The Recruitment of Student-Athletes: Building Trust Between Coaches and Players
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This study is focused on the recruitment of college athletes. Specifically, research centered on the aspects of the recruitment process and how they influenced a prospective student-athlete’s decision. The theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, provided a framework for this study. A total of seven participants were interviewed using a qualitative research method. Each participant was a current or former Virginia Tech men’s basketball player who went through the recruitment process. After a thorough analysis of the data, five themes emerged: Relationships, Playing in the ACC, Coaching Style, Honesty/Transparency/Trust, and Academics. These were the aspects that mattered most to recruits and weighed heavily on their decision. Based on these findings, recommendations were made to current and future coaches. These recommendations include focusing on building relationships with players, maintaining honesty/transparency throughout the recruitment process, and highlighting academics and their coaching style.