{"id":55708,"date":"2017-03-14T18:14:28","date_gmt":"2017-03-14T23:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=55708"},"modified":"2017-03-14T18:14:28","modified_gmt":"2017-03-14T23:14:28","slug":"high-school-coaches-leave-no-stone-unturned-in-helping-players-explore-next-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/high-school-coaches-leave-no-stone-unturned-in-helping-players-explore-next-level\/","title":{"rendered":"High School Coaches ‘Leave No Stone Unturned’ in Helping Players Explore Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Andres Waters<\/strong><\/p>\n

After Loyola Academy held off rival New Trier 43-40 to win the 2017 Zion-Benton regional championship, Ramblers head coach Tom Livatino had a special message for his players.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the best celebration that I have ever been a part of,\u201d Livatino said. \u201cBecause everybody was completely about love. You guys love each other and we all can tell. I\u2019m really, really proud just to be one of our coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the speech was a powerful way for Livatino to tell the players of his appreciation, he and other high school coaches engage in something much bigger to show players how proud they are: college recruiting.<\/p>\n

In addition to time spent planning and practicing, coaches also sacrifice countless hours each week helping their players find opportunities to play at the next level.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really long part of the process, but to be honest, it\u2019s a part of the job that I absolutely love,\u201d Livatino said. \u201cWe demand so much of our players in every aspect. And, from a basketball standpoint, the least I could do is everything in my power to help them out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Less than 48 hours after the Ramblers completed their season with a loss to Evanston Township in the Waukegan Sectional semifinal, Livatino was back in his office holding individual meetings with each player.<\/p>\n

Starting with the 10 departing seniors, Livatino discussed the factors that go into choosing a college for high school athletes.<\/p>\n

His conversations with the two players who already committed, senior guards Ramar Evans and Matt Lynch, focused on how they felt about their next steps. With the others, Livatino asked whether they wanted to play at the next level and, if so, which schools they wanted to attend that shared an interest in them. The conversations held with the Ramblers\u2019 juniors are very similar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t just looking for basketball, I was looking for a fit academically and socially,\u201d said Lynch, who committed to Division III St. Norbert College. \u201c[Livatino] said St. Norbert would be the best fit for me. It fit everything I was looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though this year\u2019s senior class didn\u2019t feature any players who were recruited by Division I teams, Livatino said the process is no different for players who end up playing Division II or Division III.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s equally time-consuming,\u201d he said. \u201c[Coaches] spend just as much time getting their [players\u2019] names out through sending video and information out there to [college] coaches. We\u2019re trying to expand the options for the players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Livatino said he\u2019s spent nearly 10 hours per week working on helping his players get recruited this season.<\/p>\n

His meetings with Loyola\u2019s sophomores are a little more complex. While the underclassmen are on the freshman, sophomore or junior varsity\u00a0teams, their coaches evaluate them to see which level they may be able to play at after graduation.<\/p>\n

Paul Pryma, a Ramblers assistant coach and former Evanston Township head coach, said when he evaluates players, he primarily looks for three things.<\/p>\n

\u201cShooting, explosive athleticism and competitiveness,\u201d Pryma said. \u201cWhen you can shoot the ball, it opens up a lot of options. And to compete at that level you\u2019ve got to be so competitive. It\u2019s dog eat dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

When evaluating their athletes, coaches must account for both where a player currently stands and his potential. Livatino, who has coached D-I recruits in the past, admits the process is generally expedited for top recruits. However, for the majority of high school players, it begins after their sophomore season.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing into their junior year, if these are kids that want to play college basketball or these are kids that we know are going to play, we sit down with those families,\u201d Livatino said. \u201cA lot of times that\u2019s met with resistance, because they might think their son is at a higher level than I see them at.\u201d<\/p>\n

While this is not a regular problem at Loyola, other coaches encounter challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of parents want the coach to do everything they can to get their kids noticed by colleges,\u201d Pryma said. \u201cWell, the bottom line is, if you\u2019re a good high school player the colleges are going to know who you are. And if you\u2019re a really good player and you choose a school that isn\u2019t quite the school that you wanted, you\u2019ll make that school a top school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Livatino said when families are upset with a coach\u2019s analysis, it is often their first time hearing realistic expectations for their children.<\/p>\n

Meetings with the rising sophomores and incoming freshmen, meanwhile, are mainly about explaining the recruiting process.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlayers start to figure out geographically, where they want to go to school; academically, where they can go to school and; socially, what\u2019s going to be their mix,\u201d Livatino said.<\/p>\n

Pryma said finding the right fit for each player is the hardest part of recruiting for high school coaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re with these kids all day long [during] the school day, then you\u2019ve got practice, then you\u2019re traveling from game to game.\u201d he said. \u201c[And] you\u2019re intimately associated with their educational process; you know these kids in and out. You\u2019re trying to see how it all funnels in to make a good fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many high school coaches, the work doesn\u2019t stop after players have moved on to the next level. It is not uncommon for coaches to stay in touch with them and make sure everything is going smoothly.<\/p>\n

Livatino said he checks in with his players to make sure they are happy with their decision and how they feel about their new program. He even offers advice to players when they are considering transferring to other programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much that goes into the process of recruiting,\u201d he said. \u201cWe [coaches] are doing everything we can to make sure our players find the right fit. Leave no stone unturned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Loyola Academy assistant coach Paul Pryma extends his hand toward a Steinmetz High School\u00a0player during pregame introductions on Feb. 21. (Andres Waters\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Andres Waters After Loyola Academy held off rival New Trier 43-40 to win the 2017 Zion-Benton regional championship, Ramblers head coach Tom Livatino had a special message for his players. \u201cThat\u2019s the best celebration that I have ever been a part of,\u201d Livatino said. \u201cBecause everybody was completely about love. You guys love each […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":382,"featured_media":55726,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,3516],"tags":[3820,3840,3822],"class_list":["post-55708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-winter-2017","tag-loyola-academy-basketball","tag-paul-pryma","tag-tom-livatino"],"yoast_head":"\nHigh School Coaches 'Leave No Stone Unturned' in Helping Players Explore Next Level - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/high-school-coaches-leave-no-stone-unturned-in-helping-players-explore-next-level\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"High School Coaches 'Leave No Stone Unturned' in Helping Players Explore Next Level - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Andres Waters After Loyola Academy held off rival New Trier 43-40 to win the 2017 Zion-Benton regional championship, Ramblers head coach Tom Livatino had a special message for his players. \u201cThat\u2019s the best celebration that I have ever been a part of,\u201d Livatino said. \u201cBecause everybody was completely about love. 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