Are there no boundaries in recruiting?

Listen. One of the things I strive to do in life is to be slow to pass judgment. It is a noble, Christian goal. Like most people, I do not always succeed at this. But I try. However, this morning, allow me to share an opinion on something I read today in the sports pages of Dutchess County's Finest Daily Newspaper. There was a story about some local athletes signing National Letters of Intent to continue their sport in college. I do not think any of them were track athletes, but that's not the point.

One of the athletes commented on how he received a call from a college coach in his sport with an offer to attend his school. The offer call was made on Christmas Day. As in: December 25. Really? Christmas? The kid was thrilled, considered it a "Christmas present" and called back later in the day to accept the offer. Good for him. Good for this kid, and I hope he has a great experience in college. But really? A recruiting call on Christmas morning? I have to admit that on Christmas morning, calling a prospective student-athlete was probably the last thing on my mind.

This week begins the NLI signing period in our sport, so offers are being made by coaches, and offers are being accepted or politely declined by prospective student-athletes. Here in the first full week of February, this is standard operating procedure. I know that recruiting can be a competitive, cut-throat game -- one that is a continuous cycle. Not to sound like Bill O'Reilly but ... on Christmas Day, shouldn't we all take a day off from that game every once in a while? Just a thought ...