There are a lot of ways that fans can contribute to the athletic success of their favorite college. For example, they can be an alumnus who pledges money to the college, or a booster who donates time and resources, or just a supporter of the team on social media. However, the collective voice of the common man (or even just the friends and family of the recruited) often goes unheard in college recruiting.
Some people might consider this to be a good thing, especially considering the amount of howling that can go on in Internet forums about a team’s prospects. Why should a school have to listen to the armchair influence of every fan in the region? That chatter should be reserved for water coolers, Twitter, or the bar down the street. Recruits should listen to people in the know: coaches, other athletes, and college administrators. Right?
Well, yes, they should. However, the collective voice of the fans also has a purpose. It’s loud, but it’s experienced, and surprisingly good at helping the next generation of athletes filter out the vested interests whispering in their ears. And that’s where LemonAid comes in, giving every fan the opportunity to review, rank, and recommend college opportunities for those athletes.
Granted, these fans don’t always have the athletic knowledge of a coach or athlete. However, many of them have a great deal of knowledge about the colleges the athletes are exploring: educationally, financially, athletically, and socially. Since the fans aren’t personally involved in the decision, the percentage of their advice will be considered less than the athlete’s own desires or the coach’s knowledge, but it can still be considered.
Human beings already “ask the masses” when trying to make a difficult decision: Google, Amazon, Angie’s List. The list goes on. LemonAid gives the collective voice of the fans a focused way to contribute to their school’s success, and to help college athletes as well. And let’s not forget the friends and family of the recruited. They’re fans of a more personal sort, and LemonAid allows them to join the ranking and recommendation process also.
Too often it feels like college administrators and coaches only offer half-hearted opportunities to participate in their school’s athletics programs: “Tell us what you think on Twitter!” Or “Here’s a poll on the side of the webpage about who should start this Saturday!” Or maybe, “Here’s a survey about [insert team policy here]! Fill it out! We won’t spam you! Honest!”
Or they simply ask for money.
However, the truth is that not every conversation in the break room, or by the water cooler, or in online forums (or, yes, the local bar), is know-nothing babble. A fan’s insights about why a promising athlete should attend a school can be insightful, and LemonAid allows you, the fan, the opportunity to provide that insight.
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College Swimming News is courtesy of LemonAid, a content partner.
Very cool. My high school friends and I are always talking about where we want to go, and asking the question of each other where should we go? It’s a hard decision to make. Love that they can help out and have a voice.