Would some of you help me understand the rules NCAA schools need to follow when recruiting high school students. I swear I have read there is to be no contact from coaches before July 1 after the student's 16th birthday. But I can't find that now. All I can find is no contact by coaches until July after Junior year.
Your thoughts on what to do if you have knowledge of what may be a recruiting violation would also be appreciated.
Yeah, it can be tough. Sometime parents and swimmers actively seek out coaches in public settings before we can legally talk to them. It's hard to explain to parents, but the rules are very important for the protection of the athletes. In an environment where college kids are treated more and more like pros, the dream of being a college swimmer can be a distraction and the reality of college swimming can be quite different than the dream. Students need to be pretty mature to make smart decisions about taking on a challenge like swimming on top of academics. A little accidental contact handled in the right way does no harm, but there are some coaches who intentionally cross the line. If that happens it really should be reported.
Yeah, it can be tough. Sometime parents and swimmers actively seek out coaches in public settings before we can legally talk to them. It's hard to explain to parents, but the rules are very important for the protection of the athletes. In an environment where college kids are treated more and more like pros, the dream of being a college swimmer can be a distraction and the reality of college swimming can be quite different than the dream. Students need to be pretty mature to make smart decisions about taking on a challenge like swimming on top of academics. A little accidental contact handled in the right way does no harm, but there are some coaches who intentionally cross the line. If that happens it really should be reported.
