Workout while on unofficial visit?

the answer is NO

D1 schools cannot work out players at any time

This past fall my son was on an Official Visit with 5 other recruits. Parents were invited as well. After watching the team scrimmage for a few hours some of the recruits(my son was one of them) wandered into a batting cage area and started hitting off the tee. A coach saw that was going on and quickly came over to tell them this was not allowed per NCAA. He liked the fact that the boys were restless and wanted to play but he was clear that they were not allowed to do any type of workout under those conditions.

It has been my experience that the schools interpret the multitude of recruiting rules differently.

Enjoy the visit!!

Thanks. I appreciate it.

We'll leave the bat and glove at home.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
D1 schools cannot work out players at any time

Are you sure about this? Seems to me if this were true there would be no camps or clinics on campuses.

I have always been under the impression that at an unofficial visit, or at camps or clinics, workouts are not prohibited.

I stopped by a camp this weekend. The coach (D1) explained schools get around the no workout rule by hosting invite-only camps for kids they are interested in recruiting. If the kid pays something and pays his way there, they can work out.

Greenlight....workouts are allowed at D2 schools, not D1, though. Not sure about D3.

Just to clarify:

I have a contact who is friends with several players at the university. The players indicated they would be willing to talk to my kid and throw a ball around for fun and possibly allow him to hit with them in the cages.

I can’t find any information concerning “contact” or working out with current players at their facility.

I will heed TRhits advice and leave the bat/glove at home.

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
I stopped by a camp this weekend. The coach (D1) explained schools get around the no workout rule by hosting invite-only camps for kids they are interested in recruiting. If the kid pays something and pays his way there, they can work out.

Greenlight....workouts are allowed at D2 schools, not D1, though. Not sure about D3.

Thanks, Dad. I think I get it now. If the players pay a token "fee", the workout qualifies as a camp or clinic and is ok at the D1 level.

Exactly, Greenlight.

quote:

Originally posted by Green Light:

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
I stopped by a camp this weekend. The coach (D1) explained schools get around the no workout rule by hosting invite-only camps for kids they are interested in recruiting. If the kid pays something and pays his way there, they can work out.

Greenlight....workouts are allowed at D2 schools, not D1, though. Not sure about D3.

Thanks, Dad. I think I get it now. If the players pay a token "fee", the workout qualifies as a camp or clinic and is ok at the D1 level.

Not allowed at D3 either

TR is right, D-I can't work out players. Players can attend paid for camps at a college.

Coaches will go see players at showcases, but you can't show up on campus and be asked to throw a bullpen with the starting catcher.

Son is a D-I freshman right now and that still doesn't mean he can throw a bullpen with the starting catcher.

quote:

Originally posted by Green Light:

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
I stopped by a camp this weekend. The coach (D1) explained schools get around the no workout rule by hosting invite-only camps for kids they are interested in recruiting. If the kid pays something and pays his way there, they can work out.

Greenlight....workouts are allowed at D2 schools, not D1, though. Not sure about D3.

Thanks, Dad. I think I get it now. If the players pay a token "fee", the workout qualifies as a camp or clinic and is ok at the D1 level.

I wouldn't classify paying a couple hundred for a camp as a "token fee"

quote:

Originally posted by Mark B:

quote:

Originally posted by Green Light:

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
I stopped by a camp this weekend. The coach (D1) explained schools get around the no workout rule by hosting invite-only camps for kids they are interested in recruiting. If the kid pays something and pays his way there, they can work out.

Greenlight....workouts are allowed at D2 schools, not D1, though. Not sure about D3.

Thanks, Dad. I think I get it now. If the players pay a token "fee", the workout qualifies as a camp or clinic and is ok at the D1 level.

I wouldn't classify paying a couple hundred for a camp as a "token fee"

According to my own experience, and my interpretation of Dad04's post, I was referring to the invite-only clinics that are reserved for kids the schools already know they are interested in recruiting. These can be small groups of as few as four players or so, and again in my experience, the fees can be nominal.

Actually, a couple hundred dollars for a standard mass-email invitation camp isn't too bad, these days. But sorry if I offended by using the word "token".

I helped with a lunch at a D1 camp last weekend. There were 40-50 HS sophomores and juniors there. I found it interesting, after talking with the coach that there was nothing about the camp on the school's website or anywhere on the internet. It was truly an invite-only deal for prospects only. I have no idea what the kids paid.

BBoy400 is correct in what he said in his post, and so is TRhit in his. Schools cannot "work out" players at any time, but they do interpret the rules differently.

Div. I does allow "Activities Not Involving Institution's Staff" during a prospect's visit to campus. What makes the NCAA Manual such a joy to interpret is that this is in the same section that prohibits "Tryouts."

This exception basically says that prospects can participate in "physical activities" while on campus, as long as they are not organized, promoted, or observed by a coach or athletic department staff member. In addition, current players who engage in such activities with prospects are not supposed to report back to the coaching staff (and, of course they would NEVER do such a thing).

The rationale for this exception was for the truly dedicated athletes who want to work out every day. A hitter who wants to be in the cage every day, the swimmers who need to be in the pool every day, or a golfer who wants to be on the driving range.

In BBoy400's example of his son's official visit with 5 other recruits, I can easily see a coach at another school having no problem with that, especially if it was after practice was over and the current players had headed to the locker room.

Another factor is that schools who may have recently had to self-report minor violations will have less tolerance for such activities than others. And, of course, the integrity and ethics of the coaches can play a factor as well.

Just for the record... It is my understanding that DI colleges are not allowed to legally have "Invite Only" tryouts or camps. That does not mean that it isn't done. They can have "open" camps and still invite players.

PGStaff is correct. The rule is that "A member institution's sports camp or clinic shall be open to any and all entrants..." but they can certainly invite players. It's also very vague as to how widely a camp must be publicized. As such, some camps in essence are "invite only" because many prospects don't know about them.

quote:

Originally posted by PGStaff:
Just for the record... It is my understanding that DI colleges are not allowed to legally have "Invite Only" tryouts or camps. That does not mean that it isn't done. They can have "open" camps and still invite players.

Maybe what I meant was there are camps that are not well promoted.....