NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

We here at NCSA pride ourselves on being able to help match up our student-athletes to programs where they can succeed, in athletics and in the classroom. To find that program, we teach and assist our members in getting in contact with the true expert on the school, the coaches. In the recruiting process there can be a disconnect between families and college coaches, and that is where NCSA fills the gap. I thought it was important, however to take a minute to explain why that gap exists.

The gap can exist not because a college coach doesn’t care about you. It simply can happen because the coach has far too many things he or she is charged with caring for.

When I was coaching I would typically field a question or two a year from my college athletes that went something like “what do you do all day between our morning and evening practice? Just hang out?” I would answer with a long stare in their general direction or a firm “no” and chalked it up to kids being kids and not knowing any better. It wasn’t until recruits and families began acting as if a coach’s day only consisted of practice time that it became apparent; people really think all a coach does is “coach”.

And if all a coach does is “coach”, why isn’t he or she emailing me back very quickly? And he or she will be able to meet with me if stop by the school unannounced, right?

Certainly, at the top programs at very large schools, a head coach may solely concentrate on coaching their team. For those lucky few the pressure will be the highest, but they will also have a large staff, a large budget, and are able to delegate the responsibilities of planning and running different aspects of practice, research and preparation for competition, creating and running additional strength training sessions, setting up the game-day facilities, making travel arrangements, managing team budget and clearing purchases with the athletic department, purchasing and managing team equipment, managing the upcoming year’s game schedule, monitoring the team’s academic success, troubleshooting any concerns or problems that occur for or with team members, acting on department task forces and initiatives, and of course…recruiting. Meaning finding, evaluating, calling, emailing, tracking down the recruit’s transcripts and videos of them playing, planning official visits, and meeting with as many prospective student athletes as possible.

The reality for the majority of college coaches is that the aforementioned duties fall solely in their lap. These coaches are lucky if they are only coaching one sport, or not teaching college classes in addition to their athletic responsibilities.

It is because of this avalanche of responsibility that two things exist: 1. delays in coaches responding to a recruits emails, calls, or letters, 2. The NCSA

NCSA wouldn’t be able to operate if we weren’t offing a something to college coaches as well as our student-athletes. When they search our database or when we refer them to a profile of a student-athlete who matches up with their school and their team we are saving coaches time and effort, and trust me; this is something that is very high demand in the life of a college coach.

So next time a coach is a little late getting back to you, don’t get worried. They are just putting their time and effort into the players that are on their team right now; the way they would be focused on you if you joined their team.

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!

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.

The quest to find the right college for a student-athlete is a challenge that we here at the National Collegiate Scouting Association readily accept with open arms. We understand not only what it means to families to have their student-athlete comfortable and excited to be attending the university of their choice, but we also understand the passion and desire that our student-athletes have to find that particular university. We also understand how important it is for college coaches to be matched up with qualified student-athletes who will help their universities grow both academically and athletically. With this being said, we here at NCSA will do everything we can to match student-athletes with universities that we feel would be a good fit. But when it’s all said and done, it’s up to the student-athletes to visit these schools, meet these coaches and decide for themselves if they truly see themselves being members of that university for the next four years of their lives. So how does a student-athlete go about doing this? How do they put themselves in the best situation possible to meet coaches and visit schools? They should be utilizing a somewhat untapped resource and with this I would like to introduce the unofficial visit.

For those student-athletes who have seen movies like The Program, He Got Game and Blue Chips, the recruiting process might seem like a dream come true. In The Program, Darnell Jefferson is welcomed to Eastern State University by a charter bus filled with cheerleaders. NBA superstar Ray Allen plays the main character in He Got Game and is whisked away from campus to campus for weekends of fun and spoil. Several “blue chip” prospects in Blue Chips receive gifts and frequent visits from the coaching staff. One thing each and every parent, coach and student-athlete needs to know is that these are movies attempting to depict a very long and difficult process. For the majority of high-school athletes, the best way to get a feel for a school and a coach is to take advantage of the unlimited amounts of unofficial visits a recruit can take during their four years of high school.

One might ask, “What is an unofficial visit and what other kinds of visits are there?” Great question. An official visit is one where the cost of part of the visit is incurred by the school. For example, a recruit is invited to visit the campus and during their visit the school will pay for their flight, hotel room and meals. These are less common than unofficial visits and are heavily regulated in terms of how many a school is allowed to give out and how many a student-athlete can attend. The alternative is the unofficial visit, where a student athlete visits the campus on their own and pays for it themselves. Although it may be less glorious than the official visits depicted in films, it is just as effective in terms of finding a school that you would be comfortable and eager to attend. Did I mention that you can take an unlimited amount of unofficial visits? Read on…

So let’s say you are a student-athlete and this blog has inspired you to take some unofficial visits…but you don’t know how to go about it. Here is your crash course to the unofficial visit.

First, come up with a list of schools and programs that you are interested in learning more about. Basically, you want to narrow down your list to schools you would realistically like to attend and compete for. Next, pick a weekend where you know the coach of your respective sport will be on campus. Football and basketball games are very popular events for coaches to entertain recruits, so pick a weekend where there is a game such as football or basketball. Next, you want to contact the coach to let him or her know that you will be visiting that weekend. Ask if they can give you a few minutes of their time to meet and possibly answer some questions that you may have (hint, hint…come prepared with academic and athletic questions for the coach). Next, contact admissions and also make them aware of your visit. Campuses are constantly giving tours and you want to make sure you see the campus in its entirety because it will be your home for the next four years. You also want to have a main contact in the admissions department to answer any questions you may have before, during and after your unofficial visit.

So now you’ve got your game plan to schedule some unofficial visits, but what is it that coaches are looking for when a recruit comes to campus. Marc Thibeault, head coach of John Carroll University’s baseball team, explains what he is not looking for.

“I can’t tell you how many times a recruit shows up with holes in his jeans, hat backwards, earring in and really has no questions when they visit. “

Coach Thibeault looks for potential student-athletes who can carry themselves well both on and off the field. Making a good first impression when meeting coaches is essential, and your appearance is key. A great point Coach makes is the ability of the recruit to ask meaningful questions during their visit. Think of it as a job interview; when your potential employer asks if you have any questions and you say “Nope, I think we’re all good here,” they are going to take that as a lack of preparation and excitement on your part when it comes to becoming a member of their team. College coaches will view this the same way.

When asked about some good questions for recruits to ask on their visit, Coach Thibeault had a few in mind.

-What did your graduating class end up doing upon diploma?

-How many freshmen ended up playing 4 years?

-What are the years of players playing my position?

-What were the credentials of last years recruiting class?

The above questions are great things to ask coaches and by asking these questions, a recruit shows the coach that they are interested, committed and eager to contribute to the program.

The bottom line is that no one buys a car without test driving it. No one gets married without dating first and no recruit should commit to a school without visiting campus. So instead of waiting by the phone or the computer for a coach to invite you for an official visit, maximize the unlimited amount of unofficial visits you can take and put yourself out there. The recruiting process may seem less glorious than depicted in the movies, but the end result of choosing the right school is all the glory a recruit needs.