Overnight visits-what to expect

College visits are incredibly exciting. You’re getting your first taste of college, you get to go out with the players, go to a football game, meet college girls, and maybe even get a scholarship offer. They will be some of your best memories from the recruiting process. However, there can be some awkward moments, so in this article I am going to give you an idea of what to expect and how you can deal with some of the awkwardness that may arise.

If you are staying over-night with one of the players, or even just spending the day with them, it can be awkward to get thrown into a new social situation where you are the center of attention and are expected to make all of the decisions yet you know nobody and know nothing about where you are. They want you to tell them what you want to do, but you also need to be flexible with them. Here are some things you should refrain from when hanging out with players on a visit that will help everyone have a much better experience.

1. Talk about how good you are. They don't care and don't believe you. Be very humble about everything regarding baseball and school. Don't tell them you hit 15 homers last season or throw 95mph. Even if you do, they don't care and won’t believe you. They are not there to judge how good you are at baseball, they just want to have a good time and they want you to have fun so you commit to their school.

2. Talk about your grades. They don't care if you have a 4.0 or a 2.0. "yea I have pretty good grades" or "I struggle in school" are the only two correct answers if they ask about school. You will not impress them with your 4.0 and they don't think it's funny that you have a 2.0.

3. Act like you will come in and play right away. You are insulting them, their skills, and their hard work if you act like you can come in and play for their team right away. You have no idea how good the college level is so by talking about how you are going to play right away or that you are coming to that school because you know you will play every game is incredibly insulating to the players that are there right now. Also, I have found that the players that have the biggest talk on their visits struggle the most when the fall comes around. Let your play talk for you.

4. Talk about how much of a scholarship you are getting. If they ask you and you already know, give them a quick answer. Keep in mind that they may or may not be on scholarship and/or you might be getting more than they have so don't spend all night talking about how much money you are getting. Again, they don’t care.

5. If they ask you what you want to do, don’t be afraid to tell them. They want to do what you want because that is what their coach told them to do. It makes it very hard if you are indecisive the whole time because they have no idea if you are having a good time or whether they are just dragging you around. At the same time, don’t just demand things from them. Be a good guest, but be decisive when they give you the chance.

These visits are just as awkward for them as they are for you. Be understanding of the position they are in, don’t ask too much of them, but don't be afraid to give them a straight answer if they ask what you want to do. Lastly, live it up. You only get to go on a few visits and they can be some of the most fun parts of the recruiting process so take full advantage of these awesome opportunities to have fun and experience what college will be like.