Although they aren't part of an official recruiting visit, future college athletes often find themselves at parties when they are checking out a potential school.
Luke was a senior in high school and a star golfer. He knew he had the chance to play at the college level and was beginning the recruiting process to try and do so. He was contacted by a coach from a school he had never even heard of. The coach pushed for him to take an official visit to campus, and Luke eventually obliged.
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The coach promised Luke the world. He brought Luke around campus, showed him the facilities that the school had to offer and told Luke all of the opportunities he would have if he chose to golf there. Luke was sold, and the coach gave him an offer that same day.
While on the official visit, the coach suggested that Luke should come back at a later date for an overnight visit. He told Luke that it would be a great opportunity to hang out with the guys who could be his future teammates and begin to get a feel for the student life on and around campus. Luke liked the idea and decided he would do it.
About a month later, Luke came back for the overnight visit. He got to meet the guys who were currently on the team, who then took him to dinner and played basketball with him afterwards. As night drew closer, they offered to take Luke to a party, and Luke agreed to go.
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Luke said the entire night, including the party, was really fun until he and the other golfers were leaving the house that the party was at. When they walked out the front door, a neighbor who was furious about the noise was standing there waiting for them. He flashed a gun at the group and told them that he would be right back with a much bigger gun.
One of the current athletes on the team, and one of Luke's current best friends, took action and began reasoning with the neighbor. He eventually calmed the neighbor down enough for him to put his gun away, telling him he would take care of the noise and make sure it didn't happen again. Finally, the neighbor left, and the group was able to hightail it back to the on-campus residence halls. There, Luke stayed the night with two of the current players and headed back home in the morning.
Despite the situation that went down at the party, Luke decided to commit to and play golf at the school. He said he really enjoyed the camaraderie among the athletes on the team and was convinced by the coach's pitch to have him join the squad. He also knew to watch the noise level when he got there.
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* Originally published on March 21, 2023, by Owen Roche
