Prepare to be Forked

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it”

Inspiring and profound advice from Yogi Berra. I find myself living this motto quite a bit as a father to two daughters. I’m constantly required to be proactive and nimble in dealing with events and directions as they come.

As an example, my most recent foray into the unknown is dealing with college recruiting. My oldest daughter started track and field this year at her high school and her team was outstanding. She was actually quite lucky as far as what she walked into. The team had a few girls that are truly amazing and one that may be a future Olympian. As such, they won multiple district, regional, and ultimately state championships. Along the way, I stood witness to the recruiting process and got to see a bevy of recruiters at the last state championship meet. As a kid growing up playing sports, I always yearned for the day I’d see recruiters watching me compete. I was never good enough for that so when I saw recruiters from numerous big name schools at the track meet this past weekend, it was pretty damn cool.

While I wish they were scouting my daughter, she isn’t quite on that level yet. She is a solid contributor to the team, is very athletic, and was named Outstanding Rookie by the team. So, she has a good foundation to start with and potential to improve. She is raw when it comes to the technique of track and field and is obviously in a learning phase.

The track ‘bug’ has bit her though and she’s completely engaged. With that said, she still also has a passion for dance. She’s been dancing since she was 5 and has grown to be a powerful, graceful, and accomplished dancer. Now she doesn’t know what she wants to pursue going forward and what to do in college.

I’m forked.

I need to prepare myself and make sure I’m ready to help her with whatever option she chooses. Here are some ways I’m attacking this new issue of recruiting and making sure I’m prepared for all possibilities.

Phase 1: Learning Phase

First thing you need to do is learn about whatever it is. In my case, recruiting. Being a sports fan my entire life and playing sports growing up, I know quite a bit about recruiting. However, I was never good enough to partake directly in the process. So, I need to get much smarter on how it REALLY works and what to expect. My daughter also needs to come up to speed on what it is, how it works, and what to expect.

• Immerse Yourself – You need to dig in and start to learn all you can about the particular topic. This pretty much goes without saying, but I said it anyway because it is so important. Don’t half-ass it and just skim material. Dive in.
• Seek Authority – Find those that know about the topic. In my case, I searched online, found authoritative websites, and also reached out to other parents that have already gone through the process.
• Attend Events – I recently went to a seminar that was offered at her high school. It was extremely useful and provided a great deal of information that is going to be crucial as we move forward. Sign up for school email lists and stay engaged. Monitor the emails being sent and find those free seminars/events that are offered that may help.
• Read – Seems like a simple concept, but the best thing you can do is spend some time reading about the topic. Make sure you read from different sources and get a full picture of all aspects. Find articles online, look for books on Amazon, or seek out blogs that may be discussing the topic.
• Google It – Type it into Google and see what comes up. There may be different avenues you can explore that perhaps you didn’t think of initially. Maybe it’s a podcast or a YouTube video. Utilize the power of social media and connections you have online to see what information you can gather. Look at Facebook groups, Google+ communities and see if there are people in the same situation as you. Explore all angles in order to fully prepare yourself.

Phase 2: Plan Your Attack

Now that you have an idea what it is and what you can do, start to document and get your plan figured out.

• Document Everything – Start to write down a “To-Do” list. Work with your child and determine what tasks are coming up and who will do what. Don’t be afraid to assign them work as they are part of the process as well.
• Determine Key Dates/Timelines – Decipher all the key dates involved in the process. For recruiting there are many timelines and dates that need to be adhered to. Figure out which dates are important and document what needs to be done and when.

Phase 3: Maintain and Update

Now that you have a plan crafted, you’ll need to revisit it from time to time to make sure it stays current and updated. Things may change or you may learn new details. The plan should not be static. It needs to grow and be used as a dynamic tool as you move forward with your child. Teach them the value of preparation and following a plan toward a defined goal. And remember to have fun. This should not be seen as unfulfilling work that you dread. Try to find the joy within the process and the experience you and your child are going through together. This could be a very important step in your child’s life and may impact their overall life plan.

There is quite a bit of work to do and you never really know which fork may ultimately be taken. The bottom line is you need to prepare for all the possibilities. If my daughter decides not to go after track at the end of the day, I’ll be fine with that. But if she does, you better believe I’m going to be ready to be by her side the entire way and help her however I can.

As a parent, make sure you plan well in advance and ensure you are up to speed on whatever path your child may take.