NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

When we sent out our newsletter promoting everyone to share their sports story with us, we had the privilege of getting in contact with a student athlete’s mother, who wanted to share her son Luke’s very inspirational story with us.

His story is an inspirational journey through adversity, set in a football environment. Like many of student athletes in high school who have also shared their stories with us, Luke was a high school football player anxious to finally play on Friday nights with the varsity team his junior year at Edison High School in California.

The week before two-a-days, July 2008, Luke developed a nosebleed that lasted over 2 hours. After going to the hospital, the Gane’s were told that Luke had a rare blood disorder called Severe Aplastic Anemia, which is known to be fatal. The bone marrow in your body, when you have this disorder begins to rapidly malfunction and ceases to produce more new blood cells. The Gane family saw this nosebleed as a very important “blessing-in-disguise” because if it did not occur, one big hit during football practice would have caused internal hemorrhaging, killing him.

A month later, Luke under went chemotherapy, but it became evident that he was in need of a bone marrow transplant. Coming from a family of 5 boys, they tested the family and found that two of his brothers were a match. When Jim, Luke’s father, asked who wanted to volunteer to be Luke’s donor, both brother’s hands shot up, but it was 10 year old Jacob Gane’s hand that went up first. The surgery was a success! The Gane’s community was extremely supportive in anyway they could, setting up multiple fundraisers, when the Gane family had not asked for anything.

Luke fought back extremely well and made a full recovery! He was able to play every game, both ways, his senior year.  He helped lead his team to an undefeated regular season, losing only in the CIF championships to a rival team that supported Luke during his illness.  Luke Gane then found himself accepting an offer as a preferred walk-on at UCLA for football beginning this Fall!

We are very grateful to  for sharing her family’s story with us. If you have your own inspirational sports story that you would like to share with us and countless student athletes and their families across the nation, please submit yours today on our “What’s Your Story” Facebook page! We’d love to hear your story!

If you are interested in reading more about Luke Gane’s incredible journey, here are some places to find out more:

Luke Gane Video

Luke Gane’s Blog

In this article about Ben Garland, it’s easy to see why he’s where he is.  He set goals from a very early age and that was his compass that directed him to where he is.  Here are two quotes from the article: 

As a little boy, Ben Garland clutched a poster of the Air Force Thunderbirds, the planes roaring into the sky, and he knew exactly what he wanted to be. He pinned that poster to his bedroom wall, beside the pictures of John Elway, and he told his mother, Syndee, he was going to the Air Force Academy someday.

”Can you imagine you had two dreams as a little kid?” he asks one day at Broncos training camp, where he is trying to make the team as a defensive end. ”One to be a pilot in the Air Force and one to play for the Broncos? Not just any team. The Broncos. And now you have both opportunities before you?”

If you’re a student-athlete reading this, you must set specific, measureable, attainable goals that are time-bound.  This will eliminate procrastination and put you in a position to be recruited to play the sport you love.  If you’re a parent reading this, teaching your children goal setting skills will empower them to achieve great things.  If either of you need help in setting S.M.A.R.T goals, NCSA teaches goal setting skills.  If you wish to play in college and don’t know how to begin, call 866-579-6272 or go here.

Have you seen the new NCSA video site?  In an effort to further promote our student-athletes we have launched the NCSA College Recruiting Videos Site.  http://www.ncsasports.org/college-recruiting-videos
To celebrate its launch we are giving away an iPad to the video with the most Facebook “Likes.”  How can you win?  It’s simple, just search for and send out your video to your family and friends.  Ask them to hit the “Like” button.

• You can email it
• You can Post it on Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace
• You can tell your friends to look you up

You can spread your video in any way you think up!  The contest will run through July 26th at 12 p.m.

National Letter of Intent:

The Signing Period ends on August 1st. This is the last 31 days for a student-athlete in the following sports to secure an athletic scholarship to a DI or DII program: Field Hockey, Soccer, Track & Field, Cross Country, Swimming, Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Ice Hockey, and Water Polo.

Visits:

Remind student-athletes to take time to visit college campuses over the summer months. Plan to visit colleges around summer tournaments, games and family vacations. Reach out to the coach prior to visit, do not just show up on campus and hope the coach is available.

If a student-athlete is a top tier recruit, the unofficial visit during the summer may be the vital key in securing their scholarship offer and spot in the team. Majority of DI and DII program intend on having the recruiting done as early as possible. This also includes top level DIII and NAIA programs.

Camps:

All student-athletes should attend a few camps, combines and/or showcases throughout the summer months in order to get evaluations of their skill set, stay conditioned, compile additional video and get exposure.

Reminder: Don’t plan on getting discovered, prepare to get evaluated!

JULY RECRUITING CALENDARS

Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball:

• July 1-5 Quiet Period

• July 6-15 Evaluation Period

• July 16-21 Dead Period

• July 22-31 Evaluation Period

Football: Quiet Period.

Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, Men’s Lacrosse,

Women’s Lacrosse, Cross Country/Track and Field: Contact Period

PHONE CALLS:

Juniors, 2011 Grads (Division I):

1. Men’s Basketball, Men’s Ice Hockey: DI – 1x per month.

2. Women’s Basketball: DI – 3x in July (max one per week).

3. Women’s Ice Hockey: DI – 1x per week starting July 7th.

4. All Other Sports EXCEPT Football: DI – 1x per week starting July 1st.

Juniors, 2011 Grads (Division II):

1. All Sports: 1x per week.

Sophomores, 2012 Grads (Division I):

1. Men’s Basketball: DI – 1x per month (includes letters/emails).

2. Men’s Ice Hockey: DI – 1x per month (includes letters/emails).

3. Women’s Ice Hockey: DI can call Internationals 1x from July 7-31.

JULY RECRUITING TIPS

Football: End of June and the beginning of July is the best time during the summer to reach out to coaches, as coaches’ head out for vacation in July and August to get ready for pre-season.

Fall Sports: Recruits should reach out to coaches during June and July, as fall sports will be getting ready for their seasons in August.

!!!ALERT: DI coaches are always recruiting and looking at athletes, however, at this point in the recruiting process there is not always a spot available or money tied to that spot. Seniors this late need to look at walk-on spots, junior colleges and understand that they may need to tryout.

We are always focused on answering your recruiting questions.  Its our firm belief that spreading recruiting education is a necessity to ensure that qualified student-athletes maximize their scholarship potential.  The following is the best of  “Ask Coach Randy Taylor” series.  Coach Taylor has been named the nation’s top recruiting coordinator by ESPN.com and high school football recruiting analyst, Tom Lemming. He most recently served as the Director of Football Operations for the University of Minnesota.

You can always 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.

Unofficial and Official Visits

How do I set up unofficial visits?

How many official visits can I take?

What is the difference between official and unofficial visits?



Do DIII schools offer official visits?

What should I wear on a campus visit?

Do I have to know a coach to take an unofficial visit?

How should we contact coaches about visits?

How can I schedule college visits during spring break?

Are official visits for ALL sports?

Scholarships/Financial

What types of financial aid packages are available for DII and DIII?

When should I expect a written scholarship offer?

Do DIII schools offer athletic scholarships?

Can you get paid to play?

How do I secure financial aid?

Do Ivy League schools offer athletic scholarships?

What to do with a verbal scholarship offer?

Are there any tax implications with athletic scholarships?

Are we on pace with financial aid?

How do college coaches divide scholarships?

When should we express financial need to a coach?

If I get hurt will I lose my scholarship?

Should we expect a full ride?

Academics

Is there a different application process for athletes?

Can I get recruited even if I am home schooled?

What GPA do I need to play in college?

When is it too late to take the ACT/SAT?

Recruiting

Should my son/daughter call the coaches?

What role does the eligibility center play in the recruiting process?

When is the best time to call a college coach?

What division level can I play at?

How important are stats in recruiting?

How do you get on a coach’s recruiting list?

I get nervous talking to college coaches.  What can I do?

Do summer camps help with exposure?

Do college coaches come and watch high school games?

When should I ask a coach where I stand?

Should parents write letters to college coaches?

Where can I find recruiting questionnaires for college coaches?

Should I fill out all those questionnaires?

What happens during a coaching change in recruiting?

Should my son/daughter have heard from college coaches?

Rules and Regulations

The contact rules are confusing! Can you clarify?Can a coach rescind a signed national letter of intent?

What are the restrictions about emails from college coaches?

What about text messaging?

Can college coaches talk to 7th and 8th graders?

When can a college coach call?

How binding is a verbal commitment?

When is the earliest you can make a verbal commitment?

NCSA

How can my son get “pre-evaluated”?

What about my question?

What is “verified” information?



Do coaches really use NCSA?

What is recruit-match technology?

Videos

What do college coaches look for in a highlight video? Just ask Tom Lemming…

Where do I send my highlight video?

Do I need to edit my highlight video?

How do I get my video to college coaches?

When should I use full game footage?

Coaches

What about the politics?

What questions will a coach ask ME?

How do I find out where I stand?

Should I simply use a coach’s email address from the website?

How can I tell if the coach is seriously interested?

How can I find the right contact info for college coaches?

What should I include in my first letter to a college coach?

How should I respond to college coaches?

Why haven’t I heard back from college coaches?

Question to ask a college coach?

High School

Why would a high school coach hold back letters?

What can I expect from my high school coach?

Should we consider transferring high schools?

How do I decide which club team to play for?

I attend a small high school, will this hurt me during the recruiting process?

Do I have to start on my high school team to get recruited?

My high school team is terrible! What should I do?

Should I start on JV or ride the bench on Varsity?

Can I still play in college if I don’t play in high school?

What should I do with my newspaper clippings?

How can I show leadership in games?

What should I do if my coach is holding my recruiting letters?

Should student-athletes request letter of recommendation?

Miscellaneous

The one tool to answer ALL of your recruiting questions!

When should I commit?

What is the NAIA?

What happens if I change my mind about my commitment?

How important is a third party in the recruiting process?

Why haven’t I heard from my dream school?

What is a National Letter of Intent?

Should I tell a college coach about a past injury?

How do I register for the eligibility center?

What happens if I do not perform well at a camp or combine?

How can I register on rivals.com?

When do I have to decide on my position?

How do we market two-sport athletes to coaches?

What do I need to know about football camps and combines?

Can you explain the transfer rules? Part 1, Can you explain the transfer rules? Part 2

I don’t like my school options.  What should I do?

Even he is looking for an offer?

When are DI, DII and DIII rosters finalized?

What are the benefits of DIII and NAIA Universities?

1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?

I am very much an athlete-oriented coach. I do my best to help in the development of my athletes for their sport, but also work to provide good leadership and role-modeling to help them develop at students and people. It isn’t just about running, it also includes lessons in life.

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

We are very much a team-oriented program. We set team goals first, then move on to individual goals. The college is also a small school atmosphere. Class sizes are small. All classes are taught by the professors, NOT T.A.s.

3. What do recruits need to know about you?

As competitive as I am, I do believe in the big picture. I am not a win at all costs kind of coach and work to have our team feel like a family.

4. What do you look for in recruits?

Good attitude, potential. Commitment to the team concept.

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

Be sure that the school is a good fit for you. Don’t look at the DIs and plan on going their just because it is a DI school. Be sure it is a good fit and that you have the opportunity to be successful in all areas.

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

How would they fit in. What is the team atmosphere like…

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

If the first question is about scholarship, tends to make me think they are competing for the wrong reasons.

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

Developing students into well rounded people that are going to be successful in all areas of their life, not just athletics.

9. Why should a recruit consider your program?

Eleven consecutive years to nationals and a program that has fun doing it.

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

Email or phone.

Recently, I’ve had a number of conversations with 2008 HS grads who didn’t receive any help in the recruiting process.  These are student-athletes playing various sports at D1, D2, D3, and the Juco level.   These conversations were also with student-athletes who never got the chance to play beyond high school.   One thing was common to all I spoke with:  They didn’t receive any help in the recruiting process.  All expressed a wish to do the process over.  Of course, they’ll never have that chance.

I’ve also spoken with over 6,000 families about recruiting and I understand what their hopes, dreams, and desires are.   To put them in a few categories would be unfair.  Every situation is unique to that family.  So each definition of success is unique.  However, there are some common themes that emerge – in no particular order.  First, a large number of families define recruiting success as getting scholarship money to play a sport in college.  For those who have read these pages and all of our education materials, you realize that scholarships are more likely to be “partial” not “full” scholarships.  Second, recruiting success is attending a college where the student-athlete gets to play.  Over 80% of the student athletes I speak with would like to play during their freshman year in college.  Most student-athletes have never sat the bench in their lives.  Third, parents want to ensure that their children graduate.  Most realize that a child’s success in the classroom will correlate with their success on the playing field.  Those parents want the college coach to care as much for their child as they do.  Fourth, student-athletes want to play at a college where they can study what they want.  Most parents don’t realize that this isn’t available at all colleges.  Some are shocked to find out that some college coaches dictate the degrees their student-athletes can pursue.  Finally, adults realize better than their children that the college decision will impact their child for the rest of their lives.  That’s at least 60 years in this day and age.  Getting that decision right is crucial!

So knowing all of this, why do parents insist on entering the recruiting process without competent help?  Why do they think that the “fan in the stands” who had their 2^nd cousin, once removed get recruited knows anything about college recruiting?  Why do parents think that someone who was recruited 20 years ago, know about recruiting today?  Why would a student-athlete rely on the high school coach in this process?  Most HS coaches don’t have the time or resources to help a child find “Recruiting Success”.  They don’t spend enough time getting to know the family to find out what that definition of success is.  Why do parents spend thousands of dollars on activities that will not help their child get recruited?  I’ve heard of families sending their kids to Australia, Hawaii, Europe, and other exotic destinations thinking this will help their child’s recruiting resume.  This is a foolish waste of resources if you have limited funds to devote to recruiting success. 

What is recruiting success?  It’s what you define it to be.  But a family needs to clearly write down those expectations so they can achieve success.  If you need expert help to achieve recruiting success, click here.

My experience with NCSA was amazing and I owe my success to them. I decided to sign up with NCSA because I live in a small town in Wyoming and knew I wouldn’t get much exposure to college golf coaches. Once I signed up, I immediately received several emails from coaches all over the country!! It was exciting but also challenging as I knew I needed to respond to each and every contact I received. It was time consuming but it all paid off in the end. By talking to the coaches and researching several colleges, I was able to narrow my choices and went on a week long trip to visit the colleges I was most interested in. I ended up finding Northwestern College, a pearl in the sea of colleges that I never would have found if it weren’t for NCSA. NCSA matched me with the colleges that fit my academic and athletic goals. I wanted to golf at a private, liberal arts school that had a Christian foundation and that is exactly what I found! The support, guidance and information as well as the many tools and resources offered such as the profile, the huddles, and the To-Do lists were extremely helpful. My advice to high school students is to work hard not only on the course but in the classroom as well. The coaches are more interested in a well rounded individual rather than just an athlete. Also, the more time and effort you put into NCSA the more they can work for you and help you to be successful. I fully recommend that any student athlete who wants to play at the collegiate level give NCSA a try. Signing on with NCSA was one of the best decisions I have ever made and was an investment that will benefit me for a lifetime!

Coach Taylor, How Can I be sure that coaches really use NCSA?

Great question.  To tell you the truth I was very skeptical the first time I walked into NCSA.  I had spent over 30 years recruiting student-athletes and assumed that I knew the best and only way to recruit.  When I first walked in the door I was amazed at just how behind the times I had fallen.  Take a quick look at why coaches REALLY use NCSA.

Now take a quick look at the reaction we get from college coaches after they use our Recruit-Match System  (Note: All of these comments have come this week).

Thanks for all your help for the 2010 class we are on some good players. We have already begun work on 2011 and continue to use your website exclusively.

The ability to see video and transcripts is key. We can make a quick decision on whether we will take the recruiting of that athlete to the next level instantly.

Thanks again for your service it is a tremendous help to us in identifying potential prospects for State.

We like the format you use in sending information to us on recruits. You make a good impression and the info on each person is well presented.

We like the way that you accurately rate the player’s level. Very good and very helpful.

I think you do a fantastic job of getting the information we need to make a judgment of whether or not we want to recruit a young man to State College. Keep up the good work!!

After watching and reading why coaches really use NCSA I hope you don’t make the same mistake I made for years;  Maximize your Recruiting Potential with NCSA.

Send your recruiting questions to askcoachtaylor@ncsasports.org

If you would like to speak with a NCSA Recruiting Coordinator about your personal recruiting situation, call 866-579-6272.

Coach Taylor – What does it take to play my sport at each division level?

We get this question a lot at NCSA.  There is a lot that goes into an evaluation by a college coach.  NCSA has spent the last 10 years evaluating players for college coaches and has a tremendous amount of data stored up.  We used this data to develop our Exclusive Recruiting Guidelines to help give recruits an idea of what schools they should realistically be targeting.  They are guidelines, not hard fast rules, but they can give recruits an idea of where they fit.

Baseball Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Basketball Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Basketball Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Cross Country Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Cross Country Recruiting Guidelines

Field Hockey Recruiting Guidelines

Football Recruiting Guidelines

Water Polo Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Golf Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Golf Recruiting Guidelines

Ice Hockey Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Lacrosse Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Lacrosse Recruiting Guidelines

Soccer Recruiting Guidelines

Softball Recruiting Guidelines

Swimming Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Tennis Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Tennis Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Track and Field Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Track and Field Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Volleyball Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Volleyball Recruiting Guidelines

Wrestling Recruiting Guidelines

Send your recruiting questions to askcoachtaylor@ncsasports.org

If you would like to speak with a NCSA Recruiting Coordinator about your personal recruiting situation, call 866-579-6272.