NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

If you are looking for an opportunity to play in college and feel like time is not on your side it may be worthwhile to check the wanted ads. If a coach is just being hired to a new program like Chad Tracz, former Army pitching coach and new Head Coach for Marist, he may be a little behind in bringing in players to the new program.

Many times a coach has a bit of a disadvantage going to a new program because of competitive recruiting, but that may also mean you have a new opportunity. Remember, the players that were being recruited to the program before that coaching change may still end up committing to that program still, but many will re-think that opportunity. It doesn’t hurt to keep a close eye on those coaching changes to follow up with any new possibilities.

Recruiting is a 365 day process year in and year out. If you graduate in the spring of 2010 and think the process does not start until your senior, spring season you are already way behind (the recruiting process really begins as soon as high school classes begin, to learn more click here).

Many college baseball programs scrimmage in the fall against themselves and some teams play against other colleges for a fall season. This is a good time for a coach to see what he has to work with for the spring season. It is also a great time for a student-athlete to go see the team play and/or practice.

It is important to see as many colleges play as possible and the fall season is a great time to do this. If there is a team you are communicating with on a regular basis it is time to set up a visit and there is no better time than when you can see them practice or play.

I speak with 30-40 families weekly about college recruiting and I’m amazed at the lack of knowledge of the APR – Academic Progress Rate. Here is a very long article that is a must read for any parent of a 9th grader, or older, who has aspirations to play in college. It details the 4 stages of penalties for athletic programs that the NCAA imposes should their athletes not make progress toward graduation. If you have questions, go here.

Is swimming indoors hazardous to one’s lungs and breathing? That was the topic of a recent study in Quebec City. The concern is about chemicals associated with pools that have contributed to young swimmers breathing problems as compared to young soccer players.

It is concluded that the environment of the high humidity mixed with the high levels of chlorine are contributors to one’s lung health.  Some pools have chemical overload and can be smelled before seen – which is definitely not a good sign.

Research does support that the benefits from swimming and exercise are more positive than the risks from being in indoor pools.

Q: How do I get noticed by college coaches?

A: There are Five Things You Must Do to get recruited. An athlete has to:

1. Get Evaluated: Coaches don’t have time to look at every player so they have to rely on credible sources to get their information.

2. Post your academic/athletic resume online: This is a fast and easy way to get connected with coaches.

3. Create a winning highlight/skills video: Again, coaches can’t personally look at every recruit so they need a way to see your talents.

4. Contact coaches: They can’t recruit you if they don’t know who you are!

5. Start building relationships and following up with coaches now: The recruiting process started yesterday! With how competitive recruiting has become, athletes need to start building relationships with coaches as early as junior high.

How much impact could a visit to a college campus have on a young athlete? It can only be positive as you never know what it could lead to down the road in recruiting.Coach Neal Studd, Florida Gulf Coast University, has a Junior Olympics event on his campus with swimmers ranging in ages from 14U to 8U. It is a huge event and Coach Studd is hoping that he can reap some benefits down the road for his program with potential recruits by having this event at his venue.  He will be around the pool to meet people and talk about his school to anyone who has questions.

It’s always great to hear from a student-athlete and gain some insight on their perspective during the recruiting process. The NCSA caught up with a softball player from Massachusetts who has recently committed to a top academic NCAA Division III school.This young lady began her recruiting process in January of 2008 and just signed this past May. We asked her what kind of work she had to put into the process in order to be successful. She answered, “The work I put in mostly to respond to inquiries from coaches and providing details on my summer schedule.”

When asked what the most challenging part of the recruiting process was, she mentioned two of her biggest challenges. First, “Time Management in your senior year was much more challenging than I anticipated. I was a starting player in three varsity sports (Soccer, Basketball and Softball). We made the State Tournament in all three and were rated 7th in Eastern Massachusetts in Basketball (highest ever for our school) and 5th in Softball. We were eliminated by the EMASS finalist in hoop by 3 points and The State Champions in Softball (2-1 in extra innings). Going deep into the State playoffs and dealing with local media both newspapers and television required unexpected preparation on top of schoolwork, the powder-puff bowl, the prom, senior night, awards and recognition nights, community service and finally graduation in addition to the recruiting process.” And secondly, “Prioritizing which school among the choices had the best balance of “level of play”, playing time and the best educational opportunity.”
The best part of the recruiting process, according to this softball player was, “The availability and persistence of the NCSA coach helped me stay focused on the goal. The website was an easy reference tool for coaches.”

When asked how the NCSA impacted her recruiting process, she answered, “I think the best part of the NCSA coaching was the reminders both by phone and through email. It forced me to think about what I wanted not just what the school’s assistant coaches wanted.”

Lastly, we asked her to offer some advice to student-athletes who are still in the midst of the recruiting process. She had a lot of great thoughts to share. “Start early. Do as much “prep” work as possible in your “off-season” or in the summer. Do NOT get hung up on DI, DII or DII – that is secondary to your education. Do not procrastinate like I did and then get swamped with multiple schools and coaches all calling at the same time. If the “log” is too cumbersome make a simpler “excel” spreadsheet and then update the “log” after you edit and prioritize your school choices. Visit schools you are interested in while you are in the area playing in “Exposure” Tournaments. Pick the best fit academically and do not be afraid of a “stretch” school. You’ll be surprised the doors that are opened for athletes – especially female athletes strong in math and science.”

I came an article about a 2010 football recruit from Pennsylvania named Dakota Royer and it sparked so many thoughts about how complex the recruiting process can be. This young man has emerged as a top prospect for the class of 2010. But it didn’t just happen for Royer. He has put in an extraordinary amount of hard work and made good decisions that have allowed him to become someone college coaches are looking at and talking about.

An all-state defensive end during his junior season, Royer decided to use his speed and strength to help the offense this season. Royer’s high school football coach Mike Williams says, “He became a complete player.” Not many things are more appealing to a collegiate coach, than knowing an athlete can serve more than one purpose on their team. If you want to increase your value as a student-athlete, make sure you are the complete package. Get stronger and more familiar with different positions on the field. If you are a swimmer, look at mastering other events and strokes. If you are a pitcher, become more dominant by adding more pitches to your arsenal. If you are a golfer, be certain your putting game is just as strong as your drive off the tee. There is always more you can be doing and ways you can be getting better to increase your value to a coach and their program.

After his freshman year, Royer transferred to a different high school because of their agriculture programs. His interest in that field is something he plans on pursuing in college. Royer said he had nothing against his previous high school. “It was great there,” he said. “There was not a problem. It’s not like I had to get out of there. I just wanted to do the best thing for my future.” Whatever college Royer decides on, he will be starting off with a great academic foundation and a plan for what he wants to pursue off of the football field. It’s so important to remember you are a student-athlete. Your college search cannot just include the athletic side of things. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to study or major in, but you should have an idea of what kind of academic school you are interested in. Look at everything from class sizes, to what academic programs are offered, to coursework requirements. Part of being the “complete package” for a coach is how you perform in the classroom. So make sure you stay educated on everything regarding your education.

Because Royer has been so proactive in his recruiting process (making his own highlight DVD and attending football combines since his freshman year), he now has the option of choosing from over 20 Top Division I football programs. A decision he will make within the next month – before taking even one “official visit.”

As he has narrowed his choices to a “Top 5,” Royer gave a brief explanation for his interest in each school. This is what grabbed my attention the most from this article. His answers covered such a large spectrum of things that could possibly make or break a student-athlete’s decision on a school. A great example of how multi-dimensional the recruiting process is. From that list of 5, here are some things that Royer considered: familiarity, being close to home, an NFL team’s proximity to the campus, condition of the campus, social aspect of the campus, football stadium, team contract with NIKE, locker room perks.

Finally, in a move fitting of what we now know about Royer, he decided to increase his marketing appeal to college coaches – and perhaps even future NFL scouts. After hearing that a newly-drafted NFL player drew attention on ESPN for making a clean jump OUT of 3-foot deep swimming pool, Royer knew there was only one thing he needed to do. Make that same jump out of 4 feet of water. So, that’s exactly what he did. Now his video is getting hits all over Youtube.

Dakota Royer is the consummate recruit. He has looked at and contemplated everything that will give him the greatest college experience possible. Now it’s just a matter of prioritizing. Out of all of the information he has collected he will choose which school and football program meet his priorities the best. He knows that the decision on where he will go to school and play football is HIS. And the reason he is sitting so comfortably in the driver’s seat: Royer has made himself the kind of student-athlete that college coaches are looking for – “the complete package.”

Summer is officially upon us!  And for college softball coaches, that means the busiest and most important recruiting time.  They are in the midst of their most active evaluation time and a majority of them will spend this time at college exposure tournaments throughout the country.  Coaches can see a huge number of athletes in one quick weekend, at one major tournament.  For NCAA Division I coaches, rules and regulations limit them to a certain number of dates they can go out and recruit.  

So, what does this all mean for you?  The greatest advantage you can give yourself at this time of year is letting these coaches know who you are BEFORE they leave for tournaments.  Their time is limited and they can only see so many games and so many players in one tournament.  If you desire to be one of those players, then give the coaches a reason to find you and watch you play!  

Have a complete resume of who you are as a student-athlete and get that into the hands of the coaches you would like to play for.  This resume should include your summer tournament schedule, statistics and contact information for you and for your current coaches.  You should also have a sample of skills available in a video format (DVD).  Your academic information should also be included.  Once you have all of that ready to distribute, you need to identify what schools you are most interested in and familiarize yourself with their softball programs.  Look at their roster and see if you would be a good fit.  Check out the background info on current players.  This will help you get a good idea as to whether or not you have the skills and resume to compete in their program.  It’s great to aim high, but being realistic is important so you will have options of schools where you can be a contributing player.

It is vital for you as a student-athlete, to be realistic about your skill level and to seek out schools and coaches you can truly play for.  Keep in mind that by this time, approximately half of NCAA Division I softball coaches/colleges have identified their top recruits of to-be seniors.  If you are a top softball player, the summer going into your junior and even sophomore years of high school are when coaches will be evaluating you.  During those summers, it would be most beneficial to you to be playing on up level teams such as U16 and U18.  If you are a higher level player and can compete at the Division I level, be sure and include all of your awards and accolades in your resume (being one of the top players in your area and state, playing at the varsity level, etc.).   

Have a game plan this summer!  Get your resume set up and be sure to include all of the info listed above.  Identify colleges you can play for.  Let those coaches know of your interest in their programs and be prepared to have a skills DVD for them to view.  Lastly, let them know where and when you are playing so they can get out to see you.  Be proactive.  Out of all of the athletes that coaches will see and hear about, be the one they are going to recognize and remember!

The rise of the club or travel team has been astonishing. Club teams bring together the top high school talent to compete with other similar teams across the country. Parents pay hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, along with hours of their time in order for their children to play on these teams. Their hope is that the team will lead to bigger and better things for their rising athlete; whether it be high school stardom, collegiate athletics, or even breaking into the professional rankings. The question comes to mind as to what the actual impacts of these travel teams are. One idea is that the higher rate of competitions helps to develop a player’s skill set. Another is that college recruiters are more drawn to these teams because the top high school players are in a higher concentration than the average high school games.

While the latter argument is valid, there are flaws in the former. The higher competition in travel games is beneficial to players. They have to learn to adjust their skill set and limit mistakes in order to succeed against gifted players. This makes them far more prepared for any kind of competition because they have proven they can play at a higher level. However, the presence of more talented players does not vicariously make athletes more appealing to college coaches. The presence of coaches at club games mirrors that of their presence at camps and showcases. Coaches go to watch games with the intent of scouting players they are already interested in, not to find new talent. While there are exceptions to this idea, sometimes a player may perform so well they can spark interest in a coach; these situations are limited to exceptions. Club coach Kyle Vierck puts it best in saying that, “A player is a player no matter where he or she is at. As much as players want to think that every time I go out to play a club match somebody is watching, that is just not the case. What it boils down to is young people and their families pursuing the school and really making an effort to do it. Ultimately, taking the initiative is so important.”

Getting your name out there is the hardest part of the recruiting process. Coaches obviously cannot assess their need for you if they do not know who you are. Players and parents need to take the first step in order to achieve their dreams of college athletics. The keys are to get started early and make yourself known. One ways to do this is to understand that college coaches evaluate talent online through reliable sources such as the NCSA.