NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Coach T – My child is a high school senior. We have been invited and have attended many colleges and camps over the summer. Some people have told me that their children have received offer letters already. We have had interest letters to come, but no offers. At what point can I expect a scholarship offer, or come to the realization that there will be no offer?

It’s tough to wait it out but you may have to. If you have any way to contact the coaches who have written, ask them where your son or daughter stands and when they make offer decisions. Having relationships with the college coaches can avoid this uncertainty.

Have you gotten video to coaches and have they watched it? What was their response to your contacts with them whether at camp or by phone, etc.? Did you follow up on how he did at the camps or after they watched his video? Do you know what level your son or daughter can play? There are many questions I need to know to determine if enough coaches know about your child.

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Coach T – How Much Interest Should I Show in a College/University?

It’s never a bad thing to show your interest in a school. Coaches like this. They want to sign players who want to play for them.

However, by showing too much interest to the point of seeming desperate to attend a specific school allows that staff to under appreciate you and maybe offer less of a financial package.

Show interest but keep other schools in the mix to create competition for your services.

If you are in the Network, want to become a part of the network, athlete or parent, LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE and join the Athletic Recruiting Network on Facebook!

In the 2011 Women’s Volleyball NCAA Tournament, Florida State made a long run! The Seminoles featured 7 international athletes among their top 14 players. HALF come from all over the world.

I had the opportunity to deliver recruiting education in Antigua, an island in the West Indies, very recently. Everywhere I go, whether it is Fairbanks, Alaska or Granger, Indiana, I love meeting with families and helping them to understand what all is involved in helping young people connect with scholarships and opportunities to get an education through their athletic abilities. Kem Warner of KAW Management Services and Andy Liburd of EPOCH Media Services were very instrumental in bringing recruiting education to their island.

Talking Recruiting on Good Morning Antigua

Andy arranged for an appearance on Good Morning Antigua where we were able to spend 15 minutes going over the key things families must know in having success in the recruiting process. What I found in Antigua, and many other places, that many families are way behind in truly understanding how to make an effective Highlight or Skills Video of their son or daughter. Parents spend too much time watching and supporting their athletes and not enough time making sure a Winning Video is put together of their abilities. Athletes in far-off places like Antigua or at smaller High Schools, or anywhere, need to understand how powerful a properly done Video can be, and how that can open the door to successful recruiting.

I think the picture here speaks volumes. This was in a room at the Multi Purpose Centre in St. John’s.

Families in Antigua gather for NCSA's College Recruiting Simplified

As the evening went on, the room was overflowing with people. The athletic ability, character, and academic qualifications were in abundance, but the lack of recruiting education was glaring. There were remarkable athletes there including a highly skilled 6’7″ basketball player that had heard from just one school, and a 6’3″ swimmer that was unknown. Recruiting is like a Tripod. You can have the athletic ability, academic credentials, but if you don’t have recruiting exposure you only have two of the three legs, and everything falls down.

For close to an hour I poured out education and inspiration and one thing that stood out was how attentive and respectful the young people were during the presentation. College coaches are looking for qualified athletes

An athlete with a burning passion to play her sport at the next level

with a fire within, that have a burning desire to keep improving and a love of their sport.  College coaches win championships with athletes that have those qualities, and a “WHY” of why they want to play for a particular school and coach. Having a well done Profile with your athletic and athletic credentials along with a passionate mission statement can lead to recruiting success. It is vital to have your information in a place where a College coach can get contact information, your schedule of upcoming events, verified transcripts and SAT/ACT scores and more. As a Pac 12 coach told me, in today’s world College coaches prefer ‘one stop shopping’ where they can access key information in one setting. To learn about how to put together your Online Profile

The link above can be life changing. You will be able to get an Analysis of where you are now in the recruiting game from a College Scout. Make sure you are not an unwillingly passive participant in the recruiting game. We are at the start of the academic year. It is critical you know what can happen starting Sept. 1, what you can do as far as reaching out to College coaches, and the importance of getting an objective third party evaluation to get a realistic grip of where you are in recruiting.

It is also very important that Athletic Directors, Club Directors and other leaders make sure families are educated on recruiting. Whether I am in Elkhart, IN or Juneau, AK, I see a glaring lack of knowledge and a lot of recruiting myths out there.

Andy Liburd introduces NCSA Recruiting Education in Antigua

Andy Liburd and others saw it in Antigua. The photo here shows Andy introducing College Recruiting Simplified because he has a passion to make sure the student-athletes there understand the scholarship possibilities that are out there! NCSA has a group of Recruiting Expert Speakers that are former College and Pro Athletes, Coaches and Journalists that can come to your School, Club, Community or Event. To make this happen contact Dane Clark at dclark@ncsasports.org or Click Here

Families have a lot of questions about recruiting. You have one shot at the process. It’s not like golf where ol’ Dad can hit a bad tee shot and say “Mulligan” or “Reload!” As Bob Chmiel says in the stirring Spirit of NCSA Video, don’t get to Signing Day and have regrets.

Families with questions on the recruiting process

Herman Osby Kelly,III, a senior criminology major at the University of Tampa was not highly recruited, in fact his high school basketball coach said he was not good enough to play on the next level.He continued to work hard and worked with a personal trainer and a shooting coach …His senior year in high school he was awarded the most improved player, his teammates voted for him to receive this award..His dream was still to play college basketball..He joined ncsa and some small division III schools began to contact him,but he felt he could play division II basketball..Osby continued to work and dream..One Spring afternoon he asked me if he could contact the University of Tampa regarding an open tryout.we drove to Tampa after spending some time with his grandfather in Jacksonville,Florida..He was selected as a walk-on on the team..He played 10 games as a true freshman, 17 games as a second year player, last season he earned a scholarship and he was a key reserve for the team that broke several school records..this season he has been selected to be the team captain..I wanted to share this story, because maybe, there is another young person, who had dreams like our son, Osby…Never give up on your dreams..Dr.Herman Osby Kelly,Jr. Baton Rouge,La

Learn how to put yourself in position to play your sport in College on a Scholarship

As September approaches it reminds us that it is time to prepare for yet another school year, season and recruiting class. As a coach, this is going to create a time management “balancing act”. Here are some communication tips that should help you streamline your recruiting process:

When you email or call a recruit let them know when you are typically in the office or what time of day is best to get a hold of you.  If you are not interested in a recruit-Tell Them! They want to know and this should free up your inbox as they may continue to call or email you until they hear back.

Use Facebook or Twitter to discuss your team’s activities, so recruits can  get a bird’s eye view of what it will be like to attend your program.

Here are questions each recruit wants to know the answer to:

1. What should I work on and what is your feedback of my video?
2. Where do I stand on your recruiting list and am I a contender for an athletic scholarship?
3. Do my grades and test scores qualify for me for an academic scholarship?
4. When do you want to have your recruiting finished for my class?
5. Do you need to see me play live or will video suffice?

DID YOU KNOW?

…that when you view the profile of an NCSA recruit you can click Not Interested?

…that when you log into the Network you can search which NCSA recruits are searching you?

…that when you fill out your profile with NCSA you can inform recruits what you are looking for?

…that when you log into the Network you can upload your camp brochure and questionnaire?

Good luck this upcoming school year!

There has never been a greater need for education on the recruiting process. In May, I had the opportunity to deliver NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified at LaPorte High School. Their Athletic Director, Ed Gilliland, told me he had formed a committee of community leaders to get their input on their High School sports programs. In surveying them, Ed found the top need of the community was to learn more about how athletes connect with scholarships and the opportunity to play their sport at the next level.

NCSA's Charlie Adams educates families at Chicago Soccer Combine

This past weekend I had the opportunity to educate and inspire parents and athletes as Don Beebe’s House of Speed hosted the Chicago Soccer Combine at the Libertyville (IL) Sports Complex. The room was filled, and extra seats had to be brought in to make sure all the parents could get seats.

Many of them had good players going into their senior year that had not had much happen in recruiting. Others had 8th or 9th graders and had heard that it was good to get educated on the recruiting process early. They left the motivational and educational presentation equipped with the tools to have success in recruiting and to connect with scholarships and the right fit for their athletes.

As speaker Jack Renkens says, recruiting is not about waiting for opportunities, it is about creating opportunities. Too many families are under the impression that if their kid is good enough, the college coaches will find him or her, and approach them about scholarships. Sure, for the top players that can happen, but the great majority of athletes have to be very proactive in getting their information out there.

College Recruiting Simplified is a powerful event filled with practical tools and knowledge for parents, athletes and coaches in 27 sports. The timelines of recruiting are discussed, how important academics and character are in recruiting, how coaches develop their recruiting lists, how technology has become such a big part of recruiting, the various levels of college sports and the scholarship opportunities at each level, the role of your coach, how to get evaluated properly, the importance of video in each sport, and how being a college athlete can impact a young person’s life for decades.

The beginning of the school year is always an important time to schedule recruiting education for your families. The importance of academics and character are emphasized, and young people often respond to that credible outside party when it comes to those subjects. When someone like former Georgia Tech and Buffalo Bills running back Joe Burns says the better your grades, the more options you will have for scholarships to play your sport in College, kids listen. When someone like Rich Hoffman, who coached Alex Rodriguez in High School, candidly explains what you need on a Highlight or Skills tape, kids listen. When someone like award winning broadcast journalist Nicole Watson, who has interviewed Kobe Bryant and Derek Jeter 1 on 1, explains what College Coaches are looking for regarding character and integrity, kids listen. Those are just three of the Recruiting Experts and Educational Speakers that NCSA has available to educate and inspire your families.

Ninth graders have got to know they are on the clock academically from Day One of 9th grade. Whether they are a varsity athlete or not at that point, they need to be scoring their baskets in the classroom, their touchdowns in the classroom, so they are recruitable in 10th, 11th and 12th grades. Athletes in 10th, 11th and 12th grade have got to know about the Eligibility Centers of the NCAA and NAIA, how D3 is different from D1 and D2, when College Coaches can reach out to them and, more importantly, how they can reach out to College Coaches. They need to know about unofficial visits, what kind of Camps and Combines to go to, and other helpful tools. Make sure that your parents, athletes and coaches have the opportunity to receive the information on the recruiting process.

Charlie Adams NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org

To bring a NCSA Educational Speaker to your School, Combine, Club or Special Event

When Can A Student Athlete Start Taking Official Visits?

First Day of Class Senior Year

Every student-athlete is limited to five official visits which can be taken following the opening day of classes  of his/her senior year of high school.

In Which NCAA Division(s) Are Tryouts Allowed?

Div II Only

Programs at the NCAA Division II level are permitted to hold tryouts, but Division I and III are not. The NCAA also has some strict rules regarding these tryouts.

How Long Can An Official Visit Last?

48 Hours

Official visits are limited to 48-hours from the minute you arrive on campus. If the coach drives you to the campus the 48 hours begins when he or she starts transporting you.

How Many Unofficial Visits Are Allowed For NCAA Schools?

Unlimited

NCAA Rules do not limit the number of unofficial visits to a school. You can also stay in a campus dorm or apartment on an unofficial visit as long as you pay the institution rate for such lodging. You must also pay for any meals you eat while on the unofficial visit. However, you can accept up to three complimentary admissions to a game at their home facility.

When Transferring, How Many Practices Must You Have Participated In To Be Considered A Transfer Student-Athlete?

1

If you have ever been enrolled as a full time student at a two or four year school in a regular academic term, reported for at least one practice with the regular squad, or practiced or played while you were enrolled part time, you are considered a transfer.

If you are in the Network, want to become a part of the network, athlete or parent, LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE and join the Athletic Recruiting Network on Facebook!

Coach T- My scholarship was not renewed and I’m thinking about transferring. Will I have to sit out a year?

This is a great question, and it concerns a situation that affects many college athletes every year.  Transferring can be a complicated and often frustrating process, and it only further underscores the importance in choosing the right college from the start.

Many conferences require a student-athlete who transfers to sit out for a year or more.  This is true of most sports at the Division I level, and is also true at many lower level institutions.  Some conferences, like the Big 10, prohibit you from ever receiving an athletic scholarship if you transfer from one school in the conference to another. Some exceptions to this rule exist, particularly when an athlete has already fulfilled his or her undergraduate academic requirements, but most athletes are forced to sit out an entire season.

Some specific sports and conferences will offer scholarships to transferring athletes without requiring the forfeit of an entire season, but this will depend on the sport you play and the school from which you are transferring.  My advice is to work with an expert recruiter familiar with the transfer rules and regulations for every sport, division and conference.

If you are in the Network, want to become a part of the network, athlete or parent, LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE and join the Athletic Recruiting Network on Facebook!

One of Illinois’s top football players, Tommy Schutt, had his scholarship pulled just hours before he was prepared to commit. As a first-team All-State pick last season and rated as a top prospect in Illinois by Rivals.com, Schutt thought he was set for the next 4 years…until another four star prospect beat him to the punch and committed to Notre Dame before him.

Though Schutt says he is “back to square one” in the recruiting process, he still has the athletic talent and time to secure a roster spot at the next level. While Schutt is now faced with the task of seeing where his previous offers stand and which coaches he should now contact, recruits across the country can learn from his mistake. Never close the doors on options too soon!

Coach Randy Taylor, former college coach at UCLA and Minnesota, has his own recruiting philosophy. As a coach, he pictured the recruiting process as a giant funnel. At the start, he wanted to fill that funnel with as many potential prospects as possible with the end goal of narrowing that down and finding the absolute best recruits for his program. With that in mind, he would start the process by contacting THOUSANDS of football players across the country. Typically, that starting point involved mass form letters to the recruits. Were all the recruits that received those letters perfect fits for his program? Absolutely not. However, in an effort to find the right prospects, we had to cast a wide net and then begin crossing the wrong athletes off our list as we got further into the process.

This is a perfect example to keep your options open and contact at lease 50-100 schools to see which school “fits” you best. Remember, you can only go through the process once and there are tens of thousands of other student athletes competing for the same spots. Make sure you got a roster spot before you cross any schools off your list!

Don’t risk your future athletic career by dismissing an option early in the process. To learn more about Schutt’s next steps in the recruiting process check out the full article here.

If you are in the Network, want to become a part of the network, athlete or parent, LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE and join the Athletic Recruiting Network on Facebook!