NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Former high school kicker Chris Sailer is not just a name you’re going to hear on the field anymore. The award for the national high school placekicker of the year, presented by Herbalife, was named after Chris Sailer.

The UCLA alumni and All-American from Notre Dame Sherman Oaks High School holds the all time national record for field goals made in a season. Sailer, now a prominent private kicking and punting coach in America, trains and mentors hundreds of high school, college, and professional specialists.

The Chris Sailer Award was created to help placekickers achieve the proper exposure they deserve.

“Placekickers don’t get as much recognition as quarterbacks, running backs, etc.,” said Sailer. “I want this award to establish national recognition for high school kickers, punters and long snappers.”

Herbalife National High School Football Awards named the honor for the national high school placekicker after Sailer. Both Herbalife and Sailer liked the idea of naming it after someone people could still communicate with. It doesn’t hurt that Sailer holds a national record too.

“A lot of high school kickers worry they won’t get recruited if they aren’t given enough opportunities to kick field goals,” Sailer shared. “My advice is to never give up because you can still play college football without big stats. There is a home for everyone.”

Chris Sailer Kicking is excited to see placekickers receive the recognition they rightfully deserve.

“This is a huge step toward getting the necessary exposure to college coaches,” said Sailer.

The Chris Sailer Award will be given to the top placekicker this high school football season at a banquet at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles on December 17, 2011.  Long snappers are getting their day in the spotlight too as the Chris Rubio Award is also being presented.

Dear Coach Taylor,

My son is entering his junior year of high school and he is still a two sport athlete in football and basketball. He is leaning more towards basketball  to play in college however he still wants to play football at the high school level will this hurt his recruiting chances?

This is always a tough question to answer, many of the star athletes in college sports were recruited to play multiple sports out of high school.  It is nice for a college coach to be able to see a student’s athletic ability in other sports.

However, one thing to take into consideration with multi-sport athletes is time management.  The athlete must be sure he or she has the time to still succeed academically as well as in their main sport.  If playing different sports is wearing an athlete down physically and academically it may be time to concentrate on one sport. If an athlete wants to be able to compete at the college level the coach not only needs to see their top physical performance but their time management skills.

Furthermore many sports also have club seasons outside of the regular high school season that could coincide with your other sport. Club season can be very important to maximize exposure to college recruits as well as increase athletic development for these athletes.

Also remember that rarely will a student play two sports once they get to college. So if you are forced to choose make sure you chose the sport that you love and would most like to play at the college level not necessarily the one that you are best at.

There is no universal answer to this question; really it is on a person to person basis. As an athlete you have to decide if playing multiple sports is really the best decision for yourself. Are you competing at your maximum potential? If you are able to play multiple sports without hurting your recruiting future then great, it might even help your chances to show case your athleticism. However if you are missing important camps and combines as well as wearing yourself down then it is time to sit down and reevaluate your decision.

All the Best,

Coach Taylor

Call NCSA at 866.579.6272 to get evaluated or make a free recruiting profile and connect with college coaches.

Coach Randy Taylor

When does the recruiting process start? How do coaches find recruits, and how do they evaluate them? How can I get recruited?

Every athlete who dreams of competing at the college level thinks about these questions.

The 2% who actually become college athletes know the answers.

Tomorrow night, former college coaches Randy Taylor (Illinois, Minnesota, UCLA) Bob Chmiel (Notre Dame, Michigan) will discuss “5 Things You Need to Know and Do in Recruiting” on the NCSA Live Channel. (These talks are popular and server capacity is limited. We encourage interested athletes and families to RSVP).

When: Thursday, October 13, 7 PM CST (8 PM EST)

Click here to RSVP now

Will you tune in? Or will you sit on the sidelines?

You only go through the recruiting process one time. The result will change not only the next four years of your life, but the next forty years after that. I can tell you from experience that nobody can do the work for you, but getting educated about the process is the first step to achieving your dreams.

Family members are welcome too. I’ve recruited thousands of student athletes, and I’ve heard over and over how important the support of their families has been to them – the recruiting process is no different. There will be a live chat during the webcast to answer any questions from athletes or family members.

Your future is in your hands. RSVP now:
5 Things You Need to Know and Do in Recruiting

Dear Coach Taylor,

My son is a phenomenal athlete but as far as academics go he is not as successful, do grades really matter in the recruiting process?

Yes! Academic success is a vital part of the recruiting process, the better a student’s grades the more school opportunities will be available to him. Coaches look at grades to determine a student’s work ethic in the class room as well academics can be a good indication of on the field work ethic as well.

Coaches do not expect every student athlete to hold a 4.0 however they do expect them to work hard in the classroom, they look at how dedicated this person is to their success off the field, and  use it as an indication of their character. Coaches can compare things such as test scores, improvement and grades to determine how hard you are working in the classroom. Not only are academics important to coaches for indications of on the field work ethic, better grades can also help the student athlete receive more academic scholarship money if they are not on a full athletic scholarship.

To delve even deeper into this issue, there are NCAA requirements on GPA and testing scores for a student to be allowed to receive scholarships and gain admission to the school. As well as eligibility, if a coach sees that your grades could possible keep you ineligible to play in games they probably won’t want to take the risk of having your son not be able to play on game days.  If they are giving up a scholarship they want to be sure that you have the ability to play every game and give it your all on the field and in the classroom. So encourage your son to work harder, look for a tutor and take ACT/SAT classes to help him improve his scores. Remember  that the ‘student’ portion of the term ‘student-athlete’ is just as important as the ‘athlete’.

Best Wishes,

Coach Taylor

Dear Coach Taylor – What factors are important in selecting a school?

The same way a school evaluates you to make sure you’re a good fit for them, you should be doing the same to make sure the school is a good fit for you. Big-name schools are the first ones that come to mind, but the reality is that very few athletes will actually go to these big-name schools. 80% of athletic opportunities are outside of Division I, including tons of great academic programs and scholarship opportunities.

Once you’ve identified what schools you can go to, you can start deciding what schools you want to go to. The factors you use to decide depends on what’s important to you. School size, location (urban, suburban, or rural; close to home or out-of-state), cost, and academic rigor are all things to consider. Whatever school you choose will have to be a good fit with your athletic abilities and academic record.

You should also research and weigh scholarships, school reputation, and playing time (or the lack of it). Even as you learn your criteria and narrow your search, you will have to cast a wide net. It is common for athletes contact 100 or more colleges to find one that is a good fit.

Meet the Millers – a great example of a family working the recruiting process hard and the right way. They’re right in the middle of a very positive recruiting experience and can offer some valuable insights into the process.

The Millers came to hear NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified at Penn High School in September of 2010, when their son Gabriel (in yellow shirt) was a sophomore on the (5A) Penn High Football team, one of the most respected programs in the nation. Athletic Director Ben Karasiak made recruiting education available that night, and the Large Group Instruction Room was packed.

Gabriel is the Center and Long Snapper for the powerhouse Penn team. He wants to be a Long Snapper in College. His snaps to their Punter are fast, accurate, and consistently timed at .68 – .72 seconds. He is excelling academically with a 3.8 GPA, and Penn is one of the most respected academic high schools in the Midwest. The Millers have taken advantage of the NCSA Network, and came to this year’s presentation at Penn to personally share how it has impacted their recruiting experience since Gabriel entered as a 10th grader. Steffany Miller, Gabriel’s Mom, had this to say:

“I can’t tell enough people about the wealth of information that NCSA has provided us with. My husband Doug and his two brothers each had full rides to college back in the 70′s, so we would have thought things were done the same had we not have gotten the knowledge from NCSA! Now let me tell you, if you are doing everything that needs to be done for your athlete, it will seem like it is another full time job, but it is what it is. They give you all of the information needed to contact the college coaches then you and your athlete just need to get busy and get to work! I can’t imagine all of the time that I have put in to this, that I could have ever expected a highschool coach to have to do for each of their athletes that want to go to college. Parents, you need to be just as committed to the recruiting process as your athlete is, because there is a lot of work to do, but once you receive your first email from a coach, you will know that it has all been worth the effort! Thank you NCSA for all of the tools that you have provided our family with! Especially for directing us to Chris Rubio Long Snapping. What a change that has made in our son! He was committed before, but now has direction, proper instruction, and all of the confidence in the world!”

Besides being in the NCSA Network, Gabriel and his family have received guidance on the top Camps and Exposure events to attend. Many families struggle with this as they want to get their kids out there but don’t know which events are best to attend. Here are Gabriel’s insights on the process so far:

“Last year when my family and I heard Charlie Adams speak at Penn, we approached him after the Talk and brought up that I wanted to be a Long Snapper in college football. He advised me to contact Chris Rubio for long snapping.  That one piece of advice has changed the course of my college recruiting.  I am currently the #7 ranked long snapper for the Class of 2013 in the country via the Chris Rubio rankings, and the #6 ranked snapper for the Class of 2013 via the Kohls rankings.  Chris Rubio has really pin pointed the areas that I needed to work on.  I will be going to the Rubio national event in Las Vegas in January, and I expect to finish well enough to  be ranked in the top 5.  I have watched this year as many of my fellow Rubio longsnappers, and now friends in the class of 2011 and the class of 2012 have receive full scholorships to major D1 colleges.  I have very high expectations that with continued hard work and dedication, I will follow in their footsteps.  I’m not just chasing a dream anymore, but I now feel empowered to climb the ladder of success!  The information that we have gathered from NCSA has been priceless.”

Gabe Miller of Penn High School

I contacted Mrs. Miller and asked her a few questions so I could share some of the insight they’ve gained seeing the recruiting process from the inside:

CHARLIE ADAMS: Steffany, what are some of the misconceptions you feel that families have about the recruiting process?

STEFFANY MILLER (Gabriel’s mother) “I think that many families think that the colleges are going to come seeking out their athlete, when in most cases, that is just not going to happen.  Also many think that it is their high school coach’s responsibility to have a college scholarship all wrapped up for their athlete. I feel that the high school coach should be willing and able when contacted by a coach to give their recommendation, but they just don’t have time to do all of the leg work for every athlete. ”

CHARLIE ADAMS: What are the top 3 things you all have learned so far about recruiting?

STEFFANY MILLER: “It is alot of work, but with the help of NCSA it is so much easier!  You have to be pro-active and let colleges know that you are interested in them.  My son’s position is specific, so he asks the coach if they are going to need a long snapper in his graduating class.  They will tell you if they are interested, if they are pretty sure they aren’t going to need that position filled, they will generally let you know, and you just move on.  When they are interested they will ask for more films, and for you to keep in touch with them.  Don’t get discouraged!”

“Start early, and stay positive.  My sons two top college teams recruited their long snappers out of the graduating class ahead of him. He could have gotten upset, but it just motivated him to work harder!”

CHARLIE ADAMS: Getting back to the role of the high school coach, what do you think are fair expectations of the  Coach in recruiting and how have you worked with Penn High head football coach Cory Yeoman?

STEFFANY MILLER: “Gabriel keeps Coach Yeoman very up to date on all of the camps that he attends, and how he does at them.  We have let him know that we are working with NCSA, and each time Gabriel talks with a different college, he lets Coach Yeoman know that someone might be contacting him.  We believe it is our job to send the college coaches to Coach Yeoman requesting information about Gabriel, and we would hope then that he would give them his take on how Gabriel would fit into their program.  Penn High uses Hudl to tape all of the games, so we go through each play of every game to make his highlight films.  We have the new highlight film updated every Friday night and continually send the updates to every college around.”

CHARLIE ADAMS: Steffany, what are the 2 things you have found most helpful about the NCSA? Athletic Recruiting Network?”

STEFFANY MILLER: “The Recruiting Management System for the athletes is absolutely fabulous. It pulls all of your hard work together in a very professional presentation.  NCSA also then sends out your profile to all of the colleges that your athlete matches up to.  If you want it sent to other colleges, you are able to do that because of all of the information that you have learned from NCSA.  Their athlete webinar calls are so informative, and it really keeps the athlete (and parents) on track and focused on what needs to be done next!”

It is critical to get into the Network to see what kind of College programs you might qualify for…

To Learn More about how to have Success in Recruiting like the Miller Family…

NCSA has over 30 Recruiting Expert Speakers including former Notre Dame receiver Derrick Mayes, former Clemson soccer standout John Wilson, award winning Journalist Nicole Watson, Coach Rich Hoffman – who coached Alex Rodriguez in High School, former Wisconsin running back Cecil Martin, and many more. To bring a Recruiting Expert to speak at your School, Club or Event

Charlie Adams, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org

To follow Charlie’s insights on Facebook

It isn’t always easy living in a social world. For some, social media has become a part of daily life. News feeds quickly fill with status posts from Facebook friends and before you realize it, you know what your friends ate for breakfast and are caught up on the latest celebrity gossip. Sure, all fair posts in the Facebook world, but where do we draw the line when it comes to public and private information?

In the recruiting world, social media is a leading tool when it comes to connecting college coaches with high school recruits. In some cases however, the NCAA Social Media Rules are overlooked.

C.J. Johnson, one of the nation’s top football recruits who committed to Mississippi State, received several Facebook attacks after later de-committing to sign with Ole Miss. Rumors were even spread about Johnson’s mother, leaving him with the final decision to sign off Facebook for good.

“I got a lot of trash talking by both schools on Facebook, but that didn’t have a lot to do with it. But when you start getting my mom involved and my family involved, that takes it to a whole other level,” Johnson told The Clarion-Ledger.

Facebook, along with other social media networks, is a valuable resource to use in the recruiting industry, especially when you’re using it the right way. Recruits need to be conscious about their privacy settings when they are sharing information on their Facebook pages. Be sure to identify the people you’re allowing to access your profile and receive messages from. There are Help Center Pages on Facebook strictly dedicated to privacy settings available to help student athletes regulate who is allowed to view their page, comment or post on their page, and send them direct messages.

Using Facebook to make your mark in the social world is highly beneficial. Just make sure to adjust your privacy settings so you aren’t bombarded with comments from the fanatics.

Almost everything about communication has changed over the past five years, particularly in the form of text messaging. In 2006 when potential recruits began receiving text messages from college coaches most saw it as nuisance both on a level of annoyance as well as financially due to the high cost of cell phone plans. Many recruits were receiving dozens of text messages a day and being charged for each one. The cost and bombardment of messages was not the only issue athletes, coaches and the NCAA struggled with, it was whether or not this new form of technology was an appropriate form of communicating with these (more…)

Dear Coach Taylor,

My son wants to play sports in college but I am not sure if he has the ability to play in conferences such as the Big Ten or SEC, how do I know if we should even pursue a college career?

That is a great question that many parents and athletes across the country struggle with.  It is important to remember that DI is not the only division in college sports that offer scholarship packages. In fact more than 94% of college opportunities lie outside the D1 level.  While it is the most recognizable there are excellent DII, DIII and NAIA schools that have competitive programs with strong academics as well.

It is difficult for a parent or even an athlete to recognize what level of play the student athlete’s abilities might be at. Several students are flirting the line between divisions leaving them unsure which schools to reach out to. Having an educated third party evaluate the student’s level of play might give the family insight to which division an athlete would be best suited to play in as well as a number of other factors including academics and location. It is also hard to evaluate your child on a national level, while the athlete may be the best on his high school team, they could be on a much lower ability level at the national level.  The third party evaluator could be a scout, a coach or an athletic director.Once you determine which level the student athlete is at the process has just begun, after that it is important to get exposure and begin marketing your athlete  including camps, combines, game footage and more, with over 1,800 schools looking at 8 million student athletes the process is hard.

While most student athlete have dreams of division I, it is not always the right fit for them. Many athletes who thought they wanted DI found that they are more comfortable at DII or DIII. It is important to look at all divisions and schools when evaluating where to go to college. Many students are shooting for schools such as LSU or University of Oregon however the truth lies in the numbers; only 1% of athletes is able to play in D1 sports and even fewer have the opportunity to play for top 25 ranked teams. Setting the bar high for yourself is a great trait for a student athlete but being realistic about your potential is important in order to avoid disappointment. For help in this evaluation process please contact an NCSA scout at (312) 624-7400 or create your NCSA recruiting profile.