Coach Cathey instructs one her harriers, photo used courtesy of Oklahoma State Athletics.
When you go to run in college, you are both an athletes and a student. It is important to make sure you fit into a college both as an athlete and as a student. In this edition of the Arizona recruiting series, Oklahoma State assistant coach Mason Cathey takes some time to share with Arizona Milesplit what a student athlete should look in a school, and how they should communicate with a coach during the process, especially if they choose not to go to a certain school. Coach Cathey has helped the Cowboys become perennial contenders in the distance events. In fact, she is a professional runner for Saucony herself. Oklahoma State was not her first stop, having also coached at Butler, Duke and Central Florida Coach Cathey certainly knows a thing or two about what to look for in the recruiting process as she has guided many students through it. With out further adieu, Coach Cathey.
Arizona Milesplit: What should kids look for when looking at the academic of a school? How should this play a role in their decision?
Coach Cathey: I've coached at schools that have a student population of 4,000 students and I've also been at schools with 48,000. The philosophy of the head coach and your event coach is helpful to know. You can ask the coach how they handle academics, and you can also get a pretty accurate idea from current team members. At larger schools, especially, it is very helpful to have a student-athlete academic advisor. This person will help you set-up each semester of classes that fits well with your institution's and the NCAA's academic requirements as well as your practice and competition schedule. I prefer when this person is additional to your departmental advisor on campus so that you're well-integrated with the university. We have a variety of majors on our team. I like that. We don't try to usher everyone into an easy course of studies. If a recruit knows the major he or she is definitely interested in pursuing that is helpful. I suggest reviewing the curriculum for that area of study, too.
AZ MS: Lets say a kid just decides a school isn't for them, what is the best way to turn down a coach that is recruiting them?
Coach: This is an area where I have some definite thoughts. If you haven't established a relationship at all with a coach, it's pretty easy to quickly respond and let them know you have something else in mind. Coaches understand that there are many schools out there and many types of options. I strongly believe if you have been in communication with a coach, it is proper and respectful to let the coach know that you are not interested. It is especially nice to tell them thank-you, but you will be choosing a different college or university. It is best to do this as soon as you are certain that the school is off your list. There are always recruits that simply disappear. I really prefer some type of communication, its especially nice to tell them thank you.
AZ MS: What programs do most schools have to help kids make the adjustment, especially academic adjustment, from high school to college?
Coach: Academically here at Oklahoma State, freshmen are registered for a 1 credit hour new-student orientation class to help them make that adjustment to the university. Additionally, tutors are available and required study hall is helpful that initial semester. Athletically, I like how we do it here at Oklahoma State. When an athlete commits to us, I ask them for a sample week of training from their last summer, fall, winter, and spring. That allows us to see what they're used to and what they were doing to be successful in the first place. From there, we like to make a gradual progression into our training. Many times freshmen enter feeling intimidated, super-motivated, or feeling like they need to establish themselves. Often the training load in college is harder. It is critical to not make too quick of a jump in mileage or intensity. We really aim to check in with each athlete to see if they need an easy day or day off soon. We are careful to train them at their level and not let them get too sucked into overdoing it every day.
AZ MS: If a high school athlete is interested in going to OSU, but you haven't reached out, how should they go about self promoting themselves? Is there a bad way to self promote?
Coach: It is super appreciated and very helpful when a prospective student-athlete shows interest in your university. That's a big part of the recruiting process. To 'self-promote' yourself, it is very helpful to send mail or write an email to the event coach at the school. Make it concise and specify your PRs, academic scores from standardized tests and your GPA, plus another highlight or two about yourself. Include contact information such as a phone number and email. It is awesome when a high-school student-athlete has taken a few minutes to note our roster and his or her PRs generally align with our current team or he or she at least has familiarity. It is a tough position for me when someone asks for scholarship in that same initial email. It makes me wonder if he or she wants to be a part of our program or if they're only looking for scholarship to go somewhere. I've coached at a big and small schools, public and private ones. Whenever a recruit does that, it makes me wonder if the recruit is really interested in our unique atmosphere, culture, or experience.
**Stay tuned to the Arizona Milesplit Recruiting Series for more interviews with collegiate coaches and a few athletes who have hosted recruits. College is a big choice, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into!**
<p style="text-align: center;"> <strong style="text-align: center; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">A special thanks goes out to all the coaches and athletes who particpated in this series with me.</strong></p>