Coaches use text messaging with recruits

Not a bad idea based on watching my teenagers utilize that form of communication far more than the voice type.

Wonder if they can get around the 1-call a week deal since that seems a little more like email?

justbaeball,
From the article in the newspapers seems as if they can:

quote:

Like pagers, instant messaging and e-mail, texting allows the most creative coaches to work around the once-a-week rule without violating it.

Fungo

Until the NCAA decides to get involved

It’s interesting to read what happens when a coach is trying to get the attention or make and impression with a highly touted recruit. The coaches are beginning to adjust their approach to make their communications effort more effective with the younger recruits. Now let’s reverse the situation and apply it to a baseball player trying to get the attention of a baseball coach. After reading the article do you think this suggest, or is a testimony, that a player should rely more on the “electronic” methods of communications?
Fungo

You still use snail mail and phone to back up email and text messages--JMO

Very interesting! That's certainly a coach that's thinking outside of the box. While I find texting annoying (of course I still prefer hand written notes), my kids live by texting. Very smart thinking on a couple of levels IMO.

At my son's HS you lose your cell phone if it rings during class. During the recruiting period right before early signing, he felt it vibrating repeatedly in his pocket and checked between classes. He actually received a great offer, in percentage form, on a text message from the school he eventually chose. A little distracting in the middle of Calculus class! He couldn't call the coach till after school, so the coach began to text message my son's HS baseball coach's cell. Unfortunately, the HS coach also coaches girls golf and was on the golf course at the state tournament that day. They expect quiet on the golf course, so he turned his phone off.
In the end, son had 4 text messages and coach had 7 on that day alone from ONE SCHOOL!
Coaches are using text messages to get around the once a week contact rule. Some are over using it. Fortunately, our kids are a lot more comfortable with technology than we are! Unfortunately, we don't have unlimited text messages and it cost us a dime every time they sent a text message.

This past fall there were quite a few coaches who utilized text messaging. It surprised me a few times when my phone went off with information and requests to call.

Very creative!!!!

I think coaches are just trying to get in tune with their recruits. Text messaging is replacing email for many teens and adults these days.

I know, because I had to enroll sons phone in the nextel text messaging plan.

My son was repeatedly texted by the coach of the school he would eventually sign with and he had good conversations via texting. The coaches used it to get by the 1 call per week and could get a hold of him anytime through text messages.

From the article:

"The NCAA considered restricting the messages in the same way that phone calls are after the women's basketball coaches' association suggested that they were becoming too intrusive -- both for the athletes and the coaches who feel compelled to respond to a message, even at 2 a.m.

The proposal was defeated in April, though, and texting is still classified as general correspondence."


Some phone plans allow you to pre-pay for text messaging. We had to adjust ours. Jr. was up to 3,000 a month at one point.

We were on an official visit this fall and my son was text messaged by 2 other colleges. The timing was right as we were reviewing their offer. We later laughed about the room being bugged.

Really, it is a generational thing. I would much rather speak it. My son will send an IM or text long before he would ever pick up the phone. With his hectic schedule, sometimes it is the only way to communicate with him. I even have resulted to learning how to text. It takes me a half-hour to type a sentence. Oh the price of progress!

I think texting must be just beginning with recruiting coaches. My '05 never received any text messages.

Home Builder, I can relate to your story though. When we were visiting a school that fall, my phone rings when I was in the ladies restroom from son's number one choice at that time! First of all, they never called me - always son's phone. I actually felt like I'd been caught cheating or something, not to mention I was in the restroomand didn't know if I should answer the phone or what. Thankfully, common sense prevailed and I didn't answer the phone to the sound of people flushing toilets, but did have son call them back before we went into our meeting. We still laugh about that one.

lafmom,
We didn't see it during our son’s recruitment either. Homebuilder, I agree this is a generational thing but probably not standard operating procedure with the more mature coach. IM is a way of life with most young student/athletes and anytime a coach can get through these barriers, it enhances his position with that recruit. This is just a savvy coach changing colors during the ”courting” period that will soon change. Men have done this for years. During courting and wooing, men historically will adjust their way of life to impress the one they’re courting. .... it’s a male thing .... After the papers are signed they quickly get back into their comfort zone. I remember my son calling me the fall of his freshman year of college telling me how the head coach had changed.

quote:

My son was repeatedly texted by the coach...

"texted" - A new word invented right here on the hsbaseballweb!

quote:

Originally posted by lafmom:
While I find texting annoying (of course I still prefer hand written notes), my kids live by texting.

Absolutely DRIVES ME CRAZY...but my kids use it all the time. Why, they can drive and "text" at the same time without taking their eyes off the road.

Some of the kids look like "thumb" concert pianists typing out messages.

While we're on the subject...DON"T send your kid off to college without buying an additional text message package. I know one parent that had a $1,500.00 text message bill. My first bill was $150.00 .... Verizon credited it out because they could tell I was out of touch.