For many student-athletes, first impressions really are everything.
As the intangibles often make the difference for athletes choosing between several similar programs and similar schools, the relationship that a prospective student-athlete and coach develop over the course of the recruiting process is often determined from the first meeting. Sophomore ice hockey and soccer player Greg O'Connell was no exception.
"[Hockey head coach Brian Murphy] showed an interest in me toward the end of my junior year," O'Connell said. "When I came for follow-up visits in the fall and stayed on campus overnight, he showed a continued interest. He was very supportive throughout the entire [recruiting process]. There's nothing worse than an unsupportive coach during that time."
In addition to the quality of academics and campus life, student-athletes must also consider the competitiveness of the program, location, athletic facilities, coaching staffs and likely playing time they will see.
As it does in many individual recruiting processes, geography and familiarity on both sides of the table played a role in O'Connell's decision to attend Tufts.
As a Massachusetts native who played hockey at the Belmont Hill School, O'Connell had the opportunity to showcase his talent in front of college scouts on a regular basis. Murphy, also a Belmont Hill alumnus, had seen O'Connell play numerous times around the Boston area, and was well aware of his talent before officially showing any initial interest in him.
"[O'Connell] was a local guy and I was familiar with the program he was coming from," Murphy said. "I saw him play in a bunch of summer tournaments and throughout his junior year. We thought he was a good fit for our program and a good student. So I called him after I saw him play a few times."
For coaching staffs, finding talented athletes and determining whether they are the right fit for the program and the school is a deliberative and time-consuming process.
"[Recruiting] is a huge process and we start very early," Murphy said. "We rely on getting new skilled players every year, and if we don't hear from a player that we think can help our program, we make sure we contact them."
Although O'Connell was recruited heavily by NESCAC rival and hockey powerhouse Middlebury, the location of Tufts and the ability to play both hockey and soccer played a major role in his decision.
"I was talking to Middlebury a lot," O'Connell said. "They have a dominant hockey squad and I was very tempted to go. When it came down to it, I wanted to be around the Boston area, and be able to have my family come see me play without having to drive three hours to the middle of nowhere. I think every athlete likes the chance to play in front of their family."
O'Connell was also tempted by some of the lucrative Div. I programs that showed an interest in him, but a NESCAC school seemed to be the better fit for him at the time. Playing at the Div. I requires a year-round time commitment that prohibits many multi-sport athletes from playing a second or third sport.
"[Div. I] programs showed interest, but I wasn't ready to commit to the huge time commitment or to just one sport," O'Connell said. "I was being told by coaches that I'd start training and practicing in September and end in March. I was very [torn]; I love hockey, but I wasn't ready for that at the time."
For players much like O'Connell, torn between the competitive teams within NESCAC and the rest of Div. III, Murphy believes that Tufts often has the academic and regional advantage to lure indecisive prospective student-athletes from other Div. III programs. This advantage allows coaching staffs and scouts to rely more on what Murphy calls "reactive" recruiting, in which students seek out the attention of the program rather than being pursued aggressively by a host of interested coaches.
Although the academic reputation and competitiveness lures many talented prospective student-athletes to the program, it also poses a problem for those athletes who do not meet Tufts' academic standards.
"In this year's recruiting class I was in contact with about 160 players who showed an interest, and had the skill to play here," Murphy said. "Of those 160, we'll land around six or eight who are good enough athletically and academically to play here."
