NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

The Binghamton University Men’s Basketball team is having a breakout season.  For the first time since moving to Division I. in 2001 the Bearcats appear poised to reach the NCAA tournament.  However, a deeper look at the program in this weekend’s New York Times reveals a deeper story and makes one consider if the program’s rise has been worth it.  Questions have arisen about the schools admissions policy as well the behavior tolerated by athletes.

The Bearcats have endured several arrests and suspensions since the 2007 hiring of Coach Kevin Broadus. A former Georgetown assistant, he is known for recruiting good players with questionable backgrounds.

At least one teacher has said she received so much pressure to change her grading policy for basketball players that it bordered on harassment.

“They’re on a very slippery slope,” said Tim Schum, a former Binghamton physical education professor, soccer coach and associate athletic director who retired in 2002. “There is a double standard for what basketball will put up with compared to the standards for other sports. I don’t know if it’s written, but it’s certainly understood.”

Dennis Lasser, who was removed as a faculty athletic representative after Broadus arrived, said that Binghamton had lowered its standards. For about 10 years, Lasser was the liaison between the athletic department and the admissions office for athletes’ applications.

“It appears to me that minimum qualifications as specified by the N.C.A.A. are the only academic criteria currently needed for the men’s basketball team to be admitted to Binghamton University,” said Lasser, a tenured associate professor in the school of management. “I am disappointed by this turn of events.”

Its no secret that athletes have long been held to a different admissions standard.  Obviously, they are given perks that normal students would not be able to receive.  However, they put in extremely long hours in order to represent their university.  Is the exchange worth it?  Are the degrees to which it is acceptable?  What do you think?

 It’s common to not finish the Reading Comprehension Sections of the ACT/SAT.  That’s why reading speed is essential.

Reading Tip: Find out about your reading skills. Do you know your word-per-minute reading speed?  Have you ever trained yourself to be fast?  Find a program that teaches you how to be fast and accurate.

For help with your reading skills, turn to Academic Approach’s online SAT and ACT Reading courses at http://www.academicapproach.com/. 

All NCSA members receive a discount on Academic Approach online programs, contact NCSA to retrieve the code.

Courtney Federle provides insight into the differences between the SAT and the ACT.  Courtney holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, is a former assistant director at the University of Chicago Office of College Admissions, and currently teaches and develops test prep curriculum at Academic Approach http://www.academicapproach.com/

The SAT-What is it?

The SAT is a college admissions test that measures critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills. The SAT lasts 3 hours and 45 minutes. In the U.S., the SAT is administered on 7 national test dates in October, November, December, January, March/April, May, and June. 

See http://www.collegeboard.com/ for registration information.

The SAT-Why should I take it? 

Colleges and universities use the SAT as one measure among others-high school curriculum, GPA, extra-curricular activities, personal essays, and teacher recommendations-of a student’s readiness to do college-level work. SAT scores are compared with the scores of other applicants and the accepted scores at that institution; scores can also be used as a basis for awarding scholarships and merit-based financial aid. 

The SAT-When and how do I take it?

You should register for the SAT by contacting the College Board via its web site at http://www.collegeboard.com/. Beginning in February of 2009, the College Board will offer score choice for both SAT and SAT subject tests. Therefore, when registering, do not elect to send score reports to colleges at the outset. Instead, wait until you have received the SAT score that represents your best effort and then arrange to have score reports sent to the colleges and/or universities to which you are applying. You may send your scores through the College Board at any time.

The SAT-How is it graded?

The SAT is reported as a scaled score from 200-800 for each of the areas of Writing, Mathematics, and Critical Reading; added together a perfect score is 2400. The SAT penalizes for guessing; a quarter point is deducted for incorrect answers. You will receive a scaled score for each section of the test. These scores are then added to create your composite score on the SAT.

The ACT-What is it? 

The ACT is a college admissions test that measures grammar, reading comprehension, mathematical, and science skills. In the U.S., the ACT is administered on five national test dates, one in October, December, February, April, and June. In selected states, the ACT is also offered in late September.  See http://www.act.org/ for registration information. 

The ACT-Why should I take it? 

Colleges and universities use the ACT as one measure among others-high school curriculum, GPA,

extra-curricular activities, personal essays, and teacher recommendations-of a student’s readiness to do college-level work. ACT scores are compared with the scores of other applicants and the accepted scores at an institution. Scores can also be used as a basis for awarding scholarships and merit-based financial aid. At many colleges and universities, the ACT is accepted in lieu of both the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests. 

The ACT-When and how do I take it?

You should register for the ACT by visiting the web site: http://www.actstudent.org/. The ACT offers score choice, which means that no matter how many times you take the ACT, you may select the one score that you wish to be sent to the colleges and/or universities to which you are applying. Therefore, when registering, do not elect to send score reports to colleges at the outset. Instead, wait until you have received the ACT score that represents your best effort and then arrange to have score reports sent to the colleges and/or universities to which you are applying. You may send your scores through the ACT web site at any time.  Although the essay is optional, students are strongly encouraged to sign up for the ACT Plus Writing when registering because many universities will require a standardized writing sample. To see if a school you are considering requires the ACT essay, visit its website. Be certain to consult a college counselor before making any decisions regarding the essay.

The ACT-How is it graded?

Each section of the ACT is reported as a scaled score from 1 to 36, making a perfect score of 36. The ACT does not penalize for guessing. You will receive a scaled score for each section of the test: English, math, reading, and science. These individual scores are then averaged to create your composite score on the ACT.

To learn about which test is right for you, read next month’s submission.

 Hopefully you have taken our advice over the last two weeks and you now have a winning highlight / skills video that is bound to impress every college coach that lays eyes on it.  All you have to do is pick a list of schools that you like, package the DVD, send it out in the mail, and then sit back and wait for the scholarship offers to pour in.  Sounds easy enough, right?

If only it were that simple…
Over the last two weeks, you were privy to expert information from our talented Video Department, and this week I sat down with NCSA Recruiting Coaches to talk highlight distribution.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with NCSA, our Recruiting Coaches are responsible for not only guiding thousands of families through the recruiting process every year, but also building and maintaining relationships with college coaches at more than 1,700 colleges around the country.  All of them have played collegiate athletics and in some cases also coached.  It’s safe to say that they know a thing or two about the process.  First, let me introduce you to this week’s contributors:

Lisa Strasman – Recruiting Coach Director

Andrea Emmons – Senior Head Recruiting Coach / Assistant Director

Rick McDole – Senior Head Recruiting Coach

Brandon Liles – Head Recruiting Coach

Joyce Wellhoefer – Head Recruiting Coach

Jeff Schlict – Head Recruiting Coach

CK:  Once a student-athlete has finished filming and editing their highlight or skills video, what’s next in the process?

AE:  The immediate next step, before anything is sent out, is that a student-athlete needs to create a target list of schools.  It sounds logical enough, but make sure you are targeting schools where you meet the coach’s criteria athletically and academically…basically schools that might be interested in you! 

RM:  Also, before sending anything to the coaching staff, initiate contact through email or phone first.  Ideally the coach will know who you are and be expecting the film based on a request.  However, if they have not asked for the film, contacting that coach before sending any video will be imperative if you hope to receive an evaluation.

CK:  So once a student-athlete has put together a list of schools and has made contact with the coaching staff, who should they actually address the package or send the online video to?  I mean some staffs have 10 coaches…should they all get a copy?

LS:  Unfortunately there is no universal answer for this question.  It depends on the sport (some sports with larger budgets employ more coaches) and it also depends on which coach the student-athlete has a relationship with.  The word “relationship” is stressed here because you never should send video blindly without talking to the coach first and confirming that they would like to see you play. Coaches, especially those at popular schools, can receive hundreds of videos a week and if they are not specifically looking for your video, or if it is not sent by a reliable source, it may get lost in the shuffle. In fact, back in the days of VHS (those days have passed – do not send a coach a VHS video!) coaches used to use unsolicited videos to record practice sessions. Once you have a relationship with a coach you should ask him or her how you should send your video and who it should be addressed to.  Long story short, sending a highlight / skills tape should not be the first contact you have with a college coaching staff…

RM:  Lisa is 100% right.  With football, there is typically a position or assistant coach who is in charge of recruiting a specific region or a recruiting coordinator who the initial video should be sent to.  Student-athletes should rarely send the first video to the head coach of a program.

BL:  As Lisa mentioned, this does vary based on the sport, and for baseball, I actually suggest student-athletes send their video to everyone on the coaching staff.

AE:  While there is no universal answer, a good rule of thumb to follow is that for a DI school, I recommend sending the video to your position coach or the Recruiting Coordinator for most sports.  The head coaches are rarely the first line of defense in recruiting.  Their job is to make the final cut.  At a DII, DIII, or NAIA program, you may want to include the head coach or assistant coach in the initial distribution. 

CK: From my experience, families tend to make a lot of mistakes during the distribution portion of the process, what are some of the most common that families should avoid?

JW:  A few that I have come across commonly are:

• Sending unsolicited video without any warning to the coach.
• Sending the wrong type of footage. For example in a sport like softball, most coaches do not want to see your game footage, but rather the proper skills as the Video Department talked about last week.
• Sending video that is too long. The highlight /skills video is usually evaluated to validate the information the coach already has about the student-athlete and ideally motivates a more thorough evaluation.

LS:  One of the biggest mistakes families make is lack of follow through. Once you send a video, you can not just sit back and wait for the coaches to contact you. You must wait the appropriate length of time and then contact the coach directly to confirm that it was received, that they were able to view it, and to request some feedback. Remember, even if a coach tells you that you are not a fit for their program that is actually a good thing because you can cross that school off your list and move on to other colleges. Feedback, even when harsh, is much better than sitting back waiting and wondering.

CK:   Talk a little about the process a coaching staff goes through when they actually receive the video that will help a family coordinate an effective distribution plan.

JW:  Generally they will have someone on the staff go through all the videos initially and then pass them along to the right person whether it is the assistant or head coach.  As we have mentioned a number of times, they generally watch the videos of the student-athletes they are aware of first.  For softball, coaches typically only need to watch one or two minutes of skills before they determine if that prospect is worth pursuing.

BL:  Baseball is very similar.  A lot of coaches will know after a few swings or pitches if that is someone they want to recruit.  Rarely will a baseball coach watch more than 3 minutes of a skills video.

AE:  One thing to be mindful of is that most coaches do not view the video immediately upon receipt, so it’s important to be patient and give them time.

JS:  I hate to sound redundant, but I think most families would be surprised by how quickly coaches make evaluations of a student-athlete based on their video.

LS:  Some coaches only need 30 seconds to make a determination about a student-athlete!  This can be frustrating for student-athletes and families because they have spent years getting ready for this evaluation and if it does not have that “wow”factor, it might hurt the student-athlete’s chance at a scholarship.  That also emphasizes the importance of having the video done correctly to begin with.

CK:  How will a student-athlete know if the college coach has seen their video?

JS:  Unfortunately, the response of the coaches to a video will vary quite a bit.  The best advice I can give would be to follow up proactively with the coach to find out if they received and evaluated a video and not wait around.

BL: Jeff is right, the responses will vary quite a bit.  Some coaches will go in-depth with an evaluation of what they saw while others will provide a short, canned response of, “You would be a possible recruit for our program, please fill out our online questionnaire.”  They might even ask the student-athlete to follow up with a call if they are interested in the program.  From my experience, every coaching staff has a different follow-up method.

RM:  It also depends on what the coaches are allowed to do based on what part of the process they are in.  Remember, they are not always able to call or write a prospect, but that does not mean they do not watch the video.  Ideally they will respond but to avoid being left in the dark, make sure to be proactive like Jeff mentioned. 

CK:  Almost all of you mentioned how important it is for a student-athlete to follow up after they have sent the video to further the relationship.  Any suggestions for a recruit who has recently sent out their video?

LS:  Give the coach about 10 days or so and then follow up with a phone call or email to the coach you sent the video requesting feedback.  Be prepared to accept the truth from the coach even if it’s not what you had hoped to hear!

BL:  Make sure to ask where you sand on the coach’s recruiting list for that position based on their evaluation.

RM:  Take advantage of any feedback you receive.  If they didn’t not like your skills, which is entirely possible, use that input and start focusing on other schools that might be a better fit for your skill set. 

AE:  Have your video available to re-send easily.  Sometimes coaches never receive a video and the recruit assumes the lack of response is due to a poor evaluation when in reality the coach never even watched it.  When you are following up, the first question should be whether or not they received the video and if not, send it again!

CK:  Any final advice for our readers?

LS:  Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Make sure the footage you share with coaches highlights your best plays, is well organized and professional. If a coach can’t find you on the screen, or the footage is blurry, they will not waste much time trying to find you. Have your parents start recording your games/meets/matches as early as freshman year. In most cases, you will not want to send freshman footage to college coaches, but practice makes perfect.

JS:  Be persistent, follow up, and get answers!  Often, student-athletes are worried about “annoying” a coach, but the successful student-athletes have a relentless approach to the process.  In 10 years, you will not remember the one or two coaches you might have bothered, but you will never forget the coaches who want you on their team!

A big thanks to our Recruiting Coaches for taking time away from talking to families and college coaches to help us out this week!  If you would like to send your video to NCSA’s Scouting Headquarters to be reviewed by an expert and possibly included in our Recruit-Match Database accessible by more than 30,000 college coaches, send it to:

Attention: Adam Diorio

1415 North Dayton St. 4th Floor

Chicago, IL 60642

Be sure to include your name, position (jersey number if needed), phone number, email address, and parents’ names.  NCSA will contact you once we receive the video to let you know what we think!

The downturn strikes again.  The New Mexico State University student newspaper The Round Up is reporting that $70,000 for football recruiting from 2008 to 2009.Earlier this month, New Mexico State University football coach DeWayne Walker announced the signing of his first recruiting class – 13 players from California, three from Texas and Arizona and three from Las Cruces and El Paso. But, for parents to be able to watch games in person and to reduce travel costs to and from campus, many highly recruited athletes may decide to stay closer to home, national football recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said.

“In our case, Coach Walker has identified areas of Texas, California, New Mexico and possibly Arizona, so obviously the travel is significantly reduced,” Athletic Director McKinley Boston said. “We can fly Southwest Airlines from El Paso directly into L.A. or San Diego or almost any other place in California. That’s going to be his strong hold in terms of recruiting, so in that regard that is not really going to be a problem.”

However, if you are an athlete outside of a school’s primary recruiting area there is still another option.  Coaches will be relying on the internet to evaluate players like never before.  Athletes can leverage resources like NCSA’s Scouting Report and Recruit-Match Database to open up doors that may have previously been closed.  Building strong relationships with college coaches will continue to be the key to unlocking your recruiting potential.  Finding creative ways to build them will be valued at a premium.

The eyes of pro football scouts are focused on Indianapolis today for the NFL Combine.  The nation’s elite prospects will be under tremendous scrutiny as they try to convince pro teams that they are worth a multimillion dollar contract.  However, potential high school recruits can learn a lot about the evaluation process by paying attention to the stories that will emerge during the week.

-Numbers Matter -No, not actual stats like touchdowns or tackles, but heights, weights, strength and speed numbers.  Scouts spend hours pouring over these numbers attempting to relate them to the ability to succeed at the next level.  College coaches do the same thing. 

Naturally, all of the athletes have spent the last month preparing for these drills and arriving in peak condition.  High school recruits need to recognize the importance of these numbers and do the same.  All speed drills should be practiced prior to attending a combine.  Recruits should constantly be practicing and working to improve their combine performance.  Just arriving and performing is not an option.

-Your Personality Matters- Most fans don’t realize the importance many teams place on face to face interviews as well as a variety of tests that teams use to get a better handle on a players personality and intelligence.  Prospects have fallen several slots after poor intelligence test caused doubts that a player can handle the mental aspect of playing the game at a high level.

Recruits should understand that their grades and test scores are also viewed by college coaches to gauge their ability to contribute to a school.  Recruits should take the time to visit schools to build relationships with college coaches.  The more comfortable a coach feels with a recruit, the better his chances of receiving a schoalrship offer.

If you are still doubtful about the importance of combines take a look at the weekend’s big story; the disastrous appearance and then disappearance by Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith.  Prior to last weekend he was viewed by scouts as a potentially overall number one pick.  A player that a franchise could invest up to $50 million dollars in to be the cornerstone of an offensive line for the next 10 years.  Andre arrived at the combine out of shape, refused to take part in the individual drills is rumored to have bombed his interviews and  to cap things off he strangely disappeared and left the event early.  Needless to say his stock is bombing.

The large majority of these elite prospects prepared diligently for the event.  They correctly view the combine as part of a job interview process reaching its final stage. Every potential recruit needs to view their efforts to land a scholarship in the same way arrive for their interviews prepared.

Researching schools is an essential part of the recruiting process.  A great new website that potential student-athletes can check out is Unigo.com.  The site is entirely free and while it is overseen by editors its built on content submitted by actual students at the university.  The information submitted isn’t just simple reviews, but a robust array of pictures and videos to give prospective students a more accurate view of what its like to actually attend a school.  You can also create customized social networks of potential students interested in specific schools or common characteristics.

Obviously, there is tremendous value in getting information directly from current students.  Athletes have a unique opportunity to get a snap shot inside a college’s athletic program by taking unofficial and official visits.  A little understood rule, is that students can begin taking unofficial visits as freshman.  The more schools you visit, the better your chances of finding the right fit. 

NCSA recently had the chance to catch up with a close friend of the program, Len Jankiewicz.  Len is the Athletic Director at Lancaster Central High School and a strong supporter of the value in recruiting education.  Based on his belief in recruiting education, Len has brought NCSA’s “Recruiting Simplified” education to the student-athletes and families at his high school for the last few years.

NCSA:  Why did you originally bring in some sort of recruiting education?  Why NCSA?
Len:  In a high school athletes’ career, choosing the correct collegiate “fit” socially, academically, and athletically is a tall task.  Even more so today, with the financial restrictions, there is ample motivation for all families to get as much information early as possible in the college recruiting decision process.  NCSA is one service that has a track record with people I trust like Founder, Chris Krause, and Director of Football Operations, Bob Chmiel.
 

NCSA:  What was your motivation for bringing the education back to your high school the next few years after the initial event?
Len:  I feel there is a need for this to occur each year to bring up new and much needed information for these families facing this “once in a lifetime” decision for their son or daughter.
 

NCSA:  Can you talk a little bit about the difference you have seen at your high school in regards to the recruiting process since bringing some sort of formal education to your families?
Len:  For the student-athletes, I see increased understanding of the recruiting process more and more each year through discussing similar situations in the graduating seniors ahead of them.  They take cues from people they trust.

The important theme that has echoed for parents year in and year out is not to leave this responsibility in anyone’s hands…except their own.  In the past, coaches at our high school have been accused of not promoting athletes in their program for recruiting purposes, which is unfair.   These seminars place the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the student-athletes and their family.

Also, our coaches are absolutely more capable of helping our student-athletes in the right ways after attending NCSA seminars. 
 
NCSA:  What are some common misconceptions about the recruiting process that uninformed families have?                                                                                                                                                                                                    Len: Every family needs to understand the meaning of potential and performance. Colleges judge on performance and they alone determine which players get financial assistance based on a number of varied factors.  Each recruiting situation is unique; unique to the school and unique to the student.
 
NCSA:  In your opinion who is responsible for the recruiting process?
Len:  I firmly believe that each coach has a moral obligation to assist their players to identify a junior college or college where they might have a realistic opportunity to continue in sport participation.  The great players in programs will be seen.  There will be however, a number of players who need some added exposure… NCSA can help!
 

NCSA:  What advice would you give families going through the recruiting process for the first time?   Len:  First and foremost, get as much information as EARLY IN THE PROCESS as possible. Academic issues need be laid out in the beginning of a student-athlete’s high school years.  Athletically, strive to be considered the “hardest working player” on the team. Ability will be obvious, but a good attitude and work ethic could be the difference between a scholarship and no roster spot!

NCSA:  It seems as though many high schools and their administrations are hesitant to bring recruiting education into their high schools.  Why do you think that is and what would you tell those administrators?                                                                                                                                                                               Len:  I see our job as educational as much as anything.  Why not provide as much information as possible during some of the most important times and choices of a student’s life?

Congratulations to Andrew Calhoun, the NCSA leadership Award winner from the Schuman National Underclassman Combine  in Las Vegas.  His determination to improve his weaknesses and continue to build on his strengths is impressive.

NCSA Scout, Keith Babb, had the pleasure of meeting this family 4 years ago.  Be sure to read the inspirational story.