https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/q-a--college-coaches-on-covid-19-impact.html
Q: What is your advice for junior players and parents as they look to be recruited?
Simon Earnshaw, NC State Women's Head Coach (NCAA Division I)
"I'd say more than ever before, be proactive and don't necessarily wait for the coaches to contact you. Reach out and try to engage in as much communication as possible. Be clear and direct. The past few weeks have shown just how quickly everything in our world can change. The more both players and their parents can be involved, the better this is for everyone. Then it's really a question of trying to keep up and develop relationships as you would expect them to develop once you're part of a program. Relationships are much better when they are two-way and that's the same with the recruiting process."
Q: Can you discuss what your athletic department is doing to help your program?
Simon Earnshaw, NC State Women's Head Coach (NCAA Division I)
"I would say it was clear when I came to NC State that they wanted to be successful in every sport and understood the piece that a coaching staff can be the main difference maker. There were high but clear expectations and although historically that level of achievement hadn't been present, being able to have control and that support from the get-go was the help I needed. There was a plan that if you were able to achieve specific benchmarks then you would be supported more and more based on that. For me, that was the most important piece, as simple as it sounds. I was provided with a pathway where I had a good degree of control and our mutually high expectations matched. I think for many that could create a ton of pressure or be a situation that could cause some trepidation, but it's one of those things where I was looking for that and felt I could thrive in that environment."
Q: What are your initial thoughts on the NCAA ruling about granting current college student-athletes another year of eligibility?
Simon Earnshaw, NC State Women's Head Coach (NCAA Division I)
"It's been a real rollercoaster the past few weeks, from the initial end-of-season announcement, to the hope of eligibility relief through to this week's ruling and then the process each school is now working through based on our new normal. There are many perspectives, as there's a huge ripple effect that every athletic department, program, student-athlete, recruit and their families are feeling. I'm still trying to grasp all the ins and outs, and with most everything there seem to be more questions than answers currently. Therefore, my initial thoughts are that it's a positive step but there's going to need to be some mitigation of the implications of the ruling and we're going to have to be flexible and creative reacting to how this is going to work functionally moving forward."
Q: Is there anything you would like to add about the overall COVID-19 situation?
Simon Earnshaw, NC State Women's Head Coach (NCAA Division I)
"I don't think any of us could have seen this coming and are ready for what's ahead of us in the next few weeks and months. Maybe we should all have been more mindful or prepared for it; I don't know that and it's easy to think that in hindsight. The main thing is to follow the advice and mandates we are being given by medical professionals and be as disciplined as possible with that. We're all in this; no matter where we live, this is an invisible enemy and in order to get past this we've all got to do it together. It really makes me appreciate doctors, nurses and the first responders, those on the front lines, more than beforetheir selfless commitment, putting others first despite not having all the tools and protective equipment, has been both uplifting and demoralizing. Last night on one of the news programs I recognized a former high-level Division I women's tennis player that was sharing her experience as a doctor currently in New York. It's positive to see former student-athletes in roles like this beyond the high-profiles ones we hear about like professional athletes. We don't hear or see this enough, that's where former student-athletes really make a difference big picture and can use their experience."
Q: What is your advice for junior players and parents as they look to be recruited?
Simon Earnshaw, NC State Women's Head Coach (NCAA Division I)
"I'd say more than ever before, be proactive and don't necessarily wait for the coaches to contact you. Reach out and try to engage in as much communication as possible. Be clear and direct. The past few weeks have shown just how quickly everything in our world can change. The more both players and their parents can be involved, the better this is for everyone. Then it's really a question of trying to keep up and develop relationships as you would expect them to develop once you're part of a program. Relationships are much better when they are two-way and that's the same with the recruiting process."
Q: Can you discuss what your athletic department is doing to help your program?
Simon Earnshaw, NC State Women's Head Coach (NCAA Division I)
"I would say it was clear when I came to NC State that they wanted to be successful in every sport and understood the piece that a coaching staff can be the main difference maker. There were high but clear expectations and although historically that level of achievement hadn't been present, being able to have control and that support from the get-go was the help I needed. There was a plan that if you were able to achieve specific benchmarks then you would be supported more and more based on that. For me, that was the most important piece, as simple as it sounds. I was provided with a pathway where I had a good degree of control and our mutually high expectations matched. I think for many that could create a ton of pressure or be a situation that could cause some trepidation, but it's one of those things where I was looking for that and felt I could thrive in that environment."
Q: What are your initial thoughts on the NCAA ruling about granting current college student-athletes another year of eligibility?
Simon Earnshaw, NC State Women's Head Coach (NCAA Division I)
"It's been a real rollercoaster the past few weeks, from the initial end-of-season announcement, to the hope of eligibility relief through to this week's ruling and then the process each school is now working through based on our new normal. There are many perspectives, as there's a huge ripple effect that every athletic department, program, student-athlete, recruit and their families are feeling. I'm still trying to grasp all the ins and outs, and with most everything there seem to be more questions than answers currently. Therefore, my initial thoughts are that it's a positive step but there's going to need to be some mitigation of the implications of the ruling and we're going to have to be flexible and creative reacting to how this is going to work functionally moving forward."
Q: Is there anything you would like to add about the overall COVID-19 situation?
Simon Earnshaw, NC State Women's Head Coach (NCAA Division I)
"I don't think any of us could have seen this coming and are ready for what's ahead of us in the next few weeks and months. Maybe we should all have been more mindful or prepared for it; I don't know that and it's easy to think that in hindsight. The main thing is to follow the advice and mandates we are being given by medical professionals and be as disciplined as possible with that. We're all in this; no matter where we live, this is an invisible enemy and in order to get past this we've all got to do it together. It really makes me appreciate doctors, nurses and the first responders, those on the front lines, more than beforetheir selfless commitment, putting others first despite not having all the tools and protective equipment, has been both uplifting and demoralizing. Last night on one of the news programs I recognized a former high-level Division I women's tennis player that was sharing her experience as a doctor currently in New York. It's positive to see former student-athletes in roles like this beyond the high-profiles ones we hear about like professional athletes. We don't hear or see this enough, that's where former student-athletes really make a difference big picture and can use their experience."