NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Every parent should listen to what Jim Dunfee and his daughter Alex have to say about recruiting. Just because your child is very good at their sport, it does NOT mean college coaches will find them. Families have to be proactive in recruiting. Just ask the Dunfee family.

Jim’s daughter Alex was an All State catcher at one of the powerhouse programs in the state of Indiana, Penn High. She had the tools to be a legitimate Division One player, but because they did not understand recruiting, her dream of playing at that level never came true. To this day, her father still shakes his head about what happened.

“We took so many left turns in the recruiting process when we should have gone right,” he says now. “We didn’t know of NCSA back then. We didn’t know about guidance in the recruiting process.”

Jim, of Weichert Realtors and Jim Dunfee and Associates in the South Bend, IN area. Jim and his wife Mary watched as their daughter Alex shined as an athlete in Middle School. She stood apart from the rest. She reached varsity starting catcher status as a sophomore at Penn. She would go on to earn All Conference honors three times, All State honors twice, and she was an Indiana All Star. In one season she had 34 RBI in 30 games. Alex set numerous school records. She was also a very good basketball player. She worked countless hours to become as good as she could be athletically. Academically, she carried a 3.8 GPA. She had everything but the knowledge of how to get connected with college coaches. In my Talks I always tell audiences this whole thing is like a tripod. You have to have the athletic ability, the academics, and you must know how to play the recruiting game!

This is a young lady that should have played at the mid Division One level. The Dunfee’s were very realistic in what level she could play college. They weren’t overshooting for places like UCLA or Tennessee. They knew the mid D1 level was just right – schools like Central Michigan, Akron or Miami of Ohio. The problem was that those programs didn’t know her.

“We were too passive early,” Jim said. “We thought things would fall into place. If I had another stud athlete I would know it’s more about packaging and promoting. She would have had offers from schools in the Mid American Conference. But we waited until the end of the junior year and every program we talked to said ‘we have already made our offers to the catchers.’ No one had room! Now I tell Dads that these college programs start early. They start watching at the 8th grade level!”

“I have lived in the South Bend area all my life,” Jim added. “My perception about Notre Dame Football was that college coaches will see your clippings. We thought that’s how recruiting worked in all sports. Our daughter was good, so we assumed she would get chased and we would end up choosing the college. What we learned is you have to manufacture their desire.”

Charlie Adams speaks on the Recruiting Process around the World

Alex played Travel Softball and traveled to events in such locations as Florida, Colorado and St. Louis. “She hit a home run right in front of the stands filled with college coaches,” said Jim. “Eastern Illinois acted interested after the game but we never heard from them. What we learned is that the college coaches were at these showcases and club tournaments with lists of players they were actively recruiting. They wanted to be seen by those players they were courting. They were not looking to discover talent. At that time, we didn’t know you needed to have the means to get on their lists, and you didn’t feel right in telling them about your player at the Travel events. They came across in an elitist way where they did not want to be bothered. They had their list of players.”

“We got to the end of Alex’s junior year at Penn and no offers were coming our way. In a panic mode, we started visiting schools like Central Michigan. Their coaches said if they had known of her she would have been their catcher, but they had already made their offers for the class of ’08. Their scholarship money had been doled out. The other schools we started writing said that their catcher needs were filled.”

In a late scramble, they connected with the University of Southern Indiana, a Division Two program. They were surprised that Alex had not connected with a D1 program.

“What was frustrating,” Jim said, “was watching her play in games for Southern Indiana when they played against D1 programs. They had catchers that were not as talented as her. That’s when it hit me that it’s not always about talent but how you structure recruiting. What you have to do is start freshmen year with the way to contacting college coaches, develop a rapport, and stay on their radar by updating your schedule and accomplishments. You have to start early and stay in touch.”

After her sophomore year at USI Alex quit playing softball and transferred to Purdue, where she is focusing on being a student. I got word to Alex that I wanted to hear her insights on recruiting. After one of her classes at Purdue, she contacted me. She had taken the time to write down some notes of points she wanted to emphasize. She had some valuable observations for families out there:

“Charlie, I started too late. When you are 14 or 15 you have to start the process as far as being recruited. It got on it between my junior and senior years at Penn High. College coaches emailed me back and said their slots at catcher were filled.”

“I was very successful in High School. I thought my stats and reputation would get me noticed, but they didn’t. Looking back, I really liked playing High School softball more than Travel because I felt there was more camaraderie in High School. In Travel, it was more show up and play. But, what I learned is that Travel is more important when it comes to College exposure. However, you have to have a way to communicate with the College coaches so they know who you are in Travel ball. You need to contact College coaches and send them to links. A lot of the College Softball coaches want you to go to their Winter camps. I would suggest you establish a relationship with that College coach before going so they know your face. Otherwise there might be 100 players there and you don’t really stand out. I can’t speak for all the other sports, but Softball is one where you have to do a lot of work in recruiting. As you develop relationships, have a way to send them your schedule. Also, College coaches don’t want to hear from parents. They want to hear from you. As far as Travel ball, to me it was a lot of politics. College coaches followed the teams that had success in the past. That’s why you have to email them to know where to find you. Otherwise, you hope you get lucky and they catch you out of the corner of their eye as they go by to watch those teams they always follow.”

“Another thing I learned too late was how important video is in recruiting. In softball you need a Skills video.”

“Softball recruiting is changing so fast. My coaches at Southern Indiana were getting emails from good 14 year olds. Her roster is set for the next two years.”

“I got started too late. In the summer between my junior and senior year I got discouraged and started to settle on going on to be a regular student in College, but I knew I would have regrets later in life if I had not tried to play College softball. Two of my JV coaches had played at the University of Southern Indiana, so they got me connected there. Because I got started with recruiting so late, all I got was $600 for books. All of the other money had been slotted.”

“Another thing I would say is don’t be humble when it comes to recruiting. By nature, I am a humble person. I don’t like to talk about myself, but that hurt me. You have to let them know your accomplishments. Ask your High School and Travel coaches to call College coaches. They should want to help that way.”

“I believe it is really important athletes pick a College for the school first and then the sport. Because I got started late I was only able to connect with Southern Indiana. I went there strictly for softball. Although I met a lot of really good people there, that school was not a fit for me. I wasn’t happy. I transferred after two years and am now at Purdue as a regular student.”

“Through all of this I went from someone who loved Softball so much to a point where the love of the game just wasn’t the same. Now, I want to focus on being a person. Sports were everything to me growing up, and I didn’t develop in other areas like I wanted to.”

Alex is doing very well as a student at Purdue. Thank you, Alex, for such important observations.

Today, Jim Dunfee still shakes his head at the recruiting process. He wants other families to know that you have to understand the recruiting game and that you have to work it.

“I have told other parents and athletes at Penn and other schools that you can’t think that just because you are at a big school and you are ranked 4th in the state that coaches will come after you. Ashlee Zappia at South Bend St. Joseph’s is a player that was a year behind Alex. Her mother turned into a PR machine. Sure enough, she got to Miami of Ohio.”

My thanks to Jim Dunfee and his daughter Alex for sharing these hard hitting observations. Recruiting is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You get one shot. If Jim had it to do over again, they would have worked the recruiting much harder.

Alex Dunfee was on the Indiana All Star team. She was All State, All Conference and one of the best athletes in school history. Her academics were outstanding. If a student-athlete of her stature went under the recruiting radar, what does that say about athletes with fewer accomplishments?

To talk in detail with a College Scout about the Recruiting Process, click here

Charlie Adams

Recruiting Expert, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network

cadams@ncsasports.org

One of the Five things that Every Recruit Must Do to Get Recruited is to create a great College Recruiting Video.

But, what happens if you don’t have access to the necessary equipment, or are unsure of how to shoot a video that a college coach can evaluate? That is why NCSA recommends a new partner, Skillshow.

Skillshow has over 9 years experience filming athletes, teams & events nationwide in all sports.   They have partnered with some of the best events and club teams across the country.  They have filmed the nation’s top High School prospects, plus ESPN & MLB Network have used their video footage in their MLB Draft coverage since 2007. In 2010, they officially contracted with MLB teams to provide videos for their Draft scouting.  Check out our baseball video website at BaseballWebTV.com too!

In Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Softball, Basketball, etc., we produce Game Films, Game Edits & Skills Videos for individuals, teams, schools & major event partners. Be sure to contact us at 206-652-1290 to ask about how we can help you! (Or email act@skillshow.com)

The only real truth in the recruiting process is the earlier you start, the more options you will create. Thus you will have more variety when deciding on what school you are going to play your sport for. So frequently, on a daily basis in fact, I speak with families who’s child is far behind in the recruiting process and they address their conversation with me as if they are right on the right track with it. They think that the realities are the same if you start when your 15 versus when your 17 (amongst any age comparison of any High School student) because talent doesn’t change. False, the reality is that for you freshman out there the recruiting process started yesterday and for those who are older it started a lot longer ago for you. Let’s get up to speed.

With all differing situations aside, I want to highlight one family that is steering their daughter in the right direction. Recently I spoke with a proud father of his talented young softball playing daughter named Lauren. Lauren’s father explained to me that he was her travel coach and that he runs a competitive softball program in the state of Rhode Island. Normally I believe that parents who go as far as obsessing over their child’s ability and push usually end up doing more harm than good (maybe in the form of running your own program), but this is a different case. Lauren’s dad was not one of those dads because his actions spoke louder than words. He ran a program because there was no program in their area and he knew how passionately some girls were to want to play softball in College.

Lauren is a very accomplished softball player. She was an honorable mention All-State pitcher during her freshman year in high school. For those who laugh because the state of Rhode Island is so small, please take a step back and realize that no above average athlete could simply accomplish this in that state regardless of their sport. Lauren had some serious talent. She already pitched at D1 caliber, maintains a pretty good batting average, and has a work ethic that will make her successful in whatever (she has a 3.9 GPA to boot).

What made me to want to empower this family to take control of their recruiting process was when her dad admitted that he didn’t know what he was doing but that he really wanted to learn so Lauren could maximize her recruiting process. School was going to be challenging for them to pay for and they would like to see if she could get a softball scholarship. He knew he just couldn’t sit back and wait for scouts to discover her because that is one of the ultimate myths of collegiate recruiting.

Now that call was over a week ago. Lauren’s family is now much more educated on the process and their likelihood of not only finding her a school that she enjoys but that will suit her abilities and skills better than if they just took the runt of the litter because they started too late.

Lauren should consider herself lucky to have the family with the presence of mind of this. For those of you who may be a little late in the game, the train hasn’t left the station but it’s leaving soon, meaning you better be confident that you are going to catch it. Lauren’s family got on the train at the first stop and they are being the given the option of where that train will take them. Everybody’s welcome on this train it’s just a matter of where you want to get on and where you want to go. If you feel that you would rather wait to get on later, you won’t be given the same choices of end destination that you would have should you have gotten on at the last stop, or maybe the stop before. Hop on board early and your end destination may be just perfect, if not you’re running a much bigger risk of having to take what you get.

The difference between succeeding and failing can often be as simple as preparing for, understanding, and outworking your competition. Just as a team might prepare for an opponent by watching film and developing a gameplan accordingly, a hopeful recruit should evaluate the steps being taken by his or her competition in the hunt for an athletic scholarship. As the new school year begins, it’s the perfect time take inventory of both your progress and the progress of similarly-situated student-athletes.  Are you keeping up? 

We recently invited hundreds of athletes and families around the country to fill us in on the steps they took over the summer to improve their chances at landing an athletic scholarship.  The comments listed below are fairly representative of the actions taken by those who responded to our survey.  (Check out ALL the comments by clicking here)

Towanda said: 
1. My son (Class of 2011) has worked hard academically to maintain a good GPA, and has taken the SAT and ACT, and registered with the NCAA eligibility center.
2. My son has emailed at least 30 colleges to include his [NCSA] profile and highlight videos (at least 2 emails have been sent to each school).
3. My son has attended one-day football camps at various colleges, participated in combines, visited some college admissions offices and toured some campuses.

Bryan Schnell said:
1. My son Alex attended 6 camps, some team, some individual. Met the position & head coaches at the highest interest schools to discuss opportunities. Stayed in regular correspondence with them over the last year;
2. Used the NCSA website and notifications to contact over 120 coaches & schools and follow up with reasonable correspondence from those matching opportunity and fit for him;
3. Worked like a dog in the weightroom (continuation of last 5 years) with teammates at 6:30 a.m., x 5 days a week. Worked with Olympic lifter 2 sessions per week to build core strength; attended speed camps & combines; played in 7 on 7 league all summer; came home & slaved for his old man by landscaping & moving rockpiles to earn his keep.

Brian Carney said: 
1. I got all my SAT/ACT tests by out of the way by June, to get all the academic questions by coaches out of the way.
2. I participated in numerous showcase and college camps to get maximum exposure.
3. I contacted ALL coaches who viewed my NCSASports.org website and many of those at the camps, by e-mail. Some have been contacted twice (or more) to reiterate interest in their program and University.

James MacArthur said: 
1. My son made a commitment to improve his overall GPA and his overall class ranking
2. We have talked to 12 schools this summer and have scheduled visits each weekend to see a game and visit with the team and coaches.
3. We’ve kept in touch with NCSA’s recruiting coaches, giving updates of progress and letters received, and we’ve emailed every coach that viewed our scouting report.

Tom Sears said: 
1. I sent out over 70 tapes of last season to coaches in a variety of levels including D1, 2, and 3. I followed-up with letter and phone call to coaches, building a relationship with them, and am working on new season video of first three games for an update which I will send out and post online.
2. I reviewed my transcript with guidance counselor, re-registered for ACT to improve my score, and finished as many steps as I could with the NCSA website to make sure I am ahead of the game in getting verified or qualified with scholarship offers.
3. I made sure that I spent the summer not just visiting colleges, registering for my top picks, talking to coaches, and working on my skill but I gave back to my community in several ways to show that it isn’t always just about me. There are athletes, students, underprivileged, and many others that will never have the chances I have right now. I learn a lot about their courage, successes, and failures, and it humbles me.

It’s true, of course, that every student-athlete’s recruiting journey is unique, and that taking or failing to take some of the foregoing steps cannot guarantee a scholarship. What’s important to remember, though, is that there is competition for every scholarship offer, and that you can leapfrog past an equally-talented recruit simply by understanding the rules of the recruiting game and outworking him during the process. 

Don’t be fooled into believing that your athletic ability exempts you from taking some of the recruiting steps that are often taken by less-talented athletes.  Measure yourself and your recruiting progress against athletes of similar or equal status, because these are the athletes with whom you’re ultimately competing for scholarships.
If you feel like you’ve fallen a bit behind, don’t panic; there are always ways to recover.  Make sure you are plugged into the NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network to take advantage of the education, resources and relationships.

Congrats to our “Recruiting Action Plan” winner Bobby Mouat.  Be sure to check out the work he has put into the recruiting process here.

I had a hard hitting conversation about the college recruiting process with a man who has seen families struggle to understand the process. NCSA is the Recruiting Education provider for New Wave Lacrosse. I speak at their Parents Nights to help educate and inspire the families to connect with scholarships for their Lacrosse players.

Before speaking, I talked with Paul Stolzer, Head Coach of the U19 Elite Travel team, who has 40 years as a player or coach in lacrosse. He started playing when he was five and was a NCAA All American at Fairleigh Dickinson. His insights are lacrosse-specific, but parents and athletes in all sports can take some things away.

“Andy (Thompson, Director of the U17 Elite Travel Team) and I spend a lot of the time at the reality-check center with these kids and families,” said Paul. “They hear the buzz words of D1 lacrosse, like Syracuse, Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame and all. A lot think D3 is a slap in the face when in fact a lot of them couldn’t play at that level.”

D3 has very competitive programs in all sports, but it has become exceptionally competitive in lacrosse because of the growth of skilled players in the sport. As I always tell audiences, I am a big fan of D1 sports if it is the right fit, but I also know there are outstanding opportunities at all levels. Paul continued to talk about that and more in our conversation.

“We have probably put 40 to 50 players to college in the last two years,” Paul told me. “Some D1 like Virginia, but without a doubt the ones that are happiest are the ones at D3. They are playing as freshman. Seth Molek came back from the U21 Title game in Manchester where he racked up 6 points. He is coming off a freshman season at Fairleigh Dickinson (D3 lacrosse) where he got quality playing time.”

“Josh Maluta is having a great experience at Adrian College in Michigan. Chris Gibson at Wittinberg University in Springfield, Ohio. “

Another player Paul singled out was Chad Ellis, a 2-time lacrosse high school All-America (just the third player from Illinois ever to be so honored) and Illinois High School Lacrosse Association all-state as a junior and senior. Ellis was one of just 96 players picked by US Lacrosse to play in the July 20-22 US Lacrosse Boys High School Showcase, which was part of this year’s ESPN Rise games at its Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. Ellis’ Spirit team won the title, as he scored three goals and was named to the all-elite team.

This is a player with major credentials. Well, he visited Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin and fell in love with the competitiveness of the lacrosse there. That’s what it takes, to go in person and see how many good players are at all levels in college.

In his experiences with New Wave Lacrosse, Paul shared with me an example of the kind of percentage of scholarship an athlete can receive in that sport. “I was talking with one Division One Lacrosse coach whose team went far in the NCAA’s,” he said. “He said they start all their freshman at 35% athletic scholarship. It doesn’t go down but if they become a starter by junior year it can go up.”

That’s one example. Other programs do it differently.

“What families don’t understand,” said Paul, “is many times an athlete can get a better scholarship package at a D3 school even though they don’t offer athletic scholarships. Some kids get just $3000 D1 athletic scholarship. What’s that in the scheme of things?”

“Kids and families just don’t understand all the great possibilities that are out there,” said Paul. “Adelphi University, a D2 school, has a brand new stadium. They are going to host the 2011 D2 and D3 National Championships there.”

“Seth Tierney is the Hofstra Lacrosse Coach. He tells me a lot of college coaches don’t know about the Midwest kids. They aren’t as picked over as the east coast guys. They need ways to know more about these kids.”

“That’s one reason why we want to partner with NCSA. We want these families to have more exposure to programs out there. They need guidance. Now it’s Andy or I meeting with them at a Starbucks to talk about it. We run a business here, a very competitive Club program. We are not a recruiting agency. Yeah, we can email college coaches, and we put them in settings where there are college coaches, but they need more help. And that’s another thing. Families often want me to call a certain college program. Yes, I could, but I often don’t because they are not a right fit. A lot of times families just throw things at the wall in recruiting and hope it sticks.”

By Charlie Adams, NCSA Speaker, cadams@ncsasports.org

Submit your Recruiting Information to NCSA here

His reputation is in tatters.  His alma mater will likely be forced to vacate a National Championship.  His Coach fled to the NFL, and the current team is being slammed with NCAA sanctions.

Reggie Bush’s incredible college career has turned into a train wreck since reports surfaced that he had accepted improper benefits from an agent while in college thus making him ineligible.  Debates will always swirl as to whether an athlete like Bush, who helped bring millions to a university, deserves to paid.  The facts remain that rules were broken and their will now be consequences.

One of those consequences may now include the Heisman Trophy Trust stripping Reggie Bush of his trophy.  My question to you is “Should They?”  Did the incredible plays he made on the field no longer exist?  The award is for the most outstanding college player, does he no longer qualify?  On the other hand, this is virtually the only was to actually “punish” Reggie for putting himself ahead of the team.

What do you think?

If you did, you missed out.  More than 7,000 people tuned in to watch the live streaming video last night! 

We realize not everyone was able to watch live so be sure to check out the recorded version below so you don’t miss the critical information. We encourage you to share the video with your teammates, friends and family!

If you want to discuss your personal recruiting situation with the NCSA Team to make sure you are taking all the right steps, call 866-579-6272.

NCSA Edits and Enhances hundreds of highlight videos each week in over 26 sports. Here are the top plays from the month of August!

Make sure you have your highlight video edited, sequenced and spot shadowed for college coaches.  You only have one chance to impress them and you can’t risk sending them the wrong footage or plays. 

ESPN’s take on why September 1st is such an important recruiting date.

Sept. 1 is the date the prospects in the Class of 2012 can receive written offers, and it’s a day that grows in importance every year. Long gone are the days of big-time programs holding silent commitments in hopes of making a big splash during the final hours before national signing day. Now it’s all about early commitments and early enrollees. More players are committing before their senior years and enrolling into programs in January.

Texas filled the majority of its slots in the 2011 class before summer even started and will look to do the same for its 2012 class within the next six months. Southern Cal already snagged verbal commitments from two potential blue-chip prospects from the Class of 2012.

“The recruiting process has become more advanced than ever before,” said Tom Luginbill, ESPN’s national director of recruiting. “Programs are already evaluating and scrutinizing 2012 kids for potential offers and in many cases formulating an outline for the 2013 class.

“Recruiting never stops. In the old days it was an eight- or nine-month period. Not anymore. It is 25 hours a day, eight days a week and 366 days a year. The 2012 ESPNU Watch List is constantly growing on a weekly basis to give us our initial idea of how the class will be shaped. While it is only an early indicator and prospects will be added throughout the fall, the list should provide for a nice national perspective on the upcoming class.”

If you haven’t taken steps to start the recruiting process the time is now!  College Athletic Scholarships are going fast!

A quick Google News Search for the term NCAA Eligibility Center quickly bring up 263 results.  That is about 260 more than there needs to be.  In fact 99% of the time the Eligibility Center only pops up on anyones radars when it is surrounded by bad news.  A recruit is ruled ineligible.  A course is being disputed.  Should the summer school grade count as a core course requirement?  What about that online course taken at a different campus?

These questions should always be answered well before a recruit heads off to campus.  The only problem is that recruits across the country lack the education to understand the NCAA and the various rules that they need to observe.  More importantly they lack the understanding that the rules serve as a guide/timetable to recruits (See the post below).  That is exactly why NCSA travels the country present College Recruiting Simplified at high schools, camps and combines.  Its why we send a weekly newsletter, and distribute Athletes Wanted to as many athletes, parents, coaches and athletic directors.  We urge everyone to get educated, because if you aren’t you could find yourself on the outside looking in.