Miramonte 2021 guard Jordan Allred has committed to Idaho.
She played with Cal Stars 16U EYBL this summer.
She played with Cal Stars 16U EYBL this summer.
Allred makes early commitment to Idaho
- Thread starter Streak One
- Start date
It really depends, I think, on the player and the experience of the people around her who are helping her decide. Usually, families lack the background to make a solid decision about intercollegiate athletics, and often have distorted views of their child's abilities. And sometimes their coaches haven't been around long enough to really understand the subtleties of succeeding at the collegiate level.
Jordan came from our program at Miramonte and also Cal Stars (which I'm not involved with), so she's in a situation where she's surrounded with coaches who've dealt with the system for a long time (that doesn't guarantee no mistakes, but it lowers the odds). Her dad, Dave, was an outstanding player at Chico State and so has a feel for what goes on at the collegiate level, so my sense is that this was a decision that had a lot of thought behind it, and looks like it should work out for everyone.
But sometimes early commitment decisions are made that don't work out, so there's obviously a risk involved. The advantage, though, is that the pressure is now off, and the player can just enjoy playing and also work on improving her game, which means making more mistakes. Some players are so focused on impressing college coaches that they take few chances and only do what they're already good at, which limits their growth as a player. Once you've committed, you can focus on things you don't do as well without worrying about how it will affect your standing.
Jordan came from our program at Miramonte and also Cal Stars (which I'm not involved with), so she's in a situation where she's surrounded with coaches who've dealt with the system for a long time (that doesn't guarantee no mistakes, but it lowers the odds). Her dad, Dave, was an outstanding player at Chico State and so has a feel for what goes on at the collegiate level, so my sense is that this was a decision that had a lot of thought behind it, and looks like it should work out for everyone.
But sometimes early commitment decisions are made that don't work out, so there's obviously a risk involved. The advantage, though, is that the pressure is now off, and the player can just enjoy playing and also work on improving her game, which means making more mistakes. Some players are so focused on impressing college coaches that they take few chances and only do what they're already good at, which limits their growth as a player. Once you've committed, you can focus on things you don't do as well without worrying about how it will affect your standing.
I think the landscape has changed due to the transfer portal. Clay is correct in parents/players need to really know what they are committing to and WHO they are committing to and not make a rash decision.
But with the transfer portal, there are kids losing offers by sitting on commitments because suddenly a guard enters the portal that the school jumps on that transfer and a scholarship is no longer available. I saw this happen to a couple athletes these last two summers.
So don't sit on offers that you feel are a great fit and don't try to sit around and collect offers either. If you haven't found the right fit, keep working and searching. But if you've found a great home, I encourage kids to commit because the recruiting game has changed a LOT.
But with the transfer portal, there are kids losing offers by sitting on commitments because suddenly a guard enters the portal that the school jumps on that transfer and a scholarship is no longer available. I saw this happen to a couple athletes these last two summers.
So don't sit on offers that you feel are a great fit and don't try to sit around and collect offers either. If you haven't found the right fit, keep working and searching. But if you've found a great home, I encourage kids to commit because the recruiting game has changed a LOT.
