NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

One overlooked part of choosing a university is the network of alumni that support graduating students once they graduate.  Powerful alumni networks often set elite academic institutions apart from their competitors.  The main benefit of a strong alumni is obvious: They help graduates find jobs!  However, you rarely hear recruits mentioning alumni when they make a college decision.

One prominent alumni at Stanford University is doing her best to give her school a recruiting edge and is proof of why recruits might want to think about alumni when choosing a school.

Tai-Ler Jones was one of the top high school football players in the country when he visited Stanford last spring. At the time, he was more interested in attending traditional college powerhouses such as Notre Dame and his home-state University of Georgia, as well as Cal and UCLA.

But three days later, Jones committed to play for Stanford — thanks in considerable measure to the words of a political science professor whose last job was at the White House:

Condoleezza Rice, the Stanford athletic department’s secret weapon.

“She heavily influenced my decision,” said Jones, who will enroll in 2010. “How many colleges can say they have a Condoleezza Rice and that she can be a mentor to you? It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.”

The former Secretary of State is as accessible to Stanford athletes and recruits as a first-year teacher’s assistant.

“I believe so much in the (athletic) program,” Rice said by phone from Washington, D.C., last week. “I also believe we have an obligation to help the athletes, and the recruits see that academics is taken as seriously as athletics, and the faculty is the best conveyor of that.”

Rice is an equal-opportunity conveyor.

She addressed participants of the Pac-10 women’s golf championships, which were held at Stanford last spring. She met with Harrison Barnes, the top basketball recruit in the country, when he visited campus over the summer. She welcomed former Cardinal football players Evan Moore and Trent Edwards when they appeared, unannounced, at her office door a few months ago.

And whenever possible, Rice meets with football recruits.

“We call, and when she’s available, she’ll do it,” Stanford football coach Jim Harbaugh said. “She’s so generous with her time, and she pours her heart into it. She talks to the athletes like she’s their age. It’s phenomenal.”

Jones, a highly sought receiver from Gainesville, Ga., was one of approximately 20 recruits watching an April practice when Rice walked over and introduced herself. She recognized Jones and knew of his father, Andre, who played football in the late 1980s at Notre Dame, where Rice earned her master’s degree in political science a decade earlier.

Tai-Ler Jones, normally loquacious, stood silent as Rice talked about Stanford and all it could offer. She suggested that Jones enroll in one of her classes and offered to “be a mentor to me,” he said.

A school’s support system is a key part to both graduating and finding the right job.  It can also be a support system that can help guide your entire professional career.  However, recruits can only choose a school based on extra factors like this if they have numerous school options.  How can recruits have so many options?  Only be starting early and developing relationships as soon as possible.

As I came up through the ranks of high school and college baseball, one luxury that I quickly learned to do without as soon as my freshman year of high school was a little something called “Spring Break.” While all of my friends were packing their suitcases for Panama City, Myrtle Beach and Cancun I was getting ready to perform at my peak potential. Spring Break in high school meant early morning indoor practices and in college at john Carroll University it was a week-long bus trip down to Florida to play our first ten games of the season. So what was it that drove me to sacrifice Spring Break after Spring Break while everyone else was out partying and traveling? Well, for a student-athlete, that answer is easy. I had been working tirelessly day in and day out for the past 9 months to get ready for my season and that was most important to me. I wanted to show off the speed, strength and skills I had sharpened in the off-season because in all reality, there is no such thing as an “off season” for the serious student-athlete.

As a baseball player, I technically had four seasons, not one of which could be considered the off-season. In the fall when I arrived on campus, I would immediately begin on-field workouts and scrimmages so that the coaching staff could evaluate the progress I’d made over the summer. Taking the summer lightly is not an option for those who are serious about playing at the next level.

Marc Thibeault, head coach at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, a perennial contender in the Ohio Athletic Conference, emphasizes the importance of a strong training regiment, especially for players early on in their career.

“My feeling is that proper training is vital to making an impact at an early stage of your career. Freshmen are competing with highly skilled veteran athletes at the college level. Having a solid training base upon arrival to campus in the fall can separate you from other freshmen and allow you the physical presence to compete with established players… Bottom line, we tell our freshman to come to camp in shape to compete for a starting position.”

Come October I started full-time lifting and conditioning, 5 days a week, in order to build up strength and endurance for the long grind of the baseball season. When it comes to these workouts, make sure that you are staying within yourself in terms of frame and ability. For you skinny guys, don’t be intimidated by the football guys you may be sharing a weight room with. Not only are your sports different, but you need to focus on being as strong as you can be, not emulating someone else who is beyond your capabilities. Safety is key, especially in the wake of the recent injury to University of Southern California running back Stafon Johnson.

During these lifting and conditioning sessions you also want to pepper in some sport-specific training as well to stay fresh once it comes time to get back in the swing of practices. Your first practice should not be the first time you’re swinging a bat, throwing the baseball or softball or running routes. Again, remembering Coach Thibeault’s words, be ready to compete for that starting job.

Once your official practices begin is when you can relax and show off your new strength and skills. We always began our indoor practices in February and couldn’t wait to step off that bus into the warm South Florida air to start our season. The regular season is the time to focus all of your hard work and dedication on winning and playing your best. Out-of-season workouts are meant to be difficult, painful and challenging so that when game time arrives, you are free to relax and have fun.

If you plan a strict regiment of off-season training that will help you not only build muscle and strength but also speed, quickness and stamina, there is no limit to how high your game can soar. Whether you are a fall, winter or spring athlete, there is always the “off-season” for you to build your athletic skills. The summer season is a great time for a healthy mix of sport specific workouts, lifting, conditioning and actual participation in your sport.

Brian Flanagan, a senior outfielder for Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina, had this to say about his dedication to off-season workouts.

“Off season workouts help maintain what you’ve built up and will undoubtedly make you stronger… the will to prepare goes hand and hand with the will to win in whatever you are trying to succeed in.”

The next time your friends are packing their suitcases to party and take trips, don’t hesitate to tell them what you’ll be doing while they’re away. They might laugh and some of them might even poke fun, but none of them know of the dedication and commitment it takes to play sports at the collegiate level and beyond. For that, you are already one step ahead.

Getting quality advice and guidance is a huge part of the recruiting process.  Most parents have never been through the recruiting process and obviously student-athletes only get one chance to earn  a free education and play collegiate athletics.  It should be no surprise that athletes have historically looked to anyone with experience, which many times meant a family friend or the high school coach.

Top baseball prospects have had the advantage of being able to consult with an attorney when they were selected in the MLB amateur draft.  Over the last year a legal battle has taken place between the NCAA and former Oklahoma State pitcher Andy Oliver’s right to counsel.  Ultimately, the court sided with Oliver.

“The court ruling said a player is allowed to have representation like anyone else in America,” said Scott Boras, baseball’s most prominent agent and an active presence as an adviser in the draft. “Why should an 18-year-old kid not have the benefit of counsel when dealing with a professional franchise? It makes no sense.”

The NCAA is understandably concerned about the blurred line between agent and advisor.  It’s their right to do so.

The point I would make in response is that every high school athlete looking to play in college NEEDS the proper guidance if they want to maximize their options.  The very best drafted athletes can battle the NCAA, but every recruits should understand that finding the right college requires the proper advice.  NCSA has provided that advice to thousands of athletes over the years.  If you are looking to gain a better understanding of your recruitment, I suggest you contact our scouting center.

I speak to student-athletes on a daily basis who are serious students and are unclear on what demands are placed on athletes when they arrive on campus.  Even in each division of the NCAA, demands vary greatly from one institution to the next.  So it’s important that the student-athlete is empowered with the skill set to determine what school will be best for them.  After all, a student-athlete’s college decision will impact them for the next 50-60 years!

With that in mind, here’s a blog post from an NCSA student-athlete who found the perfect fit.  How many NCAA D1 athletic teams would allow a student-athlete to study abroad during their senior year?  Read her blog and let me know if her college choice was the best for her:

She writes:  

Hi all! My name is Melissa and I am a senior in London on Colgate’s Economics Study Group. I am not the blogging type, but I am super excited to be able to take you all on my journey with me. I hope I do not bore you and, in advance, please forgive my many typos. I hope you can make it until December because I promise it will be worth it!

I arrived at my flat in central London about 10 days ago. It was an interesting adventure getting here (about 7 hours on a plane, an hour on a train, half an hour on a bus and half an hour walking aimlessly) but I made it and I love it! London is absolutely beautiful! Words cannot explain it.

I am already into my second week of classes. For the Economics Program, we are required to take The British Economy, The EU, International Economics, and a theatre course. I know the course titles are not creative or intriguing, but I assure you the classes have already far exceeded my expectations. To give you an example, yesterday all of the Colgate London groups attended “As You Like It” in Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, which is an exact replica of the original minus, of course, the electrics. I had no idea how I was going to enjoy a play standing for three hours and exposed to the elements (it was supposed to rain, thankfully it didn’t). Turns out I ended up dancing, laughing, and meeting new people. I have been to plays before, but never have I enjoyed myself so much. It was a great experience. If you are ever in London go the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

By the way, this SA was a captain and hit .418 for her softball team last season.   She found the right fit, athletically, academically, the right balance between those 2 and an affordable financial aid package for her parents.  Find out how you can do the same here.

My wife Nancy and I went to hear Superman Bo Jackson speak at the Key Bank College Football Hall of Fame Gridiron Legends Luncheon series this past week in South Bend. Bo is the only athlete ever to make All Star in the NFL and the Major Leagues.

Bo was the eighth of ten kids growing up in Alabama. “When you are eighth,” he said, “you are own your own. If you are late for dinner, you don’t eat!”

An outstanding athlete as a kid he told his mother he would go to College or fly jets in the military. His mother said, ‘I don’t know how you are going to College. I can’t pay for it.’ Bo said that Sports was his way to having College paid for.

Regarding recruiting, he was a major high school football and baseball recruit growing up in Alabama. He said the first recruiting letter he ever got was from Indiana University Football. “Where’s Indiana?” he asked his mother. Bo said he still has that bright red recruiting letter. There’s something very special about that first letter.

Jackson said he chose college football over signing with the NY Yankees because he wanted to be the first in his family to go to a four-year school. One thing he liked about Auburn is that he asked the Coach if he would allow him as much time to study for exams as practice football. The Coach gave him his word. He eventually earned his degree in family and child development from Auburn.

Bo said that people come up to him telling him how sorry they are that his pro careers basically ended when he hurt his hip in 1991 with the Raiders.

“Don’t be sorry for me, “he said.”It was a blessing in disguise. We as humans have to realize that God puts speed bumps in our road of life. My speed bump was me injuring myself. I’ve gotten over that. I’ve moved on from being an employee to being an employer.”

Bo is now part owner of a Bank & Trust and he owns a Sports Complex near Chicago. His wife is an expert on Traumatic Head Injuries and Brain Assessment. All of their kids have been or will be in College. “They got their brains from their mother,” Bo said. One son is studying engineering at Auburn.

Former Heisman winner Eddie George is the next speaker (Sept 22) in the Luncheon Series. Jerry Rice, arguably the greatest football player ever, will speak in October. For those that live near the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown South Bend, ticket information is at 574-235-5717.

We are proud to announce our August Student-Athlete of the Month in Baseball, Matt Felvey. He is from the Chicago area, is a left-handed shortstop, has a big frame (6’4” 170 lbs), and will graduate in 2010. This summer he hit around .310 and in the spring he hit .331.

Felvey is a great student with a 3.6 GPA and a 3.92 weighted GPA. He also scored a 27 on his ACT and is looking to study business management, physical therapy, or sports management. Again, we are happy to name Matt Felvey as our August Student-Athlete of the Month.

Congratulations to our latest commitments for baseball in the 2010 class:

Cody Smith to San Diego State University

Christopher Divarco to Northern Illinois University

Ryan Mas to University of North Carolina – Charlotte

We wish you the best of luck and we look forward to hearing about your success in the future!

If you are looking for an opportunity to play in college and feel like time is not on your side it may be worthwhile to check the wanted ads. If a coach is just being hired to a new program like Chad Tracz, former Army pitching coach and new Head Coach for Marist, he may be a little behind in bringing in players to the new program.

Many times a coach has a bit of a disadvantage going to a new program because of competitive recruiting, but that may also mean you have a new opportunity. Remember, the players that were being recruited to the program before that coaching change may still end up committing to that program still, but many will re-think that opportunity. It doesn’t hurt to keep a close eye on those coaching changes to follow up with any new possibilities.

Congratulations to NCSA Student-Athlete John Hochstatter and the USA National Baseball Team on their World Championship.

There have been three well documented cases this year of athletes skipping parts of high school in order to seek higher challenges. Basketball player Jeremy Tyler is bypassing his senior year to play basketball in Israel, football star Stephen Alli has graduated early and is attending Florida, and baseball’s “Chosen One” Bryce Harper is skipping his final two years of high school to enroll in Junior College, perhaps allowing him to enter the MLB draft a year early. While it may seem as though these athletes are being pushed too fast, a closer look into their plans shows otherwise.

Jeremy Tyler completed his jump from high school underclassman to pro basketball player on Wednesday when he signed a one-year, $140,000 contract with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League.

Tyler, 18, is the first American-born player to leave high school early to play basketball professionally overseas. The 6-foot-11, 260-pound Tyler announced in the spring that he was skipping his senior season at San Diego High because prep basketball had become boring.

Sonny Vaccaro, the former shoe company executive who’s been advising Tyler and his family, said Maccabi Haifa is a good fit for several reasons.

“I think it’s a very good deal for Jeremy because it’s a good team, he’ll play, they speak English and he’ll learn there,” Vaccaro said. “The reason we did one year was because it will give Jeremy time to understand how hard it is to be a professional, then he’ll do whatever he wants to do next year.”

Vaccaro said Tyler had five other offers, including one from a team for more money, “but Jeremy, his family and I decided it was more important to have a chance of playing than making a couple extra dollars. If Jeremy is who he’s supposed to be, he’ll earn a lot of money in his lifetime.”

In early May, Tyler told The AP that he was tired of facing triple-teams, being hacked and being limited to playing the middle when he felt he had much more to his game.

Tyler is expected to return to the United States when he becomes eligible for the 2011 NBA draft.

Tyler choosing the team that fits his needs the best instead of the one offering the most money shows that he understands what he needs to do to achieve his goals and is not simply leaving high school for a paycheck.

Stephen Alli is skipping his senior year of high school to move to the next level in his sport.

Alli, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound receiver from Toronto who attended Proctor Academy in Andover, N.H., was supposed to be the sleeper in Florida’s class of 2010. Now, he’s the sleeper of the class of 2009. Alli was scheduled to travel to Gainesville from Canada on Wednesday. If all goes well, he’ll practice Thursday with Urban Meyer’s squad.

Alli, 18, is an excellent student who considered Harvard, Boston College, Rutgers and Stanford before choosing Florida in June. “After I committed, I stayed in contact with the coaches,” Alli said. “We decided that if I graduated early and enrolled in January, that would be the best thing for me.” There was only one problem. Alli said Proctor officials told him they’d never had a midterm graduate, and they had no plans to start with him.

After discussing his options with Florida coaches, Alli checked with the NCAA’s Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse to find out what courses he would need to take to enroll early. An examination of Alli’s transcript revealed he had already passed the 16 core courses required for initial eligibility. He also had earned enough credits to graduate. After that, Alli needed only to be admitted to Florida for the fall 2009 semester. Two weeks ago, he got the good news.

Alli’s plan is phenomenal. He is obviously an incredible student who was eligible to enter college early anyway. He is now going to be able to test his academic merits a year early. Athletically, he is going to play for the best team in the nation, under one of the most successful coaches in Urban Meyer, and with arguably the best leader in the country, Tim Tebow.

Bryce will acquire his GED and enroll in the College of Southern Nevada, a junior college, a move that likely will allow Bryce to be eligible for the 2010 draft, in which he’s expected to be the No. 1 pick.

“But that’s not the priority,” Ron said, referring to Bryce’s draft status. “We’re preparing him for college. That’s the priority. He’s very bored in school. Maybe it’s because he’s always been around older kids. But he’s ready move on. He was very forceful. He said, ‘I don’t want to be bored any more. I want to do it, Mom. I want to do it, Dad.’ He definitely wants to do this. We spoke with his counselor, his principal and his coach, and they agreed he’s ready for this.”

Ron isn’t even entirely sure that Bryce will be eligible for the 2010 draft. “We haven’t got anything in writing yet,” he said. But the Harpers have been in contact with officials from Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to make sure they follow whatever protocols are necessary to be draft eligible next year, including making sure he completed all high school courses and exams at least 365 days prior to the draft.

“Even if he’s not [draft eligible in 2010],” Ron said, “he will play 55 games a year with a wood bat and receive an associate art degree. It’s a good situation for him.”

It might be easy for someone not familiar with Bryce, his talent and his family to think the kid is being pushed too fast, but the move to the College of Southern Nevada makes perfect sense. Bryce will live at home, take online and night classes, attend classes three days a week, carrying 12 credits, and be allowed to attend high school events with his former classmates and buddies, such as proms and homecomings. His older brother, Bryan, a pitcher, will transfer from Cal State Northridge and also attend College of Southern Nevada. Bryan will live in an off-campus apartment and will be Bryce’s roommate when the team plays on the road.

Harper has been given every opportunity to succeed. He is obviously a phenomenal talent, but, unlike the other two examples, he will be able to ease his way into his new lifestyle. The fact that he is living at home, will still get to participate in high school functions, and has his brother to help guide him throughout the season will make his transition smoother.

What do all of these athletes having in common? Talent, determination, and a plan. They all understand their long term goals and are making choices accordingly. While it isn’t smart for most recruits to leave high school early, they should follow the commitment that these players have. Student-athletes need to start working hard at improving themselves athletically and improving their chances of being recruited.