NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Q:  I have been doing everything possible to get recruited. I have completed recruiting questionnaires for colleges, sending the coaches letters and making profiles on recruiting websites, but nothing has really happened yet. I’m going to be a sophomore next year but I know you have to get going early if you want to get scouted. I don’t have any film yet because I do not have a video camera. So what else can I do to get scouted?

A:  It sounds like you have been putting a lot of effort into your recruitment thus far. Congratulations on a job well done! As an NCSA Recruiting Coach I see situations like yours all the time and one of the first questions I ask is “what schools/divisions are you targeting?” It might be a case where you are targeting coaches at schools you are not qualified for at this time. I recommend that you review the NCSA Recruiting Guidelines to see where you measure up at this time. Secondly, coaches may be reviewing your information but they can not necessarily respond due to NCAA rules. Division I and II coaches are not allowed to send you emails or letters until September 1st of your junior year (these rules vary slightly according to your sport so refer to the NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete for more specifics). Regardless of sport, Division III and NAIA schools are technically allowed to contact you at any time but many of them abide by the DI rules and wait to talk to prospects until they have more experience under their belts. Video is important as well. A lot of our athletes borrow cameras from friends or rent them from their high school, local library or blockbuster video. If you will be competing at any tournaments or showcases where college coaches might be you should send them your schedule.

I hope this information is helpful. The biggest advice I can give is DON’T QUIT! There are a lot of schools out there and as long as you continue to put in the time and effort it will pay off. Contact NCSA for additional help.

The New York Times wrote an interesting article highlighting the cost college coaches are willing to pay for informational packets on the high school basketball summer league circuit.  As the economy has slumped and budgets have tightened, tournament promoters have raised the price of informational to unheard of levels.

Tournament organizers and summer basketball coaches have long charged significant fees for packets of information about potential Division I recruits – player rosters, phone numbers and e-mail addresses – that are the lifeblood of the billion-dollar college basketball business.

But with the economy sagging, college recruiting budgets being slashed and tournaments in the April recruiting period being eliminated because of an N.C.A.A. rule change, the costs and the complaints have risen sharply this summer.

Coaches have been especially irate at tournaments where the packet is a mandatory part of admission, in some cases making it cost hundreds of dollars to watch one game. They point to the N.C.A.A., which approves all the tournaments coaches can attend, as an enabler.

Not all packet purchases double as admission costs. But this week in Las Vegas, where five tournaments featured thousands of players, the packet costs ranged from $180 to $275, with cash being preferred.

A black market of bootleg packets and copies of receipts flourished so freely that tournament directors policed copy centers to prevent coaches from making duplicates. At numerous events this summer, coaches have changed out of their university-logoed shirts to watch games disguised as fans to save hundreds of dollars.

“It’s a crazy racket,” said Yale Coach James Jones, who once paid $350 to watch one player play a single game in South Carolina. His other option was to buy the tournament organizer Jeff Schneider’s $600 recruiting service.

“It’s extortion,” Jones said.

I would tend to agree that these prices are way out of wack with the spirit of amateur athletics.  Recruiting needs to be made EASIER and MORE COST EFFECTIVE for college coaches.  Its due to this fundamental belief that NCSA’s Recruit-Match Database is 100% free to college coaches.  I encourage student-athletes to sign up for their FREE scouting report!

A quick video replay of why playing two sports in high school can actually help your college recruiting potential!

Q: Are college coaches allowed to send you recruiting letters when you’re a freshman or sophomore?

A: This depends on the sport, below is a chart of when coaches can being sending questionnaires/camp brochures and recruiting materials.

However, an athlete may contact a coach at ANY time.

To see more about recruiting guidelines click on your specific sport here.

Q: How important are stats in the recruiting process?

A: Stats can be important to college recruiters because they give them insight on your game performance. However, they are not the only thing that coaches look at. A big part of an athlete’s evaluation is looking at their tools. These are various skills within a sport which help coaches see the potential within an athlete. The best way to showcase these is through well made highlight videos, skills tapes, and game films.

Q: What are the scholarship regulations for an international, non-U.S. citizen?

A: First, you must meet minimum academic standards  if you have never enrolled as a full-time student at a university. Secondly, you must take the SAT or ACT, tests such as the TOEFL or the TWSE are not accepted by the NCAA. If you are currently enrolled at a university you will be subject to the NCAA’s transfer student policy. You must also be sure that you have not violated any of the NCAA’s amateurism rules.

Q: How can I get noticed when I play for a sub-par, small program?

A: Make it a good team. Don’t be satisfied to be part of a mediocre team, demand excellence from yourself and your teammates. A great, competitive attitude can do wonders for a team’s performance. It would be a huge plus if you were a big reason that your team went from sub-par to competitive and college coaches will notice that. Set-up extra practices, encourage your teammates to hit the gym together, this will help them get better along with the developing intangibles such as team chemistry.

On an individual basis, you need to get your name out. NCSA’s website is a great tool in the recruiting process. Check out the Five Things You Must Know and the Five Things You Must Do in order to get recruited. Set up a winning highlight video. Most of all, start contacting coaches. Especially playing for a small school, college coaches will have a tough time finding you, you have to find them.

Q: When can you talk to a coach? Can you do it through email or in person?

A: Student-athletes can call or write a coach at ANY time. However, coaches are restricted to contacting recruits during times called “dead periods”. You can look up individual sports’ dead periods here. They are also limited in how often they can contact a recruit. To see those dates go here.

A recruit may also talk to a coach any time during an unofficial visit. An NCSA survey found that 58% of college coaches preferred to be contacted in person rather than by email, phone or snail mail. Coaches prefer to meet a prospective recruit on campus in the form of an unofficial visit. The second favored mode of communication was email, and telephone was a close third.

Q: When can college coaches start calling?

A: Here’s a list of the first dates a Division I coach can begin making phone calls to recruits.

Football:   D1 football coaches can make one phone calbetween April 15 and May 31st of  junior year

Men’s Basketball: June 15th after Sophomore year

Women’s Basketball: In Apirl on or after the Thursday following the Final Four

Men’s Hockey: June 15th after Sophomore Year

Women’s Ice Hockey: July 7th after Junior Year

All Other Sports: July 1st after Junior Year

How often the coach can call also varies. For the complete list which also gives the regulations for sending recruiting materials along with dates for official visits go here and click on the desired sport.

Q: Do college coaches recruit more players from club teams or high school teams?

A: It depends. A high school team is important because this is where coaches begin to see players. However, it is on a club team where they have more of an opportunity to see athletes play against advanced talent. It is easier for a scout to see a player in person on a club team because it is during their off-season. There are some misconceptions about a club team’s impact on a player’s recruitment. This past article outlines how people can make the mistake of thinking a club team alone can get them recruited.