Why fancy locker rooms won't make you happy
The people matter more than the place
We are ridiculously spoiled in NCAA field hockey.
Walk through field hockey facilities at the top end of Division I and you'll find amenities that would make international teams jealous.
LED nameplates in beautifully aesthetic locker rooms. State-of-the-art video analysis suites. Custom shoe-drying systems. Legacy rooms and trophy cabinets. All for a single team!
Compare that to what I've seen overseas. National team programs operating out of converted buildings. World-class players changing in basic facilities that American high schoolers would complain about.
The Facilities Arms Race
This privilege has created an arms race among American college programs.
Some coaches spend far too much time worrying about this and over-weighting it in the recruiting process.
Are our facilities nice enough? Will recruits be impressed? How do we stack up against the competition?
Those with nice facilities will naturally make these a part of their recruiting pitch to wow 16-year-olds on campus visits.
And if they don’t have nice facilities themselves, they will try to borrow some. If you’re on an official visit to a big football school for example, you might be taken to the field for a photo in a famous stadium you’ve seen on TV.
The messaging is clear: big-time sport lives here, and you could be a part of it.
But here’s what gets lost in all that excitement.
What Matters Daily
High-quality facilities make life easier, and we should be grateful for them if we have them.
But they won't determine your happiness for four years.
You'll spend 20 minutes per day in that beautiful locker room.
You'll spend 4+ hours daily with coaches and teammates.
The people matter more than the place.
Does your coach have a development plan for you? Do teammates support each other? Do you trust the program with your growth?
Those questions matter more than how sweet your locker nameplate will look.
The Facilities That Impact Your Life
Want to focus on facilities that matter? Look at:
Your dorm room - You'll sleep there more than 200 nights a year
Dining halls - You'll eat there multiple times a day
Library and study spaces - You’ll do the work there to succeed as a student-athlete
That football stadium you photographed? You'll attend maybe a couple of games per year, because you'll also be in season in the fall, and traveling every second weekend.
One Thing That Works
Ask for some unstructured time with current players during a visit, if it isn’t already included on your itinerary. No coaches. No agenda.
Find out what their daily life looks like. What do they love? What drives them crazy? How do they feel about the program?
These conversations will tell you more than any facility tour ever could.
Reality Check
Beautiful buildings can't replace poor coaching.
Fancy equipment can't fix a toxic team culture.
That shoe-drying rack might impress your Instagram followers, but it won't help you grow as a player or person.
Choose substance over shine.
If you found this advice valuable, you’ll likely get a lot of out of my flagship online course, The Field Hockey Recruiting Playbook, which includes proven templates for every stage of the recruiting process!