NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Coach Taylor, How Can I be sure that coaches really use NCSA?

Great question.  To tell you the truth I was very skeptical the first time I walked into NCSA.  I had spent over 30 years recruiting student-athletes and assumed that I knew the best and only way to recruit.  When I first walked in the door I was amazed at just how behind the times I had fallen.  Take a quick look at why coaches REALLY use NCSA.

Now take a quick look at the reaction we get from college coaches after they use our Recruit-Match System  (Note: All of these comments have come this week).

Thanks for all your help for the 2010 class we are on some good players. We have already begun work on 2011 and continue to use your website exclusively.

The ability to see video and transcripts is key. We can make a quick decision on whether we will take the recruiting of that athlete to the next level instantly.

Thanks again for your service it is a tremendous help to us in identifying potential prospects for State.

We like the format you use in sending information to us on recruits. You make a good impression and the info on each person is well presented.

We like the way that you accurately rate the player’s level. Very good and very helpful.

I think you do a fantastic job of getting the information we need to make a judgment of whether or not we want to recruit a young man to State College. Keep up the good work!!

After watching and reading why coaches really use NCSA I hope you don’t make the same mistake I made for years;  Maximize your Recruiting Potential with NCSA.

Send your recruiting questions to askcoachtaylor@ncsasports.org

If you would like to speak with a NCSA Recruiting Coordinator about your personal recruiting situation, call 866-579-6272.

Coach Taylor – What does it take to play my sport at each division level?

We get this question a lot at NCSA.  There is a lot that goes into an evaluation by a college coach.  NCSA has spent the last 10 years evaluating players for college coaches and has a tremendous amount of data stored up.  We used this data to develop our Exclusive Recruiting Guidelines to help give recruits an idea of what schools they should realistically be targeting.  They are guidelines, not hard fast rules, but they can give recruits an idea of where they fit.

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

Send your recruiting questions to askcoachtaylor@ncsasports.org

If you would like to speak with a NCSA Recruiting Coordinator about your personal recruiting situation, call 866-579-6272.

If you’ve read these pages enough, you know that a college decision is a life-altering, life time decision.  To make that decision without fully understanding the vast landscape of opportunities available is irresponsible at best and negligent at worst.  Another motivation for doing all you can to make a great college choice is found in Bob Greene’s article talking about great, enduring friendship.

I talk to families every day who have no plan on how to pay for college.  When I ask the question, “How important is a scholarship when choosing your child’s college?”  The typical answer is, ”a scholarship is real important, but s/he is going to college no matter what.”  What they mean is that they are willing to borrow all kinds of money, go into all kinds of debt, to make sure the all important degree is obtained.  It is clear from these answers that these families are not aware of the quickly changing landscape in lending practices now. 

In this article in yesterday’s Washington Post, the rising costs of college and the reduced availability of student loans is documented.  The key sentence is, “The upheaval in financial markets did not just eliminate generous lending for home buyers; it also ended an era of easy credit for students and their families facing the soaring cost of a college degree.”  Read the entire article.  If you need a plan for paying for college and a student who is also a good athlete and enjoys playing their sport, that may be a way to reduce those student loans.  To learn more about opening up opportunities to play sports in college so your child’s education can be funded by means other than student loans, go here.  If your child is an 8th grader or older and you haven’t begun to plan for college expenses, you’re already late.

NCSA recently had a chance to attend the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Convention held in Nashville. The time at the convention allowed NCSA staff to network with the college coaches and build on those relationships allowing us to help our NCSA student-athletes find the right college fit. NCSA speaker, Bridget Venturi, joined me in attending the convention meeting over a 100 coaches on the two days of the exhibitor event.

Talking with the coaches at the event to find out what needs they have and where they are in the recruiting process was very valuable. A topic with many of the college coaches was about communications during the recruiting process. It reinforced the things that we at NCSA teach our student-athletes in our coaching sessions:

Coaches emphasized:

• They do want to hear from the student themselves – the high school athlete needs to be prepared to talk and communicate with the college coach by answering questions thoroughly and having some questions of their own to ask. Some coaches have mentioned that they have stopped recruiting students when parents are too involved and the students are not the ones communicating with the colleges.

• Getting back to the coaches in a timely manner and also providing information that the coaches request from the student-athlete.

• Grades are essential and coaches emphasize the students taking the honors and AP classes through out high school.

• Be honest in communication – hear the coach out before saying ‘no’. Learn enough about the college and softball program before declining an invitation for a visit. Best is to take a visit to know for sure if the school is a good fit or not.

• Coaches said the intangibles such as: character, maturity, leadership and how they treat their teammates are often the best way to separate potential recruits.

• It is more about overall fit with the student-athlete and the college than just about how much money that the school gives them to play softball. They want student-athletes who want to come to their school and want to be a part of their softball program for all the right reasons.

Much of the information we received from the college coaches reaffirmed the value of finding the right overall fit. This means looking at the college for the right

The National Bureau of Economic Research declared that the current economic downturn (recession) began in December 2007.  In the intervening 2 years, I’ve spoken with about 3,000 families about their child going to college.  Naturally, part of that discussion involves how families will pay for college.  As seen here, the average cost of a college education is above $30,000 per year.  The rate of increase is around 7% per year.  If you have a freshman in high school, your college expense will exceed $35,000 per year, on average.  These facts have led to some serious discussions between parents and their children on how they’ll pay for college.  In some cases, parents of good students are considering the local junior college route to get the core courses out of the way and save a lot of money during the first 2 years.  In other cases, the parents have encouraged their children to search for scholarships on the internet.  These kids are spending a lot of time doing this.  In some cases, parents are giving their children a budget to work with and any expense exceeding that budget will be the responsibility of the child.  In short, 99% of the families that I speak with do not have enough money stashed away to pay all college expenses.  So they’re at great risk of having their children graduate with a large financial burden called student loans. 

Financial Aid has two main categories:  grants/scholarships, i.e. money that doesn’t have to be repaid and loans.  To see the impact of student loans, read this NY Times article.  Because every college and university has different funding sources, financial aid policies, and pools of money available to offset the cost of college, it’s impossible to navigate this process efficiently by yourself.  You can’t gather all of the information from all potential schools with less than thousands of hours of grinding research on the internet.  Most families don’t have that kind of time.  Most don’t know enough about how financial aid is granted to increase any grant or scholarship awards.  NCSA has data from thousands of colleges and experts that will help families navigate the financial aid process.  One important aspect of this is completing forms correctly and on time.  Many families lose need-based aid because of inconsistencies on their FAFSA.  Others lose because they’re uncertain on timelines.  NCSA’s financial aid experts aid families in navigating financial aid.  The most important thing a family can do to increase financial aid if their student is also a talented athlete, is to make sure that there are a number of college coaches recruiting their child. 

In my case, my child received recruiting letters from 145 college coaches.  About 20 had real genuine interest.  My child narrowed those schools down to 3 great academic choices.  She’ll graduate from her selected college in May, 2010.  She would have never had this opportunity if it wasn’t for the hard work she did and the help we received from NCSA.  My return on that investment is she’ll graduate with no student loans.  My out-of-pocket expense for all 4 years was less than one semester at her private high school she attended.  My return on NCSA’s investment was 6,677%.  But the real return is priceless: Four years of playing a sport that she loves, a college degree from one of the top academic universities in the country, developing friendships that last a lifetime, and job interest in a career field that she chose.  What parent doesn’t want that for their child?  If you need help to get that for your child, go here.

Hey guys!

Okay listen up. I know that you have been told all these different things when it comes to being recruited. You have heard these ideas from coaches, parents, and other players. Well let me just tell you from my point of view since I have recently completed this process. I am not a patient person. I will let you know that up front. So if you and I are similar in this characteristic, then you will cherish this knowledge. Yet, I will not go further and call it wisdom for I am young and only experienced in this once, even though it was at first hand.

I hope by now that you have figured out that I also don’t sugar coat things. I am very honest. That’s what I call it. Others say I am blunt as a butter knife. Call it what you must but I will keep my advice short and to the point.

Things you must keep in mind throughout this process:

• Grin and Bear it…This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Cherish every moment of it!

• Swallow the pill called Pride…Keep your good behavior at all times. ALL TIMES!!!

• Don’t Act your Age… Use your mind and not your mouth. Don’t be a TEEN!!!

• Talk the Talk… Even if you aren’t interested, keep on talking. It’s part of the game and manners!

• Patience is a Virtue… Believe me! I had to learn that the hard way. Just go with it!

• Go to Boot Camp… Hate to tell you, camps are your number asset. I don’t like them either!

• Take a Chill Pill… Don’t worry about anything. Things will work out for the best!

Okay, okay. I know what you are thinking… this all sounds like the place with fire and brimstone. Well, all I can respond with to that idea is… yeah it can be a true pain some times. But, don’t let the negative attitude drag you away from something that could possibly and probably will turn out to be amazing! I am not bitter toward the conclusion of this process whatsoever. There are not enough words to express my enthusiasm. Therefore, I know that you will succeed in this. No doubt!

Good Luck and Best of Wishes!

All or Nothing,

Casey… a MTSU Blue Raider

My name is Megan Mayfield and I’m going on a softball scholarship to Lynn University.  Being recruited isn’t something that just happens overnight and you can’t just rely on talent alone, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes.  Between team and individual practices, the hours spent on the practice field are uncountable. If you’re struggling with something, work on it until you get it. Go out with a coach, a parent, or even one of your teammates and practice it until you get it. Playing softball is only part of the process; you can’t be recruited if no one knows about you.  You have to get your letters out, get them out early, and make them personal. No coach wants to get a mass email; if you can’t take enough time out of your day to personally contact them, why do they want to take time out their day and personally come watch you?  When you get to the tournament, you can’t do anything more so relax and just do your best.  Make yourself standout from the rest of the team, my coach will tell you that the only reason she started watching me was because she saw me take off on a dead sprint to my position in outfield. Do something to get yourself noticed, be loud, be focused, hustle, or wear bright crazy sunglasses anything to make them look at you, because they’re looking at you they’re watching you.

There are ups and downs to be recruited.  Being denied is the worst part about the recruiting process and I was denied like there was no tomorrow.  I’ve been told that I was too small to play college ball since I was a kid, but when a college coach says it, it can be discouraging. However, I was determined to get recruited so I shook that stuff off and kept doing my best. The first time a coach waits behind the dugout after your game to talk to you is the most exciting part of being recruited. In your mind you’re thinking I did it, I got recruited and now all those practices, games, batting slumps, everything else pays off. The NCSA did the best they could’ve done for me, they put reality in perspective. They made me realize how competitive being recruited was and they helped me have a chance in that competition by telling me what I needed to do. They gave me an upper hand on all the other athletes that didn’t have someone walking them through the long process.  The only thing I can tell anyone wanting to get recruited is never give up, hustle everywhere you go, be competitive,  challenge yourself, and most importantly have just have fun.

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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