NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

This morning I was talking with a father of an athlete being recruited by several Division I football schools.  The athlete is undecided, but has several scholarship offers on the table.  However, he is still pursuing more schools in the hopes of receiving more scholarship options.

During this process he has visited several schools, both officially and unofficially.  His father made an extremely interesting remark about his latest visit.

“The coaching staff tells him there are two receivers ahead of him, who have scholarship offers.  They don’t think both will accept their offers and my son is next on the list.”

He then followed up his comment with the extremely important, “But, we all know what that means.”

The father understands the process and knows they need to keep all of their options open.  Its no coincidence that they are on the NCSA program and understand how to read between the lines.  When the process is complete, his son will be able to realistically assess his options and make the best decision.  They wont be taken for a ride by a coach because they already understand his recruiting language.

One of the huge benefits of using a trusted third party like NCSA is the guidance that we provide our families.  Recruits can learn and understand the recruiting language used by college coaches.  Most importantly, they know how to react to what they hear and make the best decision.

“If I’m good enough, they will find me.”  This could be the single most damaging myth about the college recruiting process.  The country is too spread out.  There are too many teams.  Players blossom at different times.  Evaluating players is too hard. Recruiting Budgets are too thin.

These are just a few of the reasons that great players ending up getting missed by big-time schools and miss out on the chance of a life-time.  Yet, despite seeing multiple examples on TV every weekend recruits fail to apply the lesson to their own recruiting process.

The latest example of an under the radar players bursting onto the national stage is Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Miles Austin.  He didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school and ended up at tiny Monmouth College.  Despite setting school records he wasn’t drafted and toiled on the Cowboys practice roster until getting an opportunity this season.  He now has 21 catches for 482 yards and five touchdowns in his last three games.  He overcame obstacles by working extremely hard and finally catching that lucky break he needed.

Austin’s story is the lucky exception.  There are thousands of Miles Austins across the country playing all types of sports.  If they wait around hoping for scouts to find them, chances are their stories wont end with the Dallas Cowboys.  Athletes need to be realistic about their options early on, and relentlessly pursue every opportunity.  Otherwise, they just might not find you.

This week Oklahoma State Wide Receiver Dez Bryant was ruled ineligible for the entire season for lying about a lunch with Deion Sanders.  Bryant was questioned about a lunch he had with his mentor and whether any eligibility issues arose. Initially Bryant lied to investigators but no rules were broken regarding his eligibility.

Andy Staples writes that the whole exercise is proof to future recruits that they should cash in their chips as soon as possible.

If the past week has taught us anything, it’s that a college football player with first-round talent should jump to the pros as soon as possible, or, in the case of a sophomore who has proven himself for two years, even sooner than that. The moment NCAA investigators and Oklahoma State compliance officials began asking Bryant questions about his offseason visit to Deion Sanders’ home, Bryant should have politely said, “Thank you for your time, but if you need me, I’ll be in Arizona training for the 2010 draft and living on my agent’s dime.”

As soon as a college player has a better than 50 percent shot of getting selected in the first round, he should shut it down. The aggravation isn’t worth the thrill of a college career. Bryant might be the nation’s best receiver. Had he been allowed to enter the draft after last season, he probably would have been a top 20 pick. Now, he’s spent most of this season fighting the NCAA to regain his eligibility.

If this case is only about Bryant misleading NCAA investigators, the penalty was far too harsh. Yes, Bryant made a terrible mistake by lying. Yes, he let down his family and his teammates. But how many 20-year-olds would panic in the face of an authority figure and a byzantine rulebook? Plenty. Let’s reserve the harshest punishments for the players who beat their girlfriends or settle arguments by whipping out AK-47s. If lying is the only mistake Bryant made, he has paid dearly.

The ruling is especially troubling to me, because it only pushes more players to leave school early for the pros.  While, this is only a small subset, the overall message sent about the importance of an education takes a hit.  When star players like Tim Tebow and Tyler Hansbrough exhaust their eligibility the media praises their example non-stop.  You know what?  This is a good thing!  When star players like Bryant come back to school the NCAA should do all they can to welcome them back into the fold.  At the very least he should be allowed to play in Oklahoma State’s Bowl Game.

Readers of this blog are probably very familiar with the story of Myron Rolle, the former Florida State cornerback who is pushing off a potential NFL career to study at Oxford.  Rolle made major headlines throughout the last football season as he bounced between games and the Rhodes Scholar interview process.  Then he shocked even more observers by actually pushing off his NFL career for the opportunity to study abroad.  The New York Times check back in with Rolle and he confirms it was all worth it.

“I feel a little disappointed when I see guys playing on Sundays, especially guys I’m friends with,” said Rolle, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound safety. “But when I walk out of my accommodations in Norham Gardens and spend time with my friends and go to class, I realize that I did make a good choice. It’s been worth it.”

Although he misses football, Rolle has forged friendships that cross cultures and continents. He takes stimulating classes in which discussions and engaging classmates matter more than papers and tests.

“I think it’s a great message for all of us,” N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell said of Rolle’s decision to attend Oxford. “Even the greatest players don’t play forever. And they’re going to have to think about other careers, and he’s obviously thought about that at a young age.”

He still works out every morning and practices with the rugby team in preparation for next year’s draft, but Rolle is living proof that the student-athlete is very much alive.

At NCSA we often get asked, “What are College Coaches looking for?”   Coaches evaluate players on three main factors; academics, athletics, and overall character.  NCSA has taken the extra step of breaking down the athletic criteria for every sport to help athletes target the proper schools and set training goals.  The guidelines have been compiled from our experience placing athletes at every level for the last 10 years.  I encourage every recruit to take a look at their sport’s guidelines and learn what coaches are REALLY looking for.

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

Nobody enjoys writing about saddening events, especially when these events occur in the world of sports. Sport, at its very core, is merely a game played by people of all ages. Regardless of the ability or the age, anyone involved in a sport is there for their passion and love of the game. To mix sports with tragedy is seldom necessary, but when it occurs, it should be discussed to learn valuable lessons. I feel compelled to write about a recent piece of news that has shocked the sporting world across the country and it occurred on the campus of the University of Connecticut. UConn junior cornerback Jasper Howard was killed over the weekend, on campus, after a school event had let out. Apparently, Howard and a few of his teammates were involved in an altercation and he was stabbed to death. Howard was only 20 years old.

Again, this is a sad and tragic story that has left an entire football team, an entire campus and an entire nation in mourning. Perhaps Howard wasn’t the most known player in the NCAA and maybe he wouldn’t have gone on to play professionally, but he was a student-athlete just the same as any other kid playing at the collegiate level. However, there are lessons to be learned from this horrible event and these lessons can be applied not just to sports, but to everyday life.

Everyday, we here at the National Collegiate Scouting Association help high school student-athletes fulfill their dreams of playing their sports at the collegiate level. Remembering back to my youth, I was ecstatic to be playing the sport I love at the next level. I can only hope that today’s student-athletes share the same passion and fervor that I had when it came to playing sports. With that being said, student-athletes need to realize the importance of maximizing every opportunity they are given, whether it’s on the playing field or in the classroom. If a coach gives you the opportunity to perform, play like there is no tomorrow and make the most of it. If a teacher gives you an extra credit opportunity, take full advantage of it and boost your grade in the class. If your parents are willing to give you opportunities like playing a sport or attending a certain school, embrace that opportunity with open arms.

I feel I can say this having played my last collegiate baseball game, but there will come a time in every athlete’s life when they are no longer playing the game they grew up with. I had been playing baseball since the age of 5 so when I played my last collegiate baseball game at age 22, I felt a huge emptiness afterwards. After I graduated I took a summer off of baseball for the first time in 17 years and concentrated on my professional endeavors. This turned out to be more difficult and painful than I had ever imagined as I yearned for the game more than ever. What the time away from the game showed me was that I was so glad that I had no regrets when it came to maximizing every opportunity I was given from family, teachers, coaches and friends. From my parents introducing me to the game to getting an early opportunity to fill in for a struggling upperclassmen my freshman year at college, I took full advantage of every opportunity to play the game I love.

It is truly unfortunate that it usually takes something drastic and eye opening to bring us back to reality and realize how grateful we should be for everything that we have. In this case, it happened to be the death of an NCAA athlete that makes us realize how lucky we all should be. For all student-athletes out there, take advantage of the opportunities you have been given and don’t ever take anything for granted. Always carry yourself with respect and humbleness because there will be a time in your life when you no longer have the sport you play to fall back on. Someday your priorities will shift drastically and you will want the confidence and knowledge that you have no regrets about the way you went about it.

I would like to personally send my condolences to the family of Jasper Howard, the UConn football team and the rest of the UConn student body. They may never read this article or receive these condolences, but the message of Jasper’s untimely death is clear; make the most of your opportunities and abilities, be humble and respectful and be appreciative of the time you are able to spend playing the sport you love because there will be a time when you no longer have that sport to play. Make the most of it!

A record breaking senior All-State football player.  Sounds like a shoo-in for a big-time athletic scholarship.  15 years go; Absolutely.  Today; No longer a guarantee.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports on Parkview’s Jay Davis who despite being on pace to top school legend Jeff Franceur’s single season mark for receptions, lacks a scholarship offer from major BCS schools.

Within the last five years, methods of recruiting have changed drastically, with colleges both offering scholarships to and accepting commitments from primarily high school juniors.

Who is hurt most in this shift to early recruiting? Seniors such as Davis, who are late bloomers. Some players need a little longer to shine, be it because of player development, injuries as juniors, or simply being stuck behind older teammates on the depth chart in past seasons.

“It’s not impossible for a young man to come out of the blue as a senior and earn a big-time scholarship offer, but the odds are a lot longer than they used to be,” North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire said. “Just about every college coach that stops by our school these days is asking about juniors and sophomores. They are finished with seniors, unless something happens.”

Fortunately for North Gwinnett’s overlooked seniors, something did happen when teammate JaWuan James backed off his early commitment to Alabama and is now researching the 50 college offers he stacked up last spring as a junior. North Gwinnett wide receiver Cordero Dixon, who missed most of his junior season with a leg injury, is getting a few extra looks by colleges now pursuing James.

At Parkview, Davis is flourishing with 46 catches in eight games, one shy of Francoeur’s school record (47 in 2000 season). The Panthers didn’t plan on passing as much this season, but changed their minds after the rapid improvement of Davis and another late-blooming senior, quarterback Kalik Barnes.

The 6-foot-1 Davis has an offer from Miami of Ohio, but no other takers yet from the dozens of schools that are still evaluating senior film.

“This kid is so talented and worthy of a big-time offer … he has made some of the hardest catches of any player I’ve ever coached,” Parkview coach Cecil Flowe said. “He can play ACC or SEC football, no doubt about it. Yet I’m afraid because he didn’t start full-time last year at wide receiver and have junior stats, that he is being overlooked.”

It’s easy to see why colleges are offering players earlier than ever: if they wait too long, they run the risk of being left out of the running for a particular prospect.

Davis’ story is just another example of why athletes need to start the recruiting process earlier than ever.  When is the right time to start?  Whenever a recruit is sure he wants to play in college.  Once they’ve come to that important decision there are many steps that need to happen.  If Davis had been in touch with coaches earlier than this year, chances are likely he would have more offers.  Once that first offered is secured, things usually snowball into several offers.  By not starting early Davis never gave the recruiting process a chance to snowball.  Don’t let the same thing happen to you!

In the world of college athletics fans  and players alike worry about rankings.  What everyone should realize is that the only group that really matters doesn’t really care too much.  College coaches are the only people who can award scholarships.  They might politic reporters after the fact, but during the evaluation process schools could care less what there class is ranked.  Many times rankings don’t come close to measuring the true potential of a recruiting class as this ESPN.com chat points out.

Greg from Cincinnati writes: As a Bearcats fan, I’m thrilled over the year they’re having. However, what concerns me is that, short of an epic choke, this will be the second year in a row with a Big East title and BCS Bowl Game, and third year in a row with at least 10 wins, but they still are not bringing in the “elite” prospects. Cincinnati is a hotbed of football and always boasts a handful of top ranked high school teams and prospects on the national scale, but they are still being out-recruited by other Big East teams like WVU and Pitt. What are your thoughts?

Brian Bennett: My thoughts are that a few years ago, Cincinnati’s recruiting classes were ranked among the worst, if not dead last, in the entire Big East. Those same players are now working toward a second straight Big East title and BCS berth. So don’t worry too much about recruiting rankings.

With all of the useful recruiting information provided on this blog, why do families use NCSA?  Here are some answers:

NCSA has been well worth the investment. I now actually consider it a bargain.

NCSA has taught us how to approach recruiting. Would have no idea without NCSA’s help.

NCSA gives the athlete a lot of exposure. It also lets you know DI is not the only division out there! The information available to the student-athlete from NCSA (coaching sessions, newsletters, reminders about the profiles, etc…) are very helpful in what you should be doing at certain times.

The coach knows us personally and we are more than just a person in a file.

My initial reaction was one of skepticism. I had just invested in an unknown commodity. I was concerned about the direction my son would be receiving and whether or not our goals would be taken into account or whether we would be pushed off to some obscure college just to fill a quota. I was impressed with Coach Matt Roe. He was upfront with us and put together a plan of action that was along the lines of our goals and my son’s ambitions. This was our first session so we still have a long way to go, but if the rest of the sessions and coaching go as well as the first session my concerns will be alleviated and my son’s college football future assured.

You have helped me through all the proper recruiting steps and guided me to the colleges that meet my needs and expectations. Also have explained to me the importance of any extracurricular activities and how it could help for a college application.

You have done everything we could ask for and the info and leadership is right on. NCSA has been the best thing we ever did for our son to get recruited.

Before I joined NCSA, I didn’t realize half the things I had to do in order to get myself out there to coaches. Now that I am part of it, NCSA is kind of like a guide that helps me. E. They don’t do my work for me, but make sure I’m doing the right things to get noticed. Just a big help in general. And the people are really nice.

NCSA has opened a lot of doors for me. It has helped me to get looks from colleges that never would have known about me otherwise. If I get to go to any of the schools that have contacted me for basketball I definitely owe a lot of that to NCSA.

NCSA is for real. It has a system and a process that alerts its athletes of many crucial points about being recruited. In short it is a great tool and resource to play at the next level. 

NCSA is a good resource. The athlete can get as much out of the program as they want. The resources are there, it is up to the athlete to use them all.

The web based information you provide is great. We got off on a bad foot but I have to tell you you guys “rock” and the thing is, as a family, we are learning the process. Don’t you worry, I have already recommended friends and other folks to NCSA.

I am now realizing the value of the investment with NCSA., Our son is realizing the potential also by the letters he is receiving vs. the results his teammates are getting from colleges.

We have had nothing but great experiences with NCSA. You’re always there when we need you and give us good advice. Amanda Rawson has been great and very helpful. She’s very knowledgeable about the recruiting process. Jon has already been accepted at one of his #1 college choices and just waiting for the other one to respond regarding admission.

NCSA provides athletes with a wealth of information. I think it’s imperative that any athlete looking to play at the next level get involved with NCSA.

I know Jay would not have received so many phone calls and letters that he did without this service. Some of the best LAX schools in the country have contacted him solely off his video!!!!

NCSA provides me with resources that help me maximize my time through the recruiting process as well as has a game plan in place to help me get recruited.

I think NCSA has a good recruiting process that helps underrated and undiscovered football players such as myself get five steps closer to receiving a scholarship.

In the summer of 2003 I made a pilgrimage to the place that every high-school baseball player looking to play in college should go. I had always wanted to go to this place and I still look forward to the time when I will return. The place I speak of is Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, home of the College World Series. My summer travel team was competing in a tournament in Omaha and by design, we purchased tickets to go watch a weekend’s worth of college baseball at the highest level of competition. I remember everything about that trip from stealing 2nd base during a game of my own and, in the process, tearing open my chin (I still have the scar) to standing next to ESPN’s Kenny Mayne at a urinal in one of the bathrooms at Rosenblatt. The College World Series is college baseball and from then on I knew that not playing baseball in college was not an option.

 At the time, and partly due to my amazing experience in Omaha, my expectations were unrealistic. My summer coach asked me for a list of schools I’d like him to send my information to and I quickly scribbled down a list of top Division I programs I had seen playing at Rosenblatt. For me to think that I had an opportunity to play at some of these top schools was very unrealistic for me in terms of my recruiting process and my abilities as a baseball player. In other words, I was a DIII player looking to play baseball at the Division I level, except I wasn’t aware of this. When I soon realized that I would be playing baseball in college at the DIII level, I was slightly disappointed. But looking back, I understand why I was a DIII player and I don’t regret the decision I made to play baseball in college at that level. Not only had I not gotten enough exposure at an early enough age or been aware of such services such as the National Collegiate Scouting Association, but plain and simple, I just wasn’t good enough. Looking back on this I can’t help but smile at my own naivety and the fact that I am 100% satisfied with the decision I made to play baseball at John Carroll University. I may have never gotten the chance to play in Omaha or get interviewed by Erin Andrews after a big win, but I did get to play the game I love at the collegiate level. I did get to forge bonds and friendships that will last a lifetime and I did become a better all-around person by learning the values of hard work, dedication and teamwork.

We all tune in to watch big time college football programs compete on Saturdays during football season, and everyone loves the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament come March, but for those of us who won’t ever compete at that nationally acclaimed level, take pride in the following facts:

1. You train just as hard as anyone to compete at your full potential in the sport that you love.

2. You attend class just like every other student in every other college, except you have made sacrifices to prepare for games and practice as well.

3. You will form life-lasting bonds with teammates that are just as strong as those bonds that are formed at higher levels of competition.

4. You will become a better all-around person for the hard work you dedicate to your team and to your school work.

So, in my situation, while playing baseball in college was very different than someone playing baseball at a big time DI program, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. The memories I have of the experiences I went through during my playing days in college will last forever and no one can take that away from me. What I want to stress to all student-athletes is to be realistic about their expectations when it comes to playing their sport at the collegiate level. The sooner that you do this, the sooner you can embrace your future experiences as a collegiate athlete, whether it’s playing for a top tier DI program or competing for DIII school. Please believe me when I say it’s not about the recognition, or the television highlights, or the contracts with Nike and Adidas. It’s about putting on the same uniform as your teammates and competing in the sport you all love to achieve one common goal…winning. A win is the same at the DI level as it is at the DIII level and for a serious student-athlete looking to compete in college, winning is all that should matter.