Moving from D1 to D2 or NAIA?

I would only offer info about one young man I know that played his freshman year for a mid major DI and for whatever reason decided it wasn't the program for him. He transfered to an excellent DII program and is contributing quite nicely as a sophomore and enjoying playing the game again. I think you should expect a straight forward answer to the scholarship question when the time comes. Sitting out a year is a tough challenge.

Is it proper protocol to confidentially reach out to a D2 school before this school year ends?

I'm afraid if he waits, there might be less interest as they are recruiting now for next season.

By rule, a D2 coach must get permission from the player's current school before talking to him (13.1.1.2 in the D2 Manual).

So if your son calls a D2 coach now, there is some risk that the D2 coach will inform the D1 school of the contact. Can your son get his high school coach or travel coach to be an intermediary? That will lower the risk considerably, while permitting useful communication.

If you are seriously considering a transfer let me suggest a few things.

1. You might not want to do anything until your baseball season is over and you have fulfilled your LOI at your current school. Here's why. To make contact with another college program, you have to obtain a permission-to-contact letter from your current athletic director (not the coach of your team). And chances are your current coach will be notified you are wanting to find another school before you have a post season sit down with him. That would not favor your current situation nor reflect well on your character if you follow my drift.

2. Once the season is over for you (there are no more opportunities to play) then you should talk with your current coach and tell him your plans. Then obtain a permission-to-contact letter form the AD.

3. If you try to contact other programs without this letter, they will shut you off until they get it in their file. Or they should......

4. Your current coach may ask you why you are transferring. Your current program even has the right to deny permission but that is so rare it is a mute point. And you will certainly win an appeal.

5. With the permission in hand you can feel free to shop around and will be able to have free communications with other coaches.

6. Doing it the underground way with intermediaries will only serve to confuse the issues that clearly you need to find out about.

7. Review the NCAA publication: Transfer 101
[URL=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/TGONLINE2009.pdf ]Transfer 101[/URL]

One thing I forgot to say. Like 3FingeredGlove suggested, you can have someone contact the other program for you but I don't think continued communication is a good thing until you get the permission letter. That way everything is on the up and up. The NCAA permits you to write other programs and let them know you are looking to transfer. When my son transfered, the only thing his current coach wanted to know was...."Are you going to another college within our conference? And.....what could we have done to keep you here all four years?"

why is it when parents post regarding their son it is we not he ?

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
why is it when parents post regarding their son it is we not he ?

Although its something I strive to avoid, I know I fall into that sometimes. Maybe its a natural reaction to the family sacrifice, effort, financial expenditure, love, and joy that results in your son reaching for or achieving his dreams? Just sayin ...

quote:

Originally posted by PA Dino:
... When my son transfered, the only thing his current coach wanted to know was...."Are you going to another college within our conference? And.....what could we have done to keep you here all four years?"

But if this is the quote you were referring to, TR, I think the WE reference here is to the college, not the parent ....

Well it could be that unless the player/son is completely footing the bill for college on his own, the parents still have a financial interest as they are likely paying out thousands of dollars. If I'm paying 50-100 grand over 4/5 years, I will have some say. Of course the wants of the son are dominant but there wont be any unilateral decisions.

Wow!

Great responses.

I/We really appreciate it.

And yes, it is WE! My Son chose his current school, even though I initially wanted him to go elsewhere.
No regrets. He alone will make the next decision as well.

We will wait until they have the after-season 'talk' and then decide.

Was worried that spots may be filled up for D2 by then, but have been told by our Summer Coach not to worry, and that there are plenty of schools that will be interested in him.

Thanks for all of the help!

quote:

why is it when parents post regarding their son it is we not he ?

Every reference posted in this thread by a parent regarding his son prior to the above quip included eleven uses of the pronoun "he", not "we". Not once was a "we" used in that manner. As pointed out the "we" was part of a quote by a college coach asking what his staff, program or college could have done different to influence him (son) to remain at the college. The irony is that he (the coach) could have done nothing as (son's) reason to transfer was not under his (coach's) control.

If you utilize a sarcastic remark to highlight another person's alleged shortcomings without investing the proper time to read the entire thread then you deserve the embarrassment of making your twenty three thousand five hundred and seventy eighth post an utter waste of time.

Regarding the transition from DI to DII....someone once posted this in one of their blogs. I think it bears repeating.

quote:

This is something you HS players need to put in your memory ---a number of years back we had a player with us who was recruited by and received a baseball scholarship to a major Division I program-- as it turned out things did not work out--the recruiiting coach left for another program and things changed--after two years the young man left for a Division II program--had a solid two years--Honors--a trip to the NCAA Championships (Division II)---he got drafted and is now at the Double A level in the Toronto Blue Jays system-- was in major league camp this spring and is currently hitting .316 as their lead off hitter in Nashua.

The point here is that even though you think your college choice is solid, things change and you had better be ready to adapt--it is not the end of the world--the other aspect in this picture was the young mans grades--it eased the transition--HINT HINT

All I can say to you is that as much as you do your due diligence in the recruiting process things can go awry---do not go in thinking that it is all "roses"---there can be problems in any year

A Lesson Learned

dino--------red thru the posts a bit more--before you challege---

Just state your rebuttal clearly and I'm sure a misunderstanding can be avoided. Unfortunately the internet forum is a horrible venue to conduct a debate. A few more words for clarification please?

Redwing-you have a private message.