He’s done it again.
Carleton Ravens men’s basketball coach Dave Smart has once again landed a top recruit for his program. Like Philip Scrubb this year and Tyson Hinz last, Justin Shaver is considered one of the top Canadian recruits in his class. And he will be a Carleton Raven next season.
As Smart has proven, recruiting isn’t a one-year process. It is much more than that. Smart started talking to Shaver in Grade 8, Shaver said, not about playing for the Ravens, but just to establish a connection.
He also used to regularly attend Hinz’s high school games to provide encouragement and support, said Hinz’s high school basketball coach Jason Wren. It should come as no surprise these two top athletes chose to attend Carleton.
This is the recruiting approach Carleton’s varsity football team should take if and when they start putting their team together — it is still unsure when this will take place. They shouldn’t focus on speaking to Grade 11 and 12 students with the hope of finding immediate success — though they shouldn’t ignore them either.
Instead, they should focus their attention on younger student-athletes and make a connection with them so by the time they’re ready for university, they are already comfortable with the Ravens staff and program. This is even more relevant for a program that is just getting off the ground.
By taking this approach, the Ravens will start planting the seeds to establish a successful program for years to come.