Was it worth it? The recruiting dust has settled....

Well, I have been trying to figure out if I want to take my blogs to a podcast or just stop writing them, as I am not sure if they are my therapy or yours. I hope a little bit of both, but here goes nothing. Last fall, we were able to go on nearly eight visits between both kids. They got to see some awesome football games, eat some cool meals, and just enjoy the fruits of the labor. Who am I kidding, Angel and I were on cloud nine, walking around like we were the cool kids on campus as we got to hear all the great things these various schools felt about our kids, haha.

I have often wondered if I would ever feel like all the early mornings, missed promotions, or missed family events would be worth it. The answer is yes, was it easy? Lord no. Has it gotten better? Sure. I guess what I am saying is that through all of these ups and downs, the process was exhausting. With the new recruiting rules and scholarship allotments, we also felt like we were lucky to be late to the party with Joey, at least.

Joey's recruiting journey was pretty difficult for him. The ups, the downs, the hurry up and waits. The injury and the recovery. The pressure, failures, but ultimately, the victories were pretty awesome. The truth is, though, there is never really a time to take a breath and look back on his accomplishments. I know these will sound like first-world problems, and I don't mean to sound like a complainer, but here I go.

All we ever want for our kids is someone to love them like we do. The problem with a lot of options is the pressure of picking the wrong one becomes a new stress you can't know until you go through it. It's consuming and almost unbearable. Is it a good problem to have vs the opposite? I am sure. Then, when no one does, we start to feel resentful and want anyone to reach out. We have experienced both of these scenarios in his journey and they make the visits all that better.

Without getting into specifics for fear of all things jinxing and my superstitious way, I will say this. Throughout the process, you will hear things, you will see things about particular schools. This will come from other parents and other players. Go on the visits. Go meet the staff. Do your own research. I can not tell you how many times we were on site and looked at each other only to say what the heck I thought this or I thought that. Some were good and some were bad but none of it was able without being there. Do not ever circle a school as a must-be or a no-way until you go and see it. If it's truly an option you owe it to yourself and to your child to make the trip. As their parents, you also have to sometimes guide them (force) them to do this lol.

One common theme from parents I have spoken to was that the school their child picked was either out of the blue or not their "Top pick." I don't mean to say that the school they loved didn't call I just mean that the school they loved was not the best school for them by the time it came to choose. Both of my kids went to places they thought were the "ONE," only to find out it was not. The story of kids who have dreams of attending a college and then going there are most likely far and few between. In the end, I often use this phrase. "Go where you're loved, and you will love where you go."

Here are a few tips for parents from my experience. Be in the room for these phone calls. Yes, this is their journey, but similar to their first time behind the wheel or their first time riding a bike without training wheels, most of us were there to watch, listen, and guide. This is true in this scenario. After there is some relationship and the kids have spoken to this coach a few times, and you have an idea of what they are all about, then sure, but for the most part, be in the room. You, as an adult, can fully vet the verbiage used by another adult towards your child. Things like "We like you and want to see you play" will mean something much different to our kids and us. We will understand that this means you are on their radar, but a child may take this as a full-ride offer. Maybe your kids are way better at communicating what they hear, but in my house, it was best for us to be in the room and hear the actual verbiage. Since we are the ones paying for various camps and various trips, I think we also have the right to sit in on these. I have also heard parents say, "Well, it's their journey, so I let them make the decisions." You are a better parent than me if you can remain out of this. I could not. I loved being able to provide guidance and my point of view with my kids. Ultimately, it was their decision, but after having full, thoughtful conversations and weighing out the pros and cons of each school and offer.

Special shout out to Rob @https://www.instagram.com/tuftenoughrugs/# for the rugs he made for the kids (picture above). Pretty cool keepsake for them on their journey to their selected schools. If you'd like to know more about them hit me up...