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Recruiting and social media - Beware!

justbaseballjustbaseball10,000+ posts
This will all probably seem like common sense, but I haven't seen it discussed enough on here...so here goes.

One of my 'hobbies' is following college football and the recruiting websites that go with it. Tonight I watched a top recruit for a number of schools get excited and tweet something about a contact that seemed a bit inappropriate. Probably a rule violation. Not his fault, he probably didn't even realize that it was out of bounds...coaches' faults, but still....

A short while later a news story popped up about it on one school's fan website and IMO made the situation worse by documenting it and reaffirmed my worry that something wasn't right. Don't really know where it will all go...maybe if the kid is lucky, nowhere.

Ok, the point is that I see more and more HS aged kids with Twitter accounts (this would apply to Facebook and others too) and high profile athletes excited to share recruiting news with the world. My advice is to discuss this with your sons...the downsides that can come with it...the pitfalls. And I'd monitor their transmissions too. You can bet the coaches are monitoring!

I can also tell you when they get to college and even pro ball that their coaches and organizations will monitor these accounts closely as well. And even shut them down in certain situations.

I would hate to see a good kid lose a dream opportunity over this stuff.

Just my thoughts on this...hope you will consider mentoring your sons to be careful.
Last edited {1}
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joemktgjoemktg5,000+ posts
In my wheelhouse here...

Your approach to social media, regardless of the channel, should be this: it's permanent. Whatever you write/post/pin can be held against you.

What makes matters worse is that virtual conversations or exchanges are unforgiving, and unfortunately sometimes the innocent are tainted. We warn our children to be careful as to with whom you hang when going out to the basketball game, football game, mall, whatever. The same holds true with friends, followers, etc.

On the other hand, social media should be used as a positive tool. I often advise my clients on the benefits of content marketing, and the use of social media to deliver valuable content. Ditto our players: use social media to deliver good news, kudos to others, etc. In other words, use social media as a marketing tool.

Social media can work to your advantage if controlled and managed. Left without controls/management, you're at risk.

Suggestions:
- Connect with your player online through all social media.
- Establish posting/pinning/tweeting rules: what should be delivered, and what should NOT be sent.
- Incorporate social media as a part of your recruiting marketing plan.
- Remove questionable connections (he's not going to like this, but this is serious stuff).

Quick note about keeping accounts private: assume nothing is private, because it isn't. Just because you can't get in doesn't mean others can't. And what's to stop a recruiter from asking for your Twitter account?

Here's a list of social media outlets and their ranking. Note that Pinterest and Google+ are growing rapidly.
Last edited by joemktg
MizzoubaseballMizzoubaseball1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by HunterMac95:
why are middle aged people on twitter anyway.


Unfortunately, I am a middle aged man, so I can answer this.

I am on twitter and follow a grand total of 38 people. I follow my sons summer team, his coach on the summer team, and a bunch of writers that will post their articles on their twitter, so I can find these articles in one place and dont have to go all over to find them. I only have 9 people following me.

The main reason I have a twitter is for two people I follow. My son and daughter. With the old man following, they are less likely to post something they will regret later.
ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator
Excellent advice and I would even broaden it out a bit and extend the advice to verbal announcements as well.

We've talked here before how you wouldn't post on twitter or facebook announcing how much your annual salary is for a number of reasons. Similarly, you wouldn't walk into the lunch room and announce it nor would you share the same type of information with a coworker.

I believe the same type of decorum ought to apply toward recruiting. It (the details of any agreement) ought to remain private between the recruit and the coaching staff. No one has ever convinced me otherwise that there is anything positive to come out of sharing that type of information.
justbaseballjustbaseball10,000+ posts
quote:
...and I would even broaden it out a bit and extend the advice to verbal announcements as well.


Couldn't agree more CD! Never understood the need to shout it from the mountain tops.

Some really good comments and questions posted already....

quote:
...why are middle aged people on twitter anyway


Well, sadly I've already passed 'middle age,' but I do use Twitter and Facebook. Different reasons for each. Facebook...mostly to keep up with friends and family. I like the photos and the stories. I even have some 'friends' that I've never met in person (some I 'met' here) that share common hobbies with me (photography, baseball, etc...). I enjoy looking at their (better than mine) pictures and we talk about cameras and settings and how to shoot good photos. Its kind of a virtual 'hobby shop' in some cases.

Twitter is my new 'virtual newspaper.' I subscribe to (or "follow") news feeds that interest me...baseball, college football, etc... Stories on my favorite players or teams pop up from the writer and I just click on the link. I find it pretty useful. BTW, my older son once found out he was traded on Twitter. Sad, but true.

I also 'follow' other fans of my favorite teams. That part of it becomes another version of a message board like this one when something big happens with that team. Coaching change, trade, etc... I don't follow recruits...the example I gave above from last night came to my attention when some of the news sources starting reporting on it. An hour later the stories started appearing on actual team news sites.

Anyways...not trying to convince anyone, but thats a question a lotta folks ask and its a good one and if you don't wanna use it, fine with me. All good!

quote:
Everyone from the coach recruiting your kid, to the employer who will later hire them will check out these social network accounts. Advise your kids, if they are going to have these kids of accounts, to keep them private and limited to their own "friends."


Excellent comment/advice! There is no question, whatsoever, that employers look at these accounts. As one person put it, 'Everything you put on there will be retrievable at some point by anyone...including your future children/grandchildren.' Think about that! Especially younger folks. Pictures 'smoochin' with your girlfriend will be viewable by your future wife! (and kids)...most likely. Eek

Anyways, I think we all agree on this. But I haven't seen it discussed that much on here and so it seemed like a good idea while I was thinking about it. Hope you're all having a great Holiday Season so far! Wink
Last edited by justbaseball
PISPIS1,000+ posts
Great thread.

I've tried in the past to encourage posters here to get on twitter and share their "twitter handles" with us so that we can "follow" each other. Seems like most haven't caught on.

JustBaseball absolutely nailed the "Why are middle aged people on Twitter" question.

I'd go so far as to say that if you have children you be a fool not to be following your kids.

I obviously use social media to help market my business.

But I also use it to engage with my clients. Being in the world of high school sports (mostly baseball) I have a lot of high school kids following me and I follow them. Its very humorous and sad at the same time watching these kids vent about their parents online. Parents, you have no idea. And they know you have no idea.

From a recruiting stand point I'm seeing more and more coaches utilizing social media. Many of my coaching friends are all over and are quite good at marketing their programs but also use it to follow potential recruits. I've encouraged those without a social media knowledge to find someone that can be their "online spy".

Every time I talk to a coach they ask me how I know this or that about a player. I tell them its my job to know. The truth is I read it online. Kids post their entire life online now!

In the last 7 days I've seen a legit LHP/OF post a picture of himself with a case of Miller High Life and another highly recruited SS posting about very inappropriate conversation. These kids are too young and dumb to realize that they are shooting themselves in the foot with future employers/coaches.

Is that the first high school kid to drink beer? No. But prior to twitter/facebook you never saw a 16 year old kid take an ad out in the Sunday Paper announcing how wasted they got on Saturday night. Thats almost the equivalent to what they are doing now.

So, parents if you want to keep not knowing what your kids are doing then stay off line. If you want to be engaged, I'd recommend getting online immediately.

Same advice to coaches.

Rich
www.PlayInSchool.com
www.twitter.com/PlayInSchool <----------Follow me here!
BaseballmomandCEPBaseballmomandCEP1,000+ posts
quote:
I believe the same type of decorum ought to apply toward recruiting. It (the details of any agreement) ought to remain private between the recruit and the coaching staff. No one has ever convinced me otherwise that there is anything positive to come out of sharing that type of information.



So true! It is amazing how people think it is perfectly fine to say "Did he get a full ride?" or "how much did he get?" That is just plain obnoxious. Any suggestions on how to answer that one???

I was trying to think of a funny comeback because the question comes up all the time.
fenwaysouthfenwaysouth10,000+ posts
quote:
So true! It is amazing how people think it is perfectly fine to say "Did he get a full ride?" or "how much did he get?" That is just plain obnoxious. Any suggestions on how to answer that one???

I was trying to think of a funny comeback because the question comes up all the time.


BaseballmomandCEP,

After the first couple times, it was annoying. However, it is an opportunity to have some social fun. So take it for all it's worth, and get creative. When people ask these questions, it is a green light to have fun at their expense. Embrace it, and perpetuate the myth that everyone gets a 100% free ride!

"Absolutely, and he got his best friend a 100% scholarship too!"

or

"Yes, but we really can't decide if 100% is good enough for him. He has other offers that look better"
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
quote:
Originally posted by HunterMac95:
To sum it up. No 1st amendment rights and why are middle aged people on twitter anyway. Let the kids be kids or have them make the accounts private so prying eyes can't see it.
Twitter is a lot more than Kim Karsashian telling the world what lipstick she bought. Twitter can be used professionally. I follow all of the news media people I like to read or watch so everything I would have to click all over the web for, comes to one place. I've also had some interesting political conversations on Twitter much like the quality I've experienced here regarding baseball. It was also interesting to follow the daily tweets of one of my daughter's friends who competed in the Olympics.

But as far as kids go they have to understand anything that goes out on social media becomes public knowledge that can come back to bite them. Just as important is kids in the recruiting process have to remember every phone is a camera and video recorder along with not everyone has their best interests at heart.

In general, I'm surprised how much of their lives people make public on social media. The more information you provide the easier it is to have your identity stolen. Identity thieves make their living on social media. Never put your name, location and birthdate on social media. A theif is now one step from having your identity.
Last edited by RJM
C calisportsfan100+ posts
I have a friend who is a VP of Human Resources for a Fortune 100 company. She tells everyone who will listen that for a young person to have their social media accounts private is like just telling your hiring manager that you say inappropriate things. There are many ways to see what kids think is private, like when their friends "retweet" their comments and you see it on a non private site.

The only way to manage this at all is to follow your own kids and make sure they know it. It's just about being an informed parent prepared for this generation. Knowledge is power.
BD Bleacher Dad100+ posts
I don't "follow" my kid, but I do view his twitter account and those that he follows. Fortunately, not much to worry about. While looking at who was "Following" him, I noticed the coach of his Fall team and the coach of a local college. Keep in mind, those are the ones that want him to know that they are following him. You can view non-private accounts without "following" someone...which I'm sure many recruiters do.

I told a H.S. Coach (and friend) that parents would be shocked at the private lives that their student/athletes lead yet post on their twitter accounts. The parents are clueless about their extra curricular activities, but the college coaches probably are not. What an easy way for a recruiter to weed out a kid...pun intended.
Last edited by Bleacher Dad
F FoxDad10,000+ posts
justbaseball posted:
Ok, the point is that I see more and more HS aged kids with Twitter accounts (this would apply to Facebook and others too) and high profile athletes excited to share recruiting news with the world. My advice is to discuss this with your sons...the downsides that can come with it...the pitfalls. And I'd monitor their transmissions too. You can bet the coaches are monitoring!

I can also tell you when they get to college and even pro ball that their coaches and organizations will monitor these accounts closely as well. And even shut them down in certain situations.

I would hate to see a good kid lose a dream opportunity over this stuff.

Just my thoughts on this...hope you will consider mentoring your sons to be careful.

One of the first things my son's college coaches (JuCo and D2) advised all the players is their social media accounts would be monitored so be very careful what you post.

GovGovMember since 2015
joemktg posted:
In my wheelhouse here...

Your approach to social media, regardless of the channel, should be this: it's permanent. Whatever you write/post/pin can be held against you.

What makes matters worse is that virtual conversations or exchanges are unforgiving, and unfortunately sometimes the innocent are tainted. We warn our children to be careful as to with whom you hang when going out to the basketball game, football game, mall, whatever. The same holds true with friends, followers, etc.

On the other hand, social media should be used as a positive tool. I often advise my clients on the benefits of content marketing, and the use of social media to deliver valuable content. Ditto our players: use social media to deliver good news, kudos to others, etc. In other words, use social media as a marketing tool.

Social media can work to your advantage if controlled and managed. Left without controls/management, you're at risk.

Suggestions:
- Connect with your player online through all social media.
- Establish posting/pinning/tweeting rules: what should be delivered, and what should NOT be sent.
- Incorporate social media as a part of your recruiting marketing plan.
- Remove questionable connections (he's not going to like this, but this is serious stuff).

Quick note about keeping accounts private: assume nothing is private, because it isn't. Just because you can't get in doesn't mean others can't. And what's to stop a recruiter from asking for your Twitter account?

Here's a list of social media outlets and their ranking. Note that Pinterest and Google+ are growing rapidly.

Good stuff, thought it would be good to reply incorporating your post from a few years ago.  Serves as a constant reminder to continue to counsel our kids and to monitor their social media.  Consequences of a flippant tweet or re-tweet, and you better be careful with whom you're hanging around with.  Parent intervention at every step is impossible and doesn't let a kid grow.  Businesses call it social media, for individuals, it's potential destruction.  Seems like every kid needs their own PR manager.

I recently spoke with my nephew, who's a freshman in college, over a post on FB.  He wasn't aware he was tagged in a photo of him having too good of time one evening.  

Bit of a problem when you can't have fun anymore without a "friend" posting something that should have remained private.  What do you do?  Establish a code of conduct among a growing friend group?  How do you do that?  These kids can't have innocent fun like we did.  Now a reckless post by someone who isn't really a fiend makes you look bad to the world, the future employment world.  It's brutal out there....

It's a constant subject in our house and when our sons friends are visiting.  

Not trying to rant; I'm dealing with this, I'm sure a lot of you are as well.

   

Last edited by Gov
justbaseballjustbaseball10,000+ posts
Gov posted:

Bit of a problem when you can't have fun anymore without a "friend" posting something that should have remained private.  What do you do?  Establish a code of conduct among a growing friend group?  How do you do that?  These kids can't have innocent fun like we did.  Now a reckless post by someone who isn't really a fiend makes you look bad to the world, the future employment world.  It's brutal out there....

   

A little 'slip of the keyboard' there? 

GovGovMember since 2015
justbaseball posted:
Gov posted:

Bit of a problem when you can't have fun anymore without a "friend" posting something that should have remained private.  What do you do?  Establish a code of conduct among a growing friend group?  How do you do that?  These kids can't have innocent fun like we did.  Now a reckless post by someone who isn't really a fiend makes you look bad to the world, the future employment world.  It's brutal out there....

   

A little 'slip of the keyboard' there? 

Lol.. Indeed.  Should I edit?

justbaseballjustbaseball10,000+ posts
Gov posted:
justbaseball posted:
Gov posted:

Bit of a problem when you can't have fun anymore without a "friend" posting something that should have remained private.  What do you do?  Establish a code of conduct among a growing friend group?  How do you do that?  These kids can't have innocent fun like we did.  Now a reckless post by someone who isn't really a fiend makes you look bad to the world, the future employment world.  It's brutal out there....

   

A little 'slip of the keyboard' there? 

Lol.. Indeed.  Should I edit?

Why?  Its kinda funny - in a good way. 

im647fim647f1,000+ posts

I have working in the law enforcement field for 25+ years. Specialized in information and intelligence gathering. There is no such thing as a private social media site. I can get on anyone's site regardless of there settings. No special law enforcement tool, open source media allows easy work a rounds.

Bottom line is, kids should realize everything they put out there can be made public if someone is willing to dig through their sites.

 

GovGovMember since 2015
im647f posted:

I have working in the law enforcement field for 25+ years. Specialized in information and intelligence gathering. There is no such thing as a private social media site. I can get on anyone's site regardless of there settings. No special law enforcement tool, open source media allows easy work a rounds.

Bottom line is, kids should realize everything they put out there can be made public if someone is willing to dig through their sites.

 

Being that you are in law enforcement, are there any suggested setting you'd recommend for any of the social media sites?  FB, Twitter, Instagram, even LinkedIn?   There are probably some basic settings "we" all should have turned on.  Independent of just being more aware...

Thanks.

TrumanTruman5,000+ posts
im647f posted:

I have working in the law enforcement field for 25+ years. Specialized in information and intelligence gathering. There is no such thing as a private social media site. I can get on anyone's site regardless of there settings. No special law enforcement tool, open source media allows easy work a rounds.

Bottom line is, kids should realize everything they put out there can be made public if someone is willing to dig through their sites.

 

+1

mstongemstonge100+ posts
HunterMac95 posted:
To sum it up. No 1st amendment rights and why are middle aged people on twitter anyway. Let the kids be kids or have them make the accounts private so prying eyes can't see it.

Free speech does not mean free of consequences.  Post or say whatever you want, but remember that it doesn't mean a coach or college has to like it.

roothog66roothog6610,000+ posts

Timely bump. There is a kid I work with and am trying to get college attention for. I've been working with him for a couple of years. Last night my son shows me a picture on his Instagram page of him and our catcher holding freaking Glocks and giving the camera their best gangsta mug. We've talked about this crap. I spent half an hour reading him the riot act. Stupid country white boys.

lionbaseballlionbaseball5,000+ posts
roothog66 posted:

Timely bump. There is a kid I work with and am trying to get college attention for. I've been working with him for a couple of years. Last night my son shows me a picture on his Instagram page of him and our catcher holding freaking Glocks and giving the camera their best gangsta mug. We've talked about this crap. I spent half an hour reading him the riot act. Stupid country white boys.

I don't know of any country boys that would have been doing a gangsta mug.  

P pabaseballdad5,000+ posts

Root-   God bless you-  sometimes you just can't fix "stupid".  hopefully this doesn't affect those boys, and they'll take the lesson to heart.  It's tough for these kids today, mistakes can last forever.  I try to emphasize this to my three boys at every opportunity.    Not just social media mistakes either.    Made my kids watch the 30 for 30 on Duke Lacrosse last sunday night.  the point being, you don't even have to do anything wrong, just allowing yourself to be in the wrong place at the wrong time can have dire consequences. 

MKbaseballdadMKbaseballdad1,000+ posts

Count me as one of the middle agers on twitter.  I resisted until Dec last year but 2016's school was sending out ED1 updates via twitter multiple times per day and I wanted to be up to date.  Now I'm hooked.  2016 not so much.  He hasn't posted since mid-last year and wasn't posting much before that.  Nothing much on facebook either other than a notice when he found out about school in Dec.  I think that if any of us are on Twitter or Facebook thinking we're seeing all that our kids post online we're mistaken.  We're way behind - they may be using twitter/facebook but they are using something much more popular (I don't know what) and new stuff comes online every day.  

 

RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
Goosegg posted:

Curt Schilling - another lesson on how not to use social media.

Schilling has always had a big mouth. A majority of teammate's, coaches, management and fans have always considered him a jerk. He was once voted the least liked player in MLB. He should have had enough self awareness to stay away from social media.

Schilling wasn't content to be a multi milionaire ex ball player. He bankrupted himself with a failed video game company. His last chance was catching on again in baseball. Now he's blown that.

fenwaysouthfenwaysouth10,000+ posts
RJM posted:

Schilling has always had a big mouth. A majority of teammate's, coaches, management and fans have always considered him a jerk. He was once voted the least liked player in MLB. He should have had enough self awareness to stay away from social media.

Schilling wasn't content to be a multi milionaire ex ball player. He bankrupted himself with a failed video game company. His last chance was catching on again in baseball. Now he's blown that.

Sorry guys, I'm going to partially defend Schilling and his big ego and lack of self-awareness ....NOT his political views or public statements which he is entitled to make and ESPN is entitled to fire him.  Ego got him in trouble as a broadcaster.  Ego got him in trouble with his business ventures, but that is the nature of business...you have to fail to eventually succeed just like baseball.  Ego did him well in professional baseball.  Somebody will pick him up and put a microphone in front of him, whether or not he learned something is another matter entirely....I never said he was smart.   

He may be the largest wind bag to ever put on a Red Sox uniform but he was magical in 2004.  If he walked into my bar, I'd buy him a beer or two and tell him what an idiot he was for making those public s and leaving all that ESPN money on the table.    Some of my best friends are idiot wind bags.  This is nothing new.

J jdb500+ posts
Gov posted:
joemktg posted:
In my wheelhouse here...

Your approach to social media, regardless of the channel, should be this: it's permanent. Whatever you write/post/pin can be held against you.

What makes matters worse is that virtual conversations or exchanges are unforgiving, and unfortunately sometimes the innocent are tainted. We warn our children to be careful as to with whom you hang when going out to the basketball game, football game, mall, whatever. The same holds true with friends, followers, etc.

On the other hand, social media should be used as a positive tool. I often advise my clients on the benefits of content marketing, and the use of social media to deliver valuable content. Ditto our players: use social media to deliver good news, kudos to others, etc. In other words, use social media as a marketing tool.

Social media can work to your advantage if controlled and managed. Left without controls/management, you're at risk.

Suggestions:
- Connect with your player online through all social media.
- Establish posting/pinning/tweeting rules: what should be delivered, and what should NOT be sent.
- Incorporate social media as a part of your recruiting marketing plan.
- Remove questionable connections (he's not going to like this, but this is serious stuff).

Quick note about keeping accounts private: assume nothing is private, because it isn't. Just because you can't get in doesn't mean others can't. And what's to stop a recruiter from asking for your Twitter account?

Here's a list of social media outlets and their ranking. Note that Pinterest and Google+ are growing rapidly.

Good stuff, thought it would be good to reply incorporating your post from a few years ago.  Serves as a constant reminder to continue to counsel our kids and to monitor their social media.  Consequences of a flippant tweet or re-tweet, and you better be careful with whom you're hanging around with.  Parent intervention at every step is impossible and doesn't let a kid grow.  Businesses call it social media, for individuals, it's potential destruction.  Seems like every kid needs their own PR manager.

I recently spoke with my nephew, who's a freshman in college, over a post on FB.  He wasn't aware he was tagged in a photo of him having too good of time one evening.  

Bit of a problem when you can't have fun anymore without a "friend" posting something that should have remained private.  What do you do?  Establish a code of conduct among a growing friend group?  How do you do that?  These kids can't have innocent fun like we did.  Now a reckless post by someone who isn't really a fiend makes you look bad to the world, the future employment world.  It's brutal out there....

It's a constant subject in our house and when our sons friends are visiting.  

Not trying to rant; I'm dealing with this, I'm sure a lot of you are as well.

   

Gov, what a great post.  Good lord, I never even thought about friends tagging pictures that you might not even know about.  Creating a social media "code of conduct" with your pier group is great advice.  Once expectations are set, pier pressure can be used to ensure that those rules are followed. 

Of course, there will also be times when these student athletes are around people other than their circle of friends.  In those times, self awareness and discipline still have to be the theme of the discussion.  Tough time to be a young adult indeed.

Thanks Gov., you've added another layer to the conversation I'm having with my 2018 and will begin having with my 2021. 

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