NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

The importance of knowing the playing rules in your sport can lead to a win or a key loss.  Do you know the important softball rules that pertain to disqualification of runners?   What is the rule on the offensive runner celebrating with teammates before crossing home plate?  This situation had a major ruling in the state games recently in Minnesota.

Read the ultimate ruling on the situation that happened during the Minnesota Junior College Athletic Conference state tournament game. Be sure that you are sharp with knowing the rules of the sports that you play.

Brian Nolasco, Baseball, Coe College
Drew Tullos, Baseball, Mineral Area JC
Nathan Lucas, Baseball, University of Dubuque
Michael Banks, Baseball, Los Medanos College
Sterling Smith, Baseball, Cardinal Stritch University
Mike Robison, Baseball, Hanover College
Ryan Irwin, Baseball, Wittenberg University
Joey LaCugna, Baseball, The Community College of Baltimore County-Essex
Jeremy Juhl, Baseball, Augustana College (IL)
Thomas Daneker, Baseball, Chowan University
Aric Dama, Baseball, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael Donovan, Baseball, Stevens Institute of Technology
Matt Wainman, Baseball, College of William and Mary
Ben Gross, Baseball, University of Redlands
Gregory Lukasik, Baseball, Eastern University
Jake Strecker, Baseball, Pratt Community College
Matthew Consiglio, Baseball, University of Massachusetts — Boston
Zack Conner, Baseball, Roanoke College
Alonzo Olivarez, Baseball, Lindenwood University
Dayton Alexander, Baseball, Feather River College
Matt Wiltfong, Baseball, Sacramento City College
Logan Parsons, Baseball, University of the Ozarks
Conor McCarthy, Baseball, Johns Hopkins University
JT Trutna, Baseball, Pomona-Pitzer College
J (Kyle) Bogese, Baseball, Trinity University
Tyler Dierke, Baseball, Kenyon College
Ronald Berscak, Baseball, St. Andrews Presbyterian College
Tyler Buff, Baseball, Centenary College
Ryan Meek, Baseball, Redlands Community College
Brock Anderson, Baseball, Southwestern Community College
Ross Hall, Baseball, Albion College
Matthew Wagner, Baseball, Aquinas College
N. Dakota Baird, Baseball, University of Redlands
David Nowaczyk, Baseball, Loras College
Jeffren Suarez, Baseball, Post University
Steven Tucker, Football, New Mexico Highlands University
Anthony Wilson, Football, University of Alabama – Birmingham
Matt Selley, Football, Hiram College
Rashad Briscoe, Football, Geneva College
Christopher Jones, Football, Bowling Green State University
Dayne Mullins, Football, Lambuth University
Jon Medich, Football, Trine University
Jacob Williams, Football, Bowie State University
Samuel Maki, Football, University of Dayton
Brennan Baldridge, Football, Carthage College
Chase Andrade, Football, DePauw University
Kevin Redmon, Football, William Jewell College
Jonathan Rogers, Football, Campbell University
Michael Webb, Football, Hardin-Simmons University
Jeff Badger, Football, Sacramento State University
Mike Ortiz, Football, LaGrange College
Brock Miller, Football, Southern Utah University
Clay Hirt, Football, Texas Christian University
Don Cope, Football, University of Tennessee — Chattanooga
Thomas Stevenson, Football, Notre Dame College of Ohio
Jared Volk, Football, Northern Illinois University
Austin Lindsey, Football, Abilene Christian University
Ethan Stutzman, Football, Wayne State College
Allen Mooney, Football, Boise State University
Zak Hundley, Football, Mount Union College
Peace Edafe, Football, SUNY–Stony Brook
Colton Zody, Football, Ohio Northern University
Brandon Quirk, Football, Shasta College
Luke Johnson, Football, Case Western Reserve University
Chris Pernicano, Football, Linfield College
Ian Suter, Football, Endicott College
Cross Trued, Football, Randolph-Macon College
Matthew Mattox, Football, Mount Union College
Jordan Rabe, Football, Wisconsin Lutheran College
John Francour, Football, Rockford College
Michael Fleeman, Football, Notre Dame College of Ohio
Bobby Harry, Football, University of Wisconsin–River Falls
Paul Hubbell, Football, Rhodes College
Joseph Philemon, Football, Concordia (WI) University
Dan Saita, Football, Colgate University
Aaron Anderson, Football, Lindsey Wilson College
Joe Spindler, Football, Augustana College (IL)
Adrian Williams, Football, Missouri State University
Willmore Stuart, Football, Catholic University of America
Justin Brewer, Football, Louisburg College
Riley Walker, Football, Trinity University
Jason Pijpaert, Football, North Park University
Cody Harris, Football, Shenandoah University
Danny Walker, Football, Illinois Wesleyan University
Chris Tillotson, Football, Coastal Carolina University
Willie Barefield III, Football, Illinois College
Mathew Highland, Football, Baker University
Brett Giesen, Football, Kansas Wesleyan University
Justin Ruffino, Football, Lewis and Clark College
Aaron Fau, Football, Laney College
Stephen Adams, Football, Portland State University
Alexander Gonzalez, Football, Upper Iowa University
Stanley Cole, Jr, Football, Cisco Junior College
Jordan Schultz-Davis, Football, Briar Cliff University
Jasper Collins Jr., Football, Mount Union College
Michael D’Astoli, Football, Allegheny College
Josh Behr, Football, Augustana College (IL)
Eddie Thomas Jr, Football, Louisiana College
Jay DiMercurio, Football, United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kendall Gregory, Football, Ohio Wesleyan University
Joseph Carrington, Men’s Basketball, Dallas Baptist University
Eric Thomas, Men’s Basketball, Jacksonville University
Christopher Baker, Men’s Basketball, Missouri Southern State University
Ryan Caviness, Men’s Basketball, Hope College
Roberto Hirlemann, Men’s Golf, Johnson & Wales University at North Miami
Connor Corley, Men’s Lacrosse, Hendrix College
Jason Giordano, Men’s Soccer, Rider University
Michael Lincoln, Men’s Soccer, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Andy Poveda, Men’s Soccer, Spring Hill College
Jon Kupiec, Men’s Soccer, Santa Clara University
Nathaniel Wise, Men’s Soccer, Emory University
Shardy Sanon, Men’s Soccer, St. Thomas University
Josh Price, Men’s Soccer, Alma College
Mark Fehringer, Men’s Soccer, College of St. Scholastica
Jason Rydzewski, Men’s Soccer, University of Cincinnati
Joseph Dalleo, Men’s Soccer, Marist College
Tanner Lee, Men’s Soccer, Oregon Institute of Technology
Jacob Irish, Men’s Soccer, Monmouth College
Matthew Jamele, Men’s Soccer, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Gregory Pristov, Men’s Swimming, Notre Dame College of Ohio
Nick Loucas, Men’s Tennis, Hawaii Pacific University
Christopher Bertrand, Men’s Track, Mount Olive College
John Sollitto, Men’s Track, California State University–Fullerton
Dorius Spruance, Men’s Track, Fort Hays State University
Chelsea Bender, Softball, Springfield College
Jordyn Bledsoe, Softball, University of New Mexico
Janet Holtfreter, Softball, Ave Maria University
Danielle Cuglietto, Softball, St. Peter’s College
Dominique Johnson, Softball, Virginia State University
Natalie Abrego, Softball, West Valley College
Molly Saunders, Softball, Plymouth State University
Lauryn Whittler, Softball, Brevard College
Kayla Rae Black, Softball, University of Texas–El Paso
Danielle Keenan, Women’s Basketball, San Jose State University
Jennifer Rainey, Women’s Basketball, Cuesta College
Natalie Omundson, Women’s Cross Country, American University
Summer Rines, Women’s Cross Country, Campbellsville University
Monika Otey, Women’s Soccer, Cowley County Community College
Jennifer Van Wey, Women’s Soccer, Point Loma Nazarene University
Kirstillyn Pohlman, Women’s Soccer, Augustana College (IL)
Holly Gamester, Women’s Soccer, California State University–San Marcos
Rachel Webber, Women’s Soccer, Radford University
Jaimie Ward, Women’s Soccer, Illinois Institute of Technology
Camille Namba, Women’s Soccer, Florida Atlantic University
Stacia Schacter, Women’s Swimming, Miami University–Oxford
Kate Chang, Women’s Swimming, Franklin and Marshall College
Amelia Ladd, Women’s Swimming, Luther College
Melissa Kang, Women’s Swimming, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Calli Pappas, Women’s Track, Loyola College in Maryland
Shervonn Johnson, Women’s Volleyball, Trinidad State Junior College
Laura Plumb, Women’s Volleyball, Mesa Community College
Heather Rux, Women’s Volleyball, Western New Mexico University

While many sports continue to thrive during the recession, college baseball is unquestionably feeling a pinch.  Programs that are losing money are being cut across the country particularly in the north where early season weather limits attendance and forces long road trips.

“If there’s a program that is on the fringe, as far as what the cost is, what they feel it brings to the campus and the community with the alumni and so forth, those types of programs are always in question where there’s a lack of money,” said Dave Keilitz, the executive director of the American Baseball Coaches Association.

With only 11.7 scholarships per team, most players already face steep competition in recruiting.  With diminishing opportunites and recruiting budgets, that competition will only become more fierce.  Its another reason why players and college recruiters are turning to NCSA’s Verified Baseball Scouting Report.  Players need every available option to showcase themselves to schools, and coaches need to find cheap reliable ways to evaluate talent.

Lacrosse Recruiting continues to expand west as the number of scholarship opportunities grows.  The sport has seen explosive growth over the last 20 years and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.  The Wall Street Journal reports on how the sports interest has grown at the high school and college level.

These days the sport is showing serious growth. Participation in high school lacrosse has about doubled this decade, to a total of 143,946 boys and girls playing on high school lacrosse teams in the 2007-08 school year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, which tracks participation by sport. In 2000-01, there were 74,225 high school lacrosse players.

And the fervor goes beyond high schools. A 2007 survey by the National Sporting Goods Association found an estimated 1.2 million Americans over age 7 had played lacrosse within the previous year — an increase of 40% since 1999.

Johns Hopkins is one of the 56 men’s Division 1 college lacrosse teams, based on NCAA data from the 2007-08 season. Including Divisions II and III, there are some 239 men’s college lacrosse teams nationwide with 8,900 athletes, double the number of participants two decades ago. On the women’s side, there are now more than 300 college lacrosse programs across Division I, II and III, according to the NCAA, triple the number seen two decades ago.

It’s also growing when compared to other sports. In the 2007-08 school year, 17 colleges added women’s lacrosse, more than any other sport. Meanwhile, a dozen men’s teams were added in 2007-08, far more than sports like basketball, which added three teams; football, which added two and baseball, which added just one team.

A number of factors have contributed to the sport’s growth, including an increase in media coverage, the availability of athletic scholarships and the sport’s growing appeal at schools west of the Mississippi.  Indeed, the game has steadily migrated as former players and coaches moved West. Lacrosse Magazine says that of the 2,427 men’s lacrosse players on D-I rosters in 2009, 118 players came from five key Western states: California (55); Colorado (37); Washington (13); (Arizona (9) and Oregon (4.)

“The game has just exploded in the three years that I’ve lived in San Diego,” says Dave Herman, the varsity boys’ lacrosse coach at Francis Parker School in San Diego.

The availability of college scholarships is also a draw. Chuck Cohen, who helped launch a youth league in Orangetown, N.Y., that has grown from 70 boys in grades five through eight to more than 300 boys and girls from first to eighth grades, says, “Many of the D-1 teams are offering college scholarships, and there are tournaments and recruiting camps where college coaches can watch the kids play.”

As the talent base spreads from east to west and more college programs pop up on the map recruiting will become increasingly unpredicatable for college coaches.  In the past a few top prorams could mine the east coast power houses for top talent while everyone else fought for scraps.  With this expansion of talent more and more programs are closing the talent gap by recruiting nationally in areas that would have been unheard of only a few years ago.

Potential lacrosse recruits need to understand the fact there is simultaneously more opportunity and competition than ever before.  Simply playing for a top program or shining in a showcase may not be enough to prove to a college coach that you are worth a scholarship.

ESPN’s Outside the Lines details the current debate between playing high school basketball and playing on the AAU circuit.  Does playing on one team over another harm a prospects chances?  Its clear that basketball recruits will continue to face this question.

When I talk to potential recruits and families all the time and their decision to join NCSA usually comes down to asking themselves a simple question, “Do I currently have enough recruiting options?”  Many families decide they have more than enough opportunities and decide to “go it alone.”  Unfortunately, this notion is almost always wrong.

Unless you are a top 1% recruit in the country with multiple scholarship OFFERS, you probably don’t have enough options.

• Having a few one day camp invitations doesn’t mean you have real options.
• Taking a few unofficial visits doesn’t mean you have real options.
• Being on a great AAU team doesn’t mean you have real options.
• Having a great high school coach doesn’t mean you have real options.

See what I’m getting at?  Until you’ve crossed the finish line as a recruit and have multiple offers in hand, you just can’t afford to sit back and hope that the cards you’ve been dealt will play out well.  There are just too many other recruits competing for that same scholarship slot for a recruit to ever be even the slightest bit complacent.

Additionally, even if you have 5-6 realistic options and that turns into 1-2 offers, are you really happy being able to choose between only two schools.  What if one school offers your major, but you like the coaching staff at the other?

I could go on asking a hundred more questions that could come up in the recruiting process but the bottom line is this:  The more schools in play, the better chance at finding the perfect fit.  That is exactly what we do at NCSA.

Soccer recruits often struggle with the decision to play high school soccer or on a club team.  Their recruiting futures and desire to play with their friends often conflict.  Many times instead of making the difficult decision players decide to try on both teams.  However, the club team usually takes precedence over the high school team which can rub coaches and other players in the wrong way.

To solve this dilemma high school soccer associations are banning players from participating on both club and high school teams simultaneously.  The Minnesota Youth Soccer Association recently approved this type of rule.

While the ban may clarify where a player’s priority lies, it will create a severe recruiting disadvantage for any player opting to play on their high school team.  Soccer athletes that hope to play in college need to face top competition and more often than not, this occurs at the club level.  Rules like this will only exasperate the talent gap.

Your high school coach will be a critical part of your recruiting process.  Plain and simple.  However, it’s not always for the reason that most families expect.

As we have explained in the past, your high school coach cannot get you a scholarship.  That myth was built years ago when the high school coach was one of the few avenues from which a college coach could receive both game film and objective evaluations of potential prospects.  With the development of technology and the internet, coaches now have access to information like never before.  Also, due to scholarship reductions, college coaches can no longer offer a scholarship to a recruit as a “favor” to the high school coach.  Finally, the average high school coach has less than five contacts with college coaches…less than 1% of the total opportunities!  The responsibility to get athletic scholarships ultimately lies with the student-athlete, mom, and dad.

Now, you’re probably wondering, “if my high school coach cannot get me a scholarship, why is he so important…and why do I need to talk to him as soon as possible?”

While your high school coach cannot get you a scholarship, college coaches will absolutely utilize their role in the recruiting process to gain access to recruits.  We asked Former Division I Recruiting Coordinator, Randy Taylor, how college coaches will take advantage of the high school coach to further their recruiting efforts, and here was his response:

“A college coach would be making a huge mistake if they did not work through the high school coach the whole way through the process.  This allows the high school coach to feel as though they have some control and will help the college coach assure a good relationship for future recruits.  Keep in mind, at some point in the future, the college coach will want to recruit a prospect from the same school, and the better the relationship, the more inclined a high school coach will be to grant access to his players.  That access is crucial”

“Also, there are certain times when the college coach is unable to contact the recruit based on the recruiting timeline, so rather than contact the recruit directly and violate the rules, the college coach will express interest through the high school coach.  With the accelerated pace of college recruiting, coaches are exploring every way to connect with a recruit as early as possible, and the high school coach happens to be one of those outlets.  This might involve sending recruiting letters to the high school coach regarding one of their players, making a phone call to request an honest assessment, or even making an offer.  The high school coach is really a key part of the relationship that the college coach needs to develop with a recruit.”

Hopefully it’s becoming clearer why your high school coach is a critical part of the process and again, why he really cannot get you a scholarship.  Rather, your high school coach is a conduit to the relationship that will occur between college coaches and recruits throughout the process.  However, if you do not have the proper relationship with your high school coach, you could be missing potential opportunities.

Which college coaching staffs does your high school coach have a relationship with?

Have any college coaches contacted your high school coach expressing interest in you?

When was the last time you discussed your collegiate athletic aspirations with your high school coach?

Next week, we will explain how to properly develop that relationship with your high school coach and the one way they might be hurting your chances of playing in college.

The football recruiting process continues to evolve. When Lane Kiffin was hired by the Tennessee Volunteers to rebuild their storied program one of his first hires was his dad, Monte Kiffin. The elder Kiffin is extremely well regarded in the coaching community, but the majority of his career has been at the NFL level. His return to the college ranks has been a bit of an adjustment. He sat down with the Sporting News to discuss some of the changes to the football recruiting process.

SN: You hadn’t recruited in 35 years, since you were a member of the Nebraska staff. What was that like?

MK: I told our coaches, in the old days, they used to go to May 15 for national signing day. The kids would get a

Monte Kiffin

letter of intent in February, but you had to keep recruiting them until the middle of May when they signed. I used to fly from Nebraska to Chicago, change planes in O’Hare, and fly to Newark. Then I’d get in a car or a plane and go up and down the coast until May 15 to make sure we were keeping our guys.

SN: Compare that to current recruiting trips.

MK: I got here on a Thursday, and Sunday night was first day we could go out. I went with Ed Orgeron to Memphis on my first trip. I’m thinking, “I’d like to visit with kids in the morning, get a run in during the late afternoon and then do home visits later that night.” My son said, “Dad, you’re not even going to be in Memphis in the afternoon, you’ll be in Atlanta.” I had no idea. We were in four states in one day. I felt like I had been recruiting for a week. That was Day 1. I said to myself, “Welcome to the new age of recruiting.” I just got into it and had a blast.

SN: What’s it like recruiting with Orgeron, who many believe is the best in the business?

MK: He’s a diehard guy, very committed, very passionate. I love to walk in the building every day and see Coach O. The way he runs recruiting meetings is unbelievable. I go there to start the day just to hear Ed talk and get fired up. Someone will say this kid already committed. Ed says, “I don’t care; you wait and see, we’ll get that guy.” And it works. I saw it happen this year. When Lane wanted to hire Ed, it was like going after a five-star recruit, like we were going after Peyton Manning. That was such a huge hire for Lane, much bigger than myself. Ed wakes up at four in the morning thinking about the recruit from Riverdale, California.

Its clear that the Tennessee staff is putting a priority on recruiting not just top athletes, but also a team of talented coaches.  Lane Kiffin understands that the importance of recruiting requires a dedicated staff to make sure all of their bases covered. They know they can’t afford to misfire on many recruits if they are going to be successful.

Its exactly why recruits need a team behind them as well. The biggest difference is that they can’t afford to misfire once.  Many athletes choose to form a team with their coach and their parents.  However, many times they lack the experience and network necesary to maximize the athletes recruiting potential.  Its exactly why many athletes turn to NCSA for the guidance and exposure necessary to play collegiate athletics.

Grades are becoming increasingly important to college recruiting.  Due to the APR, universities are increasingly using grades to to separate similar recruits.  Coaches know that recruiting players with questionable grades could quickly come back to bite them with scholarship reductions.  The Dayton Daily News reports on the importance of good grades to athletes:

Northmont Athletic Director Robin Spiller pointed out that the NCAA’s recent Academic Progress Rate has caused college coaches to rethink taking marginal students. Programs that don’t reach certain standards face sanctions, including the loss of scholarships.

“Those students who, for lack of a better word, ‘get it’ understand they have to work in the classroom in order for a college coach to look at them,” Spiller said. “Most of the (high-achievement) kids we’re talking about have understood that, and if they want to go further in school, then they’ve got to make a commitment in the classroom, too.”

NCSA is looking for athletes that “get it” and are working to maximize their recruting potential.  Are you going to be one of them?