NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Many baseball student-athletes and families ask the question, “What camps or showcases should I attend over the summer?” and “What is going to give me the best exposure?”

In order to attain the most exposure for your recruiting over the summer here is what you should do:

1. Play with a competitive summer team. Send your summer schedule to any college coach you are communicating with or are interested in. Also remember, this is one of the most important times to be improving your game.

3. Attend college camps. A college coach needs to evaluate you in person. This is the easiest way to accomplish this. Attend camps for colleges that you have been communicating the most with. Also, this helps you see the campus and talk with the coaches personally. Make sure you contact coaches prior (introduce/re-familiarize/let them know you will be there) to and after (to ask for personal feedback).

4. Attend one to two showcase events. The most effective showcases are ones in which you know what coaches are attending. If you do not know what coaches are attending, it is likely not worth attending, but it may be good to understand more about who you are competing against. It also gives you an understanding of what a showcase is like. Make sure you contact coaches prior (introduce/re-familiarize/let them know you will be there) to and after (to ask for personal feedback).

5. Continue to communicate with your top colleges at least monthly. Ask each coach, “What is the best way for you to evaluate me?”

BEWARE:

Do not go in to any camp or showcase with the idea that you are going to be “discovered.” Go to a camp with the idea that you can gain knowledge about what that coaches are teaching.

One of the most commonly held myths held by potential recruits is the belief that their high school coach will be able to get them a scholarship.  There are numerous reasons why this myth is false starting with the fact that a college coach is the only one who can offer a scholarship no matter how highly regarded a player is by his/her high school coach.  One of the other major reasons why this myth is untrue is the fact that coaches simply don’t have the time to properly market all of their athletes.

Here is an example of that time crunch from today’s LA Times:

Lorene Morgan is an accomplished basketball coach, as her team’s 24-4 record this season and her award last season for state coach of the year indicate.But she doesn’t consider those types of success as her greatest achievements. For that, she looks well beyond wins and losses on the hardwood.Instead, she prides herself on this record: In the last three years, all 15 of her Long Beach Millikan High graduating seniors have gone on to college — 13 to continue playing basketball.“You can’t put a number on the amount of hours Lorene devotes to getting her kids to college. It’s a 24/7 job for her,” says Gayle Braun, Millikan’s girls’ athletic director.

Does your coach put in this much work?  Her persistence is admirable, but remember, she is the exception not the rule. 

Every year female hockey prospects have more opportunities to choose from. St. Norbert College is the most recent school to announce that they will add a women’s hockey team for the 2010-2011 season.

Current men’s head coach Tim Coghlin took over the fledgling St. Norbert program 16 seasons ago.

“When I came here, this was not recognized for hockey,” said Coghlin.  Working out of a trailer at the beginning, Coghlin has built the men’s team into a national power.  The new women’s team will have the added benefit of feeding off the highly successful men’s program.  Last year the Green Knights won the NCAA Division III national championship. Overall, they’ve made 10 NCAA tournament appearances.  “That’s the blueprint, the template,” Bald said. “Obviously, we don’t have to start with a trailer and start with growing pains that (Coghlin) had. His success is enabling the women’s hockey program to start where we’re at.”“The first step is for Bald to hire a head coach, which he hopes to do within the next few months.  You can have a really good hockey team in place by bringing someone in and starting them in August.  Giving them one entire calendar year makes all the difference in the world.”

Along with recruiting and purchasing equipment, the new coach will also have to figure out how to build a winning program.  It will have pretty high standards to contend with.“Don’t know if we can bring more attention,” Coghlin said. “If they win a national championship, then I guess so.”

Sometimes all it takes is that breakout performance for a recruit to go from a fringe scholarship player to an elite blue chip recruit.  It happens across the country at camps and combines each summer.  Here are some four examples from The Sporting News of future pro players who made millions last weekend with breakout performances at the NFL combine.

Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina
Before: Late second/third round
After: Late first round
Why:Cook ran the 40-yard dash in the low 4.4-second range and while scouts saw athleticism on tape, he displayed more burst, agility and speed than expected in drills. He’s behind only Brandon Pettigrew at tight end.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
Before: Second round
After: First round
Why: His 4.30 40 jumps right out at anyone, but there’s more: He aced every off-field test and was solid in all drills.

Evander “Ziggy” Hood, DT, Missouri
Before: Late second/third round
Now: First round
Why:The 300-pounder now is in the fray behind B.J. Raji among interior linemen, showing the athleticism and footwork to play nose tackle or 3-technique in a 4-3 scheme or any line spot along the line in a 3-4 system.

Clay Matthews, LB, Southern Cal
Before: Late second round
Now: First round
Why: He was known to be a top-level athlete, but his short playing history at Southern Cal raised questions. After starring in drills at the Combine, one scout said, “You’d think he was a four-year starter.”

All of the examples can help teach hopeful recruits a few tips on what it takes to impress a college coach enough to earn a scholarship.  Jared Cook’s speed from a trusted source shot him up the draft boards.  Previously his speed wasn’t verified, and evaluators weren’t 100% certain he had the goods.  With verified times in hand they can now safely project him higher on the board.  Recruits need to attend a combine and get electronic times for coaches so they can feel confident in their evaluations.

Darrius Heyward-Bey excelled in off-field testing i.e. intelligence tests and face to face interviews.  His performance shows the power of strong character. Recruits need to talk with coaches as often as possible on unofficial visits, and on the phone to showcase their personality.  Additionally, achieving great grades can set a recruiter’s mind at ease.

Evander “Ziggy” Hood dominated his position drills.  His example shows the power of a recruit determining which schools are the most interested in him and attending their one-day evaluation camps.  Coaches only evaluate the players on their lists so recruits need to be sure that they have a chance to get individually evaluated.

Clay Matthews showed that even a shorter playing career doesn’t necessarily disqualify a player from being highly regarded.  Coaches want players. Period.  If you can display that to a recruiter, there is still a chance to play at the next level.

Granted, these examples are on the extreme side, but recruits that are looking to stand out from their peers need to take every opportunity that comes their way!

A recruit makes a great grab at DSU.

Learning the ropes under the eye of QB guru Steve Clarkson.

The time is finally here – you have found your dream school. You can not wipe the grin off your face while you call your new coach to inform him that it’s official. Your parents take you out to dinner to celebrate. Your classmates give you high fives in the hall. Congratulations on making your final commitment but you still have one step left.Do you know what it is?

Notify the other coaches that were recruiting you.

Now is the time to contact all the other coaches who courted you throughout the last few years. A phone call is a nice gesture but in most cases a simple email will do the trick. Just do not neglect this courtesy. These coaches spent a lot of time and money telling you about their school and trying to prove that it was the right fit for you. Even though you made another decision, you still owe these coaches a heartfelt “thank you”. There is a good chance you will face off against these coaches for the next four years and in the tumultuous world of college coaching, you never know what the future will bring.

You have put a lot of time, energy and work into your recruiting process, and yes, you deserve some time to celebrate. Soon, however, you must begin your preparation to become a college athlete so do not leave any unfinished business behind you when you enter this next stage in your athletic career.

Katie Trainor coaches women’s lacrosse at Goucher College in Maryland. She had some valuable things to say to the Baltimore Sun in an interview, including the role of Camps and the importance of playing multiple sports in high school.

Coach, how many camps should a kid play in during the summer if she wants to play in college?

Katie Trainor: I think that is a decision that a player should make with her parents. Obviously camps are expensive and you need to do your research as to what is the purpose of the camp. If you want to be seen by a certain coach or spend time on a specific campus, then you should go to a camp at that specific college if it is offered. I do not think that players need to be participating in camps all summer — that is an expensive choice and I am a firm believer that the students these days need a bit more free time and fun in the summer. Too many are spending every waking minute of the summer being shuffled to and from lacrosse tournaments and camps, causing burnout.

Coach, are you a fan of multi-sport athletes when recruiting?

Katie Trainor: Absolutely. I think that multi-sport high school athletes have a lot to offer. It’s important not to specialize too early as it promotes a higher burnout rate and also creates situations of muscle overuse. Single-sport athletes can get sick of the sport when they get to college. Participating in multiple sports in high school is a great way to increase one’s overall athleticism in an organized, competitive environment.

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When I delivered College Recruiting Simplified at Warsaw High in Warsaw, IN (alma mater of former Laker Rick Fox), I had a long talk with athletic director Joe Santa. Joe had recently delivered a presentation on the value of multiple sports at a conference in San Diego.

He used current Chris Kramer as an example. Chris is currently a key player for Purdue Basketball. Many families might think, “Well, to get my kid to D1 Basketball in the Big Ten, we have to do basketball year round – nothing else!”  Chris Kramer and his family didn’t think that way. When Chris played at Huntington North (IN) High School, he played football, basketball and baseball. He earned eleven varsity letters over four years and set fifteen different school records in three sports. He had D1 offers in three sports.

You know why he played three sports? He said, “Because my friends are playing!”          

-Charlie Adams, NCSA Educational Speaker

NCSA Interviewed senior outside hitter Savanna Braziel about her volleyball career and recruiting.  Savanna plays for Iowa Park High School in Texas and also for the Texas Tornado VBC.

NCSA: What is your background in volleyball? When did you start playing?

Savanna: I didn’t start playing volleyball until my 6th grade year. Volleyball wasn’t a really big thing at my school and I hadn’t been introduced to it that much. I didn’t realize how much I loved it until around my 8th grade to Freshman year.

NCSA: What is the athletic experience you have ever had?

Savanna: I have played basketball and softball pretty much my whole life. I started that at a really young age, but I came to love volleyball way more as I got older.

NCSA: What is the best academic experience you have ever had?

Savanna: Probably being Academic All District my Jr year.

NCSA: What type of college are you looking for?

Savanna: I’m mainly looking for a college that isn’t too far away from home and has a good, solid volleyball program. Just somewhere I can fit in and be welcomed into. Also somewhere with a Physical Therapy program.

NCSA: What makes you really interested in a volleyball program after a coach contacts you?

Savanna: What I mainly look at first is the roster, just to see if I can fit in with the girls. I look at the location of the college and the overall atmosphere.  I’m also looking for somewhere that is a home away from home, basically. Somewhere I feel comfortable and I feel like I can contribute to the team.

NCSA: How has your recruiting process changed since starting with NCSA?

Savanna: I have gotten a lot of emails and calls from colleges and coaches I never even dreamed of talking to, and it has opened my eyes to a lot more opportunities I would have never known were there.

NCSA: If someone was just starting the recruiting process, what advice might you give them? 

Savanna: To respond to every coach that contacts you even if you aren’t interested because sometimes they have a lot more to offer than you think.

Coach Taylor – How will an injury affect my recruiting process?

As long as the athlete has recovered, they should not be affected. NCSA has many athletes who are currently injured and still looking to play college sports.  When it comes to communicating with college coaches, you should not advertise your injury but you don’t want to hide it either.  If a coach asks about your season, for example, you can let the coach know that you sustained an injury and are not sure when you will be back.  Be sure to play up your expectations for a 100% recovery. If you have any questions about how to handle these types of situations, get proper guidance from someone you trust.

Be safe, and do not push your limits. I have seen players come back too quickly and suffer a more severe injury. Let your body heal and listen closely to the doctors. When it is time to start rehabbing, pour everything you have into it…most importantly keep your head up and remain positive.

Send your recruiting questions to askcoachtaylor@ncsasports.org

If you would like to speak with a NCSA Recruiting Coordinator about your personal recruiting situation, call 866-579-6272.