Going through the recruiting process for collegiate athletics was one of the most exciting, stressful and pivotal moments in my life. With sports opening so many doors for me, I couldn’t help but be proud of the opportunity that was unfolding in front of my eyes.
Many student-athletes, current and former, can relate. However, with the exhilaration came the weight of what was happening – I was essentially in a bidding process to sign away the next few years of my life to a group of people and a program that I hardly knew. Obviously official and unofficial visits are key components to finding out what universities, coaching staffs and teams are like. But these visits can sometimes hide the truth about how a program or a coach truly operates.
I was already nervous about choosing where I was going to attend school and row. Also, I was very anxious about how my new team and coaches were going to receive me, as I had recently realized that I was gay. All I wanted was a coach who valued my work ethic and a team who loved me for myself.
It’s easy to see what financial and physical resources a school and team has – Their facilities, the quality of their equipment and gear, the emphasis they place on certain things, and the size and quality of their teams are all factors that come into play. But one thing that is not always easy to pick up on is a coach’s real day-to-day personality and the way they run their team.
Locker Room Talk is a tool that allows recruits to access student-athlete-written reviews and information about head coaches and their respective programs. This valuable resource makes the recruiting process transparent for young athletes and, in turn, makes coaches more aware of the impact they make on their players.
LRT also offers recruiting training programs for coaches and guidance counselors, as well as specialized consulting services for student-athletes. In addition, the service posts blogs, advice, videos, and related media to help prospective college athletes and their parents navigate the recruitment process and shed light on what to expect as a collegiate athlete.
Had I known about Locker Room Talk and its services during my recruitment journey, schools and coaches that had negative reviews could have been eliminated from the beginning. I would have spent more time appreciating the process and feeling less confused and stressed.
Current and former student-athletes: LRT needs you to #rateyourcoach! The process is simple and takes less than 10 minutes.
Locker Room Talk can be found at lockerroomtalk.com and on Facebook, Twitter @LRTsports, and Instagram @lockerroomtalk.
Chandler Frumin was a rower at the Univ. of Tennessee and graduated this year. You can find her on Facebook, or on Twitter @ChandlerFrumin.
Story editor: Cyd Zeigler
