michael kelly

I’ve been getting so many messages from parents of 2026, 2027, and 2028 athletes that sound almost identical… and my heart just aches for every single one of you. A typical one looks like this: “My 2028 son went to a D1 mid-major camp in July. The head coach told him he liked him and planned to call on August 1. The assistant independently reached out and said, ‘We like him and will probably go after him Aug 1.’ They even called on July 30 just to make sure they had the right number. And then… nothing. Completely ghosted. What’s going on?” If this is your story (or something painfully close to it), please hear me: You are not crazy. Your athlete is not “not good enough.” And you did nothing wrong. What you’re experiencing is the very real fallout of two massive shifts in college sports that collided at the worst possible time. First, the House v. NCAA settlement (approved in June 2025) changed everything about roster spots and money. Schools can now pay athletes directly, but they also have much tighter roster limits. Thousands of spots that used to exist for developmental high-school players simply disappeared. Mid-major programs especially are stretched thin. Coaches now have to choose between an 18-year-old with potential and a 21- or 22-year-old transfer who can play right now. Too often, the high-school kid gets pushed down the list. Then, just days ago, federal court rulings (especially the big Colorado injunction on July 31 / August 1) granted an extra year of eligibility to the entire Class of 2022. Suddenly, hundreds of experienced players who thought they were done are back on the market. Transfer portal windows opened almost overnight. Coaches who were planning to call your son or daughter on August 1 are now scrambling to lock down veterans before fall camp starts. So the interest was real. The July 30 phone call was real. And the silence that followed is also real — because the entire landscape shifted under their feet in a matter of hours. This is the new reality for our kids. Coaches are casting wider nets earlier than ever because everything is so uncertain… and then having to pivot the second a court ruling or portal wave changes their math. It feels personal. It hurts. But in most cases, it isn’t about your athlete’s talent or character. If you’re one of the many parents living this right now, here’s what I want you to hold onto: • Keep showing up. Keep sending film. Keep being polite and persistent. • Widen the net — D2, D3, NAIA, and junior colleges still have real opportunities. • Protect your child’s heart. Remind them daily that one (or even several) unanswered calls do not define their worth. • You’re not alone. There are so many of us walking this same confusing path right now. To every parent who’s texted, messaged, or called me with a version of this story in the last few days: I see you. I hear the frustration and the worry in your words. And I’m right here with you. Our kids are still growing, still developing, still capable of incredible things. The system is messy and unfair at the moment — but it does not get the final say on their future. Hang in there. Keep loving them through this. And know that a whole community of parents is walking beside you.