NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

One of the first questions families wonder when they begin to contemplate the potential their student-athlete might have to pay at the next level is “when should we start the recruiting process?”

Unfortunately, the reality is that there is no “perfect” time to start navigating the recruiting process.  There is no alarm clock that will go off when its time to start reaching out to college coaches…and if there is an alarm clock, too many families are hitting the snooze button far too many times. 

After speaking with thousands of families about the process, at times, it seems like some are waiting for a sign from above to get started.  This lack of a clear starting line also leads to student-athletes falling into one of two categories in relation to their recruiting competition:

Either you are behind…or…you are ahead.

It’s as simple as that.  No student-athlete is “right on time” when it comes to the recruiting process.  You can’t receive the perfect number of letters or the perfect number of offers.

If you view other student-athletes playing the same sport as your recruiting competition, almost none of them will have received the exact same amount of interest from college coaches.  They will have either received more letters, talked on the phone with more coaches, sent more videos, taken more visits, received more offers…or less of all of those…but almost never the same.  Nine times out of ten, the student-athlete who is on the more desirable end of that scenario is the one who started the process earlier. 

The recruiting process can have a life changing affect on a student athlete and the college decision will be the single most important choice a young person has to make.  Given the impact this process can have, you have to ask your self, do you want to be behind or do you want to be ahead?  All I ask is that you stop hitting the snooze button.

If you are fortunate enough to have options to choose which travel baseball team you should play for over the summer here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Which team are you going to receive more playing time with?

The only way to get better in baseball is by actually PLAYING the game.

2. Which team is playing better competition?

In addition to making sure you are playing, you have to make sure it is against good competition. The best way to get better is to play against guys who are better than you.

3. Where is the team traveling?

The summer time is an important time that college coaches do their recruiting. One of, if not, the most important factor coaches take in to account is seeing you play in person. Playing for your high school summer team usually doesn’t fit the bill in terms of gaining exposure or playing against good competition.

4. What is your budget?

In these economic times this is a difficult question, but it is a factor you need to consider. Many times the more travel required, the more expensive the team is to play for.

Don’t forget to incorporate attending some college camps and making a few visits over the summer. If you are traveling to a showcase or tournament with your summer team don’t be afraid to stop by some campuses to meet with some coaches. Lastly, be sure to be pro-active in terms of inviting college coaches out to see your games.

Last week we went over some of the most common questions that student-athletes can expect to hear from college coaches when the can begin calling recruits.  In case you missed it, be sure to check it out here.

While knowing what questions to expect from a college coach and how to answer them is important, any conversation with a coach also allows the student athlete an opportunity to find out some critical information that will help them through the athletic recruiting process.  The key is to know the right questions to ask in order to maximize your short time with a coach.

Every conversation with a college coach will be unique.  Since the recruiting process moves at different speeds for prospects and coaches, the current relationship should dictate the type of questions that are appropriate.  However, regardless of where you’re at in the process, we wanted to give you some advice that every recruit can take advantage of.

Before we go into specific questions that potential recruits should ask college coaches, let’s go over a few basics to keep in mind while preparing for the conversations.

• First and foremost, PREPARE! While a prospect might not know the exact time a college coach will be calling, every recruit should recognize that phone conversations will be a significant portion of a recruiting relationship. With that in mind, prospects should write down a list of 15 questions that they could ask a coach…and keep it handy! While the conversation should flow naturally, it will only help a potentially nervous student-athlete to have a set of questions prepared ahead of time that they can always ask a coach.
• A prospect should never ask if they will receive a scholarship during an initial conversation unless a coach brings up the topic.
• Recruits should maximize the conversation by only asking questions that they can find answers to by talking to the coach directly. They should not waste this valuable opportunity by asking questions that can be answered through a brief visit to the college’s website. Each conversation serves as a limited chance to develop a real relationship…make the most of it!
• Do not be afraid to ask coaches about themselves. Often times, recruits only ask questions that pertain to their life and neglect to find out anything personal about the coach. It’s important for a recruit to get to know a coach (their interests, their family, etc…)

Now, let’s go over some questions recruits can ask to make the most of the conversation.  As we mentioned earlier, every conversation will be dictated the by current recruiting situation, but here are a few topics that should be covered and some sample questions from each…

Academics

Simply put, academics are the most important part of the process.  If the college coach does not share your academic goals then it might be time to look at other options.  Here are some academic questions every recruit might want to ask:

• What are the admission requirements for an athlete?
• Will my specific major interfere with the athletic schedule?
• What are some of the most popular majors for athletes on your team?
• Does your team have a full-time academic advisor?
• Do your players graduate in four years?
• Can the application fee be waived for athletes?

Athletics / Recruiting

These two topics overlap in many cases, as an athletic evaluation will determine how heavily the coaching staff will be recruiting a prospect.  Here are some “must ask” questions for recruits at any point in the process:

• Has your coaching staff evaluated me?
• Where do I fit on your recruiting board?
• Have you offered scholarships to others in my class? At my position?
• Have any other athletes in my class accepted the offers?
• How many players will you be recruiting at my position?
• Where will you be recruiting this season / spring / summer?
• What types of off-season activities are expected?
• What does the training program consist of at your school?
• What is your recruiting timeline?
• Is there a good time to come visit your school?

Scholarship

As we noted, it is rarely appropriate for a recruit to ask if they will receive a scholarship in an initial phone conversation, however there are a few questions that will help you gauge your scholarship possibilities at that school…

• How many scholarships do you have available for my class?
• Am I under consideration for a scholarship?
• What types of academic scholarships are available? What about other sorts of grants and aid?
• Do I have to apply before a scholarship is offered?
• What happens if I get injured?

College Life Questions

Even though athletics will obviously play a major role in the life of a collegiate student-athlete, every recruit should make sure they are going to be happy on campus even when they are not with the team.  Make sure to ask about some of the following:

• Are the players on your team close with each other?
• What is the housing situation like? Do teammates typically live together?
• Do student-athletes stay on campus during the summer?
• Is it possible to work part-time in addition to playing a sport and studying?
• What is a typical “day in the life” like for a member of your team during the season? What about during the off-season?

Important Final Questions

While there are many directions that a conversation might take with a  college coach, one key goal should be to find out what comes next:

• What are the next steps in this process?
• When is the next time we can speak / meet?
• Is there anything I can provide you with that will help you further evaluate me?

Hopefully this list will provide recruits a starting point for the types of questions they should ask a college coach.  By no means is this list comprehensive, but it should assist a student athlete as they prepare for their first conversation with a coach.

As you can tell, there is quite a bit of information that student-athletes need to gather…This is one of the most important decisions a young person will make in their life.  Get as much information as possible!  That is also one of the main reasons why recruiting is all about building relationships.  This process does not happen overnight, and will consist of a number of different situations in which a recruit communicates with a college coach.  Phone conversations just happen to be an important initial step in building that relationship.

If you are prospect, at any age, who has yet to begin developing a relationship with a college coach, you might be falling behind.  There are other prospects, starting freshmen year or earlier (your competition), who have already started speaking with college coaches.  The earlier you start that relationship, the more time you will have to make the best decision possible.  Make sure to get started today!

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.

 As coaches and mentors of young men and women you will be looked to for guidance with what some consider the most important decision of a young person’s life. Guiding a high school student athlete through the recruiting process and ultimately helping them find the perfect fit for their college experience can be a difficult process. With the recruiting process changing on a yearly basis it’s understandable that some coaches feel unsure as to when their athletes should get started with their search for a college. It’s important that your student athletes and families understand that not all doors remain open forever, rosters are filled, scholarships are given out, and opportunities can be missed, regardless of the talent level their son or daughter possess.

It’s a common theme amongst high school athletes and parents to wait until their senior year before thoroughly exploring the option to extend their athletic and academic career. In an ever changing, fast paced world, this decision can leave families not only behind, but out in the cold all together. Starting the recruiting process early will give families an opportunity to thoroughly review each and every option that presents itself and ultimately make a more informed decision on which school is the best fit for them.

Your families should have time to work this process as thoroughly as possible. They need time identify schools of interest, gauge the recruiting needs at these universities, research each university thoroughly, make visits to see their future campuses first hand, readjust when set backs occur and build relationships with potential future coaches. Having time to do these things will allow your players to identify the school that will provide them with not only the best athletic fit, but the best academic and social fit as well.

Making this decision is something that should definitely not be taken lightly. It is often said that the decision on where to go to college will not only have an effect on the following four years of a students life, but the next forty years as well. In most cases this will be the largest decision your athletes will be making in their life so far. Whenever making a potentially life changing decision the one thing everyone would like on their side is time, time to think, review, review and scrutinize every single facet of the options that are in front of them.

Ideally your student athletes should start this process as early as their freshman year. And while the early years of the process will be far less active then the later years, it’s the foundation of knowledge about the process and an understanding of what they are truly looking for out of their college experience that your athletes will come to understand during these early years that will set them up for success later on.

As you begin to guide your student athletes and families through this process it’s important to educate them on what to expect. First and foremost they should understand that this can be a difficult and frustrating process. Like anything else in life it takes hard work and preparation to prepare yourself for success. Your families should be ready to put in the work if they are expecting results. Another difficult aspect of the recruiting process is that it is ever-changing. Coaches are constantly developing new ways to reach out to recruits. NCAA recruiting rules changes on a yearly basis. One of the common mistakes that families make is relying off of a parent for the main source of guidance who went through the process twenty plus years earlier. As a coach you need to reach out to your families to explain that like just about everything else in the world, things have changed in the last few decades. It’s not the same process that they went through and they need to be aware of that. Competition for athletic scholarships is fierce. Knowing which schools to target, and marketing the student athlete properly is really only half the battle. Keeping up with rule changes and the current time line of the process is a job unto itself.

As I mentioned previously your student athletes should really begin to undertake this process during their freshman year. And while there are critics out there that will tell you that making the comment to become a college athlete is one that should not be made during a player’s freshman year. I would ask you to consider this, it is not a commitment to play in college that your athletes will be making during their freshman year of high school; they are simply making the commitment to still have the option to make the commitment at a later point in their high school career. And while many athletes will decide that they no longer want to invest themselves in their respective sports during college, it is far better to have the opportunity to make that decision, then to not have the option because they failed to put themselves in a position to have the opportunity to make that decision.

During your players freshman year they should begin to research schools. Have them focus on schools at all levels. It’s important that they begin to understand that there are options outside of the division one level. The reality of college recruiting is that less than one percent of all high school athletes will go on to compete at the division level. The sooner your athletes can start to become realistic about what their opportunities might be, the easier it will be for them to begin to move towards finding out which schools might be the best fit for them. Ideally your players should leave their freshman year with a short list of colleges at all the different division levels that they want to begin to target during their sophomore year. In addition to identifying possible schools of interest, it is important for you players to review the NCAA guide for college bound student athletes. This will give them a general overview of the recruiting process and more importantly it will open their eyes to the idea that they also need to focus on their academics as well, as there are specific standards they most meet to become eligible to play at the next level.

As your players start to enter their sophomore year it will be time for them to start to reach out to the programs on their short list. It’s a little known recruiting rule that student athletes, regardless of their age/grade level, can initiate contact with coaches at any time. Although coaches will have to wait until players reach their junior year before they can start to send out recruiting materials, there is no reason why players can’t begin to call schools to introduce themselves and express interest in their programs. Ideally your players should be looking to schedule an unofficial visit with these universities to get on campus and experience the schools first hand. It’s important to note that their may not be much contact with coaches on these visits, but they still should be viewed as a valuable way to educate themselves on the potential school of interest. Remember the earlier your players can figure out what they’re truly looking for out of their college experience the easier it will be for them to narrow their options down at a later point in the process, allowing them to more effectively deal with the volume of schools that will begin to contact them.

Once your players enter their junior year there should be no more red lights with the recruiting process. Coaches can begin to contact players both through mail, and during the latter part of the year through phone calls. After your players junior season is complete they should deliver their game film to any and all coaches that they have an interest in playing for. Starting early will allow them to have already initiated contact with several programs and the coaches should be expecting their film. This will allow coaches to get a jump on their evaluations of your players, and they should hopefully receive some early decisions on where they stand on the coaches recruiting board.

It’s important to remember that collegiate recruiting is a process. It’s not an event; your players will need to work through the various steps to find success. Getting started early will allow them to take all the necessary steps to put themselves in position for success. You wouldn’t expect to show up in the third quarter of a game and expect to win, apply the same logic to recruiting and your players will be in a better position for success.

Many baseball student-athletes and families ask the question, “What camps or showcases should I attend over the summer?” and “What is going to give me the best exposure?”

In order to attain the most exposure for your recruiting over the summer here is what you should do:

1. Play with a competitive summer team. Send your summer schedule to any college coach you are communicating with or are interested in. Also remember, this is one of the most important times to be improving your game.

3. Attend college camps. A college coach needs to evaluate you in person. This is the easiest way to accomplish this. Attend camps for colleges that you have been communicating the most with. Also, this helps you see the campus and talk with the coaches personally. Make sure you contact coaches prior (introduce/re-familiarize/let them know you will be there) to and after (to ask for personal feedback).

4. Attend one to two showcase events. The most effective showcases are ones in which you know what coaches are attending. If you do not know what coaches are attending, it is likely not worth attending, but it may be good to understand more about who you are competing against. It also gives you an understanding of what a showcase is like. Make sure you contact coaches prior (introduce/re-familiarize/let them know you will be there) to and after (to ask for personal feedback).

5. Continue to communicate with your top colleges at least monthly. Ask each coach, “What is the best way for you to evaluate me?”

BEWARE:

Do not go in to any camp or showcase with the idea that you are going to be “discovered.” Go to a camp with the idea that you can gain knowledge about what that coaches are teaching.

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.

The eyes of pro football scouts are focused on Indianapolis today for the NFL Combine.  The nation’s elite prospects will be under tremendous scrutiny as they try to convince pro teams that they are worth a multimillion dollar contract.  However, potential high school recruits can learn a lot about the evaluation process by paying attention to the stories that will emerge during the week.

-Numbers Matter -No, not actual stats like touchdowns or tackles, but heights, weights, strength and speed numbers.  Scouts spend hours pouring over these numbers attempting to relate them to the ability to succeed at the next level.  College coaches do the same thing. 

Naturally, all of the athletes have spent the last month preparing for these drills and arriving in peak condition.  High school recruits need to recognize the importance of these numbers and do the same.  All speed drills should be practiced prior to attending a combine.  Recruits should constantly be practicing and working to improve their combine performance.  Just arriving and performing is not an option.

-Your Personality Matters- Most fans don’t realize the importance many teams place on face to face interviews as well as a variety of tests that teams use to get a better handle on a players personality and intelligence.  Prospects have fallen several slots after poor intelligence test caused doubts that a player can handle the mental aspect of playing the game at a high level.

Recruits should understand that their grades and test scores are also viewed by college coaches to gauge their ability to contribute to a school.  Recruits should take the time to visit schools to build relationships with college coaches.  The more comfortable a coach feels with a recruit, the better his chances of receiving a schoalrship offer.

If you are still doubtful about the importance of combines take a look at the weekend’s big story; the disastrous appearance and then disappearance by Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith.  Prior to last weekend he was viewed by scouts as a potentially overall number one pick.  A player that a franchise could invest up to $50 million dollars in to be the cornerstone of an offensive line for the next 10 years.  Andre arrived at the combine out of shape, refused to take part in the individual drills is rumored to have bombed his interviews and  to cap things off he strangely disappeared and left the event early.  Needless to say his stock is bombing.

The large majority of these elite prospects prepared diligently for the event.  They correctly view the combine as part of a job interview process reaching its final stage. Every potential recruit needs to view their efforts to land a scholarship in the same way arrive for their interviews prepared.

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. 

  I had the opportunity to go out to Harper College to talk with the softball team on time management.  This proved to be a great experience as we discussed some strategies and tools which we can utilize in managing our time wisely. 

I started off with an ice breaker.  I asked each person to indicate on paper which of the following they felt best described them: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, or squiggle.

Then we talked a bit about what characteristics went with those symbols. It was fun to see what category each person fit into.  This can be a fun introduction to do with a group or to see where you fit in.

We are all given 24 hours in a day.  Why is it that some people seem to manage so much more in their lives and we feel so overwhelmed?

We discussed how each of us spends time in a day.  It is a good practice to list how many hours we spend on activities, such as: watching TV, playing video games, classes, homework/study time, hanging out with friends, your sport, job, family time, personal care, sleep, meals.  After adding those numbers up, many of them found out it was over 24 hours.  Obviously we do combine some activities – watching TV while eating and so forth.  But it was a good exercise in seeing exactly how much time we spend on daily activities. 

I encourage you to do this short test on your own.  This might be a real eye opener to see where you are spending your time.  Some of us might not have too many hours left in a day at the end.  Sleep is usually one that gets cut – or family time and important relationships.  Then we get stressed out and this all adds to our time with worry.

I wanted to make sure this point was clear and did a similar demonstration to the “Rock, pebble, sand – time management” one.  I asked for a volunteer from the group and had her fill her jar with the small things first: water, pebbles, larger rocks and finally 2 large balls.  The size of the rocks symbolized how much meaning the activities are in our life hold.   The bigger rocks were more significant activities.  This proved that if we put in all our lesser activities in our calendars first, we will not have time in the day to fit in our most vital events or activities.

We definitely need to prioritize our activities and see what is most important to us – what goals we want to achieve in life.  We then need to have a plan put in place so we can make sure we get those important things done and meet the deadlines.

We took a few minutes to list the 3 most important objectives or goals that we had right now.  We also tried to gauge how much time we need to set aside for those goals during the week. 

There are 3 things which can stop us from achieving this:

1. Fear (false evidence appearing real)

2. Fatigue (most adults need 7-8 hours – Lack of sleep will affect our performance, focus, mood, health, weight gain.)

3. Boredom (if we set our goals too low we will not be motivated to achieve.  Set a high bar for our lives.  Don’t do just enough to get by.)

People who are high achievers are not bored!  They are always looking to take that next step to take things on a higher level.

There are tools out there to help plan out a day, week, or month and even add the hours up for us.  It is important that we post our calendars and carry them with us so we know what we have to do for the day.

Have a tough time completing those assignments on time?  There is an assignment calculator tool that gives you daily tasks to complete and helful links to go to if you are stuck on any of the tasks!

Wrapping things up,  I had them each share with a partner what things they would take away from the talk as well as what they could do to put one of the points into action.   This was valuable, as some shared they need to get more sleep, start using a daily planner, identify the fears she had, set longer range goals or set higher standards and bars for themselves.

  Couldn’t we all use a bit more time in a day?  Put some of those plans into action and we may find we can get more out of our day within the 24 hours eavh of us is given!  Share ideas that you use for keeping organized and managing your time.