{"id":166,"date":"2004-01-02T11:58:53","date_gmt":"2004-01-02T17:58:53","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-03-20T08:52:11","modified_gmt":"2015-03-20T13:52:11","slug":"ncaa-tennis-coaches-views-on-recruiting-with-a-team-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/ncaa-tennis-coaches-views-on-recruiting-with-a-team-website\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA Tennis Coaches’ Views on Recruiting with a Team Website"},"content":{"rendered":"
Submitted by: Jonathan Casper\u00a0and Peter S. Finley<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Abstract<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
At most universities today, the athletic program maintains\u00a0an Internet\u00a0website to provide information about its particular teams and put into athletes’ hands a form for prospective team members that can be submitted directly to coaches for appraisal of the athletes’ academic and athletic information. To date no research has sought insight into how and to what extent websites are used by coaches as recruiting tools. The present\u00a0study surveyed NCAA tennis coaches (N <\/em>= 232) about this topic. According to its results, most coaches find the website to be useful in the recruiting process. Comparison of coaches\u00a0in three\u00a0NCAA divisions showed that the lower division coaches use and value this recruiting tool significantly\u00a0 more (p <\/em>< .003) than do Division I coaches.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
NCAA Tennis Coaches’ Views on Recruiting with a Team Website<\/div>\n

It is clear that athlete recruitment represents an important component of collegiate athletics. For students, the would-be recruits, “selecting a college is a time-consuming and difficult process” (Kirk & Kirk, 1993, p. 55). This process, at least for student-athletes, involves the consideration of several factors, including but not limited to a school’s geographic location, its urban or rural setting, the size of its student population, the reputations of its academic and athletic programs, and its graduation rates (Kirk & Kirk, 1993).<\/p>\n

The recruiting process, of course, is intended to shape student-athletes’ selection of a college. Despite the increasing importance of recruiting across all division levels of the NCAA (Klenosky, Templin, & Troutman, 2001), the process has received little scholarly attention. The use of unique team websites to carry out\u00a0via the Internet\u00a0the important coaching duty of recruiting has been nearly ignored.\u00a0One examination, however,\u00a0of the\u00a0websites maintained by NCAA women’s cross country teams found they are being used as tools in the recruiting process (Finley & Finley, 2003). Supporting the study’s claim was the presence on websites of such content as letters to prospective athletes, NCAA clearinghouse information, and electronically transferred personal information forms. It was noted, as well,\u00a0that most school websites\u00a0could do far more to maximize their potential in the recruiting process, for example\u00a0by supplying more of the kind of information expected to be of interest to recruits, such as coach’s philosophy, review\u00a0of athletic\u00a0facilities, and images of teams.<\/p>\n

A 1998 report from the Commerce Department said that Internet usage doubles every 100 days, with more than 100 million people now online in the United States\u00a0(Caskey & Delpy, 1999). Worldwide usage estimates from September 2002\u00a0furthermore\u00a0suggest at least 605 million people use the Internet (NUA Internet Surveys, 2003). The Internet clearly has “evolved into a mainstream communications medium for Americans, as well as users in other countries around the world” (Caskey & Delpy, 1999, p .13).<\/p>\n

Given the sport’s international nature, using the\u00a0World Wide Web to reach prospective athletes may be of especial significance to collegiate tennis. According to Casey Angle,\u00a0director of communications\u00a0for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, in the 2002\u201303 academic year 17% of NCAA tennis players were international students, with nearly\u00a0one third of Division I players being foreign born (personal communication, June 5, 2003). Recruiting players who live overseas may be accomplished more readily with a complete and compelling website than by more traditional means. Particularly at the Division III level, for example, tennis programs have limited recruiting budgets. As Walsh (1997) describes it, “Coaches at the second tier schools recruit just as actively as the larger universities. But their recruiting budgets are smaller, and they often must play a waiting game” (p. 135). In fact, a Division III tennis program has an average annual recruiting budget of a paltry $300 (Fulks, 2000). The Internet can offer an inexpensive means of bringing coaches together with players too far away to visit. Walsh notes (1997) that, “In the non-revenue producing sports with limited recruiting budgets, coaches may be more eager for information” (p. 89).<\/p>\n

In addition to disseminating information to prospective student-athletes, websites have come to be used for information gathering, delivering initial forms for completion by the prospect. Such a form elicit descriptions of a prospect’s playing experience, academic performance, and contact information; it is returned directly to a coach’s e-mail. Finley & Finley (2003) noted that such forms are present on over half (51.9%) of those websites maintained by NCAA women’s cross country teams, with 72% of Division III programs utilizing them.<\/p>\n

The present study sought to better understand contemporary approaches to recruitment of NCAA tennis players by surveying their prospective coaches. The researchers were guided by three research goals: (a) to determine the extent to which NCAA tennis coaches view websites as meaningful aids in recruitment;\u00a0 (b) to determine the the extent to which the coaches value electronic prospective student-athlete forms; and (c) to observe any significant differences among the responses of Division I, II, and III coaches, as well as between the responses of coaches using prospective student-athlete forms and\u00a0coaches not using them.<\/p>\n

]Method[<\/p>\n

Participants and Instrument<\/em><\/p>\n

The sample consisted of 232 head tennis coaches (109 from NCAA Division I schools, 50 from Division II schools, and 73 from Division III schools) who where current members of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The ITA serves as the governing association of college tennis and also prepares rankings throughout the competitive season. The researchers contacted by e-mail all head coaches having an e-mail address published in the 2002\u201303 ITA membership directory, inviting their\u00a0participation in the study; approval to use the directory was granted by the ITA.<\/p>\n

The study comprised an original exploratory study in this subject area. It employed a survey containing 13 questions for coaches whose team website included a prospective student-athlete (PSA)\u00a0form, and 9 questions for coaches whose website\u00a0 did not include a PSA form. The first 2 questions (for both groups) established which NCAA division (I, II, or III) a coach belonged to and whether\u00a0the coach\u00a0used a PSA form featuring\u00a0electronic submission. Remaining questions solicited coaches’ perceptions of the value of websites and PSA forms\u00a0to recruitment, using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree<\/em>) to 7 (strongly agree<\/em>). Table 1 and Table 2 present the survey questions, response means, and standard deviations.<\/p>\n

Procedures<\/em><\/p>\n

A specialist in statistical research methods assessed the survey instrument’s face validity prior to pilot testing of the instrument. A college sports information director responsible for managing an athletic program website featuring a PSA form also reviewed the instrument. Recommendations from the two led to the omission or revision of some of the survey questions. A pilot study with 7 coaches from various sports was then conducted to ensure that all survey items were clear and relevant to the research goals. Feedback from the pilot study participants enabled the researchers to enhance the items’ clarity with further wording changes.<\/p>\n

An e-mail to NCAA head tennis coaches invited them to complete the survey online by following a web link. The e-mail informed the prospective respondents that the study intended to describe tennis coaches’ attitudes toward team websites and PSA forms. The prospective respondents were told (a) that participation was voluntary, (b) that no personal information would be solicited, (c) that\u00a0no more than 3 min would be needed\u00a0to complete the survey, and (d) that respondent identity would be kept confidential. The link to the survey remained active for 3 weeks after the initial invitation was sent.\u00a0A follow-up e-mail reminder was sent 2 weeks after the initial invitation to coaches who had not returned the survey. The web link was designed to prevent submission of multiple surveys by a single respondent and could be accessed only by coaches who had been sent the initial e-mail invitation.<\/p>\n

Descriptive statistics were calculated using the competitive division variables (I, II, III) and use-of-PSA-form variable. A series of univariate ANOVAs using the Bonferroni adjustment was then conducted with each of the remaining questions, to examine the relationships of competitive division (independent variable) to coach perceptions of the website and PSA form in the recruiting process (dependent variables). Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) post hoc tests were employed to differentiate the NCAA divisions on the variables. The responses of coaches using a\u00a0PSA form and those not using\u00a0such a form\u00a0were\u00a0differentiated\u00a0with t <\/em>tests.<\/p>\n

]Results[<\/p>\n

The means and standard deviations for each question are presented in Table 1. In specific terms of their athletic program websites, the surveyed coaches all perceived the website to be an important recruiting tool, whether they served Division I, II, or III institutions. Most of the coaches indicated a belief that prospective student-athletes do use websites to select a school and that maintaining a quality website is important. Coaches who used a PSA form perceived it as a useful tool for recruiting and information gathering, but gave more neutral answers when asked if such forms gave them a recruiting\u00a0advantage over programs not using PSA forms. Similarly, coaches not using PSA forms gave relatively neutral answers when asked if they perceived themselves as disadvantaged by lack of a PSA form. In general the coaches not using forms\u00a0agreed that the technology would improve their chances to recruit better players.<\/p>\n

Post hoc analysis of those questions generating significant differences during ANOVA revealed certain NCAA division\u2013based trends in recruiting. Relative to coaches in the other two divisions, Division I coaches did not feel the PSA form effectively identified and recruited athletes or gathered information. Division I coaches who used a PSA form\u00a0also perceived a relatively small recruiting advantage in that form, compared to Division II and Division III coaches who used the form. In addition, compared to the lower division coaches, Division I coaches reported less likelihood of responding to a prospective athlete who had\u00a0contacted the coach via a\u00a0PSA form. Coaches in the top NCAA division reported that players completing PSA forms had little chance of making a roster, as\u00a0compared to the coaches in Division II and Division III. Division I coaches not using a PSA form also indicated a lesser tendency than Division II and Division III coaches to respond to players who contact them about their program.<\/p>\n

Table 2 shows the means and standard deviations for the comparisons of the responses from coaches using PSA forms and coaches not using them. ANOVAs were also conducted to detect significant differences between the two groups’ attitudes. The analysis indicated only one significant difference, which\u00a0was that coaches\u00a0not using\u00a0PSA forms agreed more strongly that an athletic program website is an important recruiting tool.<\/p>\n

]Conclusions[<\/p>\n

Although the study found some significant differences, among NCAA head tennis coaches the general trend is a perception that an athletic program website and PSA form are valuable tools in the recruiting process and that students are likely making choices based on information such websites present. Division II and Division III coaches value websites and PSA forms,\u00a0for identification of\u00a0potential recruits, to a greater extent than Division I coaches do. These study findings suggest how useful Internet recruiting technologies may prove for NCAA Division II and Division III athletic programs, as a low-cost means to locate and recruit prospects. Further research will need to examine how prospective student-athletes use the Internet to gather information affecting college choice as well as which website elements influence prospects most.<\/p>\n

Table 1<\/p>\n

Survey Items’ Descriptive Statistics, by NCAA Division, Employing 7-Point Likert Scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree)
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Question<\/td>\nDivision<\/td>\n\u00a0 N<\/em><\/td>\nMean<\/td>\n\u00a0SD<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The website is an important tool in the recruiting process.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n108<\/td>\n5.92<\/td>\n1.23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n5.58<\/td>\n1.62<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n73<\/td>\n5.56<\/td>\n1.17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n231<\/td>\n5.73<\/td>\n1.31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A quality website will help attract prospective student-athletes.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n108<\/td>\n5.97<\/td>\n1.06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n48<\/td>\n5.83<\/td>\n1.36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n73<\/td>\n5.90<\/td>\n1.08<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n229<\/td>\n5.92<\/td>\n1.13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I believe student-athletes are using information from team websites to assist in making their college choice.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n107<\/td>\n5.90<\/td>\n1.15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n49<\/td>\n5.76<\/td>\n1.11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n73<\/td>\n5.44<\/td>\n1.12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n229<\/td>\n5.72<\/td>\n1.14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My team’s website is updated frequently to provide information that may be of interest to prospective student-athletes.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n108<\/td>\n5.22<\/td>\n1.38<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n49<\/td>\n4.65<\/td>\n1.87<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n73<\/td>\n5.16<\/td>\n1.51<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n230<\/td>\n5.08<\/td>\n1.54<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
In identifying and recruiting prospective student-athletes, the prospective student-athlete forms contribute very little to the process (respondent uses PSA).a<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n4.51<\/td>\n1.61<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n3.60<\/td>\n1.39<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n3.21<\/td>\n1.49<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n126<\/td>\n3.82<\/td>\n1.63<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The prospective student-athlete form is an important information gathering tool (respondent uses PSA).b<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n4.60<\/td>\n1.47<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n5.35<\/td>\n1.35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n5.53<\/td>\n1.12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n126<\/td>\n5.11<\/td>\n1.38<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Having the prospective student-athlete form gives me a recruiting advantage over schools that do not have this technology available (respondent uses PSA).<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n4.25<\/td>\n1.30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n4.80<\/td>\n1.61<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n52<\/td>\n5.04<\/td>\n1.43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n125<\/td>\n4.66<\/td>\n1.44<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Most players who complete the prospective student-athlete form have little chance of making the roster (respondent uses PSA).a<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n4.77<\/td>\n1.34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n4.05<\/td>\n1.73<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n3.40<\/td>\n1.39<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n126<\/td>\n4.08<\/td>\n1.55<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I respond to players who fill out the prospective student-athlete form (respondent uses PSA).b<\/sup><\/td>\n1<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n5.57<\/td>\n1.20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n6.00<\/td>\n.97<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n6.21<\/td>\n.86<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n126<\/td>\n5.90<\/td>\n1.07<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The prospective student-athlete form begins a dialogue through which I inform players about my program (respondent uses PSA).<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n52<\/td>\n5.27<\/td>\n1.40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n5.50<\/td>\n1.64<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n53<\/td>\n5.85<\/td>\n1.15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n125<\/td>\n5.55<\/td>\n1.36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Not having the prospective student-athlete form puts me at a recruiting disadvantage compared to schools that have this technology (respondent does not use PSA).<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n55<\/td>\n4.56<\/td>\n1.85<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n4.72<\/td>\n1.53<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n4.80<\/td>\n1.24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n104<\/td>\n4.65<\/td>\n1.65<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I respond to players who contact me about my program (respondent does not use PSA).<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n55<\/td>\n6.38<\/td>\n.89<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n6.31<\/td>\n.54<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n6.89<\/td>\n.32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n103<\/td>\n6.46<\/td>\n.75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Having a prospective student-athlete form on my team’s website would improve my ability to identify and recruit quality players (respondent does not use PSA).<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n54<\/td>\n5.09<\/td>\n1.65<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n5.24<\/td>\n1.15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n5.53<\/td>\n1.07<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n102<\/td>\n5.22<\/td>\n1.43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

a<\/sup>Division I differs significantly from Divisions II and III (p <\/em>< .003). b<\/sup>Division I and Division III differ significantly (p <\/em>< .003).<\/p>\n

Table 2<\/p>\n

Descriptive Statistics for 4 Survey Items, by Respondent’s Use of PSA Form<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Question<\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0 PSA<\/td>\n\u00a0 N<\/em><\/td>\nMean<\/td>\n\u00a0SD<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The website is an important tool in the recruiting process.*<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nPSA<\/td>\n126<\/td>\n5.51<\/td>\n1.43<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nNo PSA<\/td>\n105<\/td>\n6.00<\/td>\n1.10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n231<\/td>\n5.73<\/td>\n1.31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A quality website will help attract prospective student-athletes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nPSA<\/td>\n125<\/td>\n5.82<\/td>\n1.23<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nNo PSA<\/td>\n104<\/td>\n6.05<\/td>\n1.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n229<\/td>\n5.92<\/td>\n1.13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I believe student-athletes are using information from team websites to assist in making their college choice.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nPSA<\/td>\n125<\/td>\n5.62<\/td>\n1.13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nNo PSA<\/td>\n104<\/td>\n5.85<\/td>\n1.16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n229<\/td>\n5.72<\/td>\n1.14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My team’s website is updated frequently to provide information that may be of interest to prospective student-athletes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nPSA<\/td>\n126<\/td>\n5.14<\/td>\n1.44<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nNo PSA<\/td>\n104<\/td>\n5.01<\/td>\n1.67<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nTotal<\/td>\n230<\/td>\n5.08<\/td>\n1.54<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* p<\/em> < .01<\/p>\n

References<\/p>\n

Caskey, R., & Delpy, L. (1999). An examination of sport web sites and the opinion of employees toward the use and viability of the world wide web as a profitable sports marketing tool. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 8<\/em>(2), 13\u201324.<\/p>\n

Finley, P. S., & Finley, L. L. (2003). An analysis of women’s cross country web sites at NCAA schools as aids in the recruiting process. The Sport Journal, 6<\/em>(2). Retrieved October 3, 2003, from www.thesportjournal.org\/2003Journal\/Vol6 No2\/websites.htm<\/p>\n

Fulks, D. L. (2000). Revenues and expenses of Division III intercollegiate athletics programs: Financial trends and relationships<\/em>\u20131999<\/em>. Indianapolis, IN: National Collegiate Athletic Association.<\/p>\n

NUA Internet Surveys. (2003). How many online?<\/em> Retrieved October 3, 2003, from http:\/\/www.nua.com\/surveys\/how_many_online\/index.html<\/p>\n

Kirk, W., & Kirk, S. (Eds.). (1993). Student athletes: Shattering the myths and sharing the realities<\/em>. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.<\/p>\n

Klenosky, D., Templin, T., & Troutman, J. (2001). Recruiting student athletes: A means-end investigation of school-choice decision making. Journal of Sport Management, 15, <\/em>96\u2013106.<\/p>\n

Walsh, J. (1997). Everything you need to know about college sports recruiting<\/em>. Kansas City, MO: Andrews and McNeel.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Submitted by: Jonathan Casper & Peter S. Finley<\/div>\n

Abstract<\/h2>\n

Most university athletic programs have a web site that provides information
\n about the individual sports and a Prospective Student-Athlete Form where
\n athletes can submit their academic and athletic information directly to
\n the coach. There has been no research done to date that provides insight
\n into how these recruiting tools are used by coaches and how important
\n the coaches feel they are in their recruiting. This study surveyed NCAA
\n Tennis coaches (N <\/em>= 232) about this topic. Results indicated that
\n most coaches felt that these tools were useful in the recruiting process.
\n When comparing NCAA coaching Divisions I, II, and III, the results indicated
\n that the lower division coaches use and value these recruiting tools significantly
\n (p <\/em>< .003) more than Division I coaches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[290,293,291,296],"tags":[59,27,60,8],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4btio-2G","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":369,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/investigation-of-recruiting-criteria-of-leading-ncaa-division-i-softball-coaches\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":0},"title":"Investigation of Recruiting Criteria of Leading NCAA Division I Softball Coaches","date":"April 8, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Amber N. Kavekar, M.S., Trinity Valley Community College; Sally J. Ford, Ph. D, Texas Woman\u2019s University Abstract Purpose of this investigation was to determine the recruitment criteria of the 50 winningest active coaches in NCAA I collegiate softball. Twenty-seven of the NCAA Division I head coaches completed a survey designed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports Management"","img":{"alt_text":"Figure 1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Figure1.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":448,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/qualitative-analysis-of-international-student-athlete-perspectives-on-recruitment-and-transitioning-into-american-college-sport\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":1},"title":"Qualitative Analysis of International Student-Athlete Perspectives on Recruitment and Transitioning into American College Sport","date":"January 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"David Pierce (Ball State University); Nels Popp (Illinois State University); Brad Meadows (Ball State University) ### Abstract Recruiting international athletes is a growing trend in American intercollegiate sport, and international student-athletes play an increasingly prominent role in NCAA competition. This research answers the following questions regarding the recruitment of international\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":140,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/websites-as-help-in-the-recruiting-process-an-analysis-of-ncaa-womens-cross-country-programs\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":2},"title":"Websites as Help in the Recruiting Process: An Analysis of NCAA Women’s Cross Country Programs","date":"February 18, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Peter S. Finley and Laura L. Finley, Ph.D. Abstract The Internet is one avenue for recruiting potential student-athletes that universities are beginning to explore because it can be used for nearly every phase of the process (Hornbuckle, 2001). Given the difficulties in recruiting for non-revenue sports, as well\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":478,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/the-mentoring-role-of-high-school-girls-basketball-coaches-in-the-collegiate-recruiting-process\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":3},"title":"The Mentoring Role of High School Girls\u2019 Basketball Coaches in the Collegiate Recruiting Process","date":"November 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Charles Owen and Joe KotrlikABSTRACTThis study was designed to determine Louisiana high school girls\u2019 basketball coaches\u2019 perceptions of their roles as mentors; the impact coaches have on choices female athletes make regarding attendance in post-secondary education; the type of information possessed by the coaches to assist in these decisions; and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":241,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/preferred-player-characteristics-and-skills-of-division-i-mens-basketball-coaches\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":4},"title":"Preferred Player Characteristics and Skills of Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches","date":"June 1, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: William F. Stier Jr. & Robert C. Schneider Abstract A national survey of selected men\u2019s basketball coaches, at the NCAA Division I level, revealed how essential the respondents felt certain work ethic characteristics were for successful basketball players on their team. The respondents also revealed how important specific\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"Table One","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/Table11.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":148,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/student-athletes-perceptions-about-abuse-by-ncaa-division-ii-tennis-coaches\/","url_meta":{"origin":166,"position":5},"title":"Student-Athletes’ Perceptions About Abuse by NCAA Division II Tennis Coaches","date":"February 21, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Vicky-Lynn Martin, D.S.M. Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether a significant difference existed between the perception of the National Collegiate Athletic Association male and female athletes regarding various types of abusive behaviors by their coaches. This research examined whether or not athletic departments in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2467,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166\/revisions\/2467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}