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Questions to ask when you’re being recruited

Advice from an Olympian on how runners should pick post-secondary education

Runners are making their decision on where they will attend post-secondary school and who they will compete for. This often brings up the age-old debate of U Sports versus the NCAA–which is better? Jessica O’Connell is an Olympian and former Canadian record holder who’s seen both sides of the coin.

Canadian 5k championships
Jessica O’Connell competes in the women’s 5000m final at the Athletics Canada 2016 Track and Field Trials at Foote Field in Edmonton.

While there’s merit to each system, neither is perfect. Here’s what O’Connell has to say about her experience in both places, and important advice for young runners on the brink of (probably) their biggest decision to date.

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O’Connell attended both the University of Calgary and West Virginia University, and was an All-American and All-Canadian at each school. O’Connell learned so much from both experiences and can speak to both U Sports and NCAA systems. “I put a ton of time into researching schools while I was being recruited, and looked into things that others may not have thought of like injury rates, whether athletes improved from high school and ran post-collegiately, team culture, whether I’d be allowed to compete on Canadian teams, etc. That said, I then learned a lot from both experiences.”

O’Connell left Calgary and went to West Virginia because she needed a change. “Calgary was great–I’m now back with my Calgary coach, actually. But I’m from here, and I always wanted to go away to university. The CIS (now U Sports) wasn’t as strong when I was competing, and I felt like I’d done everything by second year. Calgary felt like I was still in high school. I didn’t leave because of coaching, I left because I needed a new experience.” The runner also adds that the level of competition in U Sports has improved tremendously since she was competing. “U Sports [competition-wise] is a viable option for almost any runner now. It all depends on the program you choose. If you do your research, look into the program and trust your gut, you can’t really go wrong.”

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What questions should you be asking coaches who are recruiting you?

  1. Have your athletes improved since coming to your school?
  2. Are runners injured often?
  3. What is your training philosophy and how do freshmen fit into that equation? (This will establish whether freshmen are thrown into training or introduced slowly.)
  4. Could I have the contact information of a few graduated athletes? Graduated athletes have a better understanding of the whole picture, and are more likely to be candid about their experiences.
  5. What’s the social culture like on the team? Frankly, ask if people party and have fun (if that’s important to you).
  6. Where will we race and how often?
  7. Do you support Canadian track and field goals in the summer season? If you’re looking at an American school, make sure they’ll support your Canadian summer season (which can sometimes cause issues for your collegiate summer season).

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What are major red flags?

  1. Having a bad gut feeling. If something feels off, it probably is.
  2. If the team doesn’t seem to genuinely get along. This points to a poor team culture.
  3. If athletes run really well for one or two years and then fizzle. This shows signs of burnout, overtraining, RED-S and injury.
  4. Low rates of runners continuing their competitive careers after school. Even if this isn’t a personal goal of yours, when runners trend upwards after graduation, it usually means their collegiate careers were safely and constructively managed.

General advice

O’Connell says runners should make sure the school has the major they want to study and that it’s affordable. “If a school doesn’t have both of those things it’s a non-starter. Also, don’t be offended just because a school doesn’t reach out to you. I reached out to all of the schools I visited. Sometimes NCAA schools forget about Canadians.”

The runner also reminds young athletes that transferring is an option. “I was really nervous that I was going to make a poor decision. But transferring is an option. People do it all the time.” And the most important piece of advice that O’Connell offers: “Go with your gut. The school you pick is where you’ll be for hopefully four to five years. Make sure you’re happy with the choice you’re making and that it feels right.”

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