April 11, 2004
Recently I bumped into a friend who I hadn't seen in quite some time and I found it quite interesting when he told me what he was doing for a living. First off, he came right out and asked me if I knew of any high school athletes who were interested in playing a sport in college. Being plugged into the high school scene as a sports writer, I questioned him as to what for: My friend explained to me he was a recruiter for the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA), which is a service that assists college coaches with finding the right high school student-athletes. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I was intrigued by this type of service and I began investigating what it was all about. I called the main office, which is located in Chicago, Ill. The people there were very receptive to my inquiries and eventually put me in touch with Chris Krause, the founder and CEO of the NCSA. Krause was very engaging and answered all o f my questions without hesitation. He used his experiences as a full scholarship college football player at Vanderbilt University, as well as 12 years in the college recruiting business, in starting the NCSA four years ago. "Our main goal is getting student-athletes exposed to the right programs," said Krause. "That's something I didn't have the luxury of coming out of high school." The NCSA educates student-athletes and their parents on the entire recruiting process. The student-athletes, especially those not heavily recruited, are marketed to colleges where they can realistically play and are given guidance in how to manage relationships with college coaches. Ultimately, it gives student-athletes the opportunity to find an academic and athletic program that will best fit their needs. "We keep the kids' best interests at heart," Krause noted. Krause said the NCSA has established relationships with more than 50,000 registered college coaches at 1,700 schools in more than 50 sports in all 50 states from every NCAA, NAIA and junior college program.
A student-athlete doesn't even have to be a senior or junior to register with the NCSA. In fact, it's probably better if a student-athlete enlists the services of the NCSA when he or she is a freshman or sophomore, according to Krause. "It's important to start early because college coaches like to see the athlete's progression." Whereas some recruiting services may take advantage of young athletes, the NCSA works with the student-athlete and if not completely satisfied there's a one-year, moneyback guarantee. Although it doesn't promise scholarships, the NCSA does promise its student-athletes and their families will be completely satisfied with its efforts and offers financial assistance to those who may not be able to afford this service. The NCSA has a 98 percent satisfaction rating by its clients and is the only organization to stand by its guarantee. In my opinion, this sounds like a wonderful opportunity for student-athletes who are serious about playing at the next level. The NCSA seems to care about its studentathletes while keeping in mind their academic pursuits as well. For information, visit the NCSA Web site at www.ncsaports.org or call 888-333-6846.
