It’s August, so it’s college visit time for many athletes hoping to play in the NCAA.

As with every element of recruiting, most families are doing this for the first and only time, while coaches do it every year, so they are far better practiced.

But a few simple tips can ensure your visit is a success, irrespective of whether you end up choosing that school or not.

Here are five do’s and don’ts of visiting college campuses:

✅ DO…

Hang out with your potential future team-mates

If your itinerary doesn’t have some time allotted to get to know the underclassmen on the team, feel free to ask for it.

Most coaches understand the value of spending time with players who will still be there when you begin your college career and will have included it, but it’s one part of a visit you don’t want to miss.

This is your chance to:

• See how the team interacts when the coaches aren’t around

• Discover more about what they do for fun, together and separately

• Ask the questions you might be scared to ask the coaches

It’s also a fantastic opportunity to see if they show interest in you. Do they seem cliquey and closed off, or do they grill you with questions?

Both possibilities give you an insight into what might await if you commit.

Raise your concerns

No college is perfect, and all will have their pros and cons.

The best coaches will be aware of their school’s weaknesses and will find ways to bring them up and get them out in the open.

But in case they don’t, or are hoping you won’t mention them, have some probing questions ready.

Whether it’s the distance from home, the size or the setting of the campus, or the program’s competitiveness, you should confront the issues that are important to you on your visit.

Recruits are often scared to tell coaches their concerns, as they imagine it will put coaches off or make them uncomfortable.

However, if they’re unable to handle it, they may not be the kind of coaches you want to play for anyway.

Giving them a chance to address your concerns might help you realize something isn’t as big of a deal as you thought, or perhaps you’ll have even bigger doubts after the conversation.

Both signals are useful information on your way to making an informed decision.

An excellent question I’ve been asked this year is “What do you like least about your university?”

It’s a clever one, as it immediately surfaces bulls**t.

The recruit went on to share that she had received answers along the lines of “I love everything about this place”, which undermined her trust in those coaches.

Ask some hard cultural questions

Too many coaches will blandly tell you their team is “like a family” when you ask about their team culture (🤮).

Some families are loving and caring, but others are dysfunctional and abusive.

It’s your job to figure out which type you’re dealing with.

Asking a couple of probing questions of the current players can help:

• How do you guys handle conflict between you?

• Are the coaches different now from how they were in the recruiting process?

• How has the university/program met, exceeded, or fallen short of your expectations?

Everyone’s team culture looks great when things are going well.

However, it is only as strong as how well it holds up when things get hard - which they will in any competitive sporting environment!

So don’t miss your chance to dig a level deeper.

❌ DON’T…

Let your parents do too much talking

Just as you’re trying to discover more about the school, team, and coaches on your visit, the coaches are trying to learn more about you.

It’s hard to do that if Mom or Dad does all the talking.

Your parents are key stakeholders in your life and will rightly have a major influence on your decision, especially as they’ll likely be paying for college.

But if they’re the ones asking and answering all the questions, that’s a big red flag for coaches.

They will wonder if you can advocate for yourself, whether your parents are going to be problematic, and will be frustrated at the lack of insight they’re receiving having brought you to campus.

Good coaches will understand the importance of involving the parents in the process and building relationships with them - but not at the expense of doing so with the athlete they may ultimately end up coaching.

If you can’t show that you are driving your own process, you might put the offers you want to get at risk - so it’s worth a gentle reminder to whoever accompanies you on your visit.

There are some major exceptions to this - any discussions around an offer or the financial piece will, and should, have your family centrally involved.

Go in without a plan

Write down the questions you need answered about a school before you go.

Write down your honest reflections of what excites you and worries you about a school after you leave.

This is especially true if you plan to take multiple visits.

While humans often make decisions on “feel”, it will help to have a written record of what you thought of each place as you weigh everything.

It’s much easier to remember the details of your first campus visit right after it, instead of hoping you’ll be able to do so two months later with multiple other visits also clouding your memory.

In addition, expect to be asked - and be willing to answer - more in-depth questions about your recruiting process than you may have already been.

This could include where else you’re looking, where else you’re taking visits, where the school sits on your list right now, your current timeframe for making a decision, etc.

Finally, while there is no guarantee you will receive an offer, it is common for these to be made on visits.

Therefore, you’ll also want to have a game plan as to how you’re going to respond if a coach makes you an offer, and be ready to negotiate a mutually agreeable timeframe for you to make a decision.