NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

One of the most important parts of the recruiting process is getting a realistic evaluation of where the High School student-athlete best fits for College Sports. I heard valuable insights on this while attending the Indiana Athletic Director’s Conference in Indianapolis. Chris Geesman, retired former Penn High Football Coach, spoke before standing room only crowds of A.D.’s  at the conference alongside former Ben Davis Football Coach Dick Dullaghan. They formed the Legends Advisory Group to help High School athletic departments around the country in staff development and other areas.

NCSA Recruiting Expert Charlie Adams

In over three decades as a head football coach, Geesman helped place dozens and dozens of athletes in college, from the University of Michigan to Franklin College. Along the way, many of them started out not having a realistic evaluation of where they best fit.

“Most kids, “said Geesman” are a level above as far as projecting where they realistically can play college and most parents are two levels above.”

Geesman explained how he helped kids in the recruiting process.

“I told them I would try to place you where you want to play,” said Geesman. “I would call the college coach and make sure they got tape at whatever program they wanted, which often was Notre Dame since we were located near them. The athlete’s part of the deal was to listen to every offer, whether it was Grand Valley State, Hillsdale, University of Indianapolis, Findlay or what have you. You listen to their coaches while we’re trying to place you at Notre Dame. About two thirds of the way through the recruiting process, everything kind of sorted itself out. The kid who started out thinking ND would come to me and say, “Hey coach, can you get me a visit to Indianapolis?” I never told him he couldn’t play at Notre Dame. They usually came to the realization that a smaller school might be better.”

During Geesman’s era, there was a definite lack of recruiting education for families. “I think we are starting to see more awareness about the recruiting process now,” said Geesman. “(NCSA’s) Charlie Adams is speaking about it a lot and people are learning more. I think a lot of families still don’t understand how good the high level of D3 is in college.”

In his popular book with co author Wes Doi “The Geesman Game” corbypublishing.com Geesman wrote a chapter on the 60 Things he Learned during all his years as a head coach. It is a valuable resource for coaches of all sports when it comes to building and running a championship program. In regards to kids getting scholarships, he did write that as much as he tried to help, some young men simply weren’t grateful. “Some players are so self-centered that they don’t really appreciate all the time you have put in on their behalf,” wrote Geesman in the book. “I had a kid one year who I worked extremely hard to place in a college. I sent films. I called everywhere. I got him D2 visits where they can basically work you out. I spent more time trying to get this kid placed, and he ended up not getting a scholarship. Then I heard him say, “Hey, Coach Geesman screwed me.” He should have come in and got on his knees to thank me for all the effort I put in, but he was so self-centered. I don’t think he appreciated the time that was invested. Don’t get me wrong. Most kids are great, and I’ve had a lot of great feedback from players, but don’t expect it, and you’ll never have your feelings hurt. When that appreciation does come, it is special. A thank you for a person in education means a lot.”

Geesman’s point explains why many High School coaches are not involved in the process like he used to be. In today’s world they are overloaded with job duties because of staff reductions at schools and after awhile many get weary of trying to place a kid at a realistic level only to hear the kid is not interested “because it’s not D1.”

One of the hot points Geesman and Dullaghan addressed was the growing trend to “specialize” in a sport. While in many cases kids specialize because they have a parent hell-bent on them getting an athletic scholarship, you often have the case of an aggressive high school coach who wants kids to focus on their sport.

“A kid should never have to choose a sport in High School,” said Geesman, who was a strong proponent on his football players getting involved in other sports. Geesman also strongly encouraged his players to go to school plays, musicals and other extracurricular events to appreciate all the talent at Penn High School. “The world doesn’t revolve around carrying a football,” Geesman said, who was constantly in attendance at such events himself.

Dullaghan, who was a legendary head football coach at Indianapolis power Ben Davis, agreed with Geesman about athletes not specializing in a sport in High School. He shared the story of a head coach in another sport that told his athletes they would be “11, 6, 4″ kids in that sport. “He meant for eleven months of the year, six days a week, and four hours a day they were to play that sport and not be involved in others,” said Dullaghan, who immediately confronted the coach to tell him his strong feelings on how athletes should be shared, and that coach changed his “sport specializion” tune.

If you would like to know more about what Dullaghan and Geesman as well as their panel of experts do to help athletic departments, you can learn more at Legends Advisory Group.

To bring a NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network speaker to your School, Club or special event to educate families on the recruiting process click here

Earlier, Geesman explained how he observed parents and athletes struggle with understanding the evaluation process. It is critical to understand where your athlete best fits so that the recruiting process will play out as smooth as possible. If you would like a NCSA College Scout to help you with a realistic evaluation of where your athlete is in the recruiting process now click here

Charlie Adams, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Recruiting Expert

cadams@ncsasports.org

To bring Charlie in to speak to your School, Club or Event about Recruiting, contact Amanda Rawson at arawson@ncsasports.org

(Editor’s Note - There is a strong discussion at the bottom of this Charlie Adams article about what the role of the High School/Club coach should be in recruiting. Please feel free to contribute your thoughts and experiences there)

Indianapolis Cathedral High School has won 7 State Football championships and 23 IHSAA State Championships in all.  Cathedral Head Football Coach Rick Streiff brought me in to deliver NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified in a a football-specific presentation to his families. Over 100 people poured into the school to learn about recruiting.

Cathedral (Indianapolis) HS Football Coach Rick Streiff introduces NCSA's Charlie Adams

One of his concerns is the continuing belief by some parents that it is truly “the job” of the High School coach to get their kid an athletic scholarship in college.

“Parents need to know that I can’t get their child a scholarship,” said Coach Streiff. “Do I help? Yes. But, I am not “The Process.” Streiff emphasized that he will talk to college coaches about the character and the academics of his players. If families ask for help in a realistic evaluation of where their child can play at the next level, he will give his honest evaluation. Whether they accept it or not is up to them. He did say that his years of experience have shown him that the better the grades, the more options a player has in recruiting.  Period.
Cathedral has produced their share of D1 athletes, but one of his frustrations is families don’t understand how competitive college sports are at all levels.

“Go watch a Wabash vs DePauw football game at D3,” he told me before I delivered College Recruiting Simplified. “There will be 10 to 15 to 20 All State football players in the game. They are really good. They may not be as big or fast as D1 but they can play.” I told the audience how Indianapolis Colts receiver Pierre Garcon had played at D3 power Mt. Union in Ohio.

Regarding D1 he said families need to know how much more accelerated the recruiting process is at that fiercely competitive level. He has had good players miss out because they started the recruiting process too late. “By senior year they find many of the D1′s have filled up their scholarships and the parents get really frustrated. It’s tough.”

If you aspire to play D1 and have the realistic potential, you had better start early, and I continue to tell families regardless of the level your child will play in college, start the recruiting PROCESS by at least by 9th grade. Athletes are on the clock academically Day One of 9th grade. Whether they are varsity or not, they should be making their baskets in the classroom, scoring their goals in the classroom, and so on. They need to be getting educated on the recruiting process and in some cases starting to take unofficial visits.

The families came away from the presentation loaded with information on how to tackle the process. To bring one of NCSA’s Educational Speakers to your School, Club or Event contact us here
****************************************

FORMER NATIONAL CHAMP AT INDIANA REFLECTS ON HIS RECRUITING

There is so much that goes into being a successful college student-athlete. While driving to speak on recruiting recently, I came across a radio program on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis. Former Indiana University basketball star Kent Benson was on, reflecting on his college recruiting process back in the mid 1970′s. Benson went on to play for the last undefeated team in men’s division one college basketball – the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers of Bobby Knight. As far as the recruiting process, he had a lot of wisdom to share that would benefit athletes today.

Some young people don’t understand the commitment it takes to be a college athlete. In the interview, Benson shared how he would often play basketball ten to twelve to fourteen hours a day at the local Baker Park. I understand burnout is an issue for some kids today, but Benson never grew weary of trying to get better.

He talked about the four D’s he followed: desire, determination, dedication and discipline. He firmly believes when you realize analyze those four words, they are applicable to recruiting and success in College sports.

Benson had the God given gift of the size to play D1. He was about 6’10″. His work ethic then made him one of the most recruited athletes in High School. As far as recruiting, he had a plan and he had reasons for considering certain schools. He said he considered Purdue because he grew up in an agriculture community. He considered Notre Dame because of his family’s strong Catholic faith and their respect for coach Digger Phelps. He considered Indiana because it was the state University and he looked at Kentucky because of its rich tradition in basketball. He took Visits. In the end, he felt the right fit was Indiana and went there. Like Benson, it is important for young people to research Universities. Have a plan, like Benson did. He just didn’t wait to see who would come after him. He put a lot of thought into it and had solid reasons for considering certain Universities.

He talked about commitment. Indiana went 32-0 his junior year and won the National Championship. Most everyone else was seniors and left. He could have too but in the recruiting process he asked coaches if they would be there all four years. Bobby Knight had said yes, so Benson felt he need to honor his end of the commitment too. He stayed his senior year on a rebuilding team.

It has been about 35 years since Benson was a college athlete. At the end of the interview, he told the radio host that not a day goes by that he doesn’t reflect on his experiences.

If you have questions on the recruiting process or would like an Evaluation of where you stand you can Click Here or contact me at cadams@ncsasports.org

Charlie Adams

NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Recruiting Network

Besides speaking on the College Athletics Recruiting process, I work with many of our Recruiting Experts at NCSA in helping them fine tune the powerful “College Recruiting Simplified” presentations they deliver at High Schools, Camps, Showcases, Combines and other events and locations. These men and women are dedicated to changing lives by inspiring and educating families on what it takes to connect with scholarships and college athletics opportunities. Director of Speakers Izell Reese brings in men and women of character and integrity with remarkable backgrounds in recruiting. I love hearing their stories and seeing them go out and impact audiences.

NCSA Recruiting Expert Jimmy Gonzalez

Jimmy Gonzalez was in the NCSA offices in early 2011 to join our team of Recruiting Experts. He now speaks at High Schools all over Texas, and beyond. To bring him in to your School, contact Amanda Rawson at arawson@ncsasports.org  Gonzalez used to be Director of Football Operations for Oklahoma State. His career saw him also work as Director of Player Development at Notre Dame and serve on staffs at Texas and Oklahoma in administrative capacities. Prior to that he coached for almost 15 years at Duke, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Tulsa. He is steeped in credibility when it comes to speaking on recruiting.

Gonzalez shared some things with me that you can benefit from regardless of your sport. For example, if you want to be a college athlete, it is imperative you play hard all the time in High School and other athletic events. When Gonzalez evaluated video for College football recruiting, he looked for effort.

“If a play goes away from a football player,” Gonzalez told me, “I would look to see if the player just stood there or busted his tail to get over to that side of the field to see if he could do something. It’s like in basketball. If a fast break develops, do you trail, or just stand back? College coaches watch those things.”

His comment reminded me of a time I picked up a newspaper in California while speaking there and read of a new College football coach rebuilding a program. He said when looking at video if a receiver did not block hard even if the play was away from him, that Coach stopped the video and moved to the next prospect’s video.

People ask a lot about whether their child should specialize in a sport to help their odds of getting a College scholarship or play multiple sports.

“When I looked at football players I liked to see if they did other sports like track and field,” said Gonzalez. “We were always looking for verified information and if a kid claims he can run a 4.4 40 in football that would mean he should run about a 10.5 100 meters. That’s where Track can help him. If a player can really throw the shot or discus that would tell us he has a lot of explosiveness in his body.”

As I write this, a lot is being made that Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers didn’t get much D1 interest out of High School for various reasons. He started out in Junior College. Gonzalez told me of when he was on the staff at Tulsa. Barry Sanders, who would go on to possibly be the most exciting running back in football history, went under the radar as far as recruiting. Only Tulsa, Wichita State (which doesn’t have football anymore) and Kansas State (they were really bad back then) recruited him.

“Oklahoma State didn’t get in on him until a few days before Signing Day,” said Gonzalez. “Their top two tailbacks on their recruiting board went somewhere else. Otherwise they wouldn’t have gone after him.”

If Barry “quicker than a butterfly with hiccups” Sanders had trouble being recruited what does that tell you about being proactive? Jerry Rice and Walter Payton went under the major D1 radar in their day.

Gonzales is from football mad Texas and will be speaking at High Schools around the state to educate families on the College Athletics Recruiting process. He will encourage them to follow their dream of D1 if they have the God given ability and the commitment to play at that level, but to also be open to all levels. Gonzalez grew up adoring the University of Texas and would get goosebumps driving by the Longhorns Stadium. His dream was to play there but he had a few things going against him. He wasn’t good enough, strong enough, big enough or fast enough to play major D1. He played at Texas Lutheran, a NAIA school, where he earned his degree in Political Science.

“It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Gonzalez. “I got to continue to be involved in athletics and around the game of football. I am still close to my college teammates.”

When reflecting on his days of helping to evaluate College football prospects, Gonzalez shared these insights.

* “Whenever I was told of a possible prospect the first thing out of my mouth would always be ‘how are the grades?’”

* “I have always felt young people should find a school based on academics first. I would always say if you got hurt the first day of practice make sure it is at a school you like for reasons other than your sport”

* “A lot of people get form letters and think they are being recruited. When I coordinated recruiting we would send out 1000 letters. It became a process of elimination down to about 25. In football you can find out real fast where you stand with D1′s in April of your junior year. From April 15 to May 31 College coaches can call a prospect once. If you don’t get a call April 15 maybe you’re still okay. April 16…? April 17th? I would question whether you are being recruited by those schools. I would know the ten guys I was going to call on April 15th.”

Jimmy Gonzalez is dedicated to helping educate families around Texas and all over about the ‘5 Things they Must Know and the 5 Things they MUST Do’ to have a successful recruiting experience. It is critical that Recruiting Education be made available to families. NCSA has over 30 Recruiting Experts that can inform parents, athletes and coaches on recruiting as it is today.

To bring a NCSA Recruiting Expert to your High School, Club or Special Event

If you have any questions about bringing in an Expert or about the Recruiting Process: cadams@ncsasports.org

NCSA Recruiting Expert Charlie Adams meets with families

Florida State Coach Jimbo Fischer had some huge recruiting boots to fill taking over for the legendary Bobby Bowden.  He more than filled them yesterday hauling in what most analysts are calling the number one recruiting class in the country.  After the ink was dry on the National Letters of Intent he spoke with reports on how FSU’s class came together.  His remarks should be very telling to recruits.

“People ask if it matters if you get the No. 1 class, and to me it really doesn’t,” Fisher said. “I don’t mean that in a negative way, because it’s the guys we wanted. We started taking guys before they had stars out. I don’t care. We can identify and we recruit our own guys.”

“We’re just doing it earlier,” Fisher said. “Florida State was always famous for closing. Times have changed. Because the ability to communicate is at such a different level now, kids know more about where they’re wanting to go and what they want to do. It’s much more important to do things early.”

He specifically pointed to the fact that they don’t put stock in ratings or stars on a website.  They perform their own evaluations of players very early in the process.    Recruits need to understand this fundamental fact of recruiting:  You need to get your recruiting information to college coaches as early as possible.

Outside the Lines on ESPN aired a revealing segment on College Football Recruiting Jan. 28th. And, the latest issue of ESPN the Magazine is dedicated to “Recruiting Confidential” with extensive coverage of the recruiting process in many sports.

Below is what “Outside the Lines” and host Bob Ley of ESPN reported from their poll of elite high school football prospects on recruiting at the high level of D1 in College Football:

In the high-powered and pressurized numbers game that is college football recruiting, schools elbow each other verbally if not literally to ingratiate themselves with the blue chip high school players.
“ESPN the Magazine” polled 50 elite high school football players, young men hearing the pitches and promises from all the major schools reveals much about the process.
When asked what percentage of what they’re told by college recruiter is a lie, the average was an astounding 61.5%.
In the wake of Cecil Newton’s pay or play pitch for his son, Heisman winner and national champion Cam Newton, we posed the question, if you knew no one would ever find out, would you accept $50,000 from a recruiter?
Even with the cloak of anonymity more than 20% of these young men said yes, they would take a recruiter’s cash.
So who does make the call for a young, elite football player?
Among those we polled, more than 2/3 of those said they’re on the same page with their parents over their college selection.
When we asked for the single person most influential in that decision 52% said their fathers, 38% said mom and only 10% cited their high school coach.
As for that high school experience to the question, did anyone there in high school take performance enhancers?
More than a 1/4 of those elite athletes said yes.
When it came time to travel to universities for an official visit, 57% of these high school stars (Division 1 football prospects) said drugs and alcohol were available to them on that visit.
The NCAA is investigating the University of Tennessee’s football recruiting practices with a big part of the probe sitting on so-called recruiting hostesses.
There’s recruiting by coaches and then recruiting hostesses.
63% Of the players said they believe schools used hostess es to influence their decision and of those, 70% of the players said the tactics simply did not work.

*********

You can view the segment down below.

The Recruiting Confidential issue of “ESPN the Magazine” is out Friday January 28 . The magazine covers such subjects as:

* South Pointe (S.C.) High’s defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and 24 other top preps from 1986 to present weigh in on what it truly means to be the nation’s No. 1 high school football recruit.  “At first, it’s a big thrill when coaches like Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier call. But by the middle of the year, that feeling wore off. Now I just let the calls go to voicemail. What else can they tell me? I would say, though, that Alabama and South Carolina have done the best job of recruiting me.”

* In “Unhealthy Climate,” The Mag writers Luke Cyphers and Kate Fagan investigate the veiled homophobic language some women’s college hoops coaches allegedly use to sway recruits from going to certain schools.

* The magazine says it will also get into subjects such as how College baseball coaches divide fewer than 12 scholarships among 27 players, and a reporter goes behind the scenes at the NCAA Eligibility  in Indianapolis to see how the 57 employees in that building handle all the eligibility and amateur status of thousands of prospective recruits.

To see ESPN Outside the Lines host Bob Ley’s report on the results of the ESPN the Magazine poll click here

Charlie Adams, NCSA Senior Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org

Top High School athletes, especially in football and boy’s basketball, have to understand how important it is that they use football or basketball – or whatever the sport – as a means to get a quality education, and not let football – or any sport – use them as someone who just does enough to stay eligible through College.

NCSA Speaker Charlie Adams inspires athletes

Whenever I travel to speak on recruiting I always pick up the local paper and inevitably find content that has something to do with recruiting or the impact of being a College student-athlete. Traveling out of DC after speaking at a Combine, I read a Washington Post article on Washington Redskins linebacker Rocky McIntosh. He played College football at the U – the University of Miami. McIntosh took total advantage of being on scholarship and getting the max out of his experience. Here is part of the article by Rick Maese:

McIntosh left Miami with degrees in criminology and English. He was just a few credits short of a third degree in African-American studies.

“I had to get as much as I could out of there because they were going to get as much as they could out of me,” McIntosh said.

In college, he interned for two summers at a prominent Miami law office. On the Wonderlic Personnel Test, an intelligence assessment given each year to NFL prospects, he scored a 29, a number usually reserved for quarterbacks and offensive tackles.

Even after entering the league, he’s kept his nose in the books. McIntosh has completed two sessions of classes at the Wharton business school at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Business School in an NFL-sponsored program.

Rocky McIntosh - has two degrees

This is a player in his 5th year in the NFL. He continues to use football as a way to set himself up for the next 40 or 50 years of his life. Did you catch his quote about his days at Miami, where he earned two degrees? He said he had to get as much out of there as he could because they were going to get as much out of him! There is a player that ‘gets it.’ While in College he made sure he got quality internships.

Certainly at the D1 level they will own a piece of your hide. That’s what McIntosh meant when he said they were going to get as much out of him. He was fine with that because he was on full scholarship, but he attacked the books just like he did ball carriers. He made sure he wasn’t one of those players that got chewed up and spit out without a quality degree.

A lot is made about College head coaches being responsible for the athletes academic progress, and they’d better make sure their players are sound or they will have eligiblity issues and all kinds of challenges. But players and families have to understand it is up to the player to make sure he or she gets the most out of their educational window. A lot of these coaches are under massive pressure to win, especially at the D1 level, and while they do want their athletes to do well in the classroom they have to produce in the ‘W’ column or it is ‘bye bye.’

I went to the University of Mississippi. I remember sitting in class next to some football players that were there only to do what they needed to do to stay academically eligible. Some thought it didn’t really matter if they graduated because they thought for sure they were going pro and they would make a boatload of money and be set. In reality, they usually weren’t even drafted and became NFL free agents that lasted in “the League” about as long as it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Then they were cast to the streets without a degree. That’s a sickening feeling.

On the same hand, I remember sitting next to football players such as Kent Austin. He worked his tail off in the classroom (4-time SEC All Academic team) and on the field (6184 passing yards in the SEC) as a QB for Ole Miss. He earned the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award in 1985 and was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate scholarship in 1986. He played pro ball in Canada for a long time, got into coaching and was recently named Head Coach of Cornell University in the Ivy League.

He was busy as he could be as a QB in the rugged SEC, but he made the most of his academic window as well, and he always had time to speak in the community. I remember him coming out on a Sunday night to speak to the youth of the Church I attended in Oxford. One of his good friends was defensive lineman Bryan Kennedy, who earned 3 letters for Ole Miss. He racked up 69 tackles and had 2 fumble recoveries as a senior. I remember always seeing him in class, participating and working hard. Kennedy graduated and got into the music industry. He has written nine hits for country star Garth Brooks, including “Good Ride Cowboy,” “Beaches of Cheyenne” and “American Honky Tonk Bar Association.” Kennedy also opened for Brooks’ tours in the late 1990s.

So, as the recruiting process continues for you, remember people like Rocky McIntosh, Kent Austin and Bryan Kennedy, and make sure you get the most out of your academic window as a College athlete. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it down the road.

To learn how to connect with opportunities to be a student-athlete at the Collegiate level

To bring a NCSA Speaker in to emphasize the message of Academics and Character in the Recruiting process

Charlie Adams

NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Recruiting Expert

cadams@ncsasports.org

College coaches usually start with thousands of players on their recruiting boards. How do they manage to trim such a huge list into a signed, sealed and delivered? With a ton of hard evaluation work! Much of that work takes place inside, “The War Room,” where coaches deliberate on the various pluses (and minuses) a player brings to the table. Be sure to watch the segment below featuring the NCSA recruiting team reenacting what REALLY happens when coaches make the hard decisions that define a recruiting class.

NCSA Athletic Recruiting presented College Recruiting Simplified recently at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown South Bend, IN. The event was held in the Press Box facility where the Heisman Trophy portraits are displayed.

Athletes and their families attended the event to learn how to connect with college coaches and scholarships.

If you missed the event and would like to have an Evaluation of where you stand in the recruiting process click here

College Football Hall of Fame hosted NCSA's College Recruiting Simplified

Bobby Mouat is playing football at LaGrange College. How he got there is quite the story…..

“All we care about is to get our son and daughter something we never had,” said Bruce Mouat, the father. “That is an education in College.”

Flash back to Labor Day weekend of 1984. Bruce and Lisa were 18 and 19 years old, in love and destined to get married. They were going to enroll in College the Tuesday after the Labor Day weekend. Everything was perfect. Then, over that weekend, they pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store in Baltimore. Nearby they noticed a group that had obviously been partying pretty hard. A troublemaker in the group came over and was determined to start something. He claimed their car almost hit him, which was ridiculous. The hoodlum was dead set on creating a bad scene. Words were exchanged and in the blink of an eye the bad guy pulled out a gun and started firing into the car.

“To hear yourself scream at that level is something you never forget,” said Bruce. Glass shattered everywhere. People ran. Within seconds it was over. Lisa slumped over and said she had been hit. Blood was everywhere.”

“Thank God that Baltimore County Hospital was across the street,” said Bruce. “The guy had used hollow point bullets. A fragment of one hit her aorta. I got her in just in time to save her life. I don’t know if you remember the ‘Members Only’ jackets from that time, but I took mine off to wrap her. When I ran into the ER with her, the Police and other medics made me go into another room after I had given the staff my wife, and immediately strip down. They had to know that I was not hurt.”

“It was a nightmare. Needless to say, we did not enroll in College that Tuesday.”

Bruce says it took six months for Lisa to physically recover and over a year to overcome the hardest mental part of the recovery. Within that year her mother died of a massive stroke while playing cards and his Dad died in his arms from mesothelioma.

“It was a terrible time in our life,” said Bruce, “but it galvanized what has been a strong marriage ever since. To think that we were days away from enrolling in College, and then for all that to happen. We never did go to College, but it made us more determined that our kids would one day.”

Bruce and Lisa left Baltimore and settled in southern Georgia. They have two children. Their daughter is, true to their promise, attending a small College now. Their son Bobby was a hard working football player for Tiftarea Academy.

As a 12th grader, he was a 5’10” 205 pound inside linebacker who was constantly trying to improve any way he could. His dream was to be a college football player. He did not have the God given size or abilities to play on scholarship Between the Hedges in Athens for the Georgia Bulldogs or feel Nick Saban’s glare during practice at Alabama. He was a D3, NAIA and possibly D2 prospect, which was fine with him.

“He will be the first college athlete in our family,” said Bruce, at the time.

Recruiting was going nowhere for the Mouat family. “We live in rural Georgia,” said Bruce.” There are more dirt roads in our county than paved ones, no kidding. Our son plays for a school in Chula, Georgia. Not many College coaches have heard of Chula.”

They heard how NCSA helps families manage the recruiting process and matches College coaches with qualified student-athletes. They did an evaluation call.

“That Matt Roe of NCSA was tremendous,” said Bruce.

They came on board in April of his junior year and life has not been the same since.

“We could not duplicate the experience NCSA has given us,” said Bruce. We would have no idea how to get his name out to even a portion of what happened after his first distribution through NCSA. When we look at the viewership log so far, my wife and I feel it is the best investment we have made in our lives. I mean this could be a life changing event for our son and our family. The affect will be on generations to come, from where he goes to College.”

“He had over 200 College football programs look at his Player Profile. Some just look. Others have actively recruited him. The staff at the NCSA office in Chicago is always accommodating and things get done in a timely manner with a genuine care. That’s the way it comes across to me. We own a small Snap On Tools franchise. They have a great brand with name recognition which, to me, is a lot like NCSA”

“I love working with the people at NCSA. The program works.”

Bobby has had multiple scholarship offers. One school called six times. Projected to be a small college player, he ended up signing with LaGrange College in Georgia, a NCAA Division 3 member and a part of the Great South Atlantic  Conference.

“What I have learned about recruiting,” said Bruce, “is you have to do the work as well. You can’t just get into NCSA and sit back.”

While he was going through recruiting, Bobby wrote the following account of some of the things they have been doing that have resulted in scholarship offers:

1 -“We targeted schools provided it had a major I was interested in. We contacted head coaches, recruiting coaches and position coaches and pasted our ncsa link to our email introductions. We followed up any contact with a thank you email.

2 – Took a trip to New England and visited 3 colleges in 4 days. Vermont, Mass, and Pennsylvania. My father and I took thank you letters to give to coaches as we left. We met with coaching staff, took copies of ncsa highlight video and one full game video. We met with Admissions and followed up visit with thank you emails when we got home.

3 – I actively tried to improve my SAT and ACT test scores as I was diagnosed with ADHD last year and have struggled slightly to have the grades I want. I have made great improvements in school and have impressed my teachers. Although I never had terrible grades I am doing much better and have a lot more confidence. I have qualified on SAT for a lot of schools but feel I can do better on SAT and ACT to increase my chances.

4 – I am committed to the process and I am a first generation college bound student. My parents have committed all their time to helping and these three are by far not the only things we are doing.

– Bobby Mouat, 12^th grade Linebacker, Tiftarea Academy Football (now a College Football player)

During his senior year, I talked with Bobby about his perspective of being a High School athlete in NCSA. This is what he said at the time:

“It’s made a huge difference,” said Bobby. I have gone from pretty much not being recruited at all to a lot of schools. Every day I log on and look at the different schools and look at the Coach requests. I have found that they are looking for good athletes who are good students. We worked hard to make sure my video was up. I think it has had a great effect. In my video I played 3 or 4 positions and a lot of the College coaches tell me they find that very attractive. I have always loved playing football and I want to keep playing. I love the competition and always trying to get better.”

“What I like about being in NCSA is there is so much information at your fingertips,” said Bruce. “It is a blessing. You have to do the program for it to work. You can’t have an incomplete Profile. It would be like having a restaurant without a menu.”

“The resources offered were life changing.”

Charlie Adams

NCSA Recruiting Expert

cadams@ncsasports.org

NCSA's Charlie Adams helps families to understand the recruiting process

If you would like to do an Analysis of your potential to be recruited by College Coaches: Your Recruiting Evaluation

To bring a NCSA Educational speaker to your community

Here are some valuable insights for you from two former Indianapolis Warren Central High School athletes. I was on a panel discussion of recruiting with them in Indianapolis.

Butler University soccer player Cara Burchett and recently graduated Northern Illinois University football player Jason Onyebuagu stood up and shared valuable information that families with athletes in all sports can learn from.

At the time, Cara Burchett was a senior defender for the Butler soccer team. She started every game her senior season, and except for a stress fracture her junior season, played a lot during her college career. Here’s what Cara had to say about recruiting:

“I have played soccer since I was 3 years old. I have always wanted to be a college soccer player. My sister played Division 3 soccer. I was fortunate to play for a great Club Soccer team (Carmel Crossfire). Club is very important. We went to big Showcases in Las Vegas and Walt Disney World. There were a lot of college coaches there, but I wasn’t getting letters from them after going to those events. I learned that you have to have ways to put yourself out there so they know to look for you.”

“I really wanted to play Division 1 soccer. There were schools like Indiana University and Mid American Conference (MAC) schools recruiting me. IU was too big. I do well with more personalized instruction, where a Professor could sit down with me after a class. Ball State was not a fit. There was just something about Butler University that was right. My parents always said pick a school that if you can’t play your sport you will still love.”

“It is important to ask a lot of questions on your visits. You can sit in on classes. Those things are important.”

ANALYSIS: Cara was a 2 time All State Soccer player, 4 year varsity letter winner, played on a state championship Club team, and yet she didn’t get much response after going to Vegas and Orlando. College coaches, although open to ‘discovering’ kids if someone does something amazing right in front of them when they walk by, were primarily there to evaluate prospects on their lists. Cara learned that she had to be more proactive in the game of recruiting. An athlete that has a profile with all their accomplishments can contact college coaches, let them know their playing schedule, and get them access to their online profile. Cara became much more proactive in getting her information out to college coaches before Showcase events, so they made sure to spend time watching her play in person at those events.

In today’s world of recruiting, many coaches use NCSA to build their recruiting lists. Having an online profile there also enables athletes to reach out to specific coaches, let them know their schedule, and then send them a link to all their athletic and academic accomplishments on their profile.

Like Cara, Jason Onyebuagu had been a standout athlete at Warren Central High in Indy. At the Panel Discussion, he had more valuable insights that can help everyone go through their recruiting.

At Warren Central High School Jason was named team football captain, first team Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference, first team Indianapolis Star Super Team and 2005 Mr. Football Position Award (O-line), and first team Associated Press Class 5A All-State on 14-1 league and state champions as a senior. He was a 4 year Honor Roll student. Here is what he had to say:

“I didn’t realize what the recruiting process was all about. I landed in it. Young athletes ask me about recruiting. I say ‘enjoy it, the fact that someone wants you.’ A lot of people get frustrated.”

“I was a football-everything kid! Academics, though, came first. I always looked at it that if I wanted to play football, I had to have good grades. However, for the ACT and SAT I went in unprepared. Thankfully my core GPA was high. I got into Northern Illinois with a 19 ACT.”

“As far as my decision making process, I was good at football. However, I was the good football player that didn’t look good on paper. I never had that height that looked good on paper (he would grow to be 6’1″ and 308 pounds). I never let that get me down. I had a lot of offers. Going to Northern Illinois University was the best decision of my life. I enjoyed every second of it. Before going, my father sat me down and talked about the importance of getting a degree. I graduated early, in 3 1/2 years.”

“I remember when I took my Visit to Northern Illinois. It was very cold. After conversing with the coaches, I decided to commit. I wanted to go to a place where I would have a chance to play early (Oneyebuagu would go on to be a 4 year starter at Center for NIU and make First Team all Mid American Conference). Even after committing, other schools recruited me. Marshall came after me. I took a visit up there to West Virginia, which I felt bad about because I had told NIU I would come there. Well, they found out about it and the NIU assistant coach that had been recruiting me came right down to school the next Monday. That showed me they really wanted me. It is important to go to a school where they really want you. I had a great time playing college football. I had a chance to make the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL roster, but didn’t make it. My college coach talked to me a lot throughout that experience, which showed me again how much he cared about me, and how NIU was a school that really wanted me.”

“Find out who really wants you for WHO you are rather than just what you can do for their program.”

ANALYSIS: Great insights from Jason. At 6′ 1″ his lack of height hurt him as far as being recruited by major powerhouses as the D1 level, but he said that didn’t get him down. A realistic evaluation for him was a D1 program such as Northern Illinois (there are different levels of D1). As a result, he played major minutes all 4 years and said he loved every second of college.

Did you notice he got his degree in 3 1/2 years? He didn’t let college sports take advantage of him. He worked hard as a player and as a student, His pro aspirations ended quickly, but because he emphasized education while playing college football, he has a degree and a bright future. Sadly, many knuckleheads in college football take classes that keep them eligible, finish without a degree, get cut from the NFL, and go out into the world without a completed degree.

His point about finding the college where they really want you is big as well. When I speak, I emphasize finding the “right fit.” A school that really wants you for who you are as a person, and not just an athlete, is a right fit.

Jason is now in coaching and has the credentials to build a successful coaching career. Don’t be surprised to see this young man go on to accomplish significant things in life.

Another important point about Cara and Jason is that Division 1 was right for them. We often focus on the major time commitment of D1 and the pressures and all, but there are plenty of D1 kids that are fine with all of that, and have a remarkable experience. To be a D1 athlete is a major commitment, no doubt, but Jason said he loved every second of it and Cara is having unforgettable experiences at Butler. Their young Butler team just won the conference regular season soccer championship and they will host the conference tournament – memories she will have for a lifetime. This season they upset Milwaukee on the road, something no Horizon League team had been able to do in over 12 years. In that game Cara was given the challenge of defending Milwaukee’s Sarah Hagen the entire game. Hagen is the 2-time Horizon Conference Player of the Year. Cara did her job as Butler won 1-0.

20 years from now, Cara will have the gratifying feeling of knowing she was a college athlete. She will be able to reflect on the incredible pressure of defending a bigtime college star, and succeeding! Cara had one crack at the recruiting process, and she found the right fit. You get one shot too. You don’t get a mulligan,

What are you doing in recruiting to make sure you nail it like Cara and Jason?

For an Evaluation of where you are in the recruiting process

Charlie Adams

Senior National Speaker for the NCSA Recruiting Network

cadams@ncsasports.org