NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

College Coach’s Corner: Marietta College’s Baseball Coach, Brian Brewer

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

“Old School” with a twist.  Big on discipline, playing the game the right way, but ultra competitive.  My door is always open and we feel we are one big happy family but we do believe in tough love.

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

Big college baseball environment in a small school atmosphere.  “Big fish small pond.” Our alumni and community support is outstanding.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

I am not the easiest guy in the world to play for, nor is this the easiest program to play in. We will demand your best every time out (i.e. weight room, practice session, classroom, social settings, games, etc…..)  We, as a staff, our demanding.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

Good kids from good families who can play the game. You must have the ability to get it    done academically and athletically at this level.  We like young men who are super competitive and play hard on the field but perfect gentleman off.

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

Application for admission and financial aid forms

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

Do you think I can play for you?

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

I hear you over recruit and how many other guys are you bringing in at my position?

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

Helping young men grow into mature and productive citizens.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

If getting a great education and playing for National Championships is important to you check it out, if not we wish you the best.

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

Call me at the office (740)376-4517 or email brewerb@marietta.edu

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated – January 2012)

Hi, this is NCSA recruiting speaker Charlie Adams. In this writing I wanted to share the recruiting perspective of Big Ten athlete Logan Griffith (John Adams High School, South Bend, IN), who is in his junior season on the Indiana University Track and Field team. Though he is a Track athlete, the insights from Logan and his Dad are important for all families to read. They transcend to other sports.

Adams HS alum Logan Griffith of the IU Track and Field team

Logan won the 110 M Hurdles state championship in Indiana in the spring of his senior year (2009). A strong hurdler back as an 11th grader at Adams High, Logan and his Dad didn’t let recruiting come to them. They used the internet to get his times to coaches at IU, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois. Because his times were D1 worthy, they all responded. He started making visits to find the right fit.

“What we learned,” said his Dad, Randy, “is that the recruiting budget for many of these Track and Field coaches is virtually zero. You have to have ways to reach out to them. They rely on other sources. They are so tied up with their day to day duties they don’t have the time you think to discover talent out there. You have to go to them.”

Logan wanted to have his college choice decided by January of his 12th grade year so he could focus on High School Track that spring. He really liked Indiana because of the quality of education of a Big Ten school and the fact the coaches showed genuine interest in him. “With some other coaches,” Logan said, “they sometimes said they would call at a certain time and they didn’t. With IU, they were sincerely interested in me.”

One of the myths you hear about D1 is “full ride.” That is true for a few D1 sports but not with sports like baseball, softball and track and field. There are a lot of athletes on a track and field team, and only so much athletic scholarship money to go around.

“They were very direct and said if you perform then we will give you money,” said Logan “If not, we won’t.”

“It’s kind of a pay for performance,” said his Dad, who also does some Track coaching at Adams High. “For males in Track and Field it is almost impossible to get a full scholarship at D1. From what they told us to our faces, if Logan can place at the Big Ten meet then he will get about 40 to 50% athletic scholarship. If you can make All American, over 80%.”

At the D1 level in Track and Field, men’s programs have 12.6 scholarships to spread out. Women’s programs at that level have 18. Programs can have dozens of athletes on their entire team. The Indiana University team that Logan is a part of has 42 males on their roster.

As a freshman, Logan got 10% athletic scholarship and he had the cost of his books covered. This was a young man who was Indiana state champion in the 110 M Hurdles. “Getting 10% was lower than normal circumstances,” said Randy. “The coaches hands were tied because of some previous scholarship decisions. In a normal situation he would have received 20 or 25% as a freshman there. The highest offer he got was from Illinois at 35% but he felt IU was a better fit.”

Girls who have a talent for Track and Field should pursue it to the fullest. There is more athletic scholarship money for them at that level. Randy said one coach told Logan if he were a girl, with his credentials in the high hurdles, they would be talking full ride.

Logan was a good student at Adams High making mainly B’s and B+’s. “That is good but it wasn’t competitive enough to put him in line for the kind of National Merit Scholarship money that students are going after at a state school like I.U.,” said Randy.

Logan had a good solid freshman season, but didn’t place at the Big Ten meet. He is a tremendous young man with special talent and God given ability. Logan  met with coaches and the 10% athletic scholarship was put in place for his sophomore year.

South Bend, IN native Logan Griffith at I.U.

Many athletes and families have no idea how hard it is to compete at D1, especially at the high level like the Big Ten. Logan got a crash course right away. Track season started right after Labor Day with preseason work. A long day would be practicing 3 pm to 6 pm September up until Christmas. That’s preseason work, mind you.Then the indoor season would start after Christmas. After that there is the Outdoor season.

“I thought some High School practices were tough,” said Logan. I got to college and I was wrong. Our Track Manager at IU said this is like the State Meet in High School but ten times better. I was up against Men! It was a whole new ball game!”

Logan loved it, though. While I am one to passionately implore athletes to consider all levels of college sports, I am also a big fan of D1 when it was the right fit. For Logan, it is!

“I love the travel and the team bonding. I had to grasp time management. My first semester was tough. It killed me. It would be 11 pm the day before a project was due and I hadn’t started it yet! I had to learn how to better manage my time. I love it, though. I am majoring in personal fitness with a minor in coaching. I love track! I can see myself doing that one day, coaching and all. My advice to young athletes is not to go to the school just because of the Track or whatever their sport is. For most kids, after 4 or 5 years of college track, that’s it. The most important thing is to find a major in something you see yourself doing the rest of your life. I changed my major in my freshman year to the one I have now because that’s what I see myself doing.”

I talked with Logan’s Dad, Randy, and asked him to share more insights that could help families. Randy is a level headed man who has a son with a gift for the hurdles and that can compete at the high D1 level. The reality is most High School athletes will be better suited to other levels.

“Everybody wants to be D1,” he said. “But if you can turn your athletic ability to some scholarship money, that’s the big thing. Don’t get hooked on D1. Everyone thinks, ‘I’m going to Michigan, Purdue or I.U.’ I work with our Track athletes at Adams High. As gently as I can, I tell them you could be a walk-on at some of those programs but other athletes there will probably be consistently better than you. Why not consider D2 or NAIA or something and be the big fish in a small pond?! Track is too hard not to have success in actual competition. Practices are hard at the major college level. Whatever you are used to in High School, double or triple it for D1. Everyone is a stud at that level.”

Randy lamented about a talented High School athlete that a top NAIA school was recruiting hard with athletic scholarship money. The kid turned his nose up to it. Last Randy heard, the young person wasn’t going to college. Getting stuck on D1 and turning down scholarship offers at other levels can be one of the most boneheaded things a person will ever do in their life. The sad thing is they will eventually realize it and want to kick themselves in the rear.

Going back to when Logan was being recruited in High School, I asked Randy about the importance of having video.

“I was somewhat surprised how important that was,” he said. “Even though he was doing great as an 11th grader in the hurdles, we didn’t tape him much. Then when we contacted college coaches, they asked, ‘Do you have video?’ We were like, ‘Well, not really…’ He was doing some Club Track so we got video there. We learned that the more technique sensitive your event is in Track, the more important it is to have video. Hurdles. Jumps. Pole Vault. Throws. Things like that. These coaches want to see form on video. With the hurdles, the IU coaches wanted to see how he was clearing a certain height in High School because the hurdles would be higher in college. Sometimes they can see if a kid is draping the hurdles in High School he may have a hard time with hurdles that are 3″ higher at the college level.”

Logan Griffith has not taken the easiest trail. He has embraced the challenge of major college Track and Field and will see it through. Is it tough? Absolutely! But he says, “Bring it on!” And,as I say in ‘College Recruiting Simplified,’ he has made a 40 year decision. He will come out of IU equipped with the competitive life skills to have a tremendous life!

UPDATE 2012:

I talked with Logan during Christmas break before he returned to I.U. for 2012 Spring Semester.

“Mr. Adams, my times at IU have steadily been getting better in the hurdles. Most hurdlers take 8 steps before the first hurdle. I am now doing 7. David Oliver (the American record holder in the 110 High Hurdles) does that so we went to a Camp he had in Indy and talked to him about it. My first time trying it was December of 2011 I did fairly well.”

My freshman year was a learning adjustment, getting used to going from High School to pretty much year round as a D1 track athlete. My sophomore year was like an off year, still getting used to it. I stayed in Bloomington for the summer after my sophomore year and came into preseason in better shape, and everything is falling into shape.

My athletic scholarship is still 10 % and text books. They have been up front with me about the better I do, the better the scholarships. It comes down to if I score points at Big Ten. I have competed, but have not scored points there yet.

The experience overall of being a College student-athlete has been phenomenal. You meet a whole bunch of new people, especially from other teams. I really like the team bonding. A lot of the guys on the IU team, I consider family. I would do anything for them, and they would do anything for me. There is a good sense of camaraderie. My experience has been so good I changed my Major to General Studies with a minor in Education. I want to be a College Track and Field coach. My coaches here seem to enjoy what they do so much. They are out here working with us. I see that and know that is what I want in a job.

My goals as a junior are to place at Big Ten in 110 and 400 hurdles outdoors and 60 hurdles indoors. As a senior I want to qualify for Nationals in both outdoor events and possibly indoors.” - Logan Griffith, IU junior, South Bend John Adams HS alum

Playing College Sports is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Logan will have memories to cherish. Don’t let your opportunity pass by. Get to work on the game of recruiting!

For an Evaluation of where you stand in the Recruiting Process

Charlie Adams

NCSA Educational Speaker and Recruiting Expert

cadams@ncsasports.org

As always, you can email me your athletic and academic background, and I will work to set up a personal evaluation for you with a Senior Scout at NCSA.

To bring Recruiting Education to your School, Club or special event, contact Amanda Rawson at arawson@ncsasports.org

NCSA recently received feedback for the College Coach’s Corner from Shenandoah University’s Baseball Coach, Kevin Anderson:

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

Cooperative

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

You will have an opportunity to get a quality education and play first class baseball on the D3 level.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

I respect and teach the game.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

CIAA C-Character, I-Intelligence, A-Athleticism, A-Attitude

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

Find the school that fits their needs academically first and baseball second.  Research the school from every facet.

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

I like guys who want an opportunity and not a guarantee.  Don’t tell me, show me.
7. What turns you off when you are recruiting a student athlete?

An SA that is disrespectful to their parents and current coach.

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

Recruiting good people.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

We have taken a program from 12 players,  a 2.18 GPA, back to back 11 win seasons to 54 players and a JV program, 3.0 GPA where we graduate our players rather than run out of eligibility, back to back 38-10 seasons, back to back NCAA South Region champs and the only school to compete in the D3 CWS in 09 and 10’.

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

Contact me via email @ kanders2@su.edu

NCSA recently received feedback for the College Coach’s Corner from North Park University’s Baseball Coach, Luke Johnson:

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I think my player’s description would be the most accurate.  I think if you asked them, they’d say that my expectations for them are high in every avenue, and that I work very hard to help them reach them on a daily basis.  That goes for my coaches to.  I’m a players coach if those players are hardnosed and love to work!

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

There are very few college baseball programs in legitimate world class cities.  We offer a scholarship level experience on a great campus, in a great city, Chicago.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

We are one of a handful of programs nationally, on any level, that have seen five straight years of positive growth, in terms of wins and losses, NCAA regional ranking,  MLB draft representation, and player development.  Every way you can quantify positive momentum for half of a decade…we’re in a very small group, and have room to grow!

4. What do you look for in recruits?

Ability, work ethic, and accountability, all equally important.  We play in a conference that has multiple teams ranked in the top 25 every year.  In order to continue to grow, we need players that have options above and beyond division III, but feel like we are a good fit.

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

Do due diligence.  Sift through the like information and look for the distinctives, and align yourself with people and programs that have a demonstrated track record of valuing what you value yourself.

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

Any question that shows long range thinking.  This shows investment in the choice and maturity that is hard to teach, as well as family values like commitment that reflect some of our own program values.

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

Lack of attentiveness on a visit….that’s about it.

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

Developing players over time, as well as evaluating what type of guy will fit in with what we do.  We try to fit the right peg into the right hole and do a very good job with that.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

We offer you everything a Division I program will offer from an instruction standpoint, with that caliber of total facility, with an academic environment that is more intimate and conducive to student success.

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

Call or email, either is fine.

College Coach’s Corner: Lesley University’s Baseball Coach, Mike Rocco

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

An energetic, player’s coach. I want to be able to have open lines of communications with my players so we are all on the same page with everything that goes on in our program.

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

You have the ability to go to a great school located just outside of Boston that still has the campus feel. You have more opportunities because of our location to make great connections when you enter the work force. From baseball standpoint, you have the chance to come in and be a part of the foundation of our program as we move forward.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

I am a young head coach that has played at a high level in both college and during the summer.  I am committed to helping them succeed by putting them in the right positions and helping them achieve all their goals both in the class room and on the baseball field.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

Someone who is willing to take on challenges, someone who is smart and enthusiastic about what they do. Energy is a key theme with what we do in our program.

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

Enjoy it, it is a great time in your life so make sure to see and learn about as many schools as possible to help make your decision because every school you look at will have things that you like and that will fit what you want to do.

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

Asking about the school and how coming to Lesley as opposed to other schools will better prepare them for what lies ahead in life.

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

Lack of interest in academics, one day your baseball career will be over so as a student athlete you have to make sure that you are doing as well as you can in the class room to help prepare you for that day.

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

I think we will be successful at doing the fundamentals very well. By doing the little things correctly and paying attention to detail, that will without question put our program in the best position to succeed.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

Along with everything that the school has to offer from an academic standpoint, the opportunity to come in and play meaningful time as a freshman and as well as the chance to help build a program from the foundation up.

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

By email at baseball@lesley.edu. Please send me your information and a summer/high school schedule so I or someone from my staff can come and see you play.

College Coach’s Corner: Worcester State College’s Baseball Coach, Dirk Baker

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I was born to coach. I’ve been coaching in college every year since 1993, and was lucky enough to earn an Ed.M. and Ed.D. in PE. Nothing is better than practice. I love to see young freshmen come in, and leave mature adults and better baseball players 4 years later. I also do Legion and the Mass. Bay State Games to stay busy over the summer. To coach in college is a major rush esp. with fall ball, winter recruiting, winter pre-season, Fla., 40+ games, NCAAs, then summer ball.

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

We’ve been to the NCAAs 4 times since 2002. We’ve broken basically every school record ever set here, and baseball has been played here since WWII. We’re excited to open our new campus field in 2011. With our Dome bubble practice facility, low tuition, and MLB draft picks (2006, 2008) a lot of talented kids are looking here which has been ranked among the Princeton Review’s Top Northeast colleges.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

I eat, sleep, drink, and breathe baseball. Practice is my time, and games are for the players. Catchers call their own games, and base stealers have the green light. We tweak guys to make everyone better. Baseball is also FUN, and you’re here to get a great education, play on a great team, and win a championship along the way.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

Can the kid handle himself 1st class on-and-off the field. That means going to every class, sitting in the 1-2 rows, seeking a tutor if needed, and striving for excellence. We recruit dirt dogs who are willing to play another position (pitchers also hit here), and always put the team before themselves.

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

Showcase themselves as much as possible (don’t expect coaches to be banging on your door) and enjoy playing the game vs. just doing it to get a scholarship.

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

How did you hear about me? Where do you project me in 1-2-3 years? How can I play in a collegiate wooden bat league? Can I do a fall overnight? What type of academic scholarships are available? Am I the recruit to get Worcester State to the College World Series?

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

Not allowing the parents to be a part of the recruiting process; disrespecting their parents, high school coach, or teammates; going to college just for baseball and not appreciating the value of an education; putting social life over academics/baseball.

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

We make players into better people and ballplayers. College isn’t for everyone, and playing college baseball takes a lot of sacrifice, hard work, and execution. We play more games than any sport. Our kids will be successful in their field of study. They will love their playing experience, and be a part of our program forever.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

Winning, academics, team.

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

Email or phone: 508-929-8852 / dbaker1@worcester.edu

College Coach’s Corner: Richard Stockton College of New Jersey Women’s Tennis Coach, Phil Birnbaum

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

Experienced and a good communicator

What is unique about the experience at your school?

That academics come first even though we practice and play hard

What do recruits need to know about you?

That I was a small college All-American and have over thirty years as a USPTA-Pro

What do you look for in recruits?

The desire to play until old age takes over

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

When you spend a lot of time recruiting one and there is no contact if not interested.

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

Improving players

Why should a recruit consider your program?

We are successful but without unnecessary pressure. We also take a family approach for our players to be happy and academically strong.

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

Email: Phil.birnbaum@stockton.edu

College Coach’s Corner: New Jersey City University’s Baseball Coach, Jonathan Thomas

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I would describe myself as a coach demands max efforts out of his players. A coach who expects the same out of myself as I do of my players. Intense, but caring to his players and staff. Whether its playing “little ball” or playing for the big inning I want my players knowing that I will always try and put them in the best possible position to succeed.

What is unique about the experience at your school?

The uniqueness of our school is that although its a commuter school its has its charm. Its where everybody knows everbody. From the professors to faculty members, they truly care about the success of the students.

What do recruits need to know about you?

Recruits should know that I am a coach who truly cares about them getting an education while they are here. As much as I want to win on the field. I want them to win in the classroom. So, when they leave here they can compete for jobs.

What do you look for in recruits?

I look for kids who really have a passion for the game. Students who take their school work just as serious as they do their baseball.

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

Just apply and take the SAT’s as many times as possible so you can get your scores higher.

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

A student who expects playing time instead of earning it. A kid who thinks that he should get all the attention because he is being recruited. A student who isnt focused on doing well in the classroom, he is just focused on baseball.

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

Developing player’s talents. Getting them better as baseball players and as Men.

Why should a recruit consider your program?

He should consider our program because we play in the most competitive Division III conference in the country. The mistake many kids do is that they would rathere go to a name brand  Division I school and sit for a couple yrs instead of coming to a Division III school and having a chance right away to compete for a spot. We have numerous Major programs to offer Criminal Justice and English being 2 of our strongest programs. Last but not least a recruit will get a coaching staff who will push them to make them better ball players and push them to their max potential.

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

Email jthomas3@njcu.edu

College Coach’s Corner – Elmhurst College Baseball Coach, Joel Southern:

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I believe in doing things right, first and foremost, as the first step toward doing them well.  We emphasize an attention to detail in all aspects of our lives, on the baseball field, in the classroom, and in our personal lives.  Players in our program will be coached — focusing on mechanics but also situational aspects of the game of baseball.

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

We are a small school (about 2400 undergraduate students) with a very strong academic reputation located within 20 miles of downtown Chicago.  We definitely have a small-school feel with a private campus in a residential area, but with access to the Chicago metropolitan area.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

The reason I have chosen coaching as a profession is so that I can develop men who will be successful when they leave our program, that they will have developed the characteristics — strong work ethic, responsibility, accountability, etc. — that will make them successful no matter what they do in their lives.  We place a great emphasis on classroom performance in our program.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

Ability is always the number one thing that we look for in recruits, but on top of that there needs to be a strong work ethic and passion for the game.  We get a very good feel for these things by watching prospects play, of course, but also during recruiting visits.

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

Recruits need to focus on the entire process — what is the proper fit for them athletically, yes, but also academically and socially.  So many high-school baseball players feel they have to go play in a Division I program without realizing the high level of baseball we play, particularly in our conference, as well as the overall academic and social experience they will have at Elmhurst.

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

There are no particular questions I like to hear from recruits, but I do like to hear questions — I want to see that when they come for a recruiting visit they have done some homework and have a feel for what they are looking for in a school.  Questions will indicate if they are “about the right things” — looking at the entire school, the entire experience — with baseball obviously being one of the main factors as well.

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

The main turn-off for me are when prospects are unable to meet the requirements they need to meet — when they can’t or don’t return their application, financial aid, and housing materials in a reasonable amount of time.  If you are unable to handle your private business, you will be unlikely to be a productive member of our organization.  I also am very turned off by prospects who do not treat their parents and those with whom they come in contact on their visit with respect.

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

I believe we’re most successful at developing young men who will be successful when they leave here.  From a baseball standpoint, we have a certain way that we do things, drills that we do, and we focus on detail every day.  Baseball is something we do every day; it is difficult for most people to focus on what they are dong every day.  We will make sure they do.  Players who have been in our program and worked hard and bought into our way of doing things have objectively gotten significantly better in their time here.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

In addition to the reasons stated in the above answer (#8), this is a school that was rated by U.S. News and World Report (in their 2009 issue) in the Top Tier (12th overall) of Midwest Colleges and Universities with master’s programs.  We provide a broad-based education with over 50 majors.  Our business/finance/management and education programs, among many others, are top-notch.  We have a beautiful campus and good facilities, and, as mentioned previously, you would be attending a college in a residential area but with access to the greater Chicagoland area.

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

E-mail would be preferred (southernj@elmhurst.edu), and I can also be reached at (630) 617-3143.  I would appreciate knowing that someone who contacts me had read this interview and is interested in what they read about the program.  Thank you.

College Coach’s Corner: Lancaster Bible College’s Tennis Coach, Zach Freeman

How would you describe yourself as a coach?

As a coach, I work really hard to get the best out of my players. If that means relaxing and letting them feel the situation out for themselves or that means me guiding them through it with instruction and direction, I like to try and let the student-athlete figure out each situation and provide some insight afterwards. I think my players would tell you that I wear my emotions on my sleeve and try to get them to do the same, but still stay within themselves.

What is unique about the experience at your school?

The experience at Lancaster Bible College is a truly special one. Classes are small and teachers provide great support. Our curriculum is very much centered around the bible and our students have many opportunities to showcase their love for God. Whether it is worship and performing arts, mission trips or athletics, the students at LBC can experience a bit of everything during their time here.

What do you look for in recruits?

What I look for in recruits is a willingness to work and to overcome challenges. Having just graduated college in 2008, I know the ups and downs of being a college student. Some days just are not good ones, but those student-athletes who rise above that and strive to be better are the ones LBC is looking for. Obviously, being a bible college has a bit to do with who we look for as well. At the same time, just because we are Lancaster Bible College does not mean we do not want to be the best. Student-athletes at LBC work hard day-in-and-day-out. I want recruits who want to work hard, find solutions and do it for the glory of God.

Why should a recruit consider your program?

Tennis is a fairly new sport at LBC. We are entering our third fall as a program and will be moving to the spring in 2011 when we join the North East Athletic Conference. We want tennis players (men and women) who want to be the foundation of our program. Players who understand there are growing pains, but who can look back when they graduate and say they accomplished something and took LBC tennis to the next level. We do not have the best talent in the world, but we work hard. For those student-athletes who are in high school and want to go to a college where they can make a difference, LBC is the place for you.

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

Anyone interested in LBC can contact me at zfreeman@lbc.edu or go to our website, www.lbcchargers.com and fill out a “Become a Charger” form. I look forward to hearing from our future LBC tennis foundation builders.