Following a model originally put into place in Texas, the South Carolina Football Coaches Association is working to implement "Straight Line Recruiting" for student-athletes in the Palmetto State.
According to coaches that spoke with PalmettoPreps.com, one driving force behind the initiatives launch was negative repercussions stemming from a trend that's been observed for high school student-athletes.
"With the privatization of athletics across the country, there are good scenarios and not-good scenarios," SCFCA president Jimmy Noonan said. "There are folks that are beneficial to the kids and there are some folks out there just to make a dollar on the dreams of kids and the emotions of parents. The recruiting process, there's no one that knows the kids better than our high school coaches."
SCFCA Vice President Lee Taylor pointed to some "handlers" or trainer types within the state as causing the issues.
"These other parties are taking credit for a student-athlete, who was developed in a SC high school system, for being recruited and securing offers," Taylor said. "There are some solid instructors and we never want to hamper a kid from the opportunity to get in 'extra' work. We fully support that. We just want to ensure that the recruiting process goes directly and only through the high school coaches and the player's parents."
The straight line model asks the following of college coaches:
- Advance contact to a high school coach prior to visiting the high school's campus
- Use of social media to promote the high school and high school coach, mentions in media opportunities after an athlete's signing of the high school and head coach
- Communication with the high school coach prior to dispensing a scholarship offer, or if an offer is made while a student-athlete is on a college campus, letting the student-athlete know the offer is contingent upon approval of the high school coach
The method asks the following of high school coaches:
- Make time to meet with college coaches when they travel to high school campuses
- Take photos with recruiters while at the school, celebrating them on social media with the hashtag #SLR, promote student-athletes who receive an offer by mentioning the college coach, school, and utilizing the #SLR hashtag
- Hold universities and college coaches accountable for "committable" offers
- Collect helpful information on student-athletes for the evaluation process, manage/coordinate college visit process
- Two-way communication about any mishandling of recruitment between high school and college coaches
Each of the state's three FBS football programs all released statements via head coaches espousing support for the straight line recruiting process this week.
"I understand the importance of a high school football coach," said University of South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer. "I have so much respect for all the roles a high school coach plays. My dad was a high school coach initially before a long coaching career. I still find myself using some of the things my high school coach taught me as a husband, father, and football coach. My staff and I support all the high school coaches in the state. We stand committed to straight line recruiting."
The state of Alabama is also implementing straight line, while Tennessee is said by coaches to be taking a hard look as well.
"I'll be the first to tell you that there's good high school coaches and there are folks that need work," said Noonan. "But, the influence of a coach beyond the football game, there's no better source especially in regards to cultivating the athlete's character and helping evaluate the individual's athletic progression. On a daily basis, the high school coach has feedback. That's where it should start. Are there folks that help in the process? Certainly. I have folks I feel totally comfortable with our kids working out with the kid because they always involve me. If the kid wants to work harder and extra, so be it."
SLR, according to Noonan, is best described as an "open line of communication and an understanding." A point of emphasis appears to be the elimination of confusing and preying financially on parents, which has been observed by coaches.
"They're spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars just to get their kids out there when the recruiters are going to come back to the high school coach anyway," Noonan said of some family members.
Noon boiled down SLR's goal to one key point.
"We feel that through the straight line process, that we're able to help that kid be better prepared for success and that the success rate will increase if this is followed. At the end of the day, what's going to make the kid as successful as he can be?"
* For more information on straight line recruiting, check out the SCFCA Twitter page. *
