NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Around the country, college coaches are huddled around their fax machines, waiting for the NLI’s from student athletes across the country, hoping that in the last seconds their rival school didn’t steal their top recruits. Today, NCSA had the pleasure to watch as one student athlete finally make his dreams come true. Maurice Fleming came into NCSA Headquarters at 8 AM to sign and fax his National Letter of Intent to the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was surrounded by his biggest fans: his mom, his grandma, and his high school coach.

Following this special moment he called his future coach to let him know that the fax was on its way. Both Maurice and the Hawkeye coaching staff could not be more excited for their futures together.

Maurice hopes to make an impact on the field as early as his freshmen year. During an interview with the Daily Iowan, a reporter asked him questions about his future with the Hawkeyes and how he felt switching from the offensive to the defensive side of the ball. Like any true athlete, he said that he was hesitant at first, but he knew that with hard work and his athletic ability, he would be able to transition into his new role as a defensive back just fine.

Despite missing the majority of his senior year due to an ACL tear, Maurice is expected to make a full recovery. He is already at 85% and working out five days a week, and thankful that the Iowa staff stayed loyal to him throughout his injury and recovery. He is prepared to take on the demands of being a college athlete and cannot wait to take the field in black and gold.

Everyone at NCSA is extremely proud of Maurice and cannot wait to watch him continue to be an Athleader,by empowering others to lead through sports and giving back in his community. Congratulations Maurice, you have just opened the doors of the rest of your life.

Dear Coach T,

I was  injured last week, should I tell the college coaches that are recruiting me?

Dear Coach Taylor,

My high school team is not very good should I transfer high schools to play on a better team? I’m afraid college coaches won’t recruit me because my team is bad.

Signing day is about a week away and many athletes out there are wondering what Coaches look for when they offer student athletes scholarships. Coach Bob Chmiel discusses the three things he uses to evaluate players. Coach Chmiel spent seven years as Notre Dame’s Director of Football Operations and Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Coach. Prior, Chmiel was the University of Michigan’s Football Recruiting Coordinator, where he also served as an assistant coach. He was named one of the “Top 11 Recruiting Coordinators of All-Time” in Tom Lemming’s book Football’s Second Season: Scouting High School Game Breakers.

What is the National Letter of Intent?

The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student athlete and an NLI member institution

• A prospective student athlete agrees to attend the institution full time for one academic year (two semesters or three quarters
• The institution agrees to provide financial aid for one academic year 

Penalty for breaking this contract

• Student athletes have to serve one year in residence at the next NLI member institution

• Sit out for one season of competition in all sports

What is Signing Day?

• Signing day is the day you actually sign the NLI

Does every division 1 and 2 athlete sign an NLI?

• Most people will say that every D1 and D2 athlete will sign an NLI, but this is not the case.
• It is not so much about being in a certain division as it is whether or not the school is a member of the NLI program.
• There are 600 schools who participate in the NLI program
• All D1 schools are involved with NLI except for service academies and Ivy league.
• A majority of D2 programs participate in the program
• No D3, NAIA, Prep schools or 2 year colleges participate
• For a complete list of schools who participate in the NLI, visit the NCAA’s website (more…)

Just because you are an All Conference or really good Club athlete, it doesn’t mean you want to play College. Sometimes we assume every good High School or Club athlete is dead set on playing at the next level, but that is often not the case.

Recently I spoke on the recruiting process at the Mizuno Mideast Regional Volleyball Qualifiers in Indianapolis.

NCSA's Charlie Adams educates families at large Club Tourney in Indianapolis

Thousands of really good volleyball players were on hand along with coaches and parents. NCSA provides the recruiting education at events such as this one. While many of the players are totally committed to playing at the college level, I had many parents tell me their daughter wasn’t sure she wanted to compete at that level. These were very good All Conference caliber players who could play there. But, many don’t because:

1) They understand the commitment to play college sports and are not sure that is for them

2) They have played their sport so much that they are either fried or simply just want to be a regular college student who does some intramurals.

3) They are picking a very hard academic major and don’t feel they can do both in college.

This is why it is critical to have an online profile and it is just as important to do a thorough evaluation. The online profile is one way to send out a green flag that you are serious about playing college. College coaches are looking for those kind of athletes that are qualified to play at their level and are on fire to do so. They don’t have time to discern who is serious about playing college and who is not.  Though it may come as a surprise to some, there are top Club and High School athletes (especially in sports other than football and basketball) who simply want to go to good ol’ State University, join a fraternity or sorority, play some intramurals to stay connected to their sport, and have more of a typical college experience. It might be that cross country runner that put in a zillion miles of running in High Schools and went all-out but now just wants to back off in college. Or, that swimmer that worked so hard in morning and afternoon practices for years and has simply had enough. That is why YOU need a way to let college coaches know you still have plenty in the tank and are ready. You need a way to put all your accomplishments together so that you can open the recruiting door. Don’t wait for them to figure out that you have the fire within. Be proactive in recruiting!

Start building your online Recruiting Profile now

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CHARACTER COUNTS

In a recent Chicago Sun Times article on 6′ 6″ Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale, writer Rick Morrissey wrote that Sales only had one Division One offer coming out of high school. The primary reason so many stayed away was his “dynamite-stick temper.” Sales, who is now 22, admits maturity was his biggest problem. This is what he told the newspaper:

“Giving up home runs, showing emotion on the mound, having a bad inning, coming in and throwing my glove – all the outside stuff that just brings negativity to your team and your dugout. Stuff that’s just not needed. So I think Colleges thought, ‘This guy could be a problem in a dugout.‘

There was just one offer for this talented pitcher because most programs did not want that stuff in their dugout. Sale was so good that at Florida Gulf Coast University during the 2010 season he posted an 11-0 record and a 2.01 ERA over 17 games. Sale pitched 103 innings while striking out 146 and walking just 14. Still, he didn’t get much recruiting interest because most College programs were leery of his temper.

College Coaches want talent, but not at the expense of team chemistry. Some will take chances, but most simply go to then next player on their recruiting list.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team recently played for the National Championship. Their longtime head coach Muffet McGraw has said that when recruits visit campus, they often all go to the popular bookstore gift shop. She says the recruit that humbly says, “I don’t need anything” to her parents gains a lot more points than the recruit that is scooping up hoodies and shirts and all kinds of things for Mom or Dad to buy. That’s not a major thing, but it is little thing that adds up with other things to separate recruits.  College coaches are watching. They watch how you interact with parents after games, how you carry your bags from the bus to the building, how you react to an official’s bad call, how you act when you are out of the game, and on and on….

They have lists, and in many ways they are looking for reasons to take a recruit off that list. The young person of outstanding character and ability will find themselves staying on that list all the way to Signing Date.

To bring a NCSA Speaker to your School or Club to talk Character, Academics and the Recruiting Process

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Finding the Right Level of College Athletics for YOUR athlete

While in Virginia recently to speak to football players and their families at the Schuman National Underclassmen Combine in Hampton, VA (NCSA provides recruiting education for Schuman events)

NCSA educates football families at Schuman NUC in Hampton, VA

I learned that all five seniors of the Princess Anne High School (Virginia Beach, VA) girl’s basketball team were headed to college programs.

Jazmen Boone will play for William and Mary. Amanda Andrades will play for Farleigh Dickinson. Maquasia Ferebee will go to Virginia State. Elizabeth Williams has signed with Duke while Andrea Paphites has inked with Carson-Newman. That’s a remarkable accomplishment (the five players helped the team win the AAA State Title) and it is a good example of the range of college’s out there.

Did all of the girls sign major D1? No, just one, to Duke in the A.C.C. William and Mary is D1, but not at Duke’s level. Carson-Newman is D2. So is Virginia State. Fairleigh Dickinson is a lower level of D1 than Duke. What it boils down to is the girl going to Duke is more gifted as a player than the other girls, but the other girls must be darn good to get scholarships to those other find schools.

The point is that not every player is going to the same level of college athletics. The important thing is to find the right fit athletically and academically for each individual player. The family that has success in recruiting is the one that comes to grip with the right evaluation for their child and doesn’t get all caught up in what level other kids on their team or Club are going. I remember speaking at a major volleyball showcase tournament where I spoke to a mother whose daughter was looking at mid level D1′s like Ball State, Illinois State and East Tennessee State. Her Club team had three other girls that were going to Big Ten Universities. This mother could have become all wound up and somewhat envious about wanting that high D1 level for her kid, but she was realistic and part of the reason was the other girls were simply much taller than her kid. While happy for them, she wanted to find the right fit for her daughter, and it was not a Big Ten school athletically.

I find that more than just about anything families struggle with figuring out what is a realistic evaluation for their child. As legendary retired HS Football Coach Chris Geesman says, “Most kids think they can play a level above where they can really play in College and most parents are TWO levels above!” When we speak we thoroughly go over examples of all the levels of college sports and that is always eye opening to parents. One of the most enlightening things you can do is a thorough evaluation with a NCSA College Scout to help bring clarity to this process. That way you find the right fit for your child.

For an Evaluation of where your athlete is regards to finding the right fit for College Athletics and Scholarships

Charlie Adams

NCSA Recruiting Expert and Senior Educational Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org

NCSA recently caught up with MidAmerica Nazarene University Head Baseball Coach, Ryan Thompson to learn more about his program:

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I am driven by my values

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

We are a small Christian school located in a big city.  You get the best of both worlds by living in a small, tight knit community while surrounded by the Kansas City which has a population of over 3 million people.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

I will be honest with you during the recruiting process.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

We look for guys that fit our baseball team and our University.  Positionally, we look for versatile players that can run well.  On the mound, we are looking for guys that can throw multiple pitches for a strike.

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

Be proactive.

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

How can I help the program be successful?

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

Kids that just think about baseball.  Picking a college is a big decision, they need to consider everything about a school.

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

Player development and creating a team first environment.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

We provide a well rounded athletic and academic experience.

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

Fill our recruit form at our website and email our Recruiting Coordinator Rob Ramseyer at prramseyer@mnu.edu.

Coach Taylor, when sending highlight videos to colleges you’re interested in, should a cover letter be enclosed or just a note stating my interest. If so, what exactly should it state besides my desire to play for their organization?

I would definitely recommend including a cover letter. The only reason you might not include a cover letter with your video is if you already have sent one to this particular coach. It is a good idea to keep track of what you send to each coach.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when constructing your cover letter to coaches:

1. Most every coach now relies on e-mail to both contact and receive contact from potential recruits. That is the preferred method of communication. To find out the e-mail addresses for the coaches you are looking to contact, simply go to the college’s athletic website and look for a staff listing of names and e-mails or ask your Recruiting Coach.

2. Be brief. Coaches at all levels receive dozens and dozens of e-mails/letters from high school-aged players. All you are trying to do is show you have interest, pass along all of your contact information, your resume, and provide each coach with an upcoming schedule of your matches so he can see you play.

3. NEVER HAVE ONE OF YOUR PARENTS WRITE TO A COACH. You are the one the coach might be recruiting, so he/she wants to hear from you directly. (If the relationship develops and it appears that you might be attending that college, they’ll be plenty of time for your parents to have contact with the coaching staff.)

4. Provide contact information for yourself and your coaches. Nothing is worse for a college coach than to have to track down your coach’s e-mail or phone number. By having both an e-mail address and a phone number listed after his/her name, it allows for the college coach to quickly e-mail or call your private and/or high school coach to follow up.

5. Always include basic information about yourself such as grad year, high school, athletic history, GPA, SAT/ACT scores. Tell the coach why you are a good fit for their program.

6. Do not send a form letter that starts out with “Dear Coach” and does not mention anything specific about his/her program and school. The bulk of your e-mail will be kept the same for correspondence you send out to various coaching staff; however a portion of it should be personalized. Bring in something specific about it that you learned by going through the website. State your interest in the school and specific reasons (like “my Dad went to Madison and I want to carry on the tradition” or whatever fits you personally)

7. Detail is important! Be sure that you use spell check and proper English. This is a reflection of your ability. You may send your letter to NCSA to revise.

8. If you are emailing rather than regular mail, DO NOT mass email a bunch of coaches. This comes across as lazy and shows the coach that you didn’t take your time to personalize for them. Make sure to address the letter Dear Coach [[last name]].

Send your recruiting questions to askcoachtaylor@ncsasports.org

You can also get your questions answered directly by contacting an NCSA Recruiting Coordinator at 866-579-6272.

Charlie Adams brings 23 years of experience covering the recruiting process of high school athletes who reached their dream of playing college sports. Adams was an award winning sportscaster at television stations and a longtime professional speaker. He is also one of NCSA’s Recruiting Experts.

As a speaker, I have a few thousand conversations a year with families and coaches that are going through, or have been through, the recruiting process. I often share them in this blog.

During my son’s 12th grade season, I was at a top Cross Country Meet. A veteran South Bend (IN) High School Coach came up and told me one of his sophomore runners had recently done a Recruiting Analysis with NCSA. The Coach said it had an immediate positive impact on the young man.

“This athlete wants to compete at a high level in college,” the coach told me. “During the Recruiting Analysis he told the NCSA College Scout his times. The Scout told him they projected to be D3 or NAIA times. Well, that put a fire in him because he wants to eventually run at a higher level. Then the kid told the Scout he has a 2.5 GPA. The Scout chuckled slightly. It wasn’t in a rude way, but in a way where he was challenging the athlete that he could do better than a 2.5 and that he would need to do better to be in better position for scholarships. Ever since that Recruiting Analysis, the runner has been more focused in practice and has immediately started improving his grades. I have seen a distinct difference in his focus, even as a sophomore. I tell athletes these things all the time, but when it comes from that third party, it’s big.”

THAT can be the power of a Recruiting Analysis. It is important to do one to see where you stand in recruiting. If you have not done one yet, or never set up a time after hearing a NCSA speaker, contact us

Charlie Adams

cadams@ncsasports.org