By Viri Garcia Gallardo & Deshawn Pouper, Staff Reporters
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how college athletics programs recruit new talent. Like other universities, CSUDH adapted its recruitment process, transitioning from traditional in-person meetings and campus visits to virtual platforms like Zoom. This shift has affected both the recruitment experience for athletes and how coaches identify and attract talent.
Before the pandemic, recruitment centered on in-person evaluations – coaches attended games, made campus visits, and built personal connections with prospects. COVID-19 safety measures changed that process almost overnight. The NCAA imposed a recruiting “dead period” from March 2020 to June 2021, prohibiting in-person contact between coaches and athletes. Athletics programs were forced to rely on digital toolkits to scout and engage talent.
Graduate student guard Alex Garcia has been a part of the Toro men’s basketball squad for six years. Garcia told The Bulletin recruitment has changed a lot since he first arrived at Dominguez Hills.
“I was recruited before COVID, and it was much more personal. I got to meet the coaches face to face, visit the dorms, and experience the campus,” Garcia recalled. “Now, a lot of that happens online, and it’s harder for new recruits to get the same experience.”
Senior men’s soccer midfielder Ian Pierra took a different approach to getting noticed by the Toros Athletics coaching staff. Pierra told The Bulletin that he “sent emails to as many coaches as possible” before he was offered a spot on the team following a camp in July of 2022. He cited the university’s close relationship with the LA Galaxy as one of the reasons he became a Toro.
“The proximity to a professional team and the cost-effectiveness of the school were huge bonuses,” Pierra said, adding that prospects should “keep an open mind, have faith in God, and enjoy your moment.”
Because the pandemic affected player eligibility, Garcia said it’s become more challenging for recruits to get playtime. “Older athletes are using their extra COVID eligibility. It’s harder for younger players to break in.”
Despite the competition for minutes, some newer Toro athletes have already found a great sense of camaraderie with their teammates. Garcia’s teammate, freshman guard Isaiah Bernard-Lopez, said he was sold on the “family atmosphere” at CSUDH.
“Guys like Jordan Hilstock and Jeremy Dent-Smith made me feel at home – and Coach Steve Becker’s vision for the team matched what I wanted,” Bernard Lopez said. “I want to make money doing what I love, and I know CSUDH can help me get there.” (Editor’s note: Jeremy Dent-Smith is also the Sports Editor for The Bulletin.)
Strong relationships, especially with the coaching staff, are essential for prospects like Junior Rodriguez, a Compton College baseball athlete being recruited by Toros Athletics.
“The coaches have been great – they always check-in and show genuine interest. It feels like they care,” Rodriguez said. “The authenticity, he added, makes all the difference since some virtual meetings with staff can be deceiving. “Coaches might seem cool, but they can be different in person. It’s hard to know.”
Of course, the fact that college athletes are also college students can’t be ignored. At CSUDH, Kisha Calbert serves as the academic advisor for Toros Athletics, working to ensure recruits adjust to life on and off the field. Calbert told The Bulletin that she’s noticed a significant increase in requests for online or asynchronous classes.
“Many of our students, who may have come to us without a pandemic, probably would have balked at taking a class fully online or asynchronously,” Calbert said. “Now students are interested in taking classes online because it gives them a little more freedom between class time, practice, and competition.”
According to Calbert, the overall demand for asynchronous classes has outpaced the university’s capacity to accommodate them.
“I have a lot of students who clamor to try to get fully online classes for their whole class schedule,” she said. “The university hasn’t figured out or hasn’t been able to meet the need that the student population in general wants.”
According to Garcia, the Toro men’s guard, Navigating and adapting to changes in the landscapes of academia and college sports is likely to be vital to the success of future student-athletes.
“The ability to adapt is key in sports and life, and that’s something we all need to embrace moving forward.”
