NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

One of the things I do here is share the experiences of families that are going through recruiting, so that you can learn things from what they are doing, and apply it to your situation. Though each sport is different, there are many common factors in recruiting.

A young lady named Dominique Dotson recently committed to play college lacrosse for Division One Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. I talked with her father, Duane, and asked him to share the recruiting story and what lessons they had learned through the process.

The Recruiting Experience of Dominique Dotson

“Charlie, Dominique wasn’t sure she wanted to play college sports until her sophomore year. The University of Notre Dame had a clinic here on Long Island. We went and she won an award. That peaked her interest and she wanted to play college. At that point, I knew I had to develop a plan. She got invited to a clinic on campus and did very well. The head coach at the time thought very highly of her so it appeared that would be where she would play. Well, my daughter took the foot off the recruiting gas thinking she didn’t have to do much. Then they had a head coaching change and I told her you need to look at other schools.

On September 1st of her junior year (that’s when D1 coaches can start emailing or writing personal letters) she started getting emails. The new head coach at Notre Dame wasn’t as interested as the past one (the new coach mentioned walk on, but that was it) so we were back to Square One. Dominique developed a list of 50 schools that she was interested in and started corresponding with many of them. In my research I learned that exposure was important so we went to a big showcase in Florida, the President’s Cup, during November because in my research I had learned that there would be a lot of college coaches there and she would get looked at. Sure enough, Liberty University saw her and got the message across that they were interested in her and wanted to know when she could visit. We visited not long afterwards, and on the second day they offered. She liked their academics and the fact she wouldn’t have to change positions as other college coaches were wanting her to do. It’s a new program at Liberty so she believed she would have a chance to play right away and be a part of something that was building from the ground up. She wasn’t promised that she would play right away but they made it clear that their interest in her showed that they thought she would have a shot.

One thing that is important for parents to know is that college coaches will ask you what other schools you are considering. My daughter told them, and that list included another team in their conference. The coach said she did not want to have to face her, so that was part of her decision to offer. She gave Dominique six weeks to decide, but after getting home and discussing it thoroughly my daughter called the coach the next day and accepted.

Lacrosse is basically all partial scholarships (like sports such as soccer, softball and baseball) so she is getting 40% athletic scholarship. Based on my research, that is rather generous for a freshman as it is usually 25% or 33%. Her academics are strong so that will cover a lot of the rest. It looks like about 90% will be covered.

My advice to parents is that recruiting is not over until the college coach states an offer and tells you how much it is. Camps and brochures and letters mean nothing until that concrete offer comes to you. Don’t take all of it personally and don’t get caught up on one school because that school may not be there at the end (with them it was Notre Dame at the start and Liberty University at the end). Keep your options open.

You have to anticipate coaching changes, especially in a sport like lacrosse where they are moving around a lot. Don’t fall in love with the coach but with the college. This was all a real emotional rollercoaster trying to read into what the coaches were meaning and with a teen whose thought patterns were changing daily. As parents we have to be the level headed one and expect our kids to change their minds.You have to keep reminding yourself it is your child being recruited and not you. On visits, parents, speak when spoken to. The college coach wants to ask your child questions. You will feel you know the answer better than he or she can answer it, so you will want to blurt it out, but don’t. College coaches aren’t going to draw back interest because a teen might get tongue tied on an answer. They are used to dealing with kids that age. You have to let your kids speak for themselves.

I would suggest you do NCSA if you do not have a lot of time to work the recruiting process. In my case, I did have the time, but not every parent does.” -  Duane Dotson, Dad

Thank you, Duane. ESPN High School did a Q and A with Dominique to get her perspective on the recruiting process:

ESPNHS: What made Liberty such an attractive choice?
DD: “The academic aspect is perfect; especially the possibility to study for one semester in Washington D.C. at Congress.”

ESPNHS: What surprised you about the recruiting process?
DD: “That it had began and ended so early and quickly.”

ESPNHS: What was the most important question you asked college coaches during the process?
DD: “How will being a lacrosse player affect my academics?”

ESPNHS: What one piece of advice would you give to other players who are just starting on the recruiting process?
DD: “Be proactive, respond to all schools that contact you and be patient. Everyone’s recruiting experience will differ.”

ESPNHS: Is there anything about the recruiting process that you think could change that would have made it easier or less stressful for you?
DD: “Playing club lacrosse as a ninth grader.”

There you have the recruiting experience of Dominique. She has found the right fit for her.

Charlie Adams, expert at helping families find the right fit in College for their athlete, talking with families

How about you? To learn more about what Showcases to go to, when to start the recruiting process, what kind of Colleges are out there, and more, email me a short summary of your athlete’s academic and athletic accomplishments, and I will make sure you are able to talk with a sport-specific College Scout for a thorough Evaluation of where you are now in the recruiting process.

You can also fill out this short form and a Scout Coordinator will contact you to learn more information and see if you qualify for an Evaluation with a College Scout

Charlie Adams

Recruiting Expert/Parent of current NCAA student-athlete

cadams@ncsasports.org

To bring a NCSA Recruiting Expert to your School, Club or Event to speak on Athleadership and the Recruiting Process, contact Amanda Rawson at arawson@ncsasports.org

Dear Coach T,

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

Dear Coach Taylor,

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

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

What is the National Letter of Intent?

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

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

Penalty for breaking this contract

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

• Sit out for one season of competition in all sports

What is Signing Day?

• Signing day is the day you actually sign the NLI

Does every division 1 and 2 athlete sign an NLI?

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

NCSA provides the recruiting education for Pro Lacrosse Camps, a top notch series of Camps that includes instructors like Hannah Nielsen who won 4 National Championships at Northwestern University, Caitlyn McFadden, who won the women’s version of the Heisman in Lacrosse, the Teewarton Award, in 2010 at the University of Maryland, and Brian Phipps, former University of Maryland All America goalie. One of the points that I emphasize in College Recruiting Simplified is that being a college athlete will impact the next 40 years of your life. In the professional world, this means connections. Former University of Virginia All America Lacrosse player Kyle Dixon was among the Camp Counselors. Kyle played on two National Championship teams for the Cavaliers, was 1st Team All America as a senior, and named the nation’s top Midfielder. Before I delivered Recruiting Education presentations to parents and athletes, I talked with him about how being a college athlete impacts one’s future.

“We have something at Virginia Lacrosse called VLand,” he told me. “It is the Virginia Lacrosse Alumni Network. There is a spread sheet that has all of the UVA Lacrosse players that have graduated and their field of study. I work for RBC Wealth Management in Annapolis, MD. It is a fantastic job and there is no chance I would have that job if I didn’t have the network of having played at Virginia.”

I talked with Kyle about the value of playing multiple sports in High School. In Lacrosse, especially, college coaches prefer High School athletes who played more than one sport. “I learned a lot from playing basketball,” said Kyle. “You set picks in basketball and in Lacrosse and the spacing is similar.”

While at the Camps, I had a chance to talk with Amanda Counts, who helped to run the girls Camps, about her recruiting story. Amanda is in her 5th season as Head Girl’s Lacrosse Coach at James Madison High School. She did not have much recruiting education when she was in High School so she just forged ahead! “I made contact with college coaches via email,” Amanda told me. “I went to look at Virginia Tech and went to the coaches door. I had sent game film. They asked for my tournament schedule and the coach told me what Camps she would be working, which included the University of Virginia camp. She was from Charlottesville. I went there to that Camp. It was nerve racking but she got to see me play there. I did not get a scholarship at the beginning at Virginia Tech. I was a recruited walk-on which was like continually trying out all Fall. By my Junior and Senior year I got about half a scholarship. I broke my hip, which doesn’t happen often. When they did an x ray they found a break in the other hip. My scholarship was given to me not knowing if I could play again but my coaches wanted me around because if I couldn’t play I could be a player coach. I ended up having three surgeries in a year and a half and played maybe a month, but it helped shape me. I switched majors to Education so I could be a coach and that is what I am today.”

Amanda has been very successful as the Coach at James Madison High School. She absolutely loves what she does in life. She is around sports all the time. Having played college made her a much more attractive coaching prospect to that High School. I asked her about the recruiting process now that she coaches college prospects.

“The Club scene tends to be where coaches do the majority of their recruiting,” she said. “A lot of girls are hesitant to contact college coaches because they are not sure what to say. You have to be an advocate for yourself! You are one of a lot of prospects. Be a little on the relentless side. Sometimes the college coach can’t respond. You may be at an event and the college coach doesn’t speak to you. That’s because of the recruiting period. It doesn’t mean they don’t like your abilities. Especially at the D1 level a lot of girls feel rushed in recruiting and feel it is such a big deal to be called at midnight the first time coaches can call. You don’t want to hold off to hurt your signing prospects but you don’t necessarily have to jump on the first thing. Check out the schools and the coaches to see where you best fit. Sometimes Club can be a more realistic gauge of where you can play in college. Club coaches tend to be younger and more recently out of college. High School coaches often are more ‘parenting’ in that they want you to do well. They may not give you false hopes but may pump you up more than is correct.”

Before speaking at Camp one day, I sat down at lunch with former University of Maryland goalie Brian Phipps, who made All America as well as Academic All ACC. He is now a pro All Star goalie with the Chesapeake Bayhawks of the MLL. “You have to be a team leader,” Brian said as far as what it takes to be a successful goalie. “You have to be able to communicate with the defense. It’s not just saying ‘ball left’ or ‘ball right’  but things like ‘turn him’ or ‘slide.’” I asked Brian where he would suggest young goalies go to improve. “The Charley Toomey Goalie Camp is the one,” he said. “He is the coach at Loyola of Baltimore. It is 3 1/2 days long. It made me better.” Families have to be educated about the potential scholarships in the sport they want to play college. In Lacrosse, even at the major D1 level, they have to be spread around. It’s not like football, basketball and the other few sports that are full athletic scholarships at D1. “Men’s Lacrosse at D1 gets 12.6 scholarships,” said Brian. “I would say two thirds are on some scholarship and of those two thirds about a quarter of those get 75% or better.” Kyle Dixon, who played at national power Virginia, could think of just one Cavalier that got everything. Now, it’s different at every school but they have to divvy up that scholarship money among 35 or so players.

While watching the Pro Lacrosse Camps girls work one day under the direction of former University of Maryland star Caitlyn McFadden (who was the nation’s top player in 2010), I talked with Eleanor Gollob, Commissioner of the McLean Youth Girls Lacrosse Club. She played Lacrosse and Ice Hockey at Princeton in the late ’80′s and we marvelled about how different recruiting and sports in general are different these days. “The myths around here,” she told me,”and I can just speak on Lacrosse and not other sports is that many parents feel their daughter needs to play on THE Club team that is most established, wins the most and goes to the biggest tournaments and that it equates to more recruiting. I think in Lacrosse it is not necessarily the case. Is it better for 11, 12 and 13 year olds to go to good tournaments, have a great time while they are learning the sport versus driving over an hour away just for practice at that age because you have to in order to be on that Club team at age 16? Many feel they need to.” “I also hear that top D1 programs like Virginia knows the sophomores they want and that offers are out there. So much can happen from sophomore year until college. Is that the smartest thing to decide that young?”

As I made my around, I talked with Danielle Peters, who was the Trainer at the Camp. She told me that she wished she had recruiting education when she was in High School. She is from Missouri and after waiting to be recruited finally reached out to regional school William Woods University in Fulton, MO. A NAIA school, they can offer athletic scholarships as well as other aid. She ended up with a combination of scholarships that basically covered everything. She got her degree in Athletic Training, had a great experience playing Soccer at the college level, and  now works in sports for a living. She said having been a college athlete is a huge boost on her resume because it separates her from those job candidates in athletic training that did not play college.

To Learn How to Get Into the Recruiting Database College Lacrosse Coaches use to Build their Recruiting Lists click here

Other Valuable Articles by NCSA Recruiting Speaker Charlie Adams on Lacrosse Recruiting include:

Former Johns Hopkins All America Steve Boyle on What it is Like Playing at the D1 Level

Hard Hitting Information Every Lacrosse Family Needs to Know!

Charlie Adams, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Speaker Questions on recruiting: Email Charlie at cadams@ncsasports.org

Editors Note: Charlie is part of a team of NCSA Educational Speakers (former college coaches, athletes, broadcasters) that educate and inspire audiences around the world about the recruiting process.

Charlie Adams educates and inspires audiences on the college athletics recruiting process

To bring NCSA Recruiting Education to your School, Club or Event

Steve Boyle was a 4-year starter at one of the top college programs of his sport. He was a 3-time honorable mention All America, and a key part of a National Championship team. This is a young man who has a great perspective on recruiting and what it takes to be a D1 athlete at a top program. I had the opportunity to talk to Steve this weekend.

NCSA Recruiting Expert Charlie Adams

I had the opportunity to speak to Lacrosse families and athletes near Newark, New Jersey about how to connect with college coaches and scholarships. Steve was an instructor at the event. Although his sport is lacrosse, families with athletes in all sports will take away valuable information from his experiences in recruiting and playing at the highest level.

Having just completed his collegiate eligibility earlier that particular year, his insights were timely. Here is what he had to tell me:

“Charlie, one thing I would certainly encourage athletes, and especially lacrosse athletes to do is play multiple sports in High School. I know College lacrosse coaches really like those kids, because they get things from all sports, plus they are competitors.”

(Steve earned 3 letters in football and had 10 interceptions in High School as a Safety)

“I’m from New Hampshire, so college coaches aren’t going to go up there. You have to get your name out there. I went to the Top 205 in Baltimore. My High School coach had to nominate me. That was the one place where a lot of college coaches could see me in person. I went there as a sophomore. On September 1st of my junior year was when they could start writing me, and I heard from Syracuse, Princeton, Virginia, Johns Hopkins and others. Recruiting has really accelerated in recent years. I made my visits and had offers from North Carolina, Virginia, Syracuse and others. I committed to Johns Hopkins University before I played my junior year of High School.”

At Division One, certain sports do have full athletic scholarships, but not all. In sports like lacrosse, where there are 30 to 40 players on a roster, you don’t see a lot of full scholarships at D1 or any level. They divide them up. Because Steve was so accomplished in High School (a 3 time HS All America) he got close to a full scholarship. He just paid for food and books all four years.

This is a young man that had offers from several national powers. I wanted him to share why he picked Johns Hopkins. Some obvious reasons athletically would be their nine NCAA titles and the 39 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

“Why did I pick Johns Hopkins? I felt they REALLY wanted me, plus they didn’t have a player like me on their roster. I am an attackman, like a point guard in basketball. Johns Hopkins has 5500 students, . so it is not too big. It is right in the heart of Baltimore, 3 or 4 miles from downtown. Socially, it is not Florida State or some party State University, but you can have a good social experience. Johns Hopkins usually drew about 10,000 fans per home game. The school has great tradition in lacrosse. It is D1 in that sport and D3 in all others. We have a TV contract with ESPNU to televise our games and played grueling schedules against North Carolina, Duke, Maryland, Syracuse and other national powers.”

As I listened to Steve’s answer, I thought that he nailed two key factors in finding the right fit for College Sports. Number one, he found a school that REALLY WANTED HIM. That is key. Go where they really want you. Also, he found significant funding. If you can get those two, and you find a school that you would still love even if you had a career ending injury, then you are on it!

When I speak, I am candid with audiences about the commitment of playing college sports, especially at D1. There are some athletes that go to that level, and get worn out by it. Others eat it up. Steve took it on and came away with treasured memories.

“Charlie, I wouldn’t trade the experience I had for anything! We won the National Championship my freshman year. I started all 4 years.”

I got him to talk about the commitment it takes to be a D1 athlete.

“The season is in the Spring. In the Fall, we practice 4 days a week, and then go to Winter Workouts. For Spring season, we start preseason January 20th. A typical day during the season would have me taking classes in the morning. I would get to the locker room around 2:30. Practice would go from 3:30 to 6. Then I would watch film of practice and of upcoming opponents for an hour or so. You get 4 hours with the coaches, per NCAA rules, but it doesn’t stop there for us. So a normal day would have me there from 2:30 until about 8. then I would eat and study. It’s not a case where you can come back and go, ‘Now I want to play a video game.’ It is a commitment, and I knew that going in. I was fine with it. It is what I wanted. Athletes, especially at Division 1, have to understand the commitment. Also, I had a head coach in Dave Pietramala who is very fiery. He gets after you, but you have to understand it is not personal. He recruits guys who can take it. He is intense, but always has your back.”

Steve’s 4 years of eligibility are up. He is finishing up his degree in Political Science at Johns Hopkins. My thanks to Steve for sharing insights that families can use as they go through the recruiting process to find the right fit for their son or daughter.

Charlie Adams

NCSA Athletic Recruiting

cadams@ncsasports.org

To Learn How to get into the Recruiting Database College Lacrosse Coaches use Click Here

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Send your recruiting questions to askcoachtaylor@ncsasports.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

Charlie Adams

cadams@ncsasports.org