What Are Some of the Driving Forces Prompting Athletes to Enter the Portal?
There are numerous reasons, according to our research. But here are the Big 3...
Just gave a talk at the annual American Hockey Coaches Association convention in Florida, and wanted to share one piece of my talk with all of you quickly.
In talking about the Transfer Portal at the AHCA with their coaches, I shared this slide:
I know it’s kind of hard to read, so let me walk you through it:
First, notice that about 60% of the respondents said they weren’t considering a transfer, and therefore bypassed this question in our focus group study. 6 out of 10 aren’t thinking about a transfer. That’s good. But 4 out of 10 (40% of your roster) are considering it, and have reasons.
There are a variety of reasons depending upon the person. You’d expect that. Not surprising.
There are three (maybe four, actually) main reasons that athletes today are citing for why they want out of one program, and into some other program:
About 20% feel like they aren’t getting the right academic fit at their current school, and want to search for another one.
Another 20% are leaving because, in their mind, another coach and another program is going to make them a better athletes.
And, another 20% indicated that they just want to try to compete at a higher level. That rounds out the top three.
About 14% indicated that the reason they’re entering the Transfer Portal is because they feel ignored and not valued by their current coach.
Four quick takeaways every coach needs to start factoring in when it comes to landing the transfer they really, really want:
They are judging you based upon how they feel you are treating them. It may be an inaccurate feeling, but they’re trusting their gut and letting it lead them off your campus. My question for you, Coach: How are you defining their worth, communicating that worth to them, and outlining a plan for them to get through their four years in your program.
A plan from you might get them to understand that actually, you’re a pretty good coach and you can make them better. If you don’t outline and develop a plan along with an athlete, and they sense a void when it comes what direction they’re headed as an athlete in your program, you shouldn’t be surprised when your athlete bolts and looks to fill that void somewhere else. That’s an easy fix, Coach, but it’s up to you to do it.
Why isn’t your level high enough for them? (By the way, that also applies to scholarshipped Division I athletes who might look to go to a larger, more prolific Division I program). So why isn’t your level high enough for them? Because as
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