A Providence perspective with message board commentary;
http://www.coxhub.com/articles/the-...28846065&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
http://www.coxhub.com/articles/the-...28846065&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Impact of Fans on Recruiting
- Thread starter paultzman
- Start date
beast of the east
Active member
Lots of speculation as to what recruits do and don't do. Certainly they are looking for any information as to who else may be getting recruited for their year, especially at their position. Do I know that they are or aren't reading a board? Does anyone know for sure?
I can say this - the recruiting period for most D1 players which can start as early as the 9th grade and only intensifies until his announcement, is the most exciting time in most kid's lives. I would guess that aside from the HS games they are playing, it absolutely consumes them.
1. Does attendance at home games influence recruits - I would say definitely.
2. Do websites such as redmen.com influence them? - I would say minimally, because honestly every one of these sites have complete idiots on them, and what fans say on here would have little or no impact. The article is correct though to presume that players look at posts about them.
3. Aside from the obvious attention a winning program generates from worldwide media, playing in front of a packed house of crazed students has a huge effect. Playing in front of a half filled (or worse) house of mostly 50-80 year olds has somewhat of a negative effect I would think.
4. A nationally ranked team with a great reputation for getting guys to the pros and a chance for an NCAA championship trumps all .
I can say this - the recruiting period for most D1 players which can start as early as the 9th grade and only intensifies until his announcement, is the most exciting time in most kid's lives. I would guess that aside from the HS games they are playing, it absolutely consumes them.
1. Does attendance at home games influence recruits - I would say definitely.
2. Do websites such as redmen.com influence them? - I would say minimally, because honestly every one of these sites have complete idiots on them, and what fans say on here would have little or no impact. The article is correct though to presume that players look at posts about them.
3. Aside from the obvious attention a winning program generates from worldwide media, playing in front of a packed house of crazed students has a huge effect. Playing in front of a half filled (or worse) house of mostly 50-80 year olds has somewhat of a negative effect I would think.
4. A nationally ranked team with a great reputation for getting guys to the pros and a chance for an NCAA championship trumps all .
STJ11Redmen
Active member
I don't think message board impact can be overstated. Parents love to read anything and everything written about their children. My brother played football in college and my parents would lurk on their teams message boards. One time someone had a comment about my brother and my mom got really upset to the point where she tried to actually find the person who said it. People have to remember that these are kids who play for free when they make negative comments. They aren't pro athletes.
Fortunately my brother and his friend's recruiting years were before the internet took off, and he wasn't high profile enough to be involved in national discussions anyways but i'd say everyone he played with and all of his friends who were being recruited by top programs were very much invested in the seasons they were participating in both high school and JC and that recruiting seemed secondary, almost an inconvienient means to an end for some. I guess I'm just arguing that it doesn't necesarily consume all these kid's lives to the degree that you might think. Also it's not always a positive exciting experience. My memories of coaches coming into our house were reminisent of a presidential primary debate with coaches badmouthing each other and mostly using scare tactics, at best it was like inviting a used car salesman into your house. (one particular scare tactic backfired and helped my brother make his decision for him) I was just an 11 and 13 year old observer, but I did sit in on most of the meetings with my brother's suitors, and strangely some meetings with big time coaches recruitng his friends. (not sure why that happened. lol) It's not always a net positive or exciting experience and I saw both sides of it at a young age. That said this was all pre twitter, and I can't imagine how twitter/message boards would have effected my brother's mor high profile teammates.
Put a winning team on the floor and attendance will rise It goes hand and hand along with very good facilities,getting prior and present kids to the next level if they have the talent and a coaching staff that can recruit along with having a professional and clean program. We may be headed for that kind of program
beast of the east
Active member
Thanks for sharing your perspective. Was your brother D1, and what sport did he play?
He was a basketball player, and No he went JC then NAIA, had offers to walk on at tiny d1's like Northern Arizona but took the full ride. 3 of his JC teammates who did go d1 and whom I witnessed some of their recruiting (albeit to a much lesser extent) played for Kansas, St Louis and Western Illinois.