How would you sell Iowa State to recruits?
- Thread starter ScottyP
- Start date
I think people are forgetting the basics... ISU has one of the most beutiful campus' in the nation. When I was visiting colleges last year none came close to ISU. This among other things are good selling points.
Would this actually sell to a 17-18 year old wanting to play football/basketball?
If the campus was filled with women in bikinis on a year-round basis. Unfortunately, the weather doesn't seem to cooperate with that...
It made a hell of a difference to me considering I'm coming from a 50 year old highschool that was originally a kindergarden (sadly it's the second largest school population wise in the state).
You all have a lot of very nice comments and have state things you like about ISU and think we should highlight.
Unfortunately, most of these things mean nothing to a HS kid that wants to play major college sports. Frankly, if we are recruiting the right kids (ones with speed and athleticism), they probably harbor hopes of making money from their sport and not their degree. Now, their parents might have a little different thought process relative to the degree (and some may not). At any rate, I would take two tracks:
With the kid-
--opportunity to play quickly
--opportunity to be a part of creating/building a winning tradition...making a mark
--opportunity to play in a big time BCS conference and get great exposure
--opportunity to play for coaches who have put players in the pros
--opportunity to play in a market where you are the only game in town...you will be treated like a pro
With the parent-
--smaller/safer environment...less chance to find trouble
--a degree that is worth something
--coaches that will treat your son like family
--fans that will treat your son like family
--beautiful campus
Unfortunately, most of these things mean nothing to a HS kid that wants to play major college sports. Frankly, if we are recruiting the right kids (ones with speed and athleticism), they probably harbor hopes of making money from their sport and not their degree. Now, their parents might have a little different thought process relative to the degree (and some may not). At any rate, I would take two tracks:
With the kid-
--opportunity to play quickly
--opportunity to be a part of creating/building a winning tradition...making a mark
--opportunity to play in a big time BCS conference and get great exposure
--opportunity to play for coaches who have put players in the pros
--opportunity to play in a market where you are the only game in town...you will be treated like a pro
With the parent-
--smaller/safer environment...less chance to find trouble
--a degree that is worth something
--coaches that will treat your son like family
--fans that will treat your son like family
--beautiful campus
For the football players, walk them and their parents from Curtis to Beardshear on one of those perfect fall Friday afternoons before a home football game, when the trees are cardinal and gold and the smell of hamburgers and brats is wafting through the air.
For the basketball players, take them to the Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, etc. game and have one of the assistants who isn't too busy ask them if they want to feel the court shake.
Either of those would work for me.
For the basketball players, take them to the Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas, etc. game and have one of the assistants who isn't too busy ask them if they want to feel the court shake.
Either of those would work for me.
My response would have been 1)Big 12, 2) Great degree, 3) upcoming coaches, 4) playing time.
But then I thought of the time I asked a friend of mine from NJ who played for the Clones on why he came to Ames. I asked if he felt out of place being in Iowa and only one of 300 black students out of 22,000?
His answer on why he selected ISU was only one of the above. He told me back in NJ he was just another "------", and that "I came to Ames to play football in a clean program, get a degree, live in a nice community, and earn RESPECT."
And he has.
But then I thought of the time I asked a friend of mine from NJ who played for the Clones on why he came to Ames. I asked if he felt out of place being in Iowa and only one of 300 black students out of 22,000?
His answer on why he selected ISU was only one of the above. He told me back in NJ he was just another "------", and that "I came to Ames to play football in a clean program, get a degree, live in a nice community, and earn RESPECT."
And he has.
