (and who knows, they may get there and finally figure it out) is a P5 commit that nobody sees ever getting on the field. Probably a walk-on offer and no scholarship dollars at risk. If he pans out in his freshman fall, it will defy the odds in most opinions. That is likely not what you want for your kid.
My son received his offer after an unofficial visit. Hopefully they bring their rather small recruiting class in for an official visit this fall, would be nice, but certainly not a requirement for us or them. I think most D1 schools do bring their recruiting class in for a fall official visit.
I have only spoken to my son's college coaching staff on our unofficial visit, and I was mostly listening and trying to do a Vulcan Mind Meld to determine if these guys were going to be the guys to help shape my son over the next few years. My son does all the communication with coaches, has the entire recruiting process and is very comfortable doing so. As parents, we sometimes think our boys aren't capable of doing it, or asking the right questions. Arm them with a list of questions YOU want answers to in order to help them, but let them ask those of the staff.
My next evolution as a baseball dad is to write more tuition checks and to enjoy the games. This process is frustrating beyond belief if you aren't a blue chip player...but once you get that commitment (and NLI) and they end up on campus, you can breathe a little easier.
I believe this is where a lot of kids go wrong. Getting an offer and accepting is just an opportunity. The challenge is still on and it gets harder. It’s harder for the player to prove he belongs in the program than it is to get the offer. Half the players each year fail to prove they belong in the program.