NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

NCSA recently had a chance to attend the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Convention held in Nashville. The time at the convention allowed NCSA staff to network with the college coaches and build on those relationships allowing us to help our NCSA student-athletes find the right college fit. NCSA speaker, Bridget Venturi, joined me in attending the convention meeting over a 100 coaches on the two days of the exhibitor event.

Talking with the coaches at the event to find out what needs they have and where they are in the recruiting process was very valuable. A topic with many of the college coaches was about communications during the recruiting process. It reinforced the things that we at NCSA teach our student-athletes in our coaching sessions:

Coaches emphasized:

• They do want to hear from the student themselves – the high school athlete needs to be prepared to talk and communicate with the college coach by answering questions thoroughly and having some questions of their own to ask. Some coaches have mentioned that they have stopped recruiting students when parents are too involved and the students are not the ones communicating with the colleges.

• Getting back to the coaches in a timely manner and also providing information that the coaches request from the student-athlete.

• Grades are essential and coaches emphasize the students taking the honors and AP classes through out high school.

• Be honest in communication – hear the coach out before saying ‘no’. Learn enough about the college and softball program before declining an invitation for a visit. Best is to take a visit to know for sure if the school is a good fit or not.

• Coaches said the intangibles such as: character, maturity, leadership and how they treat their teammates are often the best way to separate potential recruits.

• It is more about overall fit with the student-athlete and the college than just about how much money that the school gives them to play softball. They want student-athletes who want to come to their school and want to be a part of their softball program for all the right reasons.

Much of the information we received from the college coaches reaffirmed the value of finding the right overall fit. This means looking at the college for the right

The Wall Street Journal checks in with Myron Rolle as he prepares to transition to the NFL.  His choice to study at Oxford appears to already be paying off.

“How can I get rated by a big recruiting website?” It’s a question we get at NCSA almost every single day.  The worst part about getting the question is knowing that the answer just doesn’t matter.  ESPN’s Ted Miller deconstructs this myth very clearly in his latest mailbag.

Folks love reading about recruiting. They love ratings. They love the whole thing, even when they are complaining about it.

Any responsible recruiting guru will tell you that the “star system” is an inexact science, but measuring things in shades of gray is part of college football — see the national polls and BCS system as a whole.

I also don’t know if the recruiting rankings look that much different than the final polls. If you go here, you see a lot of Alabama, Texas, Florida, USC and other national powers.

Which is exactly how all their recruits received 4 and 5 stars.  The recruiting reporters sees Texas has offered a top prospect, they watch some tape on him and slap stars on him.

If you’re asking why schools that typically don’t rank highly in recruiting seem to end up scattered throughout the national polls annually, there are a handful of explanations.

Evaluation: Some staffs are particularly good at projecting how a high school senior might develop physically over the next few years. They also seem to see the inner football player. Oregon State’s Mike Riley would be a good example, as would Arizona’s Mike Stoops.

Every staff does their own evaluation of players.  What a recruit is ranked on a website doesn’t matter when they are watching film. The grade a coach gives you is what really matters. So my answer to recruits is, “Don’t worry about getting rated on the internet.  Get rated by a college coach and then rankings will take care of themselves.”

It’s a pretty straight-forward question, Is Coach Knight Correct?

The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) has announced the creation of their own Eligibility Center/Clearinghouse that will operate in similar fashion the NCAA Eligibility Center.  The center will open next year and NCSA will keep you up to date on any news and advice for registration.  Below is a quick FAQ to get you up to speed.

When will the Eligibility Center begin operations?

The Eligibility Center will open its doors in Fall 2010 to all students interested in enrolling at NAIA institutions the following school year (2011-12).

Will the Eligibility Center certify eligibility for students who enroll at NAIA institutions in 2010-11?

No. Students who enroll in 2010-11 will be certified according to the current process.

Who has to register and be certified by the Eligibility Center?

Any student who will enroll at a member institution for the first time in 2011-12 and intends to participate in NAIA athletics must register and be certified by the Eligibility Center. First-time NAIA student-athletes include all entering freshmen, community-college transfer students and students who transfer from upper-level two-year and four-year colleges and universities that are not members of the NAIA.

Will students pay a fee?

Yes. Students who wish to be certified and participate in NAIA athletics will be charged a one-time fee at the time of registration. Eligibility Center fees will be waived for qualifying students based on need.

If a student has been certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center, would that student need to be certified by the NAIA Eligibility Center, too?

Yes. Certification of NAIA eligibility is separate from NCAA certification – two different associations, two different sets of eligibility rules, two different certification processes.

The NAIA is adding an eligibility center in the fall.  Learn all about it here!

Letter from coach, sample #6

Dear Jacob:

At this time, I am confirming our decision to offer you a scholarship to attend Boston College and become a student-athlete in our football program.  A full scholarship will cover the cost of room, board, books, tuition, and fees.  Our offer is based on the following requirements:

- You must continue to excel in the classroom and obtain the grades and test scores that are required for admission
- You must complete the requirements set forth by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

We want you and your parents to feel comfortable with your opportunity to succeed as a student-athlete as Boston College.  This offer is being made in good faith, with the hope that it will be accepted in the same manner.

What this letter means and how a student-athlete should respond:

The student-athlete has been offered a scholarship.  This constitutes a written offer, and if the student accepts it, he or she should feel confident that they have secured a scholarship.  However, nothing is guaranteed until the student-athlete signs on National Letter of Intent Day.  The athlete should keep in touch with the coach to make sure that the opportunity does not fall through the cracks.  As a measure of respect, the student should immediately alert other coaches that they have made a verbal commitment to sign with another program.

Coach Taylor – I  sent my information to dozens of college coaches weeks ago but have not heard back from ANYONE yet.  Why?

There could be several reasons for this, but here are a few of the major ones:

You are not a good fit for the program and the coach simply is not interested in you.

- While this one might be tough to swallow, it is a harsh reality of  the recruiting process.  Every year thousands of student-athletes target the wrong schools based on an inflated evaluation of their abilities.  I suggest ever student-athlete review the recruiting guidelines for their sport here to get an idea if they are contacting the right program.  In addition, go online and research the schools to see if you qualify by looking at the sport’s roster.  Players have to compare themselves to those on the roster.   Most importantly, get an honest assessment from a third party who knows what college coaches are looking for.  While parents are critical in the process, few can provide a realistic evaluation of their son or daughter.  In some cases, even high school coaches are  unfamiliar with the wants and needs of college coaches, so make sure that evaluation is from a trusted source.  Most importantly, make sure you target the right schools to yield the best results.

You are contacting the coach at a bad time and they have not received your information yet.

- Keep in mind that depending on the sport, the coach might be in the middle of the season and difficult to reach.  Or the coach might be on vacation during a holiday or break and not regularly checking their email or traditional mail.  It is also possible that the coach just has not gotten around to checking any information received from recruits recently.  Regardless of the reason, make sure you stay persistent.

They are unable to contact you back.

- Depending on your sport and graduation year, the coach might be unable to contact you based on NCAA regulations.  Make sure you understand the different contact periods for your sport.

They do not recognize the name of the person who is sending the information.

-College coaches receive a lot of information from student-athletes and their families.  They also happen to be extremely busy coaching their team.  Due to time limitations, many coaches will not look at information sent unsolicited. 

Long story short, if the coach is not expecting your information or does not know the person sending it, then they most likely will never review it.  This last reason explains why it is so important to get your name on recruiting lists that college coaches use so they not only know who you are, but are checking out your recruiting profile first!

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.

For the holidays NCSA is giving away Free copies of Athletes Wanted, the complete gameplan to maximizing athletic scholarship and life potential, to the first 50 responses!

All you have to do is:

• Join the NCSA Fan Page on Facebook at:  http://www.facebook.com/NCSAsports

• Write a piece of recruiting advice or a recruiting question on the Wall of our Facebook Page.

• Message me at  http://www.facebook.com/davidson1.0 with your address to send the book.

Our supply is sure to go quick, so tell all your teammates ASAP!

Multiple studies have show that athletics improve academics.  However, many critics have labeled these studies inaccurate due to the self selection process.  The type of student who takes the time practice sports is also the type who practices in school by studying.  However, a recent study Betsey Stevenson of the University of Pennsylvania uses the advent of Title IX to show that the introduction of sports to more female athletes has in turn raised academic performance.  Her rough draft is excerpted below:

Previous research has found that male high school athletes experience better outcomes than non-athletes, including higher educational attainment, employment rates, and wages. However, students self-select into athletics so these may be selection effects rather than causal effects. To address this issue, I examine Title IX which provides a unique quasiexperiment in female athletic participation. Between 1972 and 1978 U.S. high schools rapidly increased their female athletic participation rates—to approximately the same level as their male athletic participation rates—in order to comply with Title IX. This paper uses variation in the level of boys’ athletic participation across states before Title IX as an instrument for the change in girls’ athletic participation over the 1970s. Analyzing differences in outcomes for both the pre- and post-Title IX cohorts across states, I find that a 10-percentage point rise in state-level female sports participation generates a 1 percentage point increase in female college attendance and a 1 to 2 percentage point rise in female labor force participation. Furthermore, greater opportunities to play sports leads to greater female participation in previously male-dominated occupations, particularly for high-skill occupations.

Conclusions:

My central estimates suggest that if a state’s female sports participation rate rises 10-percentage points, then average levels of schooling in the state will rise by around .04 years, and employment rates will rise by 1½ percentage points. Since Title IX led to a 30 percentage point rise in female sports participation, a roughly 0.12 year rise in educational attainment and a 4½ percentage point rise in labor force participation can be attributed to the increased opportunities to participate in sports. Comparing the education results with those seen in the cross-section, we see that that the average effect stemming from a rise in participation opportunities is similar to the estimated effect in the OLS once appropriate controls have been added. Moreover, the similarity of the estimates may suggest that once sufficient controls for ability and resources have been added, the cross-sectional estimates of the return to sports may be less biased by remaining omitted variables than had previously been believed.