Subscribe to the NCSA BlogRecruiting Perspective
October 23rd, 2008 - by I was at a luncheon earlier this week that honored several outstanding high school senior athletes. It was really interesting to hear all the different perspectives on college athletics
recruiting.
As I stood in line for the buffet lunch, I was behind a volleyball player and her parents. The player had decided on D2 Ferris State in Michigan. She was beaming. Her Dad told me he told her all along to not get caught up in the Division Levels. He encouraged her to go where everything fit best. I could tell she was at peace inside and excited on the outside. She was getting a full ride. She might as well have been walking on air she was so pumped.
I talked with a 12th grade football player who told me how much NCSA had helped him in the recruiting process and all the doors it opened for him. It took him on visits he never would have gone on had he not utilized the service. He ended up deciding on Illinois State. Full ride. He was revved up about how competitive the Missouri Valley Conference is in football. Great kid. Very respectful.
For these two seniors, things were in place. As I got to meet the other athletes, I learned they were at different stages. I talked with a senior cross country runner who had improved dramatically between his 11th and 12th grade years. He had been home schooled up until 11th grade. Although I am all for young people playing D1 if that is where they truly fit athletically and academically, I could tell he was shooting a bit too high in talking about running at a Big Ten school. Having personally seen many of his races, I knew he was darn good and always near the top, but that there were other rocket ship cross country runners ahead of them. Honestly, some of them were D1. This young man was not there at this point. His long term goals are to run internationally. That could happen. As we talked, I encouraged him to follow up on the contact he had received from Wabash College, one of the top schools in the Midwest. He did, sending a short note to the coach. A visit was set up for 3 weeks from now. The young man is going to talk with N.C.S.A. to see about opening many other doors. He wants to run in college and perhaps study sports medicine. There’s a great fit out there for him. His parents openly told me they didn’t know much of anything about the recruiting process. I told them when I was in high school my parents and I didn’t have a clue.
I talked with a 12th grade girl’s soccer player after the luncheon. She said it had recently hit her that, yes, she did want to play college sports! A fine player in the intensely competitive northern Indiana soccer landscape, she was on fire to make it happen. She had answered a very important question to herself: “Did she really want to play college sports?” After reflection, she realized without a doubt she wanted to. I told her what I tell groups when I speak, “Think about how much you love picture playing sports in high school and club and such. Now, picture yourself in college just being a normal student. It’s hollow. Yes, there’s intramurals and all that, but picture yourself not continuing to play the sport you love.” She agreed. She did not want to be just a normal student in college.
The common denominator these 12th grade athletes had was they were all taking action to make their dream of college sports come true. What action have you taken lately?
October 31st, 2008 at 2:31 pm
thank you for the great stories and they are very encouraging..keep up the good work.