NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Academic standards continue to climb in College sports. Notre Dame recently announced that the average GPA of their most recent group of baseball recruits is 4.0. Some of the recruits have GPA’s over 4.0. When I deliver College Recruiting Simplified, I tell athletes the better their grades, the more options they will have for College sports.

Upon announcing the signing of the recruits, Notre Dame Associate Head Coach Scott Lawler said something that emphasizes why it is important to have a variety of skills when it comes to being recruited in baseball.

“With the NCAA rule limiting rosters to 35 players, it has become vital to a program’s success to add players with a versatile skill set.” – Scott Lawler, Notre Dame Associate Head Baseball Coach

The 2010 recruiting class includes players from Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, Arizona, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia and Illinois. These young men are being open geographically, and they understand their decision is a 40 year one, not just 4. Whether it is Notre Dame or any other top academic institution, young people need to find a place where they can get a tremendous degree and challenge themselves athletically.

Remember, you are on the clock academically Day One of 9th grade. Whether you are varsity or not then, hit your home runs in the classroom so that you will have more college options when you are an 11th or 12th grader.

One of the most frustrating parts of our mission to educate student-athletes about the recruiting process, is the large amount of misinformation constantly passed along by uninformed “experts.”  Most of the time they don’t know any better, but they wind up doing a huge disservice to student-athletes vying to play in college.

In his way, Mr. Luc is helping some families get that chance. He says he won’t announce which college he will be attending until after the playoffs. He explains that, by remaining uncommitted, he knows scouts will keep coming — and keep seeing other Titan players looking for scholarships.

“When the recruiters come, they don’t watch me only. They watch the whole team. And whoever catches their eyes, catches their eyes,” he says with a shy grin. “I just don’t want to leave here and leave some of my teammates behind.”

If an athlete is hoping to get recruited because his teammate has several offers, I wish him all the luck in the world.  He is going to need it.  Today the majority of scouting is done on the Internet well before a coach would see a player live.

The very best recruits can afford to wait back and choose from a number of offers.  For the other 99% of recruits waiting back is simply not a realistic option.  They need to be actively contacting college coaches and building relationships at an early age.  If you are waiting on someone else to do the work, you are simply rolling the dice.

Athletes Wanted

Check out this preview of Athletes Wanted – The Complete Gamplan to Maximizing Collegiate Recruiting and Life Potential

Are you interested in knowing where your favorite school stands amongst the rest or knowing where schools are seated that are recruiting you?

2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball RPI

1 North Carolina

2 Pittsburgh

3 Duke

4 Michigan St.

5 Connecticut

6 Oklahoma

7 Louisville

8 Villanova

9 Memphis

10 Missouri

To see the full list click here.

*Get  up-to-date coverage of the Men’s rankings by clicking here.

*To see a list of the 2009 NCAA Women’s Basketball RPI list click here.

*Want to know about all other sports and divisions? Click here.

Tonight the college football spotlight will shine in Eugene, Oregon for the so-called Civil War between Oregon and Oregon State. The stakes couldn’t be higher as the winner will take the Pac-10 Championship as well as a bid to face Ohio State in the Rose Bowl  Both programs’ success this decade would have been unimaginable to most 15 years ago, and can be largely attributed to changes in the recruiting process.

These two bitter rivals rely more than virtually any other big college-football program on out-of-staters. Of the 65 schools in the six BCS (or major) conferences, Oregon has signed the highest percentage of out-of-staters over the past five years (93%). Oregon State is sixth (85%). While the Beavers have seven starters from in-state, the only major home-state contributors on Oregon’s roster are the left tackle and the kicker.

By contrast, Pac-10 foes USC and Cal have gone outside their talent-rich state for about one-third of their signed recruits in the past five years. Texas has gone past its borders for only 7% of its signed recruits in that span.

Blame geography. “You have nowhere to go,” says former longtime Oregon coach Rich Brooks, now the coach at Kentucky. “The Pacific Ocean is on one side of you. Washington, Idaho and low-population areas are around you. So you have to go south.”

As a producer of football players, Oregon is a mom-and-pop shop compared with the factories elsewhere. In a given year, eight to 10 major-college-caliber players graduate from Oregon high schools, Oregon State’s Mr. Riley says, far fewer than the 20 or so that each major program needs each year. By comparison, in 2008, Miami signed eight players from one nearby high school (Miami Northwestern). “Recruiting is a function of population,” says Mr. Bellotti. “We’re 3 ½ million in Oregon. That’s half the Bay Area.”

The Oregon Ducks have fashioned winning teams by a number of means: raiding California, plumbing the junior-college ranks (quarterback Jeremiah Masoli played at the City College of San Francisco) and even going national. Because of Oregon’s growing profile, the Ducks have been able to attract four-star recruits from across the country like redshirt freshman LaMichael James, Oregon’s speedy running back from Texas.

Years ago going into California against USC and UCLA would have been considered recruiting suicide.  Today, recruiting nationally against schools with long and storied traditions is feasible due to improved facilities and the emergence of technology in the recruiting process.  The internet has allowed coaches to effectively scout the country at a minimal cost, opening up new recruiting areas further than ever.

The speed of the modern recruiting process also greatly aids schools like OSU and OU.  Recruits used to start the process as junior and seniors.  The decision process often came down to an official visit during the senior year.  Today recruiting start much earlier and decisions are usually made well before official visits are taken.  Recruiting prospects very early allows smaller schools to jump in the decision process..

Recruits need to understand that there are opportunities across the country.  They shouldn’t only be looking at schools in nearby states.  They should also be looking to reach out to schools earlier than ever. Most importantly, recruits need to understand that coaches are willing to reach out to new places, but they need to make sure that they are in the mix or they are in danger of being left behind.

Coach Taylor – Should student athletes request a letter of recommendation from their coaches and a high school instructor? The coaches have asked for transcripts and personal information through a questionnaire, but have never asked for a letter of recommendation.

Great question.  Coaches are always interested in objective third party evaluations, however letters of recommendation are only a small piece of that puzzle.  When returning a questionnaire I would also recommend a hand written note expressing interest in the university as well as your athletic and academic resume.  The final piece to the puzzle is an honest evaluation and introduction to the coach from a trusted and objective third party like NCSA.

NCSA helps deliver all of these aspects to a coach in an instant with our Verified Recruiting Profiles.  In an instant you can supply a coach with your transcript, ACT or SAT scores, academic accomplishments, athletic data, highlight video, full game video and letter of recommendation.  You can start building your Free Scouting Profile here.

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.

Coach – I played for a really good high school team and did not start or receive significant playing time.  Is it still possible to play in college?

This depends on a number of factors, but “yes” it is possible to play for a college team if you were not a major contributor on your high school team.  That being said, you still need to possess the skill required to play collegiate athletics even if you were unable to display that skill on your high school team. 

There can be numerous extenuating circumstances that would prevent a solid athlete from playing a lot in high school and college coaches understand that.  Check out this story about one college athlete who was never the star of his high school team.

If you feel like you have the ability to play at the next level, but lack the experience in high school to prove it, I suggest you take advantage of third parties to alert college coaches about your desire and most importantly, be realistic!  In order to get realistic, talk to an expert who can give you an honest idea of whether or not you have the ability needed to be introduced to college coaches.

Finally, you will need to find a way to display your ability to college coaches at some point whether it be through a skills tape, limited game film, or possibly even a tryout. 

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

Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder returned to the sidelines this year after a brief three year retirement.  During his time away from the game he feels that the football aspect of coaching has remained the same.  Recruiting, however, is a whole different ball game.  Specifically, he is shocked with how much faster the recruiting process become.

“It’s new territory for me,” Snyder said at his postseason news conference Tuesday. “I can’t tell you that I’m totally comfortable with it. I’m not.”

“It just seems out of kilter,” he said. “That probably has something to do with being away from it.”

“They say ‘Wow, if I don’t jump in somebody’s boat pretty quick, the boat is going to be full,’ ” Snyder said. “It promotes earlier and earlier commitments.”

While Coach Snyder is uncomfortable with the speed, he acknowledged that he has no choice but to play the game as it is today.  Recruits need to make the same realization and start contacting college coaches earlier than ever.  Waiting until senior year, or waiting on someone else to help you get recruited isn’t an option any more.  Click Here if you are interested in jump starting your recruiting now with NCSA.

Letter from Coach, Sample #4

Dear Robert:

You have been identified as an athlete who may have the potential to contribute to our college program. We are interested in the possibility of you becoming a student-athlete at our university. If you are interested in being evaluated by our staff, please complete the enclosed questionnaire and send us your competition schedule so that we can arrange to evaluate you. Feel free to call our office with any questions or to request more information at (312) 555-1212.

Thank you,

Coach Anderson

What this letter means, and how a student-athlete should respond:
Someone the coach trusts has personally recommended the athlete, or the student’s athletic accomplishments have been documented, and the coach is willing to give the athlete a serious evaluation. He thinks the student has potential. The athlete needs to be sure to return the profile and keep the coach updated on his schedule. He might also consider calling the coach to personally introduce himself. The potential for scholarship money is unclear, but some type of financial aid cannot be ruled out. A lot depends on future evaluations. If the athlete has video available, he should ask if the coach would like a copy, or if he would like to view video.

This sample letter and advice were taken from Athletes Wanted – The game plan for maximizing athletic scholarship potential.  If you enjoyed this information, I encourage you to check out the complete book here.

If you are a serious recruit who has yet to receive letters from college coaches, you might be falling behind.  In order to take the right steps, click here.

Imagine that you were looking to purchase a car stereo for around $100, and these were your options:

• am/fm with CD player
• am/fm with CD player and detachable face
• am/fm with CD player, detachable face, and mini-stereo input for iPod or other Mp3 player

If every stereo cost the same amount ($100), of course you would want to purchase the one with the most features! 

College coaches also want to get the most bang for their buck. An athlete who brings skills, techniques, and that ‘extra edge’ of playing two or more sports is always going to win out over a single-sport athlete costing the same amount of scholarship dollars but with less diverse skills.

Within limits, students should try to participate in as many sports as possible while in high school. College coaches love to find student-athletes who love to compete! 

“Any person who is good at multiple things has a marketing edge,” said Ty Garland, former multi-sport star in the Big Ten at Michigan State. “The more a student can show a coach, the better.”

Yet parents and students should keep some considerations in mind. First and foremost, a high school child’s academics must be considered first. Involvement in several sports should not cause overload, especially when two sports overlap.

“A coach will not even consider a student’s athletic ability if his grades are not up to par,” said Augie Maurelli of Georgetown University.

“Be careful to balance academics with love of sport. If a student loves football but is three times better at wrestling and can earn a full scholarship to a great academic school, the student might prefer to focus on wrestling instead of football, especially if football is getting in the way of his academic performance,” agreed Garland.

For a high school athlete that plays two sports, one sport is generally the primary sport, while the other is secondary. An athlete is rarely gifted with the skills to excel in two sports equally, although it is possible. Garland suggested that an athlete should begin considering not only which sport is more marketable, but also which sport the athlete excels at, by the junior or senior year.

Often, one sport will have far greater opportunities than the other, due to popularity or an abundance of programs. Football, baseball, and basketball players today are always going to have the most options, because the number of programs is greater. However, that also means that competition in those sports is very fierce.

If a student is gifted in a sport that has fewer programs around the nation, it could be that the athlete’s chances of getting noticed and of finding a good match are much higher, simply because both the student and the coaches have fewer options and less legwork. The student is less likely to get “lost in the shuffle” of a more niche sport.

An athlete should consider whether participation in a second sport will increase the chance of injury so much that participation in the primary sport is endangered. For example, a gymnast who specializes in vault might also be a hurdler, which can cause severe ankle injuries and set a gymnastic career back months and months. A missed competition could mean missing out on an offer to join a college team.

Coach’s Tip:
A student forced to choose between two sports should choose the sport the athlete loves most  which may or may not be the stronger sport. During college, playing a sport can be a full-time job, so being passionate about the sport is critical to success and longevity.

Some sport combinations work synergistically—track and football, for example. For running positions on a football team, the sprints of the short distance runner and the conditioning of the long-distance runner are icing on the cake. While other players might be doing half-hearted jogs to keep in shape during the off-season, the student-athlete is following a rigorous, systematic training program to keep his body in peak physical condition while improving his speed. Competition (in heats or races) also serves to sharpen his competitive edge.

Though competing in multiple sports is encouraged at the high school level, most Division I revenue sports frown on a student-athlete competing in more than one sport because they do not believe there is enough time to excel in both. It takes a rare student-athlete to compete at the high Division I level in one sport, let alone two. The best option for the multi-sport athlete who wants to continue playing both sports in college is usually at Division II, Division III, or NAIA levels.

This advice was taken directly from Athletes Wanted – The complete game plan for maximizing athletic scholarship and life potential.  To learn more about Athletes Wanted and read the full version, click here.