NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Let’s look at the following facts:

1)       The average cost of a college education is over $140,000

2)       There are over 20,000 high schools with athletic programs

3)       Only 5% or high school athletes will play in college

4)       The internet has made it so college coaches can look at kids from all over the world

How competitive is it to secure a college roster spot with some funding attached to it?  In the last 10 years, the competitiveness has increased exponentially because of the above 4 facts and these points.   When you examine how competitive it is, when do you think you should be competing for a college roster spot?  Senior year, junior year, sophomore year, freshman year, or younger?   If you said younger, that’s the correct answer.  If you’re a sophomore, junior or senior, it isn’t too late, but I bet you wished you had begun earlier, right? 

If you understand what you need to do to compete, then you’ll understand why college recruiting begins as early as 7^th and 8^th grade.  And if you don’t know anyone who are doing these things, that doesn’t mean there aren’t thousands of your peers around the country who are.  They are ahead in the recruiting race right now.  So here’s what you need to do to compete:

There are 3 legs that lead to a college scholarship, 1) academics, 2) athletics, and 3) college recruiting.  You can work real hard on those first 2 legs and that means nothing if a college coach doesn’t know about you.  When you delay working every day on college recruiting you are making a HUGE mistake that thousands of your peers are not.  Every day you wait to do something about college recruiting you lose ground to the kids who are doing something.

College coaches tell us that if they’ve known a kid since 7^th or 8^th grade and they find out about a similar student-athlete when that one is a sophomore or junior, he’ll offer the scholarship to the kid he has known the longest. 

Remember college recruiting is putting you in a position to earn a spot in a $140,000 job.  If you’re not making the effort to be recruited, what you do academically and athletically doesn’t matter.  You won’t get that job.  And waiting only hurts your chances.

The beauty of NCSA is we’ll take care of all of the heavy lifting on your recruiting effort.  That way you can focus on your work in the classroom and improving your athletic skills.  You’ll also get on the radar of college coaches so your hard work on those first 2 legs are being followed by those coaches. 

 If you want to play college sports and you’ve already played a season in high school, you’re beginning the recruiting process late.  If you need to catch up to your peers or don’t want to be left behind go here to be competitive.

Recruiting testimonial from Allison Kippers who will be a freshman on the McNeese State University women’s golf team fall 2010.

When I first began playing golf, I never would have thought that I would have advanced to the game I have today. Before joining with NCSA, I was emailing colleges like I was supposed to. I sent them my transcript, my resume, and a nice statement of interest, but I never got anything back.

Once I joined with NCSA, they told me that the reason I was not getting anything was because the emails being sent weren’t from someone of professional stature: being NCSA. They took the same material I sent before, and sent them to colleges, again. The change in responses was phenomenal. I was getting actual scholarship offers rather than simple letters of interest. It was amazing.

The only regret I have with joining with NCSA my senior year is that I wish I would have joined my sophomore year. The amount of colleges that would have shown interest would have been significantly different. Once with NCSA, the recruiting process of simple. I just sat back and watched the emails roll in.

 The only tough part was letting the colleges that had interest in me know that I had just signed with another college, and would not be attending their college.

If you are questioning whether or not to join with NCSA, do join. They will get you signed with a college. They actually care about your success and future, which was a bright surprise for me. So keep up the hard work, improve your game, maintain a good GPA, and join NCSA. You are guaranteed to get a scholarship with them.

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

Few coaches in the history of collegiate athletics have been able to accomplish what Anson Dorrance has done with the University of North Carolina women’s soccer program. This past weekend the lady Tar Heels capped off their 20th National Championship in 28 years of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament. UNC has worked toward an impressive 673-33-21 all-time record since the program’s inception in 1979. Dorrance has been at the helm for the lady Tar Heels for 31 years. His impressive tenure calls to mind the famous line from Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they will come”. Through his skillful recruiting efforts and impressive work ethic, Dorrance has put himself in a position that any college coach would envy. He has set himself apart in his method, his astounding statistics year after year, and his overall character. He has had his pick of the nation’s top prospects for more than two decades and has coached numerous players who have gone on to compete on the world’s biggest stage, at both the World Cup and the Olympics. But the majority of college coaches are not living in such a fairy tale and recruiting does not come so easily – especially in this day and age.

There are very few programs that are in the comfortable position of being able to pick from the nation’s cream of the crop to fill out their roster each year. It is a highly competitive world out there for the college coach, as well as the prospective student-athlete. Finding the student that meets your program’s needs, meshes well with team chemistry, and helps to bring your team to the next level is an extremely difficult task when there are thousands of athletes to choose from. College coaches are always trying to find a way to market their program so that they can draw in highly talented student-athletes from all over the country. Their jobs are dependent on results and this makes for a tricky game when they are operating within a tight budget.

For prospects who are hoping to play in college, the game is just as tricky. There are over 3 million high school student-athletes nationwide who are looking to play at the next level. In an increasingly competitive market, what sets YOU apart? This is a question that we help student-athletes to answer every single day at NCSA. Each and every athlete has their own strengths, and it is important to recognize and promote these. Our team is here to help you distinguish yourself in a vast sea of talent and empower you with the knowledge you need to skillfully navigate through the recruiting process. Not every coach is in a position like Dorrance, and therefore recruiting efforts require a good amount of time, energy, and money. NCSA is matching qualified student-athletes with college coaches on a daily basis. There are more opportunities out there than most people realize. We are here to educate you about these opportunities and help give you exposure to programs that will be the right fit for you.

For more information, call (866) 579-6272 to speak with one of NCSA’s Collegiate Scouts and take your career to the next level.

Coach Taylor – Should student athletes request a letter of recommendation from their coaches and a high school instructor? The coaches have asked for transcripts and personal information through a questionnaire, but have never asked for a letter of recommendation.

Great question.  Coaches are always interested in objective third party evaluations, however letters of recommendation are only a small piece of that puzzle.  When returning a questionnaire I would also recommend a hand written note expressing interest in the university as well as your athletic and academic resume.  The final piece to the puzzle is an honest evaluation and introduction to the coach from a trusted and objective third party like NCSA.

NCSA helps deliver all of these aspects to a coach in an instant with our Verified Recruiting Profiles.  In an instant you can supply a coach with your transcript, ACT or SAT scores, academic accomplishments, athletic data, highlight video, full game video and letter of recommendation.  You can start building your Free Scouting Profile here.

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.

I recently had an opportunity to ask Steven Fisher, of San Marcos High School in California, a few questions about his experience at the Team One Futures Game which was recently played on October 23^rd in Peoria, Arizona. Here is the quick interview:

It is quite the honor to be invited to play in the Team One Futures Game. How did you receive the invitation?

I was noticed for the Futures Game at a Team One event located at Orange Coast College. From there I was invited to play in a Team One All American preseason event where I was a standout among others from across the nation. The Team One preseason event was a compilation of all the best kids from this 36 team, preseason event. Again, all the kids from the pre-season event were seen somewhere in the nation and were the best from whatever state they came from. From there the best kids from the pre-season event were selected for the Team One Futures Game.

It sounds like a lot of fun; can you describe your time at the Futures Game?

The Futures Game was tons of fun, not only did I have the chance to show my talents in front of many college recruiters, I also got to play against the best kids in the nation that are my grade. We started the night off by going through a major league style workout. First we stretched, took batting practice, took grounders and prepared for the game. We played in the Peoria Stadium Complex where many great major leaguers have played.

Did you learn anything while you attended the event?

Oh yes, one thing that I learned while I was there was that baseball is such a fun and simple game and can be seen in so many ways. We were around coaches from around the nation and they knew so many little things about the game. Just being around those coaches rubbed off and created a relaxing atmosphere and brought the fun in the game out. Even though this was the biggest event I had been to the coaches seemed to really lighten the mood and bring the best out of us, keeping the game loose and competitive. I really enjoyed myself.

What kind of exposure did you receive while playing there?

There were more than 30 college recruiters sitting in the stands with radar guns pointed directly at home plate all writing. It was pretty neat.

Since you have gained experience playing in a big game with a lot of scouts, what advice can you give to other student-athletes if they ever have an opportunity like that?

Take a step back and look at the big picture. The game of baseball is very simple and hasn’t changed much since it was created. When you step into the batter’s box and see your name on the score board, go ahead take in the moment, it’s pretty awesome, but make sure you step out of the batter’s box and clear your head before the at bat begins. Go out there with confidence, but remember to play your game and not try to impress the scouts.

Tell us about what you’ve learned since being with NCSA. 

Since I have been with NCSA I have learned many valuable tips from the coaches and advisors there, but most importantly I’ve learned from the coaching calls where I had a coach or player or somebody talk to me or the group about their lifetime experiences and what they would do if they had a second chance. Now, as I am getting older, I am starting to understand that you only get one chance at life. This is definitely one thing that drives me to continuously get better and to chase my dreams full speed ahead. NCSA is definitely a place that can help me if I have questions about college, future, or daily life.

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.

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.

Patrick Dayton has been nominated our NCSA Baseball Student-Athlete of the Month for September. He is from Archer City, Texas and graduates in 2010. Patrick is a 6’0” 180 pound infielder who was named to the All-State Honorable Mention Team as a junior after hitting .500 in 54 at bats. He was also named to the All-Area 1st Team his first two years of high school hitting .394 his freshman year and .438 his sophomore year.

If you can believe it, Patrick excels more in the classroom. He has a 4.34 GPA on a 4.0 scale, is ranked #1 in his class, and scored a 1460 on the two-part SAT (including a perfect 800 on the math section). On top of baseball and academics, Patrick’s math and science teams have placed in the top 6 in four different math and science competitions. Patrick is looking to study engineering in college and NCSA is very proud to name Patrick Dayton our NCSA Baseball Student-Athlete of the Month for September.

The quest to find the right college for a student-athlete is a challenge that we here at the National Collegiate Scouting Association readily accept with open arms. We understand not only what it means to families to have their student-athlete comfortable and excited to be attending the university of their choice, but we also understand the passion and desire that our student-athletes have to find that particular university. We also understand how important it is for college coaches to be matched up with qualified student-athletes who will help their universities grow both academically and athletically. With this being said, we here at NCSA will do everything we can to match student-athletes with universities that we feel would be a good fit. But when it’s all said and done, it’s up to the student-athletes to visit these schools, meet these coaches and decide for themselves if they truly see themselves being members of that university for the next four years of their lives. So how does a student-athlete go about doing this? How do they put themselves in the best situation possible to meet coaches and visit schools? They should be utilizing a somewhat untapped resource and with this I would like to introduce the unofficial visit.

For those student-athletes who have seen movies like The Program, He Got Game and Blue Chips, the recruiting process might seem like a dream come true. In The Program, Darnell Jefferson is welcomed to Eastern State University by a charter bus filled with cheerleaders. NBA superstar Ray Allen plays the main character in He Got Game and is whisked away from campus to campus for weekends of fun and spoil. Several “blue chip” prospects in Blue Chips receive gifts and frequent visits from the coaching staff. One thing each and every parent, coach and student-athlete needs to know is that these are movies attempting to depict a very long and difficult process. For the majority of high-school athletes, the best way to get a feel for a school and a coach is to take advantage of the unlimited amounts of unofficial visits a recruit can take during their four years of high school.

One might ask, “What is an unofficial visit and what other kinds of visits are there?” Great question. An official visit is one where the cost of part of the visit is incurred by the school. For example, a recruit is invited to visit the campus and during their visit the school will pay for their flight, hotel room and meals. These are less common than unofficial visits and are heavily regulated in terms of how many a school is allowed to give out and how many a student-athlete can attend. The alternative is the unofficial visit, where a student athlete visits the campus on their own and pays for it themselves. Although it may be less glorious than the official visits depicted in films, it is just as effective in terms of finding a school that you would be comfortable and eager to attend. Did I mention that you can take an unlimited amount of unofficial visits? Read on…

So let’s say you are a student-athlete and this blog has inspired you to take some unofficial visits…but you don’t know how to go about it. Here is your crash course to the unofficial visit.

First, come up with a list of schools and programs that you are interested in learning more about. Basically, you want to narrow down your list to schools you would realistically like to attend and compete for. Next, pick a weekend where you know the coach of your respective sport will be on campus. Football and basketball games are very popular events for coaches to entertain recruits, so pick a weekend where there is a game such as football or basketball. Next, you want to contact the coach to let him or her know that you will be visiting that weekend. Ask if they can give you a few minutes of their time to meet and possibly answer some questions that you may have (hint, hint…come prepared with academic and athletic questions for the coach). Next, contact admissions and also make them aware of your visit. Campuses are constantly giving tours and you want to make sure you see the campus in its entirety because it will be your home for the next four years. You also want to have a main contact in the admissions department to answer any questions you may have before, during and after your unofficial visit.

So now you’ve got your game plan to schedule some unofficial visits, but what is it that coaches are looking for when a recruit comes to campus. Marc Thibeault, head coach of John Carroll University’s baseball team, explains what he is not looking for.

“I can’t tell you how many times a recruit shows up with holes in his jeans, hat backwards, earring in and really has no questions when they visit. “

Coach Thibeault looks for potential student-athletes who can carry themselves well both on and off the field. Making a good first impression when meeting coaches is essential, and your appearance is key. A great point Coach makes is the ability of the recruit to ask meaningful questions during their visit. Think of it as a job interview; when your potential employer asks if you have any questions and you say “Nope, I think we’re all good here,” they are going to take that as a lack of preparation and excitement on your part when it comes to becoming a member of their team. College coaches will view this the same way.

When asked about some good questions for recruits to ask on their visit, Coach Thibeault had a few in mind.

-What did your graduating class end up doing upon diploma?

-How many freshmen ended up playing 4 years?

-What are the years of players playing my position?

-What were the credentials of last years recruiting class?

The above questions are great things to ask coaches and by asking these questions, a recruit shows the coach that they are interested, committed and eager to contribute to the program.

The bottom line is that no one buys a car without test driving it. No one gets married without dating first and no recruit should commit to a school without visiting campus. So instead of waiting by the phone or the computer for a coach to invite you for an official visit, maximize the unlimited amount of unofficial visits you can take and put yourself out there. The recruiting process may seem less glorious than depicted in the movies, but the end result of choosing the right school is all the glory a recruit needs.