NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

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…)

Every time a NCSA Recruiting Expert like Tony Collins, Brent Williams, Nicole Watson, Paul Putnam or Bob Chmiel addresses an audience, we realize lives can and will be literally changed from that Event. I got this powerful note from a family that heard the College Recruiting Simplified presentation I delivered at the world-class IMG Academies in Florida last summer  – Charlie Adams

NCSA Recruiting Expert Charlie Adams

Dear Mr. Adams

My name is Vijayan Rajes and I live on a coffee plantation in a very small village located on the Shevaroy Hills, in Tamilnadu state in India.  My wife and I met you briefly at Bradenton, FL, in summer 2010 while our son Vishnu was there for tennis training at IMG.

We were there at IMG to try and improve the chances of Vishnu being recruited to play college tennis.  His aim was to play serious tennis and pursue his education.  Our goal was to try and get him the best possible college for tennis and academics.  We felt that we were groping in the dark and did not know what the future held in store for us.  We were glad to hear of your presentation and eagerly attended.  Subsequently, with the help of Justin and Kyle we were the first at IMG Camps to sign up with NCSA, as we were returning to India in a few days.  The recruitment video and all the assistance we received was timely and invaluable.  Sitting in a remote area in India we felt secure   to know we had someone representing our interest in the US.  Vishnu was recruited within a few months to Washington College, Chestertown, MD.  He did recieve some very interesting and financially lucrative offers from several colleges, but finally decided on Washington
College for its very highly ranked academic program.

My wife, Madhumathi and I accompanied Vishnu in Aug 2011 to Washington College in time for the fall semester.  We felt extremely satisfied and immediate knew that we made the right choice the minute we landed on campus.  The feedback we had been recieving from the staff at NCSA was spot on.  We felt we were at the right place immediately.  We spent the next two weeks in the Chestertown area and made some new friends on and off campus.  We also visited some old friends in the DC area.  They all were curious to know how we found Washington College in Chestertown, MD, while living in Yercaud, India.  My reply was we never found them, they found us, thanks to NCSA.

I am glad to inform you that Vishnu is happily settled in Washington College and plays on their tennis team.

We thank you and the entire team of NCSA for all the help.

Best Regards

Vijayan Rajes

This is what it is all about. They were able to do the critical Evaluation with a College Scout, get into the Network, and utilize the resources to match with the right fit. After receiving the letter above from them, I asked Mr. Rajes some follow up questions:

CHARLIE ADAMS: Looking back, what were the most important factors in the recruiting process?

VIJAYAN RAJES: The SAT score was an important qualification.  Being a foreign student, the TOEFL score was given important weightage.

CHARLIE ADAMS: What do you think are the most valuable things about being in the NCSA Network?

VIJAYAN RAJES:  Making sure the student athlete’s academic ability and athletic skill level are well matched with colleges.

CHARLIE ADAMS:  What do you think is the most important factor in finding the ‘right fit’ for a son or daughter?

VIJAYAN RAJES:  The NCSA database is an independent one-stop shop for all US college coaches.  The NCSA subscriber also has access to lots of college coaches from a single source.

CHARLIE ADAMS: At NCSA, our top priority is to develop Athleaders and to prepare athletes for the next 40 years of life. How do you think your son being a student-athlete in College will prepare him for life?

The IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida plays host to the prestigious Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships every November. The Eddie Herr has seen the likes of Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, David Nalbandian, Anna Kournikova, Mardy Fish, Xavier Malisse, Marcelo Rios, Jelena Jankovic, and Ana Ivanovic play in their younger days.

Over 2000 players from around the world play in the event. The NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network is brought in to deliver the recruiting education to the hundreds of families on hand. I was able to speak on the College Recruiting Process several times, as well as have conversations with people about recruiting. As always, there are key points here that families with athletes in all sports can learn from.

I had a conversation over lunch with the head coach of a mid level Division One tennis program. He was candid in his assessment of finding qualified prospects with regards to being very good players as well as sound academically and being ‘good kids.’

“We are in this age of ‘entitlement’ with some kids,” said the coach. “Good kids are getting tougher to find. I am talking about the player with the tremendous work ethic and that has respect for elders and things of that nature. That’s why a lot of international players are appealing. Many have English as a second language yet they are still stronger academically than many U.S. kids, plus they are more approachable and appreciate any scholarships, including partials. If a lot of American kids don’t start working harder, I will recruit more internationals.”

I approached the head coach of a Big Ten Conference tennis program and chatted a bit as he watched prospects. Coaches use verified sources such as NCSA, the recommendation of a coach they trust, or ratings from sites such as tennisrecruiting.net to build their recruiting lists. “Ratings all mean something different,” he said. “The trick is figuring out what they will do at the next level once they leave High School age.”

Another high level D1 Tennis coach said that while ratings are very important, it is not always the bottom line with their program. They look for that player that has that insatiable desire to keep getting better.

Another coach told me he is looking for that player that loves tennis, that isn’t doing it because he feels he ‘has to’ or because he has been doing it his whole life. A coach told me that while they like to learn about players in the 9^th grade, you never know if they will stop putting in the work, fall in love, or just not develop.

While watching matches, I talked with Nick Rybakova, who has a daughter, Katie, who is an All ACC tennis player for Florida State. Katie, who is now a senior at FSU, was ranked #6 in Florida’s under 18 girls category coming out of High School in Coral Springs, FL.

“The most important thing is not the ranking,” said Nick. “It is the attitude. That is 90% of it – how they handle themselves on the court. Are they fighting for every point? Sure, the rankings are very important and show something, but attitude is big.”

Katie graduated High School as valedictorian of her class with a 4.0 GPA. She has made All ACC all three years so far, as well as being Academic All ACC.

“I will tell you another thing,” her Dad added. “In college tennis it is all hard courts. Having the ability to hit a heavy ball with a power serve is very important.”

I spoke with the mother of Remi Ramos, a 14 year old class of 2014 tennis prospect who, like many tennis players, is being home schooled.

“She wanted to be home schooled so she could be on the court more,” said her mother. “I was saying you should go back to School, but this is something she wants. This is all her doing. She is ranked about 100^th in the country and in the top 20 in Florida. She was injured for six months and came back in March. We do all the Florida Sectionals, the Level 2 Nationals, the Super Nationals, the Eddie Herr, the Orange Bowl tournament. Eventually she wants to be an Orthopedist and specialize in Sports Medicine. Her goal is to play for Stanford or Florida, get a full scholarship and play #1 or #2.”

The catch there is that there are so many other girls at tournaments like the Eddie Herr that have similar goals. I talked to many parents, and if I had a nickel for how many said their daughter wanted to play #1 or #2 Singles at schools like Stanford, Florida, Notre Dame, Duke, and so on, I would have a lot of nickels. A difference maker will be who plays the recruiting game the best. That is why NCSA is there, to help them manage the process and get the exposure.

Not every player at an event like the Eddie Herr is interested in playing College on scholarship. I talked with countless players that had their aim set straight on going professional.

On one of the courts at the sprawling IMG Academies, I came across 21 year old Kim Couts blasting balls with a practice partner. Her mother Shelby was there watching and supporting her. Kim is one of those that bypassed playing College Tennis because her dream was to go pro. Kim was a top juniors player. She won the 2006 Easter Bowl and won her first pro event on the USTA Pro Circuit in June of 2007 when she won the $10,000 Evansville, IN tourney.

As we stood there watching her practice, her mother said it was the first time in 3 weeks she had played. The strain of the pro season had been so much that she withdrew from her last tournament to recharge her batteries. Kim is ranked 285^th in the world in Singles and 185^th in doubles.

“It is mental,” said her mother. “Closing those matches is the big thing. Everyone that is professional can hit the ball beautifully. Their ground strokes are solid. It’s winning those big points in the 3^rd set that make a difference. Having that attitude of getting it done. Unless your are over six feet, and even then there are a pile of girls that are good retrievers, so much of it is mental.”

Shelby has been supportive of her daughter since they came to Florida when Kim was 11 to get serious about this journey. She said Kim has always been focused and had success academically and athletically. College was on her mind, but at age 15 she decided to go after the pro route.

“It has been an amazing experience,” she said. “Not every minute, mind you, and it is definitely not glamorous, but I have been able to watch my kid develop and travel. We have had to have sponsorship support and the challenge is at some point you have to make a living at it, but Kim has always wanted to go pro and I said, ‘Go for it!’”

I talked to many families from around the world that are dead set on their child going pro as soon as possible. I don’t think people realize how many others are taking that route. I will say that the IMG Academies would certainly make a major impact on whether that dream comes true or not, but I also urge families to strongly consider the college tennis route as well. Remember, the massive majority of young athletes will go pro in something other than their sport. My message to the families, during my Talks, was to look strongly at college tennis at a top academic institution. A lot of the players at an event like Eddie Herr are gunning for top D1 programs, and that is a realistic goal for many of them, but many families also look strongly at other levels, especially D3. There are tremendous programs at the top level of D3, and a lot of highly rated players. Tennis families are usually very academic-strong families. They understand the power of a degree from a top University. That is why you see D3 tennis powers at such schools as Williams College, Amherst, Emory, University of Chicago, and Washington and Lee University. Those are some of the highest rated Universities in the country.

To get an Evaluation of where you are in the Tennis recruiting process

Charlie Adams, Recruiting Expert and Parent of NCAA Athlete

cadams@ncsasports.org

To bring Recruiting Education to your Club, School or special event, contact Amanda Rawson at arawson@ncsasports.org

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

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

I was driving near Indianapolis this week and heard former Indiana University Basketball Coach Dan Dakich hosting his daily talk show on 1070 the Fan. A caller called in a little ‘bent out of shape’ that IU Basketball Coach Tom Crean had recently received two commitments from players that had yet to play a second of High School basketball. Two highly rated 9th graders had made their decision to attend IU. The caller just could not understand how they could be doing that at such a young age. Dakich, who was an assistant coach at IU for years and knows recruiting inside and out, wasn’t surprised. He said back when he was evaluating talent he could often tell if a 7th grader could play at a major D1 level like Indiana and the Big Ten. In recruiting, basketball is especially accelerated and seasoned evaluators like Tom Crean can project early if a kid can play. Back in the 1980′s, Bob Knight went down to Bedford, IN to watch a legendary 8th grader named Damon Bailey play a game. In the book, “A Season on the Brink” Knight made a comment to the author John Feinstein that “Bailey is better than any guard we have right now. I don’t mean potentially better, I mean better today.” Bailey ended up going to Indiana and was a very good player at that level.

It’s not that way for every basketball player that eventually plays D1, but it is for the special ones. Trey Lyles is one of the two players to commit to IU. He stands 6’9″ as a 9th grader. The other one is James Blackmon, Jr. His Dad was a very good player back in the day at Kentucky. Tom Crean and his staff have no doubt those two project to be winning Big Ten players. As Dakich said on his radio show, the IU coaches know what they are doing because they are seasoned evaluators. They have been watching those kids in the July evaluation events.

Less than 1% of the High School athletes will get this kind of “fawning over.” The rest have to be proactive in recruiting, and understand the process starts early whether you are a 6’9″ ninth grader or not. A 5’9″ 9th grade basketball player that is not even on the varsity team needs to understand how important it is to make his baskets in the classroom so that he can have more options in recruiting when he is a junior or senior. That kid may never get a D1 offer, but if he and his family get educated in recruiting and he works his tail off, by the time he is a junior and senior he will have more options in recruiting.

Charlie Adams

cadams@ncsasports.org