Excel Director Chris Bates is both The Episcopal Academy’s head varsity boys’ lacrosse coach and head coach of the Archers Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League. In his work, he helps young student-athletes navigate the college athletic recruitment process. Below, Chris gives his best tips for parents of 5th-9th graders who are beginning to get interested in playing at the collegiate level.
Does your son or daughter dream about playing a sport in college? As parents, are you already thinking about how to put your child in the best position to reach this goal? Finding the right path and balance to support this process is filled with countless questions and challenges.
As a college coach for almost 25 years and now a high school coach for seven, I have seen the enormous stress and myriad of landmines that pursuing the objective of playing in college presents. Clearcut answers are, and will be, hard to find as each young athlete’s path is unique. As a parent, you can most help your child’s process at this stage by empowering them to focus on the things they can control:
Academics
Yes it sounds cliche, but your son or daughter’s transcript will always be critical, no matter how good he or she is. Better grades will always open up more college doors. There is so much national (and international, in some cases) competition for coveted roster slots that a great academic profile is what puts a recruit over the top. You are obviously emphasizing grades already, but helping your child understand how their habits and performance now can open up doors later will be beneficial.
Training
At this stage, worrying about exposure to college coaches is a waste of time and money. Up until high school, sport-specific skill and overall athletic development (strength & conditioning) are the most critical controllables aside from grades. The clear focus should be on basic fundamental skills as well as improving your child’s sport IQ so they can compete effectively at increasingly higher levels. Find smart, highly recommended trainers as well as teaching camps, clinics, and clubs that focus on and measure individual growth. Exposure opportunities come later. And yes, keep playing more than one sport! Sport specialization too early is a mistake in most every instance in my opinion.
Perspective
A few final thoughts: as you start to navigate this process with your young athlete, it is absolutely essential that they have an ownership role along the way. I’ve seen too many times where parents are solely driving the train. Ultimately it backfires in a variety of ways. Make sure that this is something they truly want. If they do, provide them with support and resources and do your best to minimize the stress and noise so they (and you) can enjoy the journey!
Specially designed and led by The Episcopal Academy‘s varsity coaches, Excel camps are the Main Line’s premier summer sports camps for young players of all skill levels. See how Excel’s athletic camps can give your child a competitive edge in the sport they love.