Contact colleges for recruitment

Question
Al, great site, and terrific advise.  My son will be submitting applications soon to colleges.  He's a senior this year, and by all I've read on the site he should do well in D3 and D1 would be a stretch for him.  Grades and erg times are good, not outstanding, he sits in the engine room of a public school state champion 8.

But how do we approach coaches?  Is it integrated with the academic application -- or do you suggest an alternate approach.  What do coaches want to see that we can actually show them?  And if applying to D3 schools, are they goverened by NCAA eligibility process?  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Mark: A lot of good questions here.  The first thing I'd like to clarify is that the college rowing organization differs substantially from traditional sports like football and basketball.  There realy isn't Division 1 or Division 3 crew.  It's very subjective which schools are good and not so good in crew.  Powerhouse Football schools like Michigan and Florida have modest crew teams.  Ivy League schools and so called DIA or DIII schools like Northeastern, Marietta, and Dowling College are among the best programs in the country.  Even my alma mater, Temple, is a laugh on the football field (but not this year), but has been one of the best crews in the country for years.  In fact, Nothing in the rules stops a tiny liberal arts college from entering a crew against the likes of Harvard and Yale in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships, which is the de facto championship of rowing.  

Generally, any Ivy League school offers a very competitive rowing program.  The EARC schools consist of the Ivys, Navy, Wisconsin, Northeastern, Rutgers and a few others.  That's probably the closest to D1.  The Pac-10 has a lot of very strong crews that compete on the West Coast; Washington and Stanford are the best.  All other schools mostly race at what's called the Dad Vail Rowing Association.  These schools culminate their season at the Dad Vail Regatta, held in Phildelphia in early May.

So in actuality, your son could feasibly row for Harvard or Yale in a JV or third eight, but not in the Varsity 8.  So I think what you are asking is what schools could he have a shot of making varsity in.  My recommendation is to target some schools that appeal to your son based on locale, academics, social environment, etc. and research those schools' crew programs for his shortlist.  

Further research with specific programs is the only way to find out.  Use the link below to help you out in your research:

http://www.rowinglinks.com/usa/colleges/

Now, more than ever, good colleges want to see more on a candidates resume than good grades and SATs.  Participation in a sport like crew, coupled with good grades, tells a college admissions officer that you are disciplined, possess good character, and have more potential to succeed in a rigorous academic program than a candidate who did not play sports.

The rules on eligibility only apply if your son intends on gaining an thletic scholarship.  There are cetain restrictions if your son was a junior.  Since your son is a senior, he is authorized to apply for an athletic scholarship.  So I would start now if I were you.  

Finding a good rowing program should parallel your search for a good college.  First, you want to find what colleges have academic programs that interest you. When you come up with a short list of colleges, research their college rowing programs' websites thoroughly.  They will have e-mail addresses for the freshman or lightweight coaches if you want to ask them questions. You can also find out what programs are offered (open, lightweight, freshman, pairs), whether scholarships are offered, etc.

Almost all crew websites have online forms (some centralized via the college's athletic department). Those without questionnaires or forms should provide email addresses to write to the coach to signal your interest. Your initial email or letter is your opportunity to make a good first impression. In it, give your height and weight, erg scores, which side(s) you row, the number of years you have been part of your high school or club rowing program, and list some notable results, especially any big regattas such as your  Head of the Charles race.  Also give your SAT scores, your GPA, class rank, as well as your coach's and guidance counselor's contact information.

When the coach writes back, he will probably send you additional materials and information, as well as suggestions for dates for recruitment visits. In some sports, the trend is that college coaches are asking to see videos.

Whenever a coach contacts you, respond promptly. Recruitment can be a time-consuming headache, for coaches, and full of uncertainty. Help the recruitment process by submitting information, applications, materials, etc. on or before the due dates at every stage. This will be seen as advance indicators of your organization and self-discipline, and thus of your future coachability. Make yourself easy to recruit, and you will be.

The above applies if your son is serious about an athletic scholarship.  But it can't hurt if you want to get a coach to acknowledge that your son has interest in a program.   

Good Luck/AP