Here's A New Parent Email

The best young high school football prospect's parents emailed looking for advice as to where their son should attend school. He's going to get a scholarship. Three schools are aggressively recruiting. All three schools are different in terms of their respective football teams (one's young, one's a contender, the other is average with a great past). Oh, and one of those is the local school I cover.

I'm not going to offer up any advice. I don't think it's my place to help a kid I could I potentially end up covering for four years.

Anyone else ever got an email like this?

 

I haven't had it e-mail, but I have had parents ask me for advice. I just tell them I'm the wrong person to ask because I was not recruited and am no expert on that process.

 

You definitely do not want to get in the position of suggesting a certain school or coach.

You might point them to others who might be helpful -- a hs coach who has seen his share of recruits, a recruiting guru who might give them some insight; an agent who might loan his Hummer, etc.

 

Here's how it goes. Get job at rivals.com or scout. Get cozy with recruiting coordinator. Under the guise of journalism, begin recruiting where, when and how the coaches can't. Line your pockets with tax-free, under the table money.

 

Oh, god no. Stay away from this one.
But tell them -- where ever they attend -- to study journalism.

 

Hey, now. No need to be cruel.

 

If you really want to curb this sort of thing.
Show the parents a paystub. It will be the last time they ask any journalist for advice.

 

I wouldn't even do this (although I know it's tongue-in-cheek), because any kind of "recommendation," even of a coach or paid recruiting gun, can get you in hot water.

 

Don't get it from parents; have certainly been asked by family and friends. I usually tell them what I know about a particular school and then tell them to keep doing their own research.

 

Whatever you do, do not refer anyone to one of those self-proclaimed ``recruiting gurus'' for advice. Of any sort.

 

I know a writer who was asked by the parents of a major-conference college football transfer within the past three years which school their son should choose and why.

You just want to say, "You've been through the recruiting process. You screwed up the first time. It's obvious. But my God, don't make it so apparent that you have no idea what you're doing than to ask me."

 

I'm guessing Ace was making a joke, guys. Don't be dense