AlwaysImprove wrote:If the coach was signing a binding agreement with her/us, they would receive binding commitment in return. They are not. They are giving you a soft verbal.
As has been shown here on numerous occasions that verbal can become very soft at time.
We need to be careful about our terminology. I can understand saying a verbal is soft because it isn't binding, but a "soft verbal" is even less so. I've heard SEC softball coaches have come out and declared all early verbals are soft (either side can back out for any reason - no fault) and firm up when they're a junior (i.e. expected to result in a binding NLI).
I am not saying that you grab the verbal and start immediately turn around and start pimping for a better deal. But, if your kid is a 8th grader or freshman, no reason not to leave some options.
I understand keeping the verbal on the downlow by not publicizing it. I expect the player also stops reaching out to other schools. How do you handle the following?
- College coach asks why profile doesn't show committed to their school. "We're just using up the sheets we had printed. It will be on the next batch." Do you update it?
- What do you say when another college expresses interest in her - do you mention she has already committed? We're taking back-up offers? What if it is a friend of the coach testing the commitment for them?