NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Read this entire article from Saturday’s Wall Street Journal about a doctor who incurred $250,000 in student loans and now owes $555,000.  Some of the “money” quotes are:

“Maybe half of it was my fault because I didn’t look at the fine print,”

“Unlike other kinds of debt, student loans can be particularly hard to wriggle out of. Homeowners who can’t make their mortgage payments can hand over the keys to their house to their lender. Credit-card and even gambling debts can be discharged in bankruptcy. But ditching a student loan is virtually impossible, especially once a collection agency gets involved. Although lenders may trim payments, getting fees or principals waived seldom happens.”

If you’re a decent HS athlete with great grades, you can avoid student-loans and play your sport in college.  You can also get a good portion of your school funded, reducing those burdensome student loans which can hang over you for decades.  If you’re a parent, plan for college expenses now.  Even if your oldest child is in 7th or 8th grade – start taking action now!  To find out more about how you can do that, go here.

Over 99% of all college student athletes go pro in something other than their sport.  So what will your profession be?  After having phone conversations with over 5,000 student-athletes, I’ve found that less than 10% have a real clear picture of what career field to pursue.  I’ve also learned that the vast majority of college students will change their major at least once while in college.  All of this is NORMAL.  So when I hear parents tell me that they’re going to wait until their kid decides what they want to do before looking at colleges, I cringe.  Waiting on researching colleges for any reason limits a child’s opportunities.

Part of deciding on career fields will be finding out what career opportunities are available in those majors.  Thanks to my colleague, Byron, here’s a link to help you research this topic.  Read the PayScale College Salary Report to gain insights on what you (your child) should major in.  Also, don’t forget that NCSA is with our student athletes until they graduate from college.  The life skills a child learns by navigating the recruiting process are transferable to the job search.

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

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.

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.

Here are some of our latest college baseball commitments for the 2010 class:

Brian Monette to the University of Southern Illinois – Carbondale

Brian Essig commits to the University of the Pacific

And David Johannessen decides on Florida Atlantic University

There are a number of fall softball college exposure tournaments and camps. This is a time that the colleges are looking ahead for their recruiting classes and some finalizing for the current senior class. Most D1 schools are already finished with the 2010 recruiting class and are looking at juniors and younger. While D3 schools are still looking for 2010’s.

NFCA endorses three camps that are held during softball tournaments. There is the Sparks Pumpkin Fest held in Elgin, IL; the Oklahoma Night taking place in Mustang, OK and the Ronald McDonald one that will be in Spring, TX.  These camps are an opportunity to show coaches what you can do.  College coaches watch athletes perform skills and evaluate their talent.

The fall is an important time of the year for the colleges at all levels (NCAA, NAIA, Junior Colleges)  to evaluate players and see you play. Players interested in playing at that next level must be letting coaches know about yourself as well as providing the coaches your fall schedule so they can see you play.

If you are a athlete who desires to play at the college level and need help and direction check out NCSA.