NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Coach, When can we start talking about money with a coach?

Once in contact with a coach who has expressed interest in you, it is generally okay to let the coach know money may play a part in your decision.  Informing a coach that the help you get financially could help decide which school you attend is simply being honest with the coach as you would in any other way.

If the above is true, being honest with the coach is perfectly fine.  However, the issue is a bit more sensitive when the student-athlete just wants to find out whether he or she is going to be offered a scholarship.  If a student is confident and polite enough, being straight-forward with the coach is usually acceptable.  During a phone call a recruit could just ask, “Am I being considered for an athletic scholarship?”  The coach may respond in many different ways.  Remember that he or she would not be recruiting you if he or she was not interested.

On another note, there are more factors to consider if you are worried about money for school.  There is also academic- based aid, merit-based aid, and need-based aid.  These are all possibilities for any student or student-athlete entering the school.  In cases of non-scholarship schools, these are the only three options.  Get started as early in the process as you can, contact coaches, and build the relationships.  The more comfortable your student athlete is with coaches, the easier it will be to talk about money when the time comes.

Good Luck!

If you have any further questions you can always call (1-866-579-6272) to speak with a national recruiting expert.

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Yesterday, SI.com writer Andy Staples published an article about this year’s NFL Draft prospects and how each of them were viewed coming out of high school.  Of the top 32 prospects expected to go in the first round on Thursday, many received mid-level rankings from most scouts and websites.  It is striking how some of the best players in college football were overlooked coming out of high school.

Defensive End J.J Watt, projected to be drafted mid-first round on Thursday night, received no stars as a recruit coming out of high school.  After playing tight end for a year at Central Michigan, Watt decided to walk on at Wisconsin.  He picked up a day job and attended community college just to pay for his Wisconsin tuition.  In 2008, however, Watt did walk on to the team, earned a scholarship, and became the most dominant defensive player in the Big Ten for the past two seasons.

Offensive Tackle Anthony Castonzo is also projected in the top 15 for the draft.  Castonzo demolishes the stereotype of dumb jock, coming out of high school with a 35 on his ACT.  Unsatisfied with the offers he received out of high school, Anthony chose to attend a military academy for a year hoping to get a bit more attention.  Taking hold of his recruiting through persistence and great performance, Anthony ended up at Boston College the following season.  Castonzo started at OT as a true freshman and broke a school record for games started with 54.  Oh, and he graduated with a degree in biochemistry.

Being a great student athlete does not guarantee the attention you want from college coaches.  Again, you cannot expect to simply “get noticed” by the coaches of every school you would like to play for.  If a student athlete is smart about the recruiting process, proactive, and reaches out to build relationships with coaches, he or she can open up so many opportunities for the future both athletically and academically.  Let Watt and Castonzo be examples that some stars are not noticed right away in high school, they are not in the equation until later.  It is your job to put yourself in the equation, make a coach notice you.

Read Staple’s article here

Coach Taylor, a coach told my son that if he came to his school and walked on as a redshirt freshman, he would receive a scholarship and a chance to play sophomore year. Is this a smart decision?

Good question, the term “redshirt” is used to describe a student-athlete who does not participate in competition in a sport for an entire academic year. If you do not compete in a sport the entire academic year, you can gain a season of competition. For example, if you are a qualifier, and you attend a four-year college your freshman year, and you practice but do not compete against outside competition, you would still have the next four years to play four seasons of competition. Student athletes are only allowed to redshirt one time at any point in their college career.

Often times if a coach makes an offer based on the guarantee of a redshirt freshman year, it means that his team will be losing some seniors once your student athlete’s freshman year is complete, and thus expects your student athlete to become a more integral part of the team.

This is a sensitive situation because a lot of confidence relies on how strong your relationship is with a particular coach. Remember, scholarships are on a year by year basis. If your student athlete is okay with redshirting a year, and the school is by far his or her favorite, this plan may be a great one. Take a look at the team’s roster to see whether the amount of juniors (to be exiting seniors), and also which ones play your position. A coach may be looking to fill a future need in advance.

Good Luck!

NCSA recently hosted a webcast with author Laurie Richter to discuss critical topis in the recruiting process and help parents avoid losing their minds!

Be sure to check out Laurie’s book here.  It is a must read for ALL parents going through the process!

Video streaming by Ustream

Each month the NCSA Team comes together to recap the last 30 days we have dedicated to changing lives.   Here is a sneak peek into what we accomplished in March!

UPDATE: Just before Christmas 2011, the Detroit Lions signed former Benton Harbor High School Tiger Joique Bell to a 2 year contract. As I write down below, Joique made it to the NFL via Division 2 in College Sports. That story plus powerful recruiting wisdom from a High School coach that played at the D1 level.

NCSA provides recruiting education and motivation at Benton Harbor (MI) High School. Head Football Coach Larry Jackson and I spoke about recruiting before speaking there. Jackson played at Fullerton Junior College, where he was an All-American running back.  Following two years at Fullerton, he transferred to Michigan State University, where he became a two-year letter winner football and track and field. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from MSU. Jackson and his wife, Rhonda Jackson, have two sons. He cares deeply that High School athletes maximize their opportunities to use their athletic ability to get a college degree.

NCSA Recruiting Expert Charlie Adams with some of the athletes at Benton Harbor HS

“Charlie, it is important that young people know they need to start the recruiting process early especially regarding academics,” he said. “They need to know about Core GPA and to research Colleges and know their entrance information.” In the halls of Benton Harbor High School there are signs that tell the minimum ACT scores needed to enter various Universities, which I thought was helpful information to students.

“Athletes today think the recruiting process just happens,” said Coach Jackson. “Many of them also don’t understand how disciplined they have to be in academics. They have to be on top of things because they are competing against thousands of athletes for scholarships.  Families also have to know the FAFSA and fill that out. A lot of parents don’t even get into that.”

Coach Jackson helped to set up the event for athletes of all sports and their families. He made sure coaches from school were there so they could learn more about recruiting. Even though he had played major D1 football, he was there to learn more about how recruiting is today, and he left with copies of “Athletes Wanted” so that coaches could use it as a resource.

In College Recruiting Simplified, NCSA Speakers thoroughly go over everythings families need to know and that they must do to maximize scholarship opportunities. At the April 19th Benton Harbor Talk I mentioned that 11th grade football players that were truly on the D1 radar should have received a phone call starting in a April 15th window. Sure enough, Coach Jackson said a couple of his D1-projected players had received a phone call earlier that week. That’s a strong sign that they can realistically play at that level. A school like Benton Harbor, which has produced the likes of Wilson Chandler of the NBA and Joique Bell of the Detroit Lions, is going to have more D1 prospects than a smaller school.

One of the best Benton Harbor football players in recent years was Joique Bell, who nailed the Evaluation Process and the College Sports experience. In High School Bell excelled in football as a quarterback with remarkable running abilities. He also played basketball helping the team to a #11 national ranking, placed seventh in the 110m hurdles (14.9) at the 2005 state track meet, and also participated in baseball. He served as a team captain in football, baseball and track.

When it came to recruiting, D2 was the best fit. He signed with Wayne State and rushed for 6728 yards as a 6’1″ 223 pound running back, 8th most in NCAA Football history. He won the Harlon Hill trophy (D2′s Heisman) as a senior and was a 2 time Captain who graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. He is now a member of the Detroit Lions in the NFL. A major reason why is that he PLAYED in College. Had he gone to a higher level College that wasn’t the right fit that might not have been the case and his NFL dream could have died. His ultimate goal is to use his degree to serve in the FBI.

Benton Harbor H.S. grad Joique Bell of the Detroit Lions

Joique Bell got it right. He has set himself up for the next 40 years. To make sure you have an objective evaluation of where you stand in the recruiting process set up your recruiting evaluation now!

Coaches, Athletic Directors and Parents: To make sure your athletes and families understand the recruiting process, you can bring in a NCSA Recruiting Expert. These are former College and  Pro athletes and coaches as well as sportscasters and College Athletics administrators. These presentations are filled with critical information as well as candid motivation in academics and character.

To bring a NCSA Recruiting Expert to your School, Club or Special Event

Charlie Adams

NCSA Speaker, Recruiting Expert, and parent of current N.C.A.A. athlete

cadams@ncsasports.org

Coach Taylor, can I get discovered if I attended a camp/combine last summer?

Though camps and combines can be a great opportunity to gain exposure, meet some coaches, and measure your skills, most college coaches do not discover talent at these events. Camps and combines have become more of a way to further evaluate student athletes they are already recruiting while also consuming a great deal of time and money.

College coaches discover talent through a variety of different lists and reliable sources. College coaches rely on third party recruiting sources to save time and identify talent early. Coaches also may look to popular social networking sites to attract students to their school while some may send thousands of questionnaires to candidates to express initial interest. However, the best way for student-athletes to develop relationships and get on a coaches recruiting list is through direct contact via phone or an in-person visit.

The rules and regulations of recruiting are continuously changing. Remember, the best way to maximize success is to be proactive. Start the process early and become known by as many sources as possible!

Good Luck!

If you have any further questions you can always call (1-866-579-6272) to speak with a national recruiting expert.

Connect with the Athletic Recruiting Network today!

Coach Taylor, I don’t have a highlight video yet, do I need one? Can’t coaches just see me in person?

A student-athlete’s video is a vital part of the recruiting process. Most college coaches wish they could watch every student athlete play live. However, with limited resources, a college coach cannot always take the time or spend the money to evaluate every potential recruit in person.

All coaches rely on highlight and skills videos as the initial level of evaluating an athlete’s odds of receiving an athletic scholarship. In many cases, after watching a highlight video a coach will make a decision either to pursue you as a recruit and offer a campus visit or take you off their list. It allows coaches to see an athlete’s performance and ability level from their office chair.

Once the highlight video is created, consider how it will be delivered to coaches. The majority of college coaches favor personal websites updated with links to their highlight or skills video making it easier for them to evaluate recruits online. The assistance of a third party to professionally edit the video with the newest technologies can be very beneficial. Remember, the earlier the video is prepared, the earlier the athlete can respond to all coach requests!

Good Luck!

If you have any further questions you can always call (1-866-579-6272) to speak with a national recruiting expert.

Connect with the Athletic Recruiting Network today!

Isaac Newton brings us a bit of his expert research on college sports recruiting.  Join the network today!