The Observer, March 28, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 22
No recess for recruiting
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By this time Case athletics coaches have contacted the players and have, at the very least, a relationship over the phone. The fall is the period where players visit campus, and coaches and college students get to show off their wares.
"When they're at Case there's only so much I can do with them. They want to talk to the students. It's a very important phase. They'll give a campus tour, maybe introduce a faculty member to the recruit-in many ways that's the most effective and important period of the process," said head men's basketball coach Sean McDonnell.
The current players are often asked to participate in the student ambassador program in order for recruits to have exposure with the team. Students are told to be candid with recruits, not to mislead them, and answer all questions truthfully.
Along with the admissions office, coaches during this period help with any questions students may have with the application process to Case. A sizable portion of the recruiting process goes toward getting recruits to just apply to Case.
All the while, fall sports coaches are refining their recruiting lists and going to games every spare moment they aren't coaching for Case. The needs of the team play a huge role in determining priority among athletes in the recruiting process.
Wrestling is an example of a sport that requires all sorts of athletes. Coach Bob Del Rosa said with the wide range of wrestlers required at the collegiate level, it would be disadvantageous for him to recruit without considering weight classes.
"Obviously we can't recruit everyone that can wrestle that has a certain GPA. You have to consider their size and where they fit in. Lately I've been lucky with seven to eight young men with diverse classes, which has been nice. At the same time we do need bodies in the room to practice," said Del Rosa.
Baseball has a similar approach, with an emphasis on centerfielders, shortstops, catchers, and pitchers. Centerfielders can often easily be converted to play other outfield positions as the need arises, just as a shortstop can play third and second bases without too much hassle. Catchers are often in short supply, and are placed in higher regard. Baseball teams are always in search of new pitchers to supplement the staff already on board.
Football takes a much different approach to recruiting positions. Whereas wrestling and baseball can afford using a more refined technique, football has a greater need for masses of players-it would just complicate things to reconfigure recruiting in order for certain positions to take priority.
"I really believe recruiting larger numbers of players is one of the keys to becoming better. We can always make the athletes try another position. We've doubled the amount we recruit in the past four years; the problem is retaining guys we recruit," said head football coach Greg Debeljak.
Recruiting for cross-country and track events often present caveats to the doctrine of recruiting positions as needed. Due to several differences between events at the high school and collegiate levels, cross-country coach Kathy Lanese needs to make judgment calls on recruits. She describes her cross-country needs as "pure distance runners that will be able to handle increased mileage" and track recruits as more "versatile athletes, skilled runners." High school steeplechase is nonexistent in several states around Ohio, which leaves Lanese with the job of training an athlete for an entirely new event.
No matter how hard or long a coach works, there are always other factors that combine to determine whether a prospect attends Case the following fall. One variable is the skill or qualities that a recruiter must embody in order to snag the best and brightest recruits.
Above all, recruiting is a subjective science. Those coaches who can identify the players that will fit into Case and fit into the team's chemistry will certainly succeed more than the coach who recruits strictly based off numbers from high school. However, once the recruits are contacted, several aspects of human interaction come to the surface.
"As in any sales position, it is of utmost importance to do what people expect you to do. Make them believe what we offer is something they want to be a part of. The kids you want respond positively when you tell them it's going to be hard, a year-long commitment, and if you're not into that we're not interested in you," said head baseball coach Matt Englander.
Trust, diligence, honesty all play a huge role in bringing a recruit to visit. Lanese added that the love for her job makes it a lot easier to convey positive aspects of Case. There might be a little magic in the formula, but the main point is to describe Case as it is, and be honest in every action, every day.
