NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

So Mom and Dad, you have visions of your youngster playing sports in college. You got them involved in youth sports when they were 5, 6, or 7 years of age. You noticed that they were a little bit or a lot better than their peers. You noticed that they always wanted to go to practice, had fun in games, in some cases, they hated to lose. At some point in time you started wondering if playing college sports could be a way to help pay for college. If you came to this conclusion your child’s junior year in high school, you already know how late you are in preparing them adequately. However, if you come to this conclusion when they are 6th or 7th graders, then you are wondering what you need to do to prepare your child for playing college sports. Depending on the sport, how does a parent find the best competition for their child so they can develop their athletic skills? How much money is all of this preparation going to cost? How competitive is it and how can I get a return on that investment?

In the following series of articles, I’ll address the following questions: In part one, how competitive is it to play a sport in college? And, what do parents need to do to give their child the biggest competitive advantage over their peers? In part 2: how much of an investment needs to be made in time and scarce resources? What activities should you invest in? In Part 3: a history of the recruiting help industry.  In Part 4: if you decide you need help, what are the best resources for that help?

The numbers are daunting! If you’re a boys high school basketball player in the US, you have a 4% chance of playing in college. Now statistics lie, so let’s dig into this one a little. Last year, there were 552,935 HS basketball players. There are 1733 college basketball programs at all levels – Junior College, NAIA, NCAA D1, D2, & D3. With an average of 12 kids on a roster, you can do the math. (Find out your sport’s numbers here.)  Now obviously not all 552,935 basketball players are going to be good enough to play in college, have the competitive desire to play in college, or have the grades and test scores to be accepted into a college. So the reality is for the one college roster spot that boy’s basketball player is seeking, he’ll be competing with 5 other kids from somewhere else in the world. He’ll have about a 17% chance to play. Depending on the sport, that percentage could be as high as 25% chance. So what will give your child the competitive advantage to be one of those roughly 20% of kids who want to play in college AND actually get to play AND get college funded?

A child must be competing at the highest level possible and sometimes that’s not at the high school. Every sport has outside of the high school programs where the student-athlete can compete. Football has camps, combines, 7 on 7, etc, where elite athletes compete with each other. Girls and boys basketball have “AAU”, basketball camps, like NCSA partner 5-star, etc. Soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, volleyball, field hockey, ice hockey, water polo have elite club or travel teams. Golf, tennis, swimming, track and field, cross country, and wrestling have elite tournaments or competitions that student-athletes earn their way to compete in. Some student-athletes don’t play their sport at their high school because of a variety of reasons. Some parents are shocked to learn that these kids who don’t play at their high school are getting recruited and, in some cases, getting drafted by professional sports teams. All of these club, travel, and camp activities that are outside of the high school cost money. So let’s get rid of the myth that you, the parent, don’t have to spend any money to get your child recruited. Even the most elite athletes have personal trainers to give them an edge over the other elite athletes they are competing with. So what should your budget be to get your child recruited? What is the best way to invest your money?  

Part 2, part 3, and part 4 has those answers – stay tuned!

NCSA founder Chris Krause’ first book, Athletes Wanted is now available to pre-order for shipping June 1st! Athletes Wanted is the premise that athletes are indeed wanted in all areas of society. Just look at the record TV contracts for college and professional sports networks, the rise of ESPN and the conference networks, and the growth of collegiate athletics in popularity year in and year out.

The other areas athletes are wanted is on college campuses and in the professional world. Statistics prove that the recruited student athlete is much more likely to be accepted to a better college or university, and receive a better scholarship and/or grant and aid package. After college employers want former athletes as well. Just polling recruiters and CEO’s it is apparent- former college athletes are in demand for leadership position in every career imaginable!

Why? The book digs into the Athletes Wanted world and is designed to shed light upon why, and gives tips and anecdotes into how you can help maximize your student athlete’s athletic scholarship and eventual life potential.

Student athletes are taught life skills that impact them continuously. The former collegiate student athlete brand is something they carry with them always. Since the average person changes jobs over 25 times throughout their lives, this will come in handy in opening doors, building relationships, along with the learned skill set of hard work, leadership, goal setting, team work, time management, and achievement that will help them succeed at whatever they set their minds to. These invaluable tools will continue to help them thrive in a meaningful and rewarding career to provide for their families and be positive role models, spouses, friends and parents long after the cheers and roar of the crowd are over.

It takes a mature person to understand the keys to being successful and accomplishing goals. It is especially tough when the task is both physical and mental in nature. The steadfast and focused individuals are able to handle the ups and downs that eventually lead to success. The following is a road map for young athletes to follow if they are truly committed to being the best they possibly can be in their particular sport.

Keep All Doors Open

As an athlete, you need to give yourself every opportunity to succeed. The better you are in the classroom the more opportunities you will have in the future. Everyone would like to play at the top level of collegiate competition but we all know those opportunities are limited. If you are talented enough and dedicated, those chances may indeed come to fruition. The ultimate goal, however, is to end up at a school that is the best match for you. The better you are in the classroom, the more choices you will have from which to pick.

Be Committed

Once you have decided to make college athletics your goal, you need to set your game plan and be rigid in keeping your every action toward accomplishing that end result. It’s easy to stray from the disciplines it takes to be successful; only the strong-willed reach their goal.

Let Others Know Your Intentions

As an athlete, don’t be afraid to communicate your intentions. There are a lot of people who can be instrumental in the process. Relatives, coaches, administrators, and friends are just a limited example of those who can be important as you work to accomplish your goal.

Ask For Help

Even though the bulk of your success rests within tour attitude and your efforts, it’s smart to learn from those who have been where you want to go. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about physical training, improving technical skills, or mental maturity; seek help from those who know what it takes to max out ones’ potential.

Work to Improve

As you go up the athletic ladder the competition gets tougher and tougher. Everybody you will face at the next level will be as good as or better than the best of the best you have already faced. The great athletes thrive on competition and know if you don’t get better you are doomed for failure.

Ignore Naysayers

Remember that not everyone you come in contact with is as dedicated and committed as you. There will be those who try to deter you along the way; even though sometimes not purposefully. Others will be jealous of your successes. It is crucial to keep your eye on the target and not get off track.

Be a Leader

Just as others have done for you, you have an obligation to pay back and pay forward. The examples you set may well be the standard other athletes will use as their guidelines in the future. Remember, the best leaders are those who lead by example.

Learn from Failure

The road to success is a rocky one. There will be ups and downs along the way and it’s important to not dwell on the shortcomings but use them as motivators. Every failure is learning and growing experience. Getting knocked down is going to happen, the key is to get back up and go again.

Share Your Successes

Great teams celebrate together. As an athlete, never forget your success is a team success even if the sport is considered an individual success. Your team is comprised of may who have and continually helped out. Let them know your success is a direct reflection of their help and support.

Believe in Yourself

Confidence in yourself and your convictions is the self-motivator to finish the job. Never waiver from your belief in your own abilities. Others can help but you have to have the grit and determination to do it yourself. The long hours of physical and mental preparation fall solely on your shoulders; be proud.

Think college coaches aren’t evaluated players on social networks like Facebook?  Guess again.  NFL scouts even go to length of creating fake profiles of attractive women and friend potential draft picks to see how they will interact.  Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reports on why coaches can’t afford to leave any stone unturned.

“It works like magic,” said a personnel source that was familiar with his team’s tactic of using counterfeit profiles to link to Facebook and Myspace pages of potential draft picks. The source directed Yahoo! Sports to one of the team’s “ghost profiles” – a term he coined because “once the draft is over, they disappear. It’s like they were never there.”

Most NFL players and draft picks still have their own profiles on social networking sites. Every potential first-round pick in this year’s draft currently maintains a presence on Facebook. But many of them learned long ago to scrub their pages of anything that would give teams ammunition to use against them. Perhaps they followed the lead of their predecessors.

“I have a Facebook page. I’m rarely on it. But when I was in college, I didn’t have anything to hide,” said Houston Texans defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, a 2007 first-rounder. “But I was just mindful of whatever was on there. If you had the slightest doubt that it might create some controversy [it wasn't on there]. My whole thing is that I live by the phrase ‘You don’t want to give anybody a reason.’ ”

If NFL coaches are going to this length, so are colleges.  Recruits need to be ware that photos posted of them in Middle School have the chance to later impact their recruiting efforts.  My advice is to avoid any potential scenario where you could be seen to be involved in questionable behavior.

But, recruits could take the idea one step further.  Since they know coaches will be following their activities online, why not use their page to highlight their best attributes?  Use it to show off their highlight video.  Use it to display the charity work they have done in the community.  Take another recruit’s smoking gun, and turn into an advantage.

 It has been called “the window.” For example, experts say the Phoenix Suns have missed “their window” to win the NBA title.  The Cleveland Cavaliers are in “their window” to win it.

There is also a “window” to play college sports.

Last summer I was at State University of New York at New Paltz. I was talking with one of their college athletes. She said that when she was in high school she figured she had her four years of high school sports and four years of college sports and that was it. Sure, there would be adult league basketball and slo pitch softball and all of that, but she didn’t want to miss out on “the window” of playing college sports.

This past weekend I delivered “College Recruiting Simplified” at the NIKE Football Combine put on by ESPN RISE. Before speaking, I was talking to a high school football coach from Ohio. He talked about how precious the years were to play high school and college football. Once they were done, serious organized football was over for the great majority of players.

“I am over 40 years old,” he told me. “I can get a few of my buddies and we can play a basketball game. But I am not going to be able to get 21 of my buddies and play a real football game. Kids have one shot to play college football, and after that . . . ”

My advice – do everything you can to make college sports a reality. Don’t let “the window” go by.

Charlie Adams

The time is finally here – you have found your dream school. You can not wipe the grin off your face while you call your new coach to inform him that it’s official. Your parents take you out to dinner to celebrate. Your classmates give you high fives in the hall. Congratulations on making your final commitment but you still have one step left.Do you know what it is?

Notify the other coaches that were recruiting you.

Now is the time to contact all the other coaches who courted you throughout the last few years. A phone call is a nice gesture but in most cases a simple email will do the trick. Just do not neglect this courtesy. These coaches spent a lot of time and money telling you about their school and trying to prove that it was the right fit for you. Even though you made another decision, you still owe these coaches a heartfelt “thank you”. There is a good chance you will face off against these coaches for the next four years and in the tumultuous world of college coaching, you never know what the future will bring.

You have put a lot of time, energy and work into your recruiting process, and yes, you deserve some time to celebrate. Soon, however, you must begin your preparation to become a college athlete so do not leave any unfinished business behind you when you enter this next stage in your athletic career.

Katie Trainor coaches women’s lacrosse at Goucher College in Maryland. She had some valuable things to say to the Baltimore Sun in an interview, including the role of Camps and the importance of playing multiple sports in high school.

Coach, how many camps should a kid play in during the summer if she wants to play in college?

Katie Trainor: I think that is a decision that a player should make with her parents. Obviously camps are expensive and you need to do your research as to what is the purpose of the camp. If you want to be seen by a certain coach or spend time on a specific campus, then you should go to a camp at that specific college if it is offered. I do not think that players need to be participating in camps all summer — that is an expensive choice and I am a firm believer that the students these days need a bit more free time and fun in the summer. Too many are spending every waking minute of the summer being shuffled to and from lacrosse tournaments and camps, causing burnout.

Coach, are you a fan of multi-sport athletes when recruiting?

Katie Trainor: Absolutely. I think that multi-sport high school athletes have a lot to offer. It’s important not to specialize too early as it promotes a higher burnout rate and also creates situations of muscle overuse. Single-sport athletes can get sick of the sport when they get to college. Participating in multiple sports in high school is a great way to increase one’s overall athleticism in an organized, competitive environment.

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When I delivered College Recruiting Simplified at Warsaw High in Warsaw, IN (alma mater of former Laker Rick Fox), I had a long talk with athletic director Joe Santa. Joe had recently delivered a presentation on the value of multiple sports at a conference in San Diego.

He used current Chris Kramer as an example. Chris is currently a key player for Purdue Basketball. Many families might think, “Well, to get my kid to D1 Basketball in the Big Ten, we have to do basketball year round – nothing else!”  Chris Kramer and his family didn’t think that way. When Chris played at Huntington North (IN) High School, he played football, basketball and baseball. He earned eleven varsity letters over four years and set fifteen different school records in three sports. He had D1 offers in three sports.

You know why he played three sports? He said, “Because my friends are playing!”          

-Charlie Adams, NCSA Educational Speaker

The downturn strikes again.  The New Mexico State University student newspaper The Round Up is reporting that $70,000 for football recruiting from 2008 to 2009.Earlier this month, New Mexico State University football coach DeWayne Walker announced the signing of his first recruiting class – 13 players from California, three from Texas and Arizona and three from Las Cruces and El Paso. But, for parents to be able to watch games in person and to reduce travel costs to and from campus, many highly recruited athletes may decide to stay closer to home, national football recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said.

“In our case, Coach Walker has identified areas of Texas, California, New Mexico and possibly Arizona, so obviously the travel is significantly reduced,” Athletic Director McKinley Boston said. “We can fly Southwest Airlines from El Paso directly into L.A. or San Diego or almost any other place in California. That’s going to be his strong hold in terms of recruiting, so in that regard that is not really going to be a problem.”

However, if you are an athlete outside of a school’s primary recruiting area there is still another option.  Coaches will be relying on the internet to evaluate players like never before.  Athletes can leverage resources like NCSA’s Scouting Report and Recruit-Match Database to open up doors that may have previously been closed.  Building strong relationships with college coaches will continue to be the key to unlocking your recruiting potential.  Finding creative ways to build them will be valued at a premium.

Researching schools is an essential part of the recruiting process.  A great new website that potential student-athletes can check out is Unigo.com.  The site is entirely free and while it is overseen by editors its built on content submitted by actual students at the university.  The information submitted isn’t just simple reviews, but a robust array of pictures and videos to give prospective students a more accurate view of what its like to actually attend a school.  You can also create customized social networks of potential students interested in specific schools or common characteristics.

Obviously, there is tremendous value in getting information directly from current students.  Athletes have a unique opportunity to get a snap shot inside a college’s athletic program by taking unofficial and official visits.  A little understood rule, is that students can begin taking unofficial visits as freshman.  The more schools you visit, the better your chances of finding the right fit. 

This week Forbes released a list of the top college sports towns.  My beloved Indiana Hoosiers finished a respectable 10th in the rankings based on Forbes formula based on a variety of factors.

To create our list of the best college towns, we started with the top 50 finishers in the Director’s Cup, an award issued through the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to schools based on their performance in every sport. Football and basketball are important, but for the sports fan, part of the college-town experience is access to top teams in track, water polo, soccer, baseball, tennis and other non-marquee sports.

From there, we looked at quality of life measures, since wins and losses aren’t everything. Using Coldwell Banker’s Home Price Comparison Index, we looked at the price of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2,200-square-foot home in each market and compared it to the median income.

Next, we mixed in statistics on public-school quality and crime from NeighborhoodScout, drawn from No Child Left Behind data and the FBI. Durham, N.C., home to Duke, may be more affordable than nearby Chapel Hill, home to UNC-Chapel Hill, but Chapel Hill’s superior school system and lower crime rate push it past Durham on our list.

The reason I want to highlight the rankings here it to make the point that Forbes developed a formula based on an extensive list of factors.  Student-athlete’s and families going through the recruiting process need to base their decisions based on a similar wide range of issues.  That is one more reason why its so important for families to start the recruiting process early.  By extensively researching all your options and getting to know a college and athletic program student-athletes greatly increase their chances of finding the right fit.