NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

One question that our Recruiting Team hears from athletes and families this time year – especially incoming seniors – is this:

“When is it too late for DI recruiting?”

Unfortunately, those athletes and families are asking the wrong question…

Before we address when it might be “too late” for DI, I want to point out that it is absolutely never too EARLY for DI programs to begin recruiting.  There have been more early commitments this year than ever before.  Some major programs have a full class of commitments before they are even able to call recruits.  (In fact, checkout this story about an NCSA Verified Recruit who was just offered a scholarship as a freshman!).  So the better question should be: 

When is it too early?  NEVER

When is it too late?  That’s hard to answer.  However, if you have to ask yourself whether or not you are too late, it might be a decent time to start worrying – or at least start taking action.

Why is the question hard to answer?

You have to keep in mind that recruiting timelines differ for every college program and every sport. Some coaches will not put an offer on the table until they have a chance to evaluate the recruit’s skills and the recruit visits the campuses. It is also important to understand that you need to be proactive and build a relationship with the coach. That is how recruits as young as 7th grade have already made a decision. They have called coaches, communicated with them, been evaluated, and visited many campus ALREADY.

It is typical that most DI coaches, as a general rule, will have offers on the table during junior year and be wrapped up by the end of the summer entering senior year. It is a domino effect from that point on with DII finishing next and so on…

For DI and DII programs, the offer is not official until you sign the National Letter of Intent. NAIA and JC programs have their own letters of intent. DIII schools are not allowed to use any form of a letter of intent. The recruit commits to a DIII program by accepting their financial package and putting down their deposit.

On the flip side, there are situations where a DI offer may not be given until after a student-athlete has already graduated high school. For instance, the Major League Baseball first-year player draft takes place in June each year and does affect recruiting for DI college programs.

Also, there is fallout due to some commitments not making the grades or not taking the correct core courses to be eligible through the NCAA Eligibility Center. If these situations take place, then there may be opportunities to take that recruit’s spot late in the process.

Finally, I want you to keep in mind that there are other levels to consider. DII, DIII, NAIA and JUCO provide excellent levels of competition and outstanding educations.  Do not get caught in the “DI” name game.  If a student-athlete continues to receive general responses from coaches or camp brochures as opposed to personal communications, then you might want to explore other levels of play.

In recruiting, you are never going to “start at the perfect time.”  The reality is that you are either going to start early and get ahead or find yourself playing catch up late in the game.  Which category do you fall under?

We get calls every day from athletes and parents who wonder if they still have any chance of being recruited.  Between hard work in the classroom and training for their sport little attention was paid to recruiting.  They just laid back and assumed it would happen.  This is probably the single biggest mistake that can be made.  If you are serious about maximizing your scholarship potential, you need to dedicate serious time to recruiting.  If you don’t, you’ll probably be stuck at the end of Senior Year wondering where the time went.

NCSA sat down with Crown College’s baseball coach, Dan Nyquist. Coach Nyquist just finished his first year as head coach.  Here is what he says about his program:

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I am a coach who is extremely competitive and expects the same from my players. I am vocal but chose not to yell much because the players should have a firm grasp on what they need to do and if they don’t then more coaching/teaching needs to take place. I am a coach who desires that the young men who come through the baseball program here at Crown College grow and experience success academically, athletically, relationally, and in their pursuit of God!

I work hard and expect the same from the young men on the team. I desire them to be able to grasp the concept of receiving joy a the finish line…whatever that finish line may be!

2. What is unique about the experience at your school?

Something unique about Crown College is that you will be able to bloom into the individual that you desire to become. You will learn from and build close relationships with professors and coaches who are very experienced in their field. The most important thing to them is the growth of the students (both individually as well as corporately) here at Crown. Since Crown is a private Christian College you will also experience the overwhelming joy of being around people who love and desire to grow and encourage other students in their relationship with the Lord!

3. What do you look for in recruits?

I am looking for young men who know and love the game of baseball. They need to be able to fit in line with the school’s vision and faith statement. Some big characteristics that I desire to see are young men who hate losing, love the grid of a competitive and highly mental sport, have a good attitude, are coachable, and want an opportunity to come into the program and have a great shot at starting right away (even as a freshman)…I’m going to put the best 9 guys we have on the field in that given game/situation!

4. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?

Finish it! Too many recruits apply and stop once they think they know how much school is going to cost. Often times there is grant money available from the government and school that they don’t find out about until after the process is completed!

The other big thing is to come out, visit Crown, and meet many of the players on the team. Then you’ll be able to ask the tough questions to those guys and really see if Crown is somewhere you want to attend college and play baseball

5. Why should a recruit consider your program?

Crown College Baseball is a great place to come and experience a program that will challenge each player to commit themselves to baseball, academics, and their relationship with God!

Crown College is a program that is growing and players have the opportunity to come in and impact the success of the team immediately! As the program continues to grow you could be a part of something huge…building a program and experiencing growth in success on the field as well as challenging and building into your relationships with other men on the team!

6. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?

Email is the best way to initially get in touch with me!

nyquistd@crown.edu

Recruiting Simplified with FAMU Football coach Joe Taylor

1.         How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I believe in the old fashioned values – I demand discipline, hard work, good decision making, high morals, going to class, teamwork.  To summarize – I care about the student athletes beyond their athletic ability.

2.         What do recruits need to know about you?

They need to know that I look at coaching as a ministry.  I look for total development on and off the field.  “Find a man’s spirit – - also there you will find him.”  I am very no non-sense – I don’t accept excuses.  I have very high expectation for everyone in program.

3.         What do you look for in recruits?

He must be high character, loyal, dedicated, discipline and serious about being successful.  He must be someone that can be trusted to go to class, weight room and practice.  He must be a responsible person.

4.         What turns you off when you are recruiting a student athlete?

I get turned off by a student athlete that does not ask questions, does not look you in the eyes and talk.

Appearance – must look like a young man who is serious about education and growing, otherwise he’s a turn 40.

5.         If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?

Tim Edwards is our Recruiting Coordinator (850/561-2497)- timothy.edwards@famu.edu or my office # is 850/561-288 – joseph.taylor@famu.edu

Our team of recruiting analysts led by coach Randy Taylor once again scoured the recruiting landscape to identify the very best prospects.  Hours and hours of film analysis and attending camps and combines across the country gave our team insight that is available to very few analysts.  NCSA also has the added benefit of receiving hundreds of DVD’s from recruits in our database to build an impressive “war chest” of film.  With that I give you this year’s list.

If your name isn’t on the list, and you think it should be, I recommend contacting NCSA to see how you can boost your recruiting profile.

1 James Wilder DE/LB/RB 6-2 220 Plant Sr. FL

2 Cyrus Kuoandijo OT 6-7 320 DeMatha Catholic MD

3 Jadeveon Clowney DE 6-6 240 South Pointe SC

4 Stephone Anthony LB 6-2 220 Anson Sr. NC

5 La’El Collins OT 6-5 285 Redemptorist LA

6 Brandon Miller QB 6-3 200 Wayne OH

7 Karlos Williams S 6-2 210 Ridge Community FL

8 Jeoffrey Pagan DE 6-4 250 Asheville NC

9 Christian LeMay QB 6-2 215 Butler NC

10 Anthony Johnson DT 6-3 295 O’Perry Walker LA

11 Aaron Green RB 5-11 180 James madison TX

12 Kiehl Frazier QB 6-3 210 Shiloh Christian AR

13 Quan Bray ATH 5-11 180 Callaway GA

14 George Farmer WR 6-2 205 Gardena Serra CA

15 Jeff Driskel QB 6-4 224 Paul Hagerty FL

16 Antonio Richardson OT 6-6 310 Ensworth School TN

17 Jay Rome TE 6-5 230 Valdosta GA

18 Ray Drew DE 6-5 253 Thomas Central County GA

19 Isaiah Crowell RB 5-11 205 Carver GA

20 Curtis Grant LB 6-3 225 Hermitage VA

21 Christian Westerman OT/OG 6-5 290 Hamilton AZ

22 Malcolm Brown RB 6-0 210 Byron Steele TX

23 Brey Cook OT 6-6 295 Har-Ber AR

24 Desmond Jackson DT 6-1 278 Westfield TX

25 Hasean Clinton-Dix S 6-2 194 Dr. Phillips FL

26 Jarvis Landry WR 5-11 180 Lutcher LA

27 Mike Bellamy RB 5-10 176 Charolotte FL

28 Brent Calloway LB 6-2 200 Russellville AL

29 Charone Peake WR 6-3 190 Dorman SC

30 Wayne Lyons S 5-11 190 Dillard FL

31 Rodney Coe LB/RB 6-3 230 Edwardsville IL

32 Steve Edmond LB 6-3 235 Daingerfield TX

33 DeAnthony Thomas CB/WR 5-9 160 Crenshaw CA

34 Quandre Diggs CB/ATH 5-10 190 Angleton TX

35 Tony Steward LB 6-1 225 Pedro Menendez FL

36 Nick O’Leary TE 6-4 230 Dwyer FL

37 Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE 6-6 250 Gig Harbor WA

38 Cedric Reed DE 6-6 240 Cleveland TX

39 Brendan Bigelow RB 5-10 180 Fresno Central CA

40 Lawerence Thomas LB 6-4 240 Renaissance MI

41 Doran Grant CB/WR 5-11 177 St. Vincent & Mary OH

42 Kasen Williams WR 6-2 200 Skyline WA

43 Trey DePriest LB 6-1 225 Springfield South OH

44 Ishaq Williams DE 6-5 225 Lincoln NY

45 Aundrey Walker OT 6-5 340 Glenville OH

46 Mathew Hegerty OG 6-5 265 Aztec NM

47 Trey Metoyer WR 6-2 194 Whitehouse TX

48 Savon Huggins RB 5-11 190 St. Peter’s NJ

49 Colt Lyerla LB 6-4 225 Hillsboro OR

50 Bubba Starling QB 6-5 200 Edgerton KS

51 Greg Robinson OG 6-6 305 Thibodaux LA

52 Tim Jernigan DT 6-2 275 Columbia FL

53 Viliami Moala DT 6-3 336 Sacramanto Grant CA

54 Todd Barr DT 6-1 251 Lakewood CA

55 Steve Miller DE/LB 6-3 225 McKinley OH

56 Xzavier Dickson DL 6-3 235 Westfield TX

57 Devon Blackmon ATH 6-0 180 Summit CA

58 Bobby Hart OT 6-5 298 St. Thomas Aquinas FL

59 Tacoi Sumler WR 5-8 157 Christopher Columbus FL

60 Kenny Hilliard RB 6-0 218 Patterson HS LA

61 Bradley Sylve WR/RET 5-11 175 S. Plaquemines LA

62 Cody Kessler QB 6-2 225 Bakersfield Centennial CA

63 DeAnthony Arnett WR 6-0 170 Saginaw MI

64 Sammy Watkins WR 6-1 180 South Ft. Meyers FL

65 Jamal Turner ATH 6-1 175 Sam Houston TX

66 Ja’Juan Story WR 6-3 190 Nature Coast Tech FL

67 Avery Walls S 5-10 185 Union Grove GA

68 James Vaughters LB 6-2 230 Tucker GA

69 Malcolm Mitchell WR 6-1 180 Valdosta GA

70 Sedrick Flowers OG 6-3 275 North Shore TX

71 Giorgio Newberry OT 6-5 250 Ft. Pierce Central FL

72 Josh Turner ATH 5-11 180 Millwood OK

73 Victor Blackwell WR 6-1 190 Mater Dei CA

74 Jermauria Rasco DE 6-4 244 Evangel Christian LA

75 Brandon Williams RB 6-0 190 Brookshire Royal TX

76 Herschel Sims RB 5-8 185 Abilene TX

77 Enrique Florence S 6-2 185 Valley AL

78 Aaron Lynch DE 6-5 245 Island Coast FL

79 De’Ante Saunders RB 6-0 180 Deland FL

80 Damian Swann S 6-0 175 Grady GA

81 AC Leonard ATH 6-3 232 University Christian FL

82 Ben Koyack TE 6-5 230 Oil City PA

83 Antwaun Woods DT 6-1 315 Woodland Hills Taft CA

84 Justice Hayes RB 5-10 187 Grand Blanc MI

85 Gerrod Holliman S 6-0 188 Miami Southridge FL

86 Angelo Mangiro OG 6-3 290 Roxbury NJ

87 Keelin Smith S 6-3 185 Treasure Coast FL

88 Gabriel Wright DT 6-2 270 Carver GA

89 Jabriel Washington ATH 5-11 165 Trinity Christian TN

90 Jeremy Hill RB 6-1 220 Redemptorist LA

91 Reese Dismukes OG/OC 6-3 275 Spanish Fort AL

92 Christian French LB/DE 6-6 220 Kennedy IA

93 Mike Blakely RB 5-9 193 Manatee FL

94 Spencer Region OG 6-5 339 Cullman AL

95 Davaris Daniels WR 6-1 165 Vernon Hills IL

96 Michael Bennett OG 6-3 275 Centerville OH

97 Garrett Greenlea OT 6-7 285 Spring Klein TX

98 Marlin Lane RB 6-0 200 Mainland FL

99 Curt Maggitt LB 6-3 195 Dwyer FL

100 Cyrus Hobbi OG 6-4 285 Saguaro AZ

101 Marquis Williams QB/ATH 6-3 215 Mallard Creek NC

102 Brett Hundley QB 6-3 210 Chandler AZ

103 Jameel Poteat RB 5-11 206 Bishop McDevitt PA

104 Hakeem Flowers WR 6-2 180 Wade Hampton SC

105 Ryan Shazier LB 6-2 200 Plantation FL

106 Nick Waisome CB 5-10 168 South Lake FL

107 Malcolm Faciane TE 6-5 260 Picayune Memorial MS

108 Maurice Harris WR 6-2 195 Northern Guilford NC

109 Marvin Shinn WR 6-3 180 Vigor AL

110 Stephon Truitt DE 6-5 255 Monroe GA

111 Kelvin Benjamin WR 6-5 210 Bell Glades Central FL

112 Albert Louis-Jean S 6-1 180 Brockton MA

113 Andre Yruretagoyna OT 6-5 260 Chaparral AZ

114 Tobias Singleton WR 6-1 185 Madison Central MS

115 Daryl Collins-Lindsey WR 5-11 204 Gadsden City AL

116 Cortez Davis S 6-4 190 Mainland FL

117 CJ Johnson LB 6-2 220 Philadelphia MS

118 Shannon Brown LB 6-1 230 Adel Cook County GA

119 Harvey Langi RB 6-1 215 S. Jordan Bingham UT

120 Brandon Shell OL 6-7 290 Goose Creek SC

121 Danzel Williams ATH 5-8 185 James Martin TX

122 Jordan Prestwood OT 6-6 275 Plant City FL

123 Shon Carson RB 5-9 195 Lake City SC

124 Kody Walker RB 6-1 225 Jefferson City MO

125 Greg Townsend Jr. DE 6-3 260 Beverly Hills CA

126 Anthony Chickillo DE 6-3 225 Alonso FL

127 Jay Whitmire OT 6-7 280 TC Williams VA

128 George Atkinson WR 6-2 175 Granada CA

129 Mitch Smothers OG 6-4 290 Springdale AR

130 Javares McRoy WR 5-8 170 Lakeland FL

131 Sterling Bailey DE 6-5 240 East Hall GA

132 Nathan Hughes DE 6-6 265 Klein Oak TX

133 Demetrious Nicholson CB 5-10 170 Bayside VA

134 Brandon Fulse TE 6-4 250 Fort Meade Sr. FL

135 Ron Tanner S 6-1 190 Eastmoor Academy OH

136 Nickolas Brassell WR 6-1 176 South Panola MS

137 Brennan Scarlett DE 6-5 250 Central Catholic OR

138 Trevon Randle LB 6-1 215 Clear Springs TX

139 Teddy Bridgewater QB 6-3 186 Northwestern FL

140 Kevin Grooms RB/CB 5-10 165 South Broward FL

141 Trip Thurman OT 6-6 315 Dover DE

142 Ronny Van Dyke S 6-3 193 South County VA

143 Danny Woodson WR 6-2 200 Leflore AL

144 Anthony Wallace LB 6-2 220 Skyline TX

145 Darius Jennings ATH 5-10 170 Gilman MD

146 Jabari Gorman S 6-0 180 Pace FL

147 Watts Dantzler OT 6-7 315 Dalton GA

148 Christian Heyward DT 6-2 270 Point Loma CA

149 Jordan Wade DT 6-4 290 Stony Point TX

150 Evan Spencer WR 6-0 175 Vernon Hills IL

NCSA caught up with Coach Henricks at Manhattan Christian College where his baseball team just won the Central Region Championships.  Here is what coach has to say about his program.

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?
A MAN OF CHARACTER WITH AN INTEREST IN TEACHING LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES THROUGH THE GAME OF BASEBALL

2. What is unique about the experience at your school?

WE ARE A BASEBALL MINISTRY.  WE WANT TO REACH YOUTH THROUGH OUR BASEBALL ABILITIES AND HELP THEM MAKE GOOD LIFELONG DECISIONS

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

WE ARE A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AS A BASEBALL PLAYER AND CHRISTIAN LEADER

4. What do you look for in recruits?

STRONG CHARACTER AND WILLINGNESS TO LEARN AND BE THE BEST MAN THEY CAN BE USING BASEBALL AS A LEARNING PLATFORM

5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?

COMMUNICATE AND LISTEN—THE TWO MOST UNDER UTILIZED SKILLS IN AMERICA

6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?

WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS IN LIFE AND HOW DO THEY WANT TO USE THEIR COLLEGE EXPERIECE TO REACH THEM

7. What turns you off when you are recruiting a student athlete?

POOR CHARACTER AND SELFISH BEHAVIOR

8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?

PREPARING YOUNG MEN TO BECOME OUR COUNTRY’S FUTURE LEADERS

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

WE ARE DEVELOPING LEADERS.  THEY WILL NOT ONLY BECOME A MORE SKILLED BASEBALL PLAYER, BUT THEY WILL ALSO BECOME A BETTER HUSBAND, FATHER, CO-WORKER, AND SERVANT LEADER.

10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?

EMAIL, FACEBOOK, PHONE, OR WHATEVER IS AVAILABLE TO THEM.  WE ARE HERE TO SERVE THEIR INTEREST IN BECOMING BETTER

Coach Randy Horner of FIU’s Women’s swimming spent some time with NCSA, and answered some recruiting questions for us.  See what he wrote below:

College Coach Q&A:

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach I am a coach that believes strongly in doing things that “right” way and not cuuting corner.  I started out as a teacher and use the approach as an educator to be effective on the pool deck.

2. What is unique about the experience at your institution?

I am currently taking over a program that has not thrived athletically.  I have experience in rebuilding programs and look forward to bringing FIU to a National power.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

I am completely dedicated to doing everything possible to help my athletes reach thier goals.  Having fun while training properly is a key ingredient.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

I look for recruits that are hungry and love the sport of swimming.

5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?

Don’t assume anything.  Stay of top of things and keep on a schedule with signing day in mind.  Be aggressive and pursue a school if you really like it even if they coach doesn’t contact you first.

6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?

I like to get questions that are about “how I can help them reach thier goals”.  It isn’t good to only be interested in training trips, free stuff, etc.

7. What turns you off when you are recruiting a student athlete?

It is not good when recruits don’t follow up with items that need to be done.  Like send transcripts, register for clearinghouse or retrun calls.  It sends red flags to recruiters.

8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?

Swimming fast while keeping propper perspective on the priority of academic success and having “Fun”

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

I create a culture of excellence that when you suround yourself  in it, you can’t help but be successful.

10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?

Email is the best way to initiate communication randychorner@yahoo.com, however, don’t relly on it completley, sometimes you need to just pick up the phone. 504-615-7629

University of Tampa head volleyball coach Chris Catanach is in his 27th season in charge of the Spartan program, leading the team to one of the elite programs in the country with 18 Sunshine State Conference titles, 24 NCAA appearances, 12 trips to the Elite Eight, two national runner-up finishes and the 2006 NCAA II national championship.

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

Intense, focused, competitive and demanding.  I will do anything within the rules for each of my kids and I ask them to return the commitment.

2. What?s unique about the experience at your school?

We are a top 10 Division II Volleyball program with 18 SSC titles, 11 NCAA Regional Titles, and 1 NCAA Championship (2 national runner ups) yet winning is not everything to us.  Providing a successful experience is everything to us.  Success on the court, in the classroom and socially.  We would rather use our fundraised money to travel the team to Europe in the summer than to recruit two more scholarship players.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

Intense, focused, competitive and demanding.  I will do anything within the rules for each of my kids and I ask them to return the commitment.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

Jump and athleticism is more important than size for us.  I want hard working kids who will put in the extra time to carry on the tradition of success.  Work in the gym, weight room and classroom are equal.  If you are lazy in the classroom you are lazy in the gym or weight room and vice versa.  I want kids who choose our program, I don’t want someone who settles.

5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?

Find a program and school that will challenge you as a player and student.  Too often the school decisions are made for the wrong reasons.

6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?

Can you see me contributing to the future success of the program?  Where is the weight room?  When do we start?

7. What turns you off when you?re recruiting a student athlete?

Families looking for the scholarship first.  First thing out of the recruits mouth is “ I’m looking for a full scholarship”.

When I am evaluating kids I look for the intangibles:  How do they react to an error by them? By their teammate?  Bad call by the official?  Pouter, up when the team is winning but down when not.  Respectful to coaches and opponent coaches.

8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?

100% graduation, academic and athletic success.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

Great City, Great School, Great Volleyball Program.  We play for conference, region and NCAA titles. You will be challenged to become a better player, person and student.  It won’t be easy but it will be worth it.

10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?

Call me at 813-323-1093.

Former Colgate University player and New Jersey native Julia Shackford was named the Associate Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Rutgers-Newark by Coordinator of Volleyball Operations Karl France in August of 2008.

She brings a background as head coach of the Digs Volleyball Club out of New Milford, NJ, over the last three seasons while finishing fourth (2006) and third twice (2007 and 2008) in Garden Empire Volleyball Association (GEVA) regional play. Shackford served as assistant coach for the North Atlanta Volleyball Club, helping them to a pair of top 15 regional finishes in the USA Volleyball Southern Region 2004 and 2005.

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I am a very demanding coach and can be loud at times.  I expect my players to put time in both on and off the court to better their game and make the team stronger and I have a knack for making my players buy into my system and ways of doing things.  I push my players to be better every day than they were the day before.

2. What’s unique about the experience at your school?

Rutgers-Newark is definitely an urban campus and we are surrounded by a number of other schools and opportunities that cities provide.  We are located only a short drive/train ride to Hoboken and Jersey City, as well as New York City, and many of our students are able to work or have internships in NYC.  We are a premier institution, consistently ranked in the top 10 public schools in the country.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

Recruits need to know that I am always available to speak with them and talk to them about our school, our volleyball program, and their plans for the future.  I always have my cell phone on, so whenever works for them to call, generally works for me.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

I look for recruits who are self starters and who are taking a real hand in their own recruiting.  It makes a huge difference to me if a player gets in touch with me or responds to my email or phone call, rather than having their parents get back to me.  It’s nice for parents to take a part in the process, but the players are the ones who I need to get to know and have a connection with.  They’re the ones who will be coming to play for me, not their parents.

5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?

The most important thing every recruit should do is be honest with everyone about what they’re looking for.  It’s one thing if a recruit doesn’t quite know what they want right away, but as it gets closer and closer to deciding where they want to go, they need to be honest with themselves, their parents, and the coaches who are recruiting them. If you are not interested in attending a certain school, tell the coach that.  No one will think any less of you if you’re honest and tell them that their school is just not quite what you’re looking for.

6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?

I really like to hear questions about the team and about how a recruit would fit in with the team.  My team is very tight knit and it’s always great when a recruit asks to stay and wants to spend time getting to know the team.

7. What turns you off when you’re recruiting a student athlete?

There are a couple big things that turn me off to a particular recruit.

The first is that she does not take time to get back to me, she has her parents do it.  Once a recruit gets to college, she’s the one who will have to deal with and speak to her coach, not her parents.  It’s best to start the communication before that point.  The second thing that really turns me off to a particular recruit is if she (and/or her parents) have a particular idea about playing time and about how great of a player she is.  I love confidence and self-assurance in my players, but inquiring about and insisting upon playing time during the recruiting process doesn’t leave a good impression.  On my team you need to earn your playing time – freshman or senior – I’m putting the best team on the court that I can, so you need to work for it.

8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?

Right now our program is all about teaching and steady improvement.  We have a small number of returning players, but they’ve all learned a lot and have steadily improved over the past couple years.  We’ve also gotten them to take more of a roll in keeping themselves in shape and seeing that as a college volleyball player, you need to be proactive in trying to make yourself a better athlete every day.  It’s not just when you’re in the gym for practice, it includes making sure you’re going for treatment if you need it, eating right, and making smart decisions about how you spend your time.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

Rutgers University-Newark has so much to offer.  We are a premier institution with excellent programs in the research sciences, business, nursing, education, you name it.  Our location and proximity to New York City provide opportunities not afforded many institutions.  In terms of volleyball, traditionally we have had a very successful program here at Rutgers-Newark, and we are currently rebuilding to bring it back to the top of our conference.  I am looking for players who want to work hard and fight for a starting spot, right away, and who are invested in bringing home a conference championship.  We have opportunities for the right players to come in and help rebuild the program.

10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?

The best way to get in touch with me is via email:

jshack@andromeda.rutgers.edu.

Trent Jones enters his third season as head coach of the UMSL volleyball program where he owns a 44-19 record at the helm. He is the seventh volleyball coach in UMSL history.

Jones guided the 2009 squad to another 20-win season with a 21-11 record, including an 11-3 third place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. It was the first time since the 1995 and 1996 seasons that UMSL recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons.

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach? I would say that I am a very enthusiastic and passionate coach. Being a former player I still get the same feelings during a match as a coach as I did back when I played. I really enjoy the act of competition between two teams.

2. What?s unique about the experience at your school? UMSL offers a unique experience of a large university in a major city, but when on the campus you feel as if you are at a much smaller university. The city of St. Louis offers a tremendous amount of activities to do as well.

3. What do recruits need to know about you? They should know that I have only been here two seasons, and that during those two season we have won 20 matches each year and continue to improve.

4. What do you look for in recruits? I look for players that have the same passion about the university and volleyball that I do.  I also like for my recruits to play club ball.

5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process? That is can be very overwhelming if you let it be. Use your High School and Club coaches to help you out in the process.

6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits? I like recruits to ask questions about how their experience here will help them prepare for their life after college.

7. What turns you off when you?re recruiting a student athlete? When they are only concerned about how much the scholarship is going to be.

8. What do you think your program is the most successful at? I think that we are successful at giving good effort everyday at practice and during every match.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program? A recruit should consider us for our academic reputation, our volleyball success since I have arrived, and because St. Louis is a very fun city to live in.

10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you? Email or by office phone ��ot
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Recruits need to know that I am always available to speak with them and talk to them about our school, our volleyball program, and their plans for the future.  I always have my cell phone on, so whenever works for them to call, generally works for me.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

I look for recruits who are self starters and who are taking a real hand in their own recruiting.  It makes a huge difference to me if a player gets in touch with me or responds to my email or phone call, rather than having their parents get back to me.  It’s nice for parents to take a part in the process, but the players are the ones who I need to get to know and have a connection with.  They’re the ones who will be coming to play for me, not their parents.

5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?

The most important thing every recruit should do is be honest with everyone about what they’re looking for.  It’s one thing if a recruit doesn’t quite know what they want right away, but as it gets closer and closer to deciding where they want to go, they need to be honest with themselves, their parents, and the coaches who are recruiting them. If you are not interested in attending a certain school, tell the coach that.  No one will think any less of you if you’re honest and tell them that their school is just not quite what you’re looking for.

6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?

I really like to hear questions about the team and about how a recruit would fit in with the team.  My team is very tight knit and it’s always great when a recruit asks to stay and wants to spend time getting to know the team.

7. What turns you off when you’re recruiting a student athlete?

There are a couple big things that turn me off to a particular recruit.

The first is that she does not take time to get back to me, she has her parents do it.  Once a recruit gets to college, she’s the one who will have to deal with and speak to her coach, not her parents.  It’s best to start the communication before that point.  The second thing that really turns me off to a particular recruit is if she (and/or her parents) have a particular idea about playing time and about how great of a player she is.  I love confidence and self-assurance in my players, but inquiring about and insisting upon playing time during the recruiting process doesn’t leave a good impression.  On my team you need to earn your playing time – freshman or senior – I’m putting the best team on the court that I can, so you need to work for it.

8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?

Right now our program is all about teaching and steady improvement.  We have a small number of returning players, but they’ve all learned a lot and have steadily improved over the past couple years.  We’ve also gotten them to take more of a roll in keeping themselves in shape and seeing that as a college volleyball player, you need to be proactive in trying to make yourself a better athlete every day.  It’s not just when you’re in the gym for practice, it includes making sure you’re going for treatment if you need it, eating right, and making smart decisions about how you spend your time.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

Rutgers University-Newark has so much to offer.  We are a premier institution with excellent programs in the research sciences, business, nursing, education, you name it.  Our location and proximity to New York City provide opportunities not afforded many institutions.  In terms of volleyball, traditionally we have had a very successful program here at Rutgers-Newark, and we are currently rebuilding to bring it back to the top of our conference.  I am looking for players who want to work hard and fight for a starting spot, right away, and who are invested in bringing home a conference championship.  We have opportunities for the right players to come in and help rebuild the program.

10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?

The best way to get in touch with me is via email:

jshack@andromeda.rutgers.edu.