Mary Cain has had an amazing first year as a professional athlete, but if she fizzles in her second year that may put a damper on sponsors offering Alexa a contract.
Too much too soon will be the conclusion they'll make and may prefer that a young athlete to mature before competing at a professional level.
I'd say enjoy your senior year, Alexa. As a pro, every race will be huge and the spotlight (especially on here) can be intense. Soak in the high school atmosphere and enjoy it while you can. You'll inspire a lot of high school girls who are lucky enough to compete against you to become great runners.
I wouldn't skip my last year of HS personally, but obviously that's up to her.
As for pro v. college I think one year at Stanford would do her some good, then turn pro after getting a little more consistent big-race experience under her belt at Mt. Sac and Payton Jordan and later possibly NCAA's
I can't see her not going pro, because no college is going to take her on and allow her to be coached by an outsider (this isn't Galen Rupp being coached by AlSal while at Oregon).
Would a school like Stanford give her a scholarship even knowing she might turn professional after a year or two?
I can understand colleges giving hugely talented kids in revenue sports scholarships even when they are 100% certain that a kid is not going to stay longer than two years (and often in the case of football, only one, since that one college season is required to enter the NFL draft). That one year can make a tremendous difference to the program if you can get a Johnny Manziel or something. And no one gives a shit how many hoops or football kids graduate because no one really expects them to anyway. But are the variables different in the case of a kid who is bright and excels in a low-profile sport like track/XC?
I just hope she doesn't sign with the psuedo-Christian drug dealer in her general neck of the woods. That would suck for all concerned, her most of all.
She actually decided over a month ago that she was going pro (I have a couple mutual friends with her).
So why not just announce this?
ghghghkdkdkdkddk wrote:
So why not just announce this?
Because she is entertaining multiple offers, perhaps? And prefers not to say anything definitive until a deal is actually inked? One can see why this would lead to far less bullshit in her life. I mean, just imagine the threads...
ESPN Jalen Rose comments on decision of college v pro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ceAW-5MNuu4
Stanford and UW are academically brutal and would ruin her running chances as would any of the PACADEMIC-9 schools.
Stanford has layers of peers, tutors, upperclassmen who keep tabs, plus the athletic dept's Academic Director sheperds student-athletes.
UW is a public school and has none of that, i.e. she's a solitary student, on her own, no-one gives a rats ass about her.
If she wants to run, I would pick a easy school instead, and not one of the top research schools such as UW or Stanford.
Stanford and UW are academically brutal and would ruin her running chances as would any of the PACADEMIC-9 schools.
Stanford has layers of peers, tutors, upperclassmen who keep tabs, plus the athletic dept's Academic Director sheperds student-athletes.
UW is a public school and has none of that, i.e. she'll be a solitary student, on her own, no-one would give a rats ass about her.
If she wants to run, I would pick a easy school instead, and not one of the top research schools such as UW or Stanford.
she should just turn pro
LetsHope wrote:
she's smart enough to learn from others' mistakes.
She would reap huge benefits (both on and off the track) from at least a couple years of college running. Either Stanford or Oregon would be excellent choices, depending on her academic strength. Then make a much more educated decision whether to use the rest of her eligibility or turn pro at that point.
If she, her parents, and her coach are serious that it's not really about the money now, then this is really a no brainer.
Others' mistakes?
Let's go over this for a moment.
~Cain has had a SPECTACULAR first year as a pro
~Ajee Wilson went pro right after HS, and just ran 1:57 to win a Diamond League event over Eunice Sum. In contrast, Amy Weissenbach, her only real competition in HS, went to Stanford and is still struggling to break 2:00.
~Evan Jager went to Madison, skipped the entire XC season, raced during the Track Season, and went pro after his freshman year, which was more like half of a freshman year to be honest.
~Verzbicas went pro-triathlete after HS and an incomplete XC season at Oregon. He won a World Cup event as well as a Continental Cup event before his injury, but the injury has very little to do with the fact that he went pro so soon. Even if he stayed in college then went pro later, there would ALWAYS be a chance for him to be in a bike crash, since he has to ride a bike so often.
There's also cases of HSers dying out BECAUSE of college.
~German Fernandez was a catastrophe after his freshman year
~Webb had a not-so-great college experience and only started doing better after returning to his HS coach
Sure, there are far more runners who have had success as a pro after several years in college. Jenny Simpson, Rupp, Ritz, etc. However, remember that Simpson herself said that it was unbelievable that HS girls were running the times that were being run now. The NCAA is where good HS athletes continue to develop (in some cases...in others they stagnate and die there). In Efraimson's case, just how much can a 4:07 girl ACTUALLY develop? She has minimal competition, and will probably be used as a point-monger.
"I bet she is already signed with Ray Flynn and they are already fishing.
Also, this coach she has does not have another job, Alexa is his income. She will certainly go pro."
================
So, enlighten the rest of us. The job as head track coach at Clark Community College is not a job?
Read more:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=5922951&page=0#ixzz38KSGAukY
Oklahoma Okie wrote:
"I bet she is already signed with Ray Flynn and they are already fishing.
Also, this coach she has does not have another job, Alexa is his income. She will certainly go pro."
================
So, enlighten the rest of us. The job as head track coach at Clark Community College is not a job?
I believe he left his job there.
Read more:
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=5922951&page=0#ixzz38KSGAukY
Stanford on the Women and Men's side for that matter gets a top 2 recruiting class ever single year like Oregon but Stanford never even makes the top 10 at NCAA's. It seems Stanford makes it's blue chip recruits slower in College then they were in High School. She should either go to College at Oregon or turn pro. Here and Baxter would be a great 1-2 punch for Cross at Oregon to say the least.
they call me flopro wrote:
Stanford on the Women and Men\'s side for that matter gets a top 2 recruiting class ever single year like Oregon but Stanford never even makes the top 10 at NCAA\'s. It seems Stanford makes it\'s blue chip recruits slower in College then they were in High School. She should either go to College at Oregon or turn pro. Here and Baxter would be a great 1-2 punch for Cross at Oregon to say the least.
Efraimson/Cuffe would be an even better 1-2 punch.
Efraimson/Cuffe duo cannot happen unless Cuffe redshirts next year. Cuffe has one more season of xc eligibility, 2 seasons of indoor track eligibility, and one more season left for outdoor track. Likely, she will be a pro by this time next year and should be a contender for the 5k team going to Bejing Worlds.
Efraimson/Cranny duo . . . now, that sounds pretty sweet, even if it might only lasts for just a xc season.
However, my speculation is that Efraimson will do next year what Cain did last year. Namely, run unattached as an amateur . . . with Hickey as her private coach . . . be selective with her racing schedule, then turn pro IF she continues to pr and runs well as USA nationals next June. However, if she flatlines for whatever reasons and the sponsorship $$ evaporates, she retains her eligibility to join her college team of choice.
Maybe the corollary question to pose here: how long does Cranny run for Stanford before she turns pro? I hang with Stanford people; I don't think any of us expect her to be around for 4 years. Actually, we hope she doesn't, as that would mean she's doing great and will be winning most everything before moving on.
they call me flopro wrote:
Stanford on the Women and Men's side for that matter gets a top 2 recruiting class ever single year like Oregon but Stanford never even makes the top 10 at NCAA's. It seems Stanford makes it's blue chip recruits slower in College then they were in High School. She should either go to College at Oregon or turn pro. Here and Baxter would be a great 1-2 punch for Cross at Oregon to say the least.
Does anyone know what happened to Cami Chapus?