NCSA caught up with newly hired assistant coach of Guilford College, Coach Bates. Here is what Coach Bates had to say about his lacrosse program:
1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?
I would say that I am a players coach. I want each player to achieve his maximum potential. I have high expectations for my players and expect them to put in the time necessary for us to be successful. I will push them and continue to work with them until they have achieved it, whether that is in 1 season or 3 seasons. I want my players to walk away from my program after 4 years and say, “That was a great experience. I learned a lot, but achieved more than I thought I could.”
2. What’s unique about the experience at your school?
Our school is unique primarily because of our school’s Quaker background. The Quaker tradition and Guilford traditions have created an active learning and accepting community. Our players will get to know their professors on a first name basis and interact with people of a variety of beliefs and backgrounds. Sure, other schools can boast the same type of interaction, but due to our size, this is a very real part of everyday life at Guilford. On the lacrosse field Guilford has a proud tradition and we are currently in the process of rebuilding while also competing in the always competitive Old Dominion Athletic Conference which makes for a very exciting lacrosse experience!
3. What do recruits need to know about you?
Prospective players need to know that we are here to help them be as successful as they can. We genuinely care for our players and strive daily to help them reach their goals in all aspects of life. Our office door is always open and our players know that they can come see us at anytime to discuss lacrosse, school, life, or whatever.
4. What do you look for in recruits?
We look for hard-nosed, hard-working, multi-sport athletes. We want players who have proven themselves not only on the lacrosse field, but in academics, community service and in other athletic endeavors. Lacrosse is a sport that can be enhanced by an athletes experience in other sports. Lastly we want players with character. When we talk with their high school or club coach we want to hear things like: coachable, team player, hard worker, and respectful.
5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?
Every recruit needs to be proactive. Players need to understand that there are more and more high school lacrosse players looking to play in college every year. College coaches do not have the time to get to know every high school program and go “hunting” for players. The recruits need to pursue the colleges they are interested in, contact the coaches and get their information to the coaches as quickly as possible. Too many players wait for college coaches to call them and miss their opportunity to continue their career.
6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?
We like to hear questions about the school and the academic side of college. This lets us know that the athlete is just as interested in his education as his lacrosse experience. College is not just about continuing to play, but about getting a degree that will support the student for the remainder of his life. Also, it is always reassuring and shows maturity when the athlete knows some information about the college. If he can talk about schools in our conference, different areas of study, the location of campus, this shows me that he has already done a little homework on the school and is being proactive with his college search.
7. What turns you off when you’re recruiting a student athlete?
There is nothing worse than when a coach makes a call to a prospective player and the player hardly talks at all. The recruiting process is very much about building a relationship and letting the coach and player get to know each other. The recruit needs to be able to talk about himself, share his career goals and ask quality questions when talking with the coach.
8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?
At Guilford we are blessed to play in one of the toughest conferences in all of Division III. We face top 20 teams week-in and week-out as well as a strong out of conference schedule. We have new and outstanding facilities that when coupled with our strong academics, make for a very complete college experience.
9. Why should a recruit consider your program?
We offer an opportunity to truly find a lacrosse family that will support them throughout all aspects of their lives. This is formed by players with similar life values, by working hard on the field, by playing a very tough lacrosse schedule, and through quality interaction with players, coaches, and other mentors who want to help you grow.
10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?
The best way to get our attention is to fill out our online questionnaire on our Men’s Lacrosse page. This gets sent directly to me and gives me all the information I need to “get the ball rolling” with the recruiting process. To further get our attention, send me a complete schedule of your spring/summer/fall lacrosse schedule, with dates and locations of all events.
1. How would you describe yourself as a coach? Players coach who works to see individual improvement on and off the court. Stays in touch after completion of their degree. Help in pursuing opportunities to continue to play overseas.
2. What’s unique about the experience at Culver-Stockton? Opportunity to play collegiate basketball and get a good quality education
3. What do recruits need to know about you? Available for individual workouts, oversee academic growth and to assist in securing employment after graduating.
4. What do you look for in recruits? Student-athletes who have a balance between school and sport. Open to learn, have a good basketball IQ, good basketball foundation and wanting to be part of a successful program. Looking for an opportunity to do both.
5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process? Be actively involved in the process
6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits? Their dream and ambitions, their goals, what motivates them
7. What turns you off when you’re recruiting a student athlete? Not responding to any contact within a couple days notice. Another thing is choosing a college strictly for the financial package only. Take into consideration all the possibilities that each school has to offer. I have had student-athletes contact me after their freshman year realizing that they did not make the right decision.
8. What do you think your program is the most successful at? Making student-athletes better upon graduating than when they arrived on campus
9. Why should a recruit consider your program? To better themselves and to learn from a staff that has the student-athletes best interest at heart.
10. If a recruit is interested in Culver-Stockton, how should they reach out to you? Phone call first, with a followup with e-mail and profile sheet and when is the best time to contact them.
Tufts University Head Coach, Cora Thompson shares some insights on recruiting with NCSA Coaches Corner.
1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?
I am very passionate about my job. I am enthusiastic, driven and very goal orientated. I believe that the most important part of my job is to make sure that every single one of my student-athletes has a great college experience balancing her academics and athletics successfully. I truly believe I have the best job in America!
2. What’s unique about the experience at your school?
There are so many great things about coming to school here at Tufts University! If I had to narrow it down I would point to the reasons our currents athletes chose Tufts. Here at our University, athletes get to compete at a really high level DIV III institution where they can compete for a conference, regional and national championship while pursuing other interests. Here at Tufts we do not have a traditional off season with a competitive schedule or mandatory spring training sessions and practices. As a result, many of our student-athletes take the spring semester to explore other activities on campus. We have players actively involved in community service groups, second sports (track, basketball, softball), the Tufts Campus Choir (whether they can sing or not! ) and many of our juniors choose to study abroad the 2nd half of their junior year. Without an official spring season, many of our student-athletes feel free to try new things.
Tufts is also located right next to the best college city in the country! BOSTON! With 60 + colleges and universities in the greater Boston area, there are no shortages of college students to mix with as well as the great opportunities that come with living near a city…career/internship opportunities, diversity, ease of travel by train, plane or car, and plenty of activities that are set just for college students. Boston is a city that needs the student population as much as the students need the city so there is a great working relationship between the groups! For example: free admission to museums, discounts on clothes, books, movie tickets etc…all by showing your student ID in Boston! Many of our players chose Tufts because of it’s global connections, the prestigious academics, and the incredible staff and faculty that are all still active professionals in their respective fields. However, I would say our proximity to Boston is a huge bonus for many of our players. They love that they live on a very beautiful campus but that they have easy access to a city that is just 5 miles away.
One last thing that we are proud of here at Tufts is the fact that there is no “jock culture”. All athletes here at Tufts must be just as academically qualified as every other student in order to be admitted. Athletes are not admitted purely on their athletic abilities. They must be academically competitive. Our athletic department is very proud of the fact that our student-athletes have a higher GPA than the rest of the student body. Our team GPA is a 3.42! As a result, the staff and faculty appreciate the contributions our athletes make in the classrooms and we are fully supported by the administration in every way possible.
Due to the location of the University, our athletes rarely miss a minute of class! We are geographically in the middle of our conference only having to ever drive 2.5 hours south or north and max 3.5 hours to the west! During the regular season, we don’t miss a minute of class!
3. What do recruits need to know about you?
I love Tufts and everything about it! Most importantly, I have lived the experience of a student-athlete here at Tufts. I attended Tufts and played volleyball and softball here while pursuing a degree in Psychology (I came in as a Civil Engineer!). Having been in my athletes shoes, I understand the intense academic work load and how challenging it can be to balance every aspect of your college life. I have a direct appreciation for what you will be asked to do here as a student-athlete.
Also, I truly believe that I have the best job in America and don’t see myself leaving. I love our sport, I love learning, and I am always looking for ways to improve as a coach so that I can push you to be the best you can be. Work in progress…all of us…always!
4. What do you look for in recruits?
I look for athletes who are passionate and mentally strong who have a great sense of self confidence balanced with humility. Athletes need to be self-motivated, versatile and have a strong work ethic as well as the ability and desire to self assess. It is important to be coachable while working within our team structure. The mental and physical investment and commitment of every player on our roster is also crucial for our success as a team. Players need to be able and or be willing to learn how to communicate effectively while operating in a team atmosphere. We are looking for players who have competed at a high level, who have the desire to not only succeed on the court but also in the classroom. We want players who want to be life long learners, who will bring great qualities to our court and hopefully leave with even more as they graduate to the next phase of their lives.
5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?
I love when an athlete promotes herself by contacting me directly and following up. Make sure to stay in touch with the coaches you are most interested in playing for. Provide your transcripts, test scores, high school profiles and a brief skills video for us and let us know when and where we can see you play live. Promote yourself. Set your own meetings up with coaches. We want to get to know you as well as your parents and coaches, but YOU are the product we are looking to invest in. If we don’t know you, it will be hard for us to select you. Remember their are a lot more of you than us (College coaches) so be in touch often with questions, updates and calls if you are truly interested. This will set you apart from the many others.
Also, make sure that you research the academic requirements for admissions at all of the schools you are interested in to make sure that you are a viable candidate. Make sure that you are aware of the academic opportunities at each school offers so that you won’t waste your time (or waste the coaches time) if your major of interest isn’t offered there. Find out ahead of time whether or not a college or univeristy will be a good fit before you contact the coaches. You don’t want to get your hopes up or ours if it won’t be a good fit!
Finally, if coaches have summer camps or clinics, try to attend! This is a great way for us to see your level of play and more importantly get to know you as a person. Remember that as much as we are recruiting talent, we are recruiting great personalities. Camps and clinics can be a great way to show case yours!
6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?
I am always impressed when a recruit has already researched the University and our program online before she comes to visit. This pre-research is important so that when you get to my office we can talk about this things that aren’t on the website. Questions we love to hear:
- How do your athletes balance their academics with athletics?
- How long are road trips and do your athletes miss a lot of class for volleyball?
- Are their any academic or major restrictions from being an athlete?
Other questions that touch on our team values or my coaching philosophy along with our priorities as a program are good ones to ask. Questions about the time commitment for in season and out of season volleyball activities are important to ask as well.
7. What turns you off when you’re recruiting a student athlete?
When an athlete does not have any questions for me, it appears that she doesn’t have a true interest. If you are planning on meeting with a coach, have a list of questions prepared and do a little bit of research ahead of time. Do more talking then your parents. Again, the recruitment process is about you and if your parents do all of the talking and ask all of the questions, it is really hard for us to get to know you.
We are also turned off by any signs of selfishness, speaking poorly about previous coaches or teammates, texting and or not making eye contact while meeting (believe us – it has happened!), and or the general “chip on the shoulder”. When we sense that a player is in it for her own stats or for guaranteed playing time…this player will not fit into the system we have worked so hard to create. Our team chemistry is far more valuable to us than wins. If we sense that a recruit would throw off this chemistry (even if she is incredibly talented), it’s not worth it to us to continue recruiting her.
8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?
We do a great job of offering our players a great collegiate athletic experience. So much so that they never want to leave as seniors and they always want one more practice after that last season ending ball drops! We have a high retention rate with our recruits actively recruiting only what we need to avoid just filling our bench with high numbers. It is important to us that players dramatically improve during their four years here both personally as well as athletically. We work hard to stay at the top of New England but also know that success is not to be taken for granted. We remain humble and know that every year is a new year with new challenges. We are a mentally tough program with the ability to adjust and stay composed throughout the inevitable ups and downs that happen during the course of a season. We are most successful at creating an inspiring, supportive and comfortable team environment every year where our players feel free to take risks as their push themselves out of their own comfort zones. My athletes are incredibly smart and creative young woman who are always looking for the next challenge. They push themselves daily on the court and in the classroom and take great pride in the awesome tradition they are building that is Tufts University Volleyball!
9. Why should a recruit consider your program?
At Tufts University, athletes have the chance to combine all of their passions in a balanced fashion. They will get to play for a very high level DIV III program while pursuing their academic dreams at an incredibly challenging and prestigious institution. In addition, they can get involved with other clubs and groups on campus and even study abroad. Tufts is a great place to come and “do it all” without sacrificing the quality of anything!
10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?
If you are interested in learning more about our program, please visit our homepage and fill out our online recruit questionnaire. This will get you officially in our system and then we can connect with you and send you even more information about the University.
http://ase.tufts.edu/athletics/womenvolleyball
If you are doing college tours, email and call ahead to set up a meeting so we can learn more about you and show you around our facilities. If you are a rising senior, you should send us a DVD, transcript, test scores and a high school profile as soon as possible.
Although the month can be a busy one on both sides of the fence, families from across the country have indicated they feel a loss of connection with the schools they are most interested in during August, and more importantly a fear they are no longer being recruited. We explore the top things to consider in August with this month’s edition of In the Mind of a Student Athlete.
Losing Contact:
Unfortunately, most recruits are not well versed in NCAA rules and regulations and may be unaware of the built in roadblocks preventing coaches from contacting recruits throughout the late summer. Often, athletes tell NCSA they start to plan past any school with which they have lost contact. Preemptive or not, if a recruit senses you are no longer interested they will work toward scheduling visits and applying to other programs that are actively recruiting them. Today’s recruit is used to a 24 hour news cycle and almost unlimited access to communication and information. For them, it is difficult to comprehend a 30-45 day break in communication. As a coach you have to look for ways to connect with recruits to keep their interest.
True Level of Interest:
Whether you are close to the end of your recruiting cycle or not, athletes heading into their senior year are going to be anxious about the college selection process. If you have not given feedback to the players on your recruiting list it would be advisable to put their mind at ease and communicate where they stand with your program. If the recruit is not making the cut this will allow them to have sufficient time to move on to the next option. If they are one of your top recruits, expressing sincere interest will allow the player to start planning out the applications and admissions process and start to move toward a decision.
Getting Hurt:
Whether it is training or preseason camp, recruits are always nervous an injury will derail their progress. Discuss this with them and it will allow you to connect better to what is important to them. If you have a background in sports training or nutrition do not be afraid to give advice which may help the athlete prevent an injury. This will establish trust with the player and their family.
Not Knowing the Next Step in the Process:
It is the end of a summer; every recruit you speak with or interact with will be confused about the next phase of the recruiting process. Bring this up, ask questions about whether or not they are clear on what your program needs from them in the fall and whether or not they understand any relevant NCAA rules and regulations.
We recently had the opportunity to discuss the recruiting process with Joyce Wellhoefer, former collegiate coach for over 20 years. Coach Welhoefer was a head coach for 18 years at various division levels including D1. She explains her strategies for recruiting in this session of the Coaches Corner.
NCSA: What did you look for when evaluating potential recruits?
Besides skill & academics, I look for intangibles: competitiveness, desire to improve, team player, leadership, loves the game.
NCSA: How did you initially reach out to a recruit?
Depending on where in the process (younger players) my initial contact was, an intro letter about my college along with a questionnaire. Then once I received the questionnaire I would follow up to see about watching the player compete or to be more personal with them.
If I got in a situation where I was recruiting seniors late, my first contact with them might be a phone call or even a face to face meeting if it was at a summer tournament after the event. During those interactions I would let them know information about my college and opportunities I had there.
NCSA: Discuss your 1st call strategy for a recruit:
First I would get a feel for where they were with their recruiting to see if we might be a good fit for them. Secondly I would attempt to get information about our program and school to them. I think you can get a good sense about the player by talking on the phone with them. You can pick up on a lot of things with how they handle themselves and how they answer questions. The questions I asked were not just yes or no questions but I tried to make them think and see how much depth they had.
NCSA: How often did you communicate with your recruits?
I definitely communicated more through email but I tried to get on the phone maybe 1x a month. Working with a recruit over the phone gave me a far better sense of where we stood and what our chances were of recruiting them into the program.
NCSA: How did you close a recruit when you wanted them to commit?
I was upfront, letting them know where they were on my list and that I wanted them to visit – if all went well we would discuss next steps after the visit or phone them with offer. But I was prepared on the visit to see how much money I would potentially offer them if they were the right fit for us and if we were the right fit for them.
NCSA: What tips would you give coaches just getting started with recruiting?
Know what you are looking for in an athlete, then develop questions to ask them so you can gauge if the athlete will fit well in your system. One of the things I found when I was coaching was that players who came from a background of limited conditioning and really being a good athlete would struggle with our workouts and have an attitude they were being punished because of the program or even have numerous injuries.
Some questions I would ask them would be about their HS workouts and practices or if they did anything else on their own. Those who did some conditioning and weights or at least said they wished the team did more were much more prepared to be in the D1 realm and handle the intensity of the season compared to what they had in HS.
Read about Ave Maria University softball from head coach Tim Speakman as he offers some information to our coaches corner:
1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?
I see myself more as a Mentor than a Coach. I am here for greater reasons than coaching softball. I am here to mentor these young ladies at one of the most crucial stages of their lives. They are here to get an education and to improve their skills as young adults in order to be a productive and positive influence in our society. Softball is only a small piece of the puzzle but they can learn important life skills while being a part of a collegiate sport that requires discipline, hard work, and commitment.
2.What is unique about the experience at your school?
Ave Maria University is a vibrant liberal arts university located in beautiful Southwest Florida. It is an academic institution that pledges faithfulness to the teachings of the Catholic Church and is committed to providing one of the be finest classical liberal arts curricula available.
3.What do recruits need to know about you?
I am here to help them to continue to grow as young adults and to provide them with experiences that will hopefully help them later in life. I will also be monitoring their educational progress to make sure that they are staying on track to reach their ultimate goal, and that is a great education.
4.What do you look for in recruits?
I look for young ladies that represent themselves and their families with a “positive image”. When you play a collegiate sport you are representing not only yourself, your family, but also an entire university, therefore I recruit student athletes with “high character”. I also look for student athletes that are not an academic risk. I want them to stay here at our university for 4 years and get their degree and that takes a great deal of self discipline and commitment to be able to juggle their academics and a collegiate sport.
5.What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?
Be honest with yourself and the coaches that are recruiting you. Research the university in every way possible before you make a commitment to make sure that it provides your needs for the education that you desire and the atmosphere for which you will be exposed to.
6.What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?
What can your university provide me for the education that I desire? This tells me that their education is important to them. Where do you see me fitting into your softball program? This gives them an idea as to where they will fit in to the program and if this is where they want to be for the next 4 years.
7.What turns you off when you are recruiting a student-athlete?
Long e-mails with a life background!!!! Keep e-mails short and to the point and include important information such as ACT/SAT , GPA, and game schedules. Coaches want to see grades, scores, and ability by personal evaluation.
8.What do you think your program is the most successful at?
Providing one of the best liberal arts educations in the world and being able to play collegiate softball in one of the most competitive states (Florida) for women’s fast pitch softball .
9.Why should a recruit consider your program?
We will provide them with one of the best educations they could possibly receive in one of the most beautiful areas in the United States. On the softball side of things we are committed to building a program that will compete for conference as well as national championships.
10.If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?
Send me a brief e-mail with important information such as: ACT/SAT scores, desired path for their future education, and how and when I would be able to evaluate them as an athlete.
Coach T.J. Woods – Recruiting Coordinator – Utah State University
We recently caught up with Coach T.J. Woods from Utah State University. Coach Woods is the Tight Ends coach and Recruiting Coordinator at USU and answered a few recruiting questions for us, shown below:
Coaching Resume:
Utah State (TE/Recruiting Coordinator): 2009-Present
New Mexico (OL/Recruiting Coordinator): 2007-2009
Citrus College (OL/Run Game Coordinator): 2006-2007
Azusa Pacific (TE): 2003-2006
1. What do you look for when evaluating potential recruits?
The first thing I look for while evaluating recruits is their size and speed. To me those two perameters alone will eliminate a vast majority of prospects. Second I look for their ability to play the game, each position is different. Thirdly I look for their football IQ, how easy does the game come to them? Are they instinctual?. The third factor is often undervalued in the recruiting and the first factor is often overvalued, but in general speaking terms, that is how my personal evaluation process starts….
2. How do you initially reach out to a recruit?
When I reach out to a recruit, the first thing I like to do I call them (when the NCAA permits). I think it is very important to break the ice through verbal conversation rather than in print. Although this tactic is becoming harder and harder as kids continue to favor written communication as their primary means (text, email etc.).
3. Discuss your 1st call strategy for a recruit:
On the first Call my entire strategy is focused on making the recruit comfortable. Recruiting is like dating… You are going to form a relationship with this person that is very important to both of you…..This involves trust…. Gaining trust, in my opinion, is the number one priority while recruiting.
4. How often do you communicate with your recruits?
I call recruits as much as the NCAA will allow. Usually once a week…..
5. How do you “close” a recruit when you want them to commit?
When I need to close a recruit, the thing I hate to do is give them an ultimatum…. For me I will depend heavily on the trust that I have gained with the student athlete through our many conversations and tell him the truth about his situation. For me it’s about being honest and painting a clear picture for the student athlete about where he sits and the time frame in which he needs to make a decision.
6. What tips would you give coaches just getting started with recruiting?
Recruiting is just like coaching in that you have to be yourself to be successful. There is no “official recruiting manual” out there. There are several ways to be successful as a recruiter, just like coaching, there is no single correct way to recruit. The thing that will get you beat faster than anything is being phony…. Be yourself, be honest and recruit with integrity…. Always remember that if you’re in this business for the right reasons you will realize that the decision of which institution to spend your college years at is far more important for a recruit than it is for a Coach or a football team…..
NCSA recently asked Coach Stupek from Shasta College – a few recruiting questions, and here’s what he wrote:
1. How would you describe yourself as a coach? I am tough and fair and mostly fun…….we have a great time here and love doing what we do.
2. What is unique about the experience at Shasta College? Northern California, beautiful Lakes/Rivers and warm weather and a veteran coaching staff (2 coaches over 20 yrs here and 2 more that played baseball here in the 1960’s!!)
3. What do recruits need to know about you? Cal-JC’s are non-scholarship by nature but we do offer Financial aid and work study and it is very affordable to come here.
4. What do you look for in recruits? Positive attitudes-good work ethic that is reflected by their grades and coaches recommendations.
5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process? It’s a process, filled with paperwork and potholes. One “No” answer is just an opportunity to find a better fit. Be diligent, ask questions, be positive!
6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits? Grades-classes-moving on questions. I look positively at a player who looks at the big picture……wants to move on and do better, BIG THINKERS!
7. What turns you off when you are recruiting a student athlete? Negative talk about former players/coaches/schools….let the buyer beware that you are probably next in line.
8. What do you think your program is the most successful at? We have been very successful (1,000 games-700 wins) but we have more many on to quality institutions after their time here is done. We are continually in the top 10 in State Team GPA (83 schools) and have won the top award 3 times!
9. Why should a recruit consider your program? Winning on the field-veteran leadership-beautiful location-big picture mentality-plus we have a lot of fun doing it
10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you? Sonny Stupek sstupek@shastacollege.edu 530-209-6358 cell1
NCSA coaches corner got to hear from Lyndon State college assistant softball coach Bill Johnson about recruiting – read his excerpts below:
How would you describe yourself as a coach? I’m a passionate, outgoing coach whose only desire is to see our players succeed on the field, in the class room and in life. I enjoy watching our players grow into mature, responsible, hard working individuals who are willing to do what is necessary to compete and be successful.
2. What is unique about the experience at Lyndon State College?Lyndon is the quintessential small-college experience. Classes are no bigger than 20 people and as an athlete, nearly everyone on campus knows who you are. I believe our motto says it best: “Lyndon: Serious Study, Serious Fun.”
3. What do recruits need to know about you? That I am here to serve them – academically & athletically. Their success is our success. 4. What do you look for in recruits? First and foremost, I try to gauge their attitude and aptitude towards academics. As a Division III institution where student-athletes are investing in their education, it is paramount that they take their studies seriously. From a talent standpoint, I like players who are athletic, knowledgeable and know the value of being competitive. Emotionally, wee need for players who live for the “big moment”, are a joy to have as a teammate and exhibit leadership qualities.
5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process? Weigh their options. Not every school is a perfect fit because they have a competitive softball program. When considering a college, a recruit should base their decision on a variety of things. Do they have my major? Am I consistent with the type of student who goes there? What doors will my degree open for me upon graduation and, of course, can I step in and play immediately?
6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits? How do your players balance academics & athletics? Do you have an academic monitoring program? If I come here, what will my role be?
7. What turns you off when you are recruiting a student athlete? Those who procrastinate in responding to calls, e-mails and letters. More simply put, those who are unwilling to tell you they are not interested.
8. What do you think your program is the most successful at? Losing with grace. In the 2010 season, we lost 21 games, many by the mercy rule. Despite the dismal season – which has resulted in an outstanding recruit year thus far – our players played with dignity and won our conference’s Sportsmanship Award.
9. Why should a recruit consider your program? We recruit to fit our immediate needs. Therefore, if we are recruit you, we are looking to give someone a chance to step in player be they a high school senior or junior college transfer. Also, if you are looking to get a hands-on education in a small college atmosphere, Lyndon is the place for them.
10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you? They can contact me anytime at (802) 626-6341 or via e-mail at william.johnson@lyndonstate.edu.
Read about State College of Florida/Manatee CC from Softball Assistant Coach Dave Machen who shared some thought with our Coaches Corner:
1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?
Our coaching staff is all about teaching how to succeed at the college level. We have 3 highly experienced coaches who share a common methodology. Our goals are to provide the highest level of play available at our level, while insuring the best educational opportunities for advancements to higher levels.
The full involvement of faculty and athletics. It is not unusual to see the President, multiple vice presidents and teachers at all home games and some of the travel games. Also, there is a close bond between the baseball and softball teams.
3. What do recruits need to know about you?
Our coaches are very intense and demand a level of effort equivelant to what we put into the program. We have fun, and enjoy the whole experience, but expect 100% effort.
4. What do you look for in recruits?
Good Grades, good athletic abilities, basic mechanics mastered and a winning attitude.
5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?
Understand what they are looking for and what they need in their college experience.
6. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?
How do you balance my school with my athletics? Where can I go if I complete all of my requirements for you? What opportunities does your program present to me?
7. What turns you off when you are recruiting a student athlete?
Anything about what someone else may be offering or who else has been talking to them.
8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?
Providing a fun and competitive environment to help pave our athletes way on to bigger and better opportunities.
) and many of our juniors choose to study abroad the 2nd half of their junior year. Without an official spring season, many of our student-athletes feel free to try new things.
