College coaches are using Twitter to reach recruits

Santa Clara men's basketball coach Kerry Keating was considered one of the most tech-savvy recruiters when he was an assistant at UCLA, writes The San Francisco Chronicle.

He courted Kevin Love with text messages and landed a commitment from another top recruit via Instant Messenger.

Keating set up a Twitter account two months ago and thinks it could be a valuable recruiting tool as the NCAA continues to place restrictions on communication between coaches and prospective student-athletes. "It's another vehicle to exchange information," Keating said. "Recruiting is all about communication and it's another good communication device."

The Twitter craze certainly has galvanized the college coaching ranks. Many elite coaches are attempting to tap into a medium that is increasingly being used by young people. USC football coach Pete Carroll has more than 17,000 followers on Twitter. Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean and new Kentucky coach John Calipari are engaged in a lighthearted competition to see who can get more followers. Former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin is Twittering at Tennessee.

permalink (May 8th, 2009)

Coaches find loophole, use texting

According to Central Michigan Life, "college coaches have found a significant loophole in the NCAA recruiting regulations which is drawing popularity across the nation. "Text messaging is the new craze which allows coaches to contact recruits an unlimited amount of times after Sept. 1 of their junior year. Basketball coaches can start texting June 15 of a student’s sophomore year. “It is changing the face of recruiting,” said CMU Compliance Coordinator Josh Moon. “It allows coaches to constantly be in contact with prospects. It gives those coaches that have a new style of phone a big advantage over those that don’t.” However, major problems have begun to occur with its use. Highly sought prospects can receive an excess number of text messages in any given day, resulting in large overage fees and big phone bills. “The biggest issue is that a hot recruit can receive almost 50 messages from coaches per day,” said Plas Presnell, director of football operations. “They can receive calls in the middle of the night, or while in the classroom. It’s starting to become a highly talked about issue.” Related posts: -- SMS recruting by coaches spinning out control -- Coaches turn to text messaging to woo recruits permalink (May 1st, 2006)

SMS recruting by coaches spinning out control

We had heard about coaches using text messaging to recruit promising atheletes, but didn't realize how out of hand it has become. The Star Ledger writes about female high school sohpmores around the US being deluged by college basketball coaches trying to recruit them by both I.M and text messaging. " For Danella, a star at Red Bank Catholic High, having coaches send her instant messages and text messages -- real-time, rapid-fire typed conversations using the Internet and cell phones -- has become a part of her daily life. It is constant: "I just signed on 10 minutes ago and I already had two people trying to IM (instant message) me," she said. It is lifestyle-altering: She has had the text-messaging feature removed from her cell phone. " "Hmmm, that's interesting, how did she do that? permalink (January 22nd, 2006)

Coaches turn to text messaging to woo recruits

Buoyed by an NCAA rule change, more football and basketball coaches are text messaging recruits, reports FOX Sports. "Coaches still send letters and make phone calls, but some say the short messages transmitted from a cell phone or handheld device are more effective than traditional recruiting tools in communicating with prized prospects." permalink (January 18th, 2006)

RainedOut Text Alerts for Sport Leagues

RainedOut, a text message service for sports leagues and clubs, today announced that over 1000 sports leagues across the country are now using RainedOut to broadcast real-time messages to players, coaches, parents, referees, spectators and others. [via press release] permalink (September 18th, 2009)

Samsung Gives Phones to Chinese Olympians

Samsung Electronics has donated cell phones to every member of the Chinese Olympic squad, reports Digital Chosunilobo. The gift of 1,000 handsets is Samsung's largest marketing donation ever to a particular nation's Olympic team. "... The donated G618 "Olympics phone" features Olympics-related ringtones and images. As the official mobile phone of China's Olympic team, it will be used by 600 athletes and 400 coaches and staff. A Samsung official said, "With the sponsorship, Samsung can use athlete photos to produce ads and preferred contractor programs (PCP), and Chinese gold medalists will visit the Samsung PR center during the Olympics for a signature event." permalink (July 21st, 2008)

Text messaging recruiting limits upheld

The NCAA's 300-plus Division I schools on Saturday turned back efforts to rescind a five-month ban on coaches' use of text messaging in recruiting, reports USA Today. Related: - Recruiting by texting permalink (January 14th, 2008)

On Texting, a Question of Access or Invasion

Desperate to connect with the best players, college coaches have adopted text messaging with zeal, and some athletes have had enough. Beginning in August 2007, the N.C.A.A. banned Division I colleges from using text messaging to recruit athletes, citing complaints from students that the practice was driving up cellphone bills and intruding on personal time. Now, in an unusual move, representatives from the N.C.A.A.’s Division I members are expected to revisit the issue Saturday at their annual convention after 34 of the 329 colleges asked for an override vote. To reverse the ban, at least five-eighths of the delegates in attendance would have to approve it. [via The New York Times] permalink (January 12th, 2008)

NCAA approves ban on text messaging

The Associated Press reports that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) approved a ban on text messaging between coaches and recruits by a 13-3 vote. The ban will begin in August. Related: -- Coaches find loophole, use texting - College coaches have found a significant loophole in the NCAA recruiting regulations which is drawing popularity across the nation. Text messaging is the new craze which allows coaches to contact recruits an unlimited amount of times after Sept. 1 of their junior year. Basketball coaches can start texting June 15 of a student’s sophomore year. -- Coaches turn to text messaging to woo recruits - more football and basketball coaches are text messaging recruits and finding it more effective than traditional recruiting tools in communicating with prized prospects." permalink (April 27th, 2007)

Text messaging by overzealous recruiters getting out of hand

Ever since they learned that text messaging allowed them to skirt the rules that limit contact with recruits, college football and basketball coaches have been getting blisters on their thumbs, reports Philadelphia Daily News. Unlike phone calls, the NCAA does not limit the number of texts a coach can make. However, the NCAA is considering reining in this latest craze. Last month the NCAA recommended legislation to limit texting to between 4 and 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekends, an attempt to prevent coaches from interrupting students when they're in class. It would not set a cap on the number of messages sent during those times. But coaches not only use texts to inundate recruits, they can use them to bypass the rules. NCAA rules limit how often a coach can call a recruit, but there are no limits as to how often a recruit can call a coach. Consequently a quick "CALL ME" text doesn't technically violate the rule, since the athlete is initiating the phone call. The other problem is that text messaging often puts a financial burden on the recruits. Some phone plans charge for text messages sent and received, which means star recruits could find themselves facing monthly bills in the hundreds of dollars, most of it unsolicited coaching spam. Soon, that likely will change. The NCAA in September will look more closely at establishing SMS guidelines. In its June report, the cabinet wrote, "Given the additional intrusion factor this technology adds to the lives of prospects, appropriate limitations should be established in order to balance the intrusive nature of such communication with the value of computer-mediated communication in the recruitment process." Related posts: -- Coaches find loophole, use texting -- SMS recruting by coaches spinning out control -- Coaches turn to text messaging to woo recruits permalink (August 9th, 2006)

Drift Relay

GlowLab is participating in the ISEA/Zero1 Symposium this year in San Jose. They will be presenting the Drift Relay. A 24 hour relay style walk through the city of San Jose documented by MMS and SMS. Drift Relay turns the city into a playing field over the course of 24 hours as our Coaches and Playbook guide Designated Drifters relay-style through San Jose. Project headquarters at ISEA and the Drift Relay website will continually broadcast relay location and status sent from the street via MMS/SMS. permalink (August 5th, 2006)

Texting & Dating: Top-Ten Do's & Don'ts

Tegic Communications, maker of popular T9 Text Input software for cell phones, has teamed up with John Gray, author of best-seller Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and AOL Love & Sex Coach, to offer the top-ten tips to help ensure a successful union of texting and dating in 2006. [Press Release] For instance: -- DO wait until at least the third date before you engage in "textual relations" with a new love interest. -- DON'T read too much into whether he or she has (or hasn't!) signed off with X's and O's for kisses and hugs. permalink (January 19th, 2006)

PHONES THAT ARE STREETS AHEAD

UK's The Mirror has a an article on mobile phones that are set to revolutionize our lives. Nothing we haven't read about before, but it's a fun roundup. I've added some relevant links and articles. The Tooth Phone - Developed by students at the Royal College Of Art, this "molar mobile" is so tiny it can be implanted in a tooth. The device transmits sound to your ear by sending vibrations along the jawbone and, while it is currently just a concept, the technology behind it is proven. The phone could be implanted in football players' teeth, so a manager could relay instructions from the sidelines, without giving away his plans to the opposition. -- Related article: Put your mobile where your mouth is (June 20 2002 - BBC) The Phone Doctor - US firm Sensatex has developed the SmartShirt - a T-shirt woven with electronic fibres that monitor your vital signs. If a wearer suffers a heart attack, for instance, the phone will call 999 with all the details, including an exact location based on satellite navigation. Again, there are sporting applications. Athletes' coaches will be able to monitor every detail of their charge's physical condition during a race - in the same way F1 engineers can already run checks on a car's engine from the pit-lane during a Grand Prix. -- Related article: Smartshirt sensors (Time Inventions of the Year 2001) and Heartbeat monitoring armchair and shirt (November 13, 2004 - near near future) The Fabric Phone - Smart textiles will also allow an entire phone to be woven into the fabric of a jacket. The keypad could be a touch sensitive panel on the sleeve and, as the phone would be a basic calls-only device, there would be no need for a screen. A separate Bluetooth earpiece would house the speaker and microphone. -- Related article: The Bluetooth 'life-saving shirt' (October 11, 2004 - near near future) The Phone Car Key - Keyless entry systems will let you unlock your car and start the engine simply by keying a PIN code into your mobile. -- Related articles: New Nokia Car Kit (November 3, 2004 - Textually.org) and Text the wallpaper... or the car (November 3, 2004 - near near future) The Phone Doorman - Keyless entry will also apply to your house - key in your PIN on your phone keypad as you approach your front door and it will swing open. The technology is already available and prototype versions have been installed. -- Related article: FeliCa Mobile Phone door lock technology (November 14, 2004 - Mobile Mag) The Phone Security Guard - Secruity cameras that text you if they detect an intruder are already a reality. But in years to come they will also let you watch CCTV from your home wherever you are. Users will be able to check their belongings are safe or just see that their teenage kids haven't thrown a wild party while they're away. -- Related article: Nokia's wireless home monitoring (September 23, 2004 - Cellular News) The Sign Language Phone - Nokia scientists are working on Gesture Input Technology. This will let you answer your phone by waving a hand over it, or even transfer data files such as video clips or songs simply by pointing from one device to another. -- Related article: Goodbye Buttons (October 12, 2004 - Star Tech Central) permalink (November 15th, 2004)