The Visit

The visit it has long been considered one of the most important things about a college decision. Students get the sense of campus while interacting and seeing students and faculty in everyday life at ONU. When it comes to athletic recruiting another element is added to the visit.

When prospective student-athletes visit ONU they are given the option to spend an overnight with the current athletes of their athletic team. They spend the day receiving a tour and meeting with the coaching staff. They learn about the program its goals and mission and receive the recruiting pitches from coaches some that they expect and some that they don't. Once that has concluded they are dropped off with a current player sometimes from their home state or the position they play.

The night is then the easy part of the visit. The recruiting pitches are over other than the occasional "where else are you looking?" question. Recruits are free to relax and find out if ONU is the place for them. Most nights freshman with recruits will let other freshman know and it becomes just another night of hanging out.

The most important thing to a college decision can become just being yourself. Recruits are given the opportunity to be themselves and hangout with the guys they would be hanging out with in college life for the next three to four years. The pressure of parents or coaches fall away and teenagers are allowed to be teenagers. Letting them decide whether or not ONU is a place they can see a future.

The college decision process is a difficult one for any student making the next major change in their life. Being a student-athlete adds a dimension to the college decision that most don't encounter. The decision comes down to the people you will be surrounded with for the next years of your life. Yet the true deciding factor is being yourself or better yet the ability to be yourself.

Visits at ONU will continue through much of the spring and coaches will continue to give their talks and tours but much of the decision making process will come down to teenagers being teenagers.