My son is taking his official visit this weekend to the school to which has verbally committed. For our family, this is yet another high point on the ride because even though he is a "local" recruit, he will be spending the weekend in the hotel with all of the recruits from both in- and out-of-state. The weekend is entirely scheduled, starting with dinner on Friday night. The agenda is fascinating and lives up to everything son had been told would occur should he ever garnered an official. For me, it's also been fun to relay information to him that I learned here at the HSBBW over the past few years of participating in this community. So much advice, given so freely, we are extremely grateful to those who have gone before us and have been willing to share their experience with us.
Also in the spirit of all who succeed at this stuff have to sacrifice many of the things most consider normal: Friday night is the first home HS football game of the season, a big social event for a small, all-boys school. Football games are where mostly of the weekly socializing, especially with girls, occurs. And he'll be hanging with yet another set of boys that night, the players on the team that has recruited him. And if that's not enough, he will be missing Homecoming, the first formal dance of the year. Folks, that stuff really happens, and it takes a really well-adjusted young man to understand the sacrifice is really a means to a much larger end.
Although some of the official visit threads are growing older, the advice given seems spot on to me: dress for success, behave with all the maturity you can muster, be the best version of yourself you can be for the weekend. Fortunately for him, some of this stuff comes naturally (like dressing and grooming). Furthermore, since the staff have known him for several years, they know what to expect from him already and he's ready for that. I think between the time spent with current players, to the football tours and game, to the last day of seminars on admissions and academic success, he's bound to have fun. And I get to go to a PAC12 Football game with my wife too. We all win.
Thanks again to all who have offered their advice on such things in the past. I am not sure I would be here writing this today without you.
