Sports Parenting & NCAA Recruiting

Recruiting.  What’s the difference between a “quiet period” and a “dead period” in the recruiting calendar?  Is a homesick college freshman penalized for dropping out after signing a binding letter of intent?  Can a free taco lunch with a sports agent wreck a kid’s future? 

The NCAA Division I Manual is a brain-charring “read” that weighs in at a robust 432 pages of rules, exceptions to the rules, and exclusions to the exceptions…to the rules.  And no pictures.  That’s the bad news.  The worse news is that these academic requirements, amateurism standards, and recruiting restrictions start the freshman year of high school - so study up on the byzantine world of NCAA compliance before high school starts.

The good news, however, is that the NCAA provides several free resources for parents.  Consider bookmarking these websites:

NCAA Recruiting Guidance:  NCAA.org

NCAA Compliance Bylaws:  NCAAPublications.com

National Letter of Intent and Scholarships:  NationalLetter.org                

                NCAA Academic “Core Course” Requirements:  EligibilityCenter.org