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Son has now two choices, he is an excellent track runner and fair football player. Two schools are looking at him, one for track which is a Div 1-AA and the other Division 3 for football and track. He is a very competive kid and I think the D-3 as far as track goes is not going to be competitive enough. I feel if he chooses the Divion 3 for football he is going to be unhappy, but do I have a right to interfer as a parent of let this be his choice.

By AFL on Friday, April 05, 2002 - 09:43 am: Edit

Tell him what's on your mind but make sure you listen to what's on his as well. He may even have some thoughts that you haven't considered yet.

You might also want to tell your son (but be kind here!) that SOME Division III coaches have the nasty habit of encouraging applicants who will never leave the bench once admitted. Div. III coaches don't have to put money where their mouths are, and--without the letters of commitment that many Div. I coaches enjoy--they have no way of knowing in advance just how many players will actually matriculate. So, often a Div. III coach will actively recruit ALL interested players to make sure he has a full roster of potential players come September.

For example, if a Div. III coach needs a quarterback, it behooves him to woo as many as possible, with the hope that at least a couple will show up for preseason training. In some years, however, far more than a couple quarterbacks arrive (maybe as many as 7 or 8) and there is surely not room in the program for all of them.

So, remember, no matter how much sweet talk your "fair" football-playing son heard from that Div. III coach, there's a good chance he'll never don a helmet at game time. Wouldn't it be a disappointment indeed if he settled for Div III track in order to play football, only to find that he didn't play anyway?

BTW, is there a scholarship involved at the Div. 1 school?

By Dadster on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 11:56 am: Edit

Good insight, AFL. I can see how Division III coaches might get carried away without actually having to make a firm commitment of some kind. I'm sure most of them are honest and interested in the future of their kids, but the possibility of overpromising is certainly there.