Fortune 500 companies have repeatedly stated their desire to hire former athletes. Why? Competition has given them numerous characteristics that corporate recruiters seek out. Characteristics like mental tenacity, self confidence, and the ability to overcome fear and disappointment. Its no wonder former athletes are some of the best entry level workers after college.
When I deliver College Recruiting Simplified, I always enjoy talking with Athletic Directors before the presentation. They have many stories of trying to help their athletes play college sports. Many of them played college sports.One AD told me he had grown up on a farm and one of his chores was climbing a ladder in the barn to move hay. When he
was a young man he told his Dad he had decided it was his passion to play college football. His Dad nodded and then walked to the barn. The Dad removed the ladder and replaced it with a rope. From that point on the young man had to climb the rope to do his chores. He struggled at first, but learned to climb that rope. He developed a barrel chest of muscles.
The Dad had supported his son’s dream. One way of supporting him was immediately challenging him to get bigger and stronger. The young man went on to play Division 1A football on a great package.
Another AD told me of how he and his wife had been saving money for their daughter to go to college. A very good soccer player, and a tremendous student, the young lady nailed her grades and test scores, and got to play at Ohio State. Between what athletic money she got and her various scholarships for her academics, everything was paid for. As a result, that money that had been saved for her college expenses went to her. She saved the great majority of it and used part of it to buy a car.
One AD told me of the various interactions with parents over the years. Many of them had been positive. Many had given him grief thinking it was the job of the high school coach and AD to get their kids college athletic scholarships. He said one of his veteran high school coaches had told him, “It’s not the parents that ‘don’t know’ that are problems. It’s the parents that ‘don’t know that they don’t know’ that are the problems.”
The AD went on to explain how much his own son was enjoying playing NAIA college football in the Midwest. He said his boy had a passion for the game and loved that the NAIA level was more about the love of the game. In his opinion, he felt that some D1 players were more focused on the pro level than the love of the game. He went on to say that he son had not done that well academically in high school. He got into the NAIA school with a GPA in the mid 2.0 range, but he didn’t get much of a package. “They aren’t going to give a lot of academic money to a kid who may not make it,” he said. His son, to his credit, had his college GPA up at 3.1. “He is getting more money now, but we have paid so much money from home. It just shows how important it is to do well in school from 9th grade on,” he said.
Obviously, not every kid goes through NCSA. Whether they take advantage of it or not, it is vital they be proactive. One AD told me he had a really good girl athlete who wanted to play college. He told her to contact 3 colleges at each level of play in every state. She did. It was a ton of work on her family and a lot of things to send out, but she did. She heard back from a tremendous academic institution in Mississippi and got a great package.
AD’s, especially in larger cities, continue to tell me they pound their head against the wall trying to get the really good athletes to take care of the NCAA Eligibility Center process. I have heard umpteen stories of families waiting too late, and all kinds of D1 and D2 opportunities slipping away. One AD told me if he has any athlete projected to be D1 or D2, he advises them to take the SAT early in the junior year so they can find out if they need prep work and if or how often they should take it again.
AD’s don’t have all the recruiting answers. Some of them even make mistakes. I cringed when a veteran AD told me he had always told his coaches to sit down with their athletes after their senior year and ask them if they wanted to play college sports.
After their senior year!? Yikes. The AD had meant well, but didn’t understand that it is better to get the ball rolling a lot earlier. Again, they don’t have all the answers. Their job is not to be college recruiting experts. They have enough on their plates arranging buses, hiring refs, coaches, scheduling. AD’s are critical to the success of high school sports. High School sports cannot make it without them.
There lack of knowing everything about college recruiting at all levels is why they bring in NCSA Speakers and the College Recruiting Simplified message. They know the families in their school district are starving for the educational information, and that young people will respond to outside messages. I have been speaking in schools for over 20 years and I have heard it time and time again from AD’s and Principles: “We tell them the positive message, but when a credible outside source comes in and shares it, they listen more than they do to us (!)”
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Last week I sat down with NSCA Video Coordinators Marko Markovic, Jim Broe, and Alex Horton to discuss how to properly film a highlight / skills tape for college coaches. I sat down with the video crew again this week to get the inside scoop about the next step in the process; editing.
CK: Most people understand what the filming portion of a highlight / skills tape involves, but not necessarily the editing. Can you explain what the editing aspect entails and why it’s so important for the evaluation of college coaches?
JB: Editing is where you “cut” several segments from a much larger amount of footage and place the extracted pieces together to tell a story. Editing allows you to show yourself in the best possible light to college coaches with either putting your best plays in the front of the highlight or the skills they would like to see first.
AH: Families need to remember that coaches receive thousands of videos from potential student-athletes, and do not want to spend hours watching one particular athlete for an initial evaluation…so the better sequenced and edited the film; the more likely it is the coach will make an accurate assessment.
MM: As Jim and Alex alluded to, the highlight or skills tape is really meant to spark the initial interest of the college coach. Ideally that initial evaluation will motivate the coach to request a full game for a more thorough evaluation.
CK: What are some of the advantages to having a highlight tape properly edited?
AH: There are many advantages, but to put it simply, a properly edited video allows coaches to see exactly what they want. For example, they do not want to see the National Anthem, the half time speech from the coach, or the cheerleaders, etc. Coaches want to clearly see the athlete they are evaluating performing the skills they feel are important. 
JB: A key aspect to what Alex mentioned and always a huge advantage with editing is that the coach knows which player they are supposed to be evaluating. Without proper editing techniques and with some homemade videos, it is very difficult to determine which player is being evaluated and those tapes do not get a very long “look” from the college coach. Also, edited footage offers the advantage of clean cuts in the footage which means that erroneous two-second clips are removed. You also have the ability to correct the color, ensure it’s the proper angle, and correction of aspect ratio.
CK: What are some common mistakes that families make when editing their highlight tape that should be avoided?
JB: A lot of the mistakes that I run into deal with timing. Families let the play run too long or too short and neither are good for evaluations. Also, a common mistake is adding fancy transitions or effects that cloud up the evaluation of the video. This highlight or skills tape is for a college coach. If you want to add special effects for a keepsake memory then so be it, but don’t send that stuff to a college coach!
AH: I think a common theme, and this relates well to everything Jim mentioned, is that families try and do too much. Very similar to the filming portion of a highlight tape, simplicity is critical. On the flip side, one effect that families should implement is a freeze frame when highlighting the student athlete. This essentially means the video is frozen before the action begins so the coach can analyze where the athlete is to begin with, what the situation is on the field, and watch what the student-athlete accomplishes.
MM: One editing issue that seems to be common with the videos that I have analyzed is a “jump cut.” This occurs when one play is over and all of a sudden footage appears from a different play for a few frames and then goes into an entirely different play. It’s a little hard to explain and it’s even more difficult to evaluate for a college coach. I think Alex outlined a big frustration from an editing standpoint and that is a family’s tendency to include things like graphics, stats, and music. I have never heard of a college coach offering a scholarship because the video had a great soundtrack…Also one vital technique that Jim and Alex did not mention is spot shadowing. Spot shadowing is an effect that allows the college coach to know exactly which athlete they are evaluating. Without that shadow, the coach will be lost more times than not.
CK: What are some trends in editing and how has technology affected this process for families?
JB: Basically, there are more options out there for families to use in terms of editing software. Nowadays, a lot more people are able to do things on their own with their computer and camera. There is even some free software that will cut film for amateur editors.
MM: At times, I have seen the improved accessibility of software become a double edge sword for families. While it does make the process easier, it does not ensure families are editing the films correctly. With the cheaper software, there tend to be more jump cuts and the video looks unprofessional.
JB: As far as specific programs, most families are PC based and use standard equipped editing software such as Windows Movie Maker. Other programs include Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere Elements, and Pinnacle. NCSA uses Final Cut Pro to edit our videos. In the world of editing, the reality is that you get what you pay for. If the software is free, chances are its capabilities are limited and the finished product will not have the same feel as a video edited with a more advanced program. Final Cut Pro is very expensive, but also produces the best videos. As Marko mentioned, the ability of an inexperienced family to edit their own video has its pros and cons. We are receiving a lot more pre-edited videos that come into the office now than in the past and unfortunately, many are not sequenced properly, not spot shadowed accurately, or not cut smoothly which might be hurting the student-athlete’s chances to be recruited more than helping.
CK: I guess that leads to my next question, would you suggest families use the standard software and edit on their own or invest in professional help?
MM: For me this all comes down to experience. If the family has experience editing footage then it’s certainly something they can do on their own. However, proper editing requires more skill and technique than the filming portion…So if you are the parent or student-athlete responsible for the editing, ask yourself, “how comfortable do I feel editing this film exactly how a college coach will want to see it?” Remember, this could be a deal breaker for a scholarship that might be worth over $100,000…
AH: I differ from Marko on this one. From my experience, working with hundreds of videos edited by parents, I would recommend a family seriously consider having a skills tape edited professionally. NCSA uses a top of the line software that is very expensive and employs a staff of professionally trained video experts. I know parents always want what is best for their children and I think making sure a video is edited right can be valuable if they are trying to put their best foot forward.
JB: Obviously there is a lot at stake with a video. It honestly could make the difference between whether or not a coach offers a scholarships. I think the security in knowing that the video will be edited correctly is priceless and for that reason I would suggest having the work done by someone with a great deal of experience.
CK: We talked last week about the differences in filming a team sport and an individual sport, are there any differences in the editing portion?
JB: I think I can handle this one…Generally speaking team sports require more spot shadowing due to the number of athletes on the field or court and the constant stopping and starting of action. Individual sports tend require little to no extra individual identification.
CK: Describe some characteristics of a “properly” edited highlight / skills tape.
JB: Smooth flow of clips, quick and clean identification with the spot shadow, and short in length (3-5 minutes). Here are some examples of the differences between an unedited and edited highlight tape.
AH: A few more that Jim didn’t mention; showing the play/shot type from beginning to end, only including relevant footage (do not show the water break), good introduction and exit so the coach knows when the action starts and stops.
CK: Any final advice for families about editing?
MM: Regardless of who edits the video, make sure it’s done correctly. It honestly could make or break the recruiting process for a student-athlete and I have seen one too many videos with Rocky music in the background and fancy effects that do nothing to improve that video in the eyes of college coaches.
AH: Do not rush this step. Double and triple check everything you do before sending it to college coaches. More than anything, remember the purpose of this video is to allow the college coach to make an initial evaluation.
JB: Keep it simple!
I would like to thank our Video Department for taking the time to provide this insight about filming and editing to our readers. They are very busy with the number of videos that are submitted to our office on a daily basis, but we realize how important this step is in the process and I wanted to make sure our readers heard the information from the experts.
Next week I will sit down to speak with NCSA Recruiting Coaches about how to properly distribute your highlight/skills video to college coaches once you have completed the filming and editing.
The economy is on everyone’s mind these days. President Obama has spoken of the biggest disaster since the Great Depression. Trillions of dollars in social programs have been ordered by the government to stimulate the economy. Of course college sports are not unharmed by the downturn.
Of course, its not all doom and gloom. The good news is college athletics aren’t going anywhere. Just last year college football set another attendance record. Waiting lists for season tickets remain at many schools. The biggest changes will be internal budget cuts to athletic departments.
For prospective athletes that means that coaches will look to cut costs in recruiting, but in all likelihood the amount of scholarship dollars will remain the same! That means that recruits will have to work harder than ever to get evaluated by schools since their recruiting budgets wont allow for as much travel. However, prepared recruits are in a great position to use the Internet to increase their exposure. Athletes using NCSA are able to be evaluated by college coaches all over the country for free. In tough times our country adapts and moves forward. Recruits need to do the same!
College coaches are always looking for information on recruits. They want to as much as possible to accurately evaluate a recruit’s ability to thrive at their school. For many sports the information that is biggest grey area are seemingly black and weight statistics. Height. Weight. Wingspan. A 40 Yard Dash. The American Statesman recently published an article describing the difficulty many coaches have in trusting the published information.
Odessa Permian offensive lineman Garrett Porter, who will sign with Texas today, is listed anywhere from 6-3 to 6-6 and weighs somewhere between 271 and 308 pounds, depending on whom you’re asking. And Madisonville running back Chris Whaley — another future Longhorn — is listed anywhere from 217 to 249 pounds.
“He’s probably around 239 right now,” Madisonville coach Greg Morgan said. “But he gains and loses weight a lot. He also runs a legitimate 4.4.”
How do these discrepancies happen?
One reason is that the recruiting process now lasts a couple of years, and as recruits grow and get stronger and faster, sometimes Web sites aren’t updated.
But more often than not, it’s another reason.
“People lie,” said Gerry Hamilton of Burntorangebeat.com, Scout.com’s Texas site. “You’ve got high school coaches who are trying to help their kids. You’ve got kids trying to add an inch or 10 pounds.
“I would say I get wrong or inaccurate information 60 to 70 percent of the time. You hear one thing, and then when you’re standing next to the prospect, you can see it’s not true.”
While fans are often left guessing what is accurate and what isn’t, college coaches don’t take any risks.
“I don’t look at any of the sites or even scan rosters for heights and weights,” Texas recruiting coordinator Bobby Kennedy said. “Most of the time, you go by the eye test. I know how tall I am and how much I weigh, so I kind of size up our prospects when I’m standing next to them. You watch how they look during their athletic periods and practice. You really don’t go by what’s reported.”
It’s hard to believe any of it.
That is why NCSA recommends all of our athletes get to a combine to get accurate results to college coaches. By giving a coach a verified number he can at least feel comfortable to express serious interest. Then the all important eye-ball test can be conducted on unofficial visits or at a camp.
College coaches need to be able to evaluate recruits accurately. NCSA suggests that student-athletes give them that shot.
Are you asking yourself: How do I get looked at by college coaches? What events do college coaches recruit at? How do I maximize my exposure? These are typical questions players ask themselves when it comes to recruiting. In the soccer world, coaches attend showcase tournaments; they rarely attend high school games. Coaches would rather spend their time at showcase tournaments where they can look at 10-15 players then attend a high school game where they might see 1 player. With recruiting budgets getting smaller and smaller, coaches need to spend wisely.
This is why it is so important to play on a good club team that attends these showcases tournaments. If you do not play on a good club team, you need to make the switch. A couple of benefits for making the switch are; playing against better competition which will make you a better player and maximizing your exposure to college coaches. If you’re not sure if you play on a great club team please take a look at these websites:
http://www.nationalsoccerranking.com/
This week Forbes released a list of the top college sports towns. My beloved Indiana Hoosiers finished a respectable 10th in the rankings based on Forbes formula based on a variety of factors.
To create our list of the best college towns, we started with the top 50 finishers in the Director’s Cup, an award issued through the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to schools based on their performance in every sport. Football and basketball are important, but for the sports fan, part of the college-town experience is access to top teams in track, water polo, soccer, baseball, tennis and other non-marquee sports.
From there, we looked at quality of life measures, since wins and losses aren’t everything. Using Coldwell Banker’s Home Price Comparison Index, we looked at the price of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2,200-square-foot home in each market and compared it to the median income.
Next, we mixed in statistics on public-school quality and crime from NeighborhoodScout, drawn from No Child Left Behind data and the FBI. Durham, N.C., home to Duke, may be more affordable than nearby Chapel Hill, home to UNC-Chapel Hill, but Chapel Hill’s superior school system and lower crime rate push it past Durham on our list.
The reason I want to highlight the rankings here it to make the point that Forbes developed a formula based on an extensive list of factors. Student-athlete’s and families going through the recruiting process need to base their decisions based on a similar wide range of issues. That is one more reason why its so important for families to start the recruiting process early. By extensively researching all your options and getting to know a college and athletic program student-athletes greatly increase their chances of finding the right fit.
With all the recent hype about signing day (see Brian’s last post) I want to remind everyone that there are many other ways to earn financial assistance besides athletic scholarships. Student-athletes can earn scholarships through academics, merit grants and by seeking other creative opportunities. Need-based aid can also help pay the college tuition bills.
Academic Scholarships
Most (but not all) colleges and universities offer academic scholarships to students with qualifying grades and test scores. Each institution determines what the requirements are to earn academic aid at their school. Usually, the higher the grades the greater the financial reward. College coaches are attracted to students who qualify for academic scholarships because this means the coach will not have to use his or her athletic scholarship funds on these players and can reserve that pool of money for other recruits. Applicants must submit their full application before receiving academic scholarships.
Merit Grants
Like academic scholarships, each college and university has their own policy for merit grants and related financial awards. Many schools have merit scholarships that are given out on the basis of leadership and/or motivation. Most colleges seek diversity and many offer financial assistance to students who will help bring ethnic or geographic diversity to their student-body. College coaches can sometimes push for their recruits to receive additional merit funding so prospects should always inquire about these opportunities.
Other
Here is a sample of eight colleges where students can earn free tuition. There are many websites such as finaid.org where students can search for independent scholarships. For example, there are scholarships available for left handed applicants and kids who know how to juggle. These scholarships usually only offer a few thousand dollars at best, but in the grand scheme of college bills every little bit helps. A great resource to research how to find scholarships and college grants is Careers and Colleges.
Need-Based Aid
Regardless of athletic, academic, merit or other scholarships, all college applicants should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to find out how much federal aid they may qualify for. Even if a family will not qualify for any assistance, they should still fill out the FAFSA to have it on file in case their economic situation should suddenly change. Many of the schools with the highest sticker prices offer the most competitive financial aid plans. For example, at Princeton there are no loans in their financial aid awards and students only receive grant aids that do not have to be repaid. If parents of a Yale applicant have an income of $90,000 they will pay less than $3,000 per year for their son or daughter to attend the Ivy League institution.
Less than one percent of athletes receive a full athletic scholarship. With college tuition costs on the rise do not leave any stone un-turned when exploring opportunities for financial assistance.
Mitch Albom has had enough. In a scathing editorial printed this week he attacked the hype and media buzz that has become associated with college football’s signing day. He doesn’t like the hats, the TV shows, the press conferences during school hours, the internet reporters chasing quotes and generally everything that falls outside of a recruit faxing his Letter of Intent to a college coach.
Then there was a defensive back named Craig Loston, out of Houston, who picked LSU. His Eisenhower High coach was excited. Funny thing is, Loston doesn’t even attend school anymore. According to the coach, the kid lives in Louisiana. According to the principal, the kid says he’s taking online classes to finish his requirements. Online?
How about a Texas safety named Colton Valencia, who brought four hats to his news conference, then, for drama, ignored them and pulled out a Texas A&M hat from under the table. What’s next? A rabbit?
Only once in my career did I attend a recruiting announcement. It was for Robert (Tractor) Traylor, a prep basketball star in Detroit who did the TV/entourage thing, chose the University of Michigan, and later became part of a recruiting scandal that led to his coach’s firing and the school’s NCAA probation.
I lasted five minutes at his event, left, went to the school library, and found a kid going to the same university on an academic scholarship, all alone, doing homework.
On the other hand signing day caps years of hard work. Doesn’t our society celebrate milestone moments? We celebrate graduations. These high schoolers are graduating to become college student ahtletes. Don’t they deserve a few minutes in the spotlight before they become the low man on the depth chart again. For most players it will be the last time they are the best player on their team. The last time they are recognized as the big man on campus. It that so bad?
What do you think?
