Sometimes we all shake our heads wondering why someone does something. In sport, we do it when coaches make play calls or substitutions that make no sense to us. You can watch people shake their heads, shrug their shoulders, or raise their hands in a questioning gesture when you are in a group setting and these things take place.
The other day, as I sat with some of my colleagues and partners preparing to go fishing, a commitment alert came across our system. When I read it aloud, all five other hockey professionals had one version or another of the head shake or disbelief response.
Originally when I started writing this article, I was going to point out the school and the coach, but changed my mind because giving the commitment any additional coverage may have added to some people believing in its validity. I decided against that approach for that reason, and I did not want to publicly embarrass the player it involves.
Many times, in my role as an Adviser, players and parents ask “why him?”, “when will my turn come” and a number of other variations concerning when they will get their NCAA commitment. My answer is always the same. “It will happen when it is meant to happen.” Invariably I am always right in this response, and in six years have not missed on an NCAA eligible player getting a commitment opportunity.
What many do not know is how “political” some commitments may be. In the case of the commitment under discussion here, it was all politics. It had nothing to do with skill or ability.
One player received a commitment after another player received a commitment simply because it was part of the deal. Nothing based on one of the players being able to play at that level at all. It was in essence what we like to call “a package deal”.
While I have never been involved in a “package deal” at the NCAA level, I can honestly say I have been involved in many “package deals” when it comes to high level junior hockey. It happens all the time.
One player wants to have his buddy with him where he plays, and that player is so good, he can command another roster spot for his friend because if the team doesn’t do it, another team will. But that is junior hockey. It is free to play, and its all a part of the deal making process.
At the NCAA level, and in particular the school under discussion, we are talking about an institution. An “Institution” using the word in the most positive way, in a way that carries so much weight that other “institutions” emulate what it does.
Because NCAA commitments are so few, they are so valuable. Supply and demand.
When an NCAA program participates in this kind of “package dealing” they devalue, and destabilize the whole commitment system.
A “verbal” commitment really doesn’t mean too much any more anyway. Players break them, schools break them. Players and schools separate from each other all the time even after athletes are enrolled in school.
Players and parents don’t really understand the whole commitment process. They don’t understand what it means, how it works, or what it doesn’t mean.
What they do understand though is when a clearly less talented athlete gets a commitment of any type is that the system is just as corrupt as any other business. What they do understand is that when these things happen, that the product they are seeking really has a questionable value.
It is like putting a very nice sports car on lay away for a few years. You keep working, you keep paying on it. You do this for three, four, or five years.
Finally, you hear from the dealership that you have put in enough work and paid enough to come and pick up your car.
When you get there though, you find out that your car isn’t worth the eighty thousand you thought it would be worth. You find that its only worth ten thousand because while you were putting in the work and paying on it, they developed a newer and better model.
If you don’t take the car at that point and do some after market upgrades that cost more money to improve its value, you get nothing.
This is an analogy of what a verbal commitment can be.
You make your commitment. You work for years. Finally the school says they will enroll you now. You get there and what you thought was a full ride has turned into a ten percent scholarship.
This happens all the time, and it happens because of the wheeling and dealing at the NCAA level. It happens because NCAA coaches will sometimes do anything to get the player they want.
Including doing “package deals”.
A word of caution to all parents and players. Learn the system. Educate yourselves. Or get a good adviser who has gone through these processes before.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
231-330-8222
