NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Around the country, college coaches are huddled around their fax machines, waiting for the NLI’s from student athletes across the country, hoping that in the last seconds their rival school didn’t steal their top recruits. Today, NCSA had the pleasure to watch as one student athlete finally make his dreams come true. Maurice Fleming came into NCSA Headquarters at 8 AM to sign and fax his National Letter of Intent to the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was surrounded by his biggest fans: his mom, his grandma, and his high school coach.

Following this special moment he called his future coach to let him know that the fax was on its way. Both Maurice and the Hawkeye coaching staff could not be more excited for their futures together.

Maurice hopes to make an impact on the field as early as his freshmen year. During an interview with the Daily Iowan, a reporter asked him questions about his future with the Hawkeyes and how he felt switching from the offensive to the defensive side of the ball. Like any true athlete, he said that he was hesitant at first, but he knew that with hard work and his athletic ability, he would be able to transition into his new role as a defensive back just fine.

Despite missing the majority of his senior year due to an ACL tear, Maurice is expected to make a full recovery. He is already at 85% and working out five days a week, and thankful that the Iowa staff stayed loyal to him throughout his injury and recovery. He is prepared to take on the demands of being a college athlete and cannot wait to take the field in black and gold.

Everyone at NCSA is extremely proud of Maurice and cannot wait to watch him continue to be an Athleader,by empowering others to lead through sports and giving back in his community. Congratulations Maurice, you have just opened the doors of the rest of your life.

Dear Coach Taylor,

My high school team is not very good should I transfer high schools to play on a better team? I’m afraid college coaches won’t recruit me because my team is bad.

My articles are built on countless interviews on recruiting with the purpose being to educate and motivate you to have success in connecting your young people with scholarships and opportunities to be athleaders in life. I just came from talking to many Athletic Directors at the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association annual conference in Indianapolis. NCSA’s Amanda Rawson, who works with High Schools to make sure they have recruiting education, and NCSA Speaker Paul Putnam were also at this significant annual event.

Speaker Charlie Adams interviews AD's about Recruiting

I talked to dozens of Athletic Directors from many states and asked them what myths their families had about recruiting. These insights will help you realize where you need to be more proactive and realistic.

“That all the kids will be D1″ – Athletic Director, Nebraska

“‘Why aren’t the College Coaches calling my kid because he or she is so good?!’” That’s what many of our parents say. We are a small Minnesota High School and if you talk to many of the parents, 4 or 5 of our seniors are D1, when in truth none are capable of playing at that level, but can at other levels. We are a 2A High School with 4A being the highest and many kids and parents say, ‘Why should we look at Saint John’s (a D3 in Minnesota) when we know we will play at the University of Minnesota?’ They don’t understand if the Gophers want you, they would have already been on you.  The other misconception many parents have is ‘Oh, College athletics isn’t that much harder than High School.’” – Athletic Director, Minnesota

(more…)

Riley High School is among the Schools that bring me in to deliver College Athletics Recruiting Education. I had the opportunity to sit down with Riley’s Athletic Director,  Walt Ballard, and share some hard hitting insights on the MYTHS and REALITIES of recruiting.

“Unless you are in Sports Illustrated as a high school athlete, your job is to get college paid for and not to play Pro Ball,” said Ballard. “I don’t want to throw water on dreams, but what are you doing to make the college scholarships possible?”

Whenever I speak, I share those sentiments. I know there are some young people there with the dream of being a pro one day. I understand dreams, but I also deal with reality. Riley High School is located in my home turf South Bend, Ind. In their highly respected Northern Indiana Conference and Northern Lakes Conference (conferences with several big schools), there are currently just two products that are in the NFL, NBA, WNBA and MLB. Bryan Mattison made the Baltimore Ravens roster after two seasons on their practice squad while Shanna (Zolman) Crossley is on the Tulsa Shock of the WNBA.

This is all about using your athletic ability to help get an athletic scholarship or a variety of athletic, academic, merit-based and need-based scholarships, and grants to get a quality college education. In today’s world, a college degree can take you places you can’t go with just a high school diploma.

“The myth that I am so good that grades don’t matter, is wrong, ” says Ballard. “The only athlete in our area that would remotely apply to this is Demetrius Jackson (Michigan State’s Tom Izzo came to Marian High recently to watch the highly recruited basketball player practice), and he has the academics. The notion that academics don’t matter is a fallacy.”

Academics have never been more important. There are so many good athletes out there that  college coaches routinely look at (athletes of similar skills) and then sign the one with the highest GPA. Countless college coaches have told me the first thing they look at are transcripts. The better your grades, the more options you will have for scholarships.

Ballard, like his Athletics Director (AD) brethren, is doing what he is doing because he wants to help kids. He has a slew of things on his plate. The time I was in his office he had one brush fire after another to put out. It is not his job to get kids scholarships, but he wants them and their families to be educated on the process. Families do look to ADs for recruiting education seminars.

“Charlie, you and the NCSA speakers should open up every talk by going over the  myths of recruiting. As if you have to specialize in your sport to get a scholarship,” says Ballard. “Kids want to pigeon hole themselves and it often hurts. Or, they don’t start looking until their senior year which is wrong.”

“In South Bend, we have too many athletes that rarely consider going out-of-State,” says Ballard. “They all want to go to Indiana University, Purdue, Ball State, Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, or Indiana University Purdue University at Fort Wayne. They don’t realize all the opportunities within a three hour circle or wider of where they live, or in nearby states. Another thing I have seen is athletes and parents who aren’t realistic in what level to play in at college.”

Ballard talked several times about the need of families being more proactive and not buying into the myth that the high school coach is going to do everything for them.

“We can get a kid to defiance,” said Ballard. “We have a coach that went there, or we can get a kid to Rensselaer because we have a coach that went there. The role of the high school coach is to support you in the process and to provide good stats, game films, and to be able to talk to coaches. Some parents think it is the job of the high school coach to make a tape but we aren’t paying them to do that kind of thing. It is important that athletes approach their coach and ask them to play a role in the recruiting process and not just assume.”

Ballard had insights on playing multiple sports in High School. “Charlie,” said Ballard, “if a kid is playing football they are competing individually against the player across them but also within the team concept. Then if they are wrestling they are going one on one. All of those things teach them to be a competitor which is what College coaches look for – competitors! Sometimes when kids specialize they present themselves with not a lot of ‘upside’ to College coaches. By that I mean a basketball player that does nothing but High School and Travel Basketball year round that averages 14 points per game. Well, that pretty much rounds them out often as far as development, compared to the athlete that plays two or three sports. The College coach realizes when THAT kid gets to College and focuses on one sport, their upside may be greater. Now, I understand when some really elite athletes focus in on one sport, but most athletes need to understand the value of playing multiple sports in High School.”

As Ballard and I were talking, Riley’s boys’ Head Basketball Coach, Mark Johnson, walked into the AD’s office. Johnson has been a longtime head coach in basketball-rich South Bend, and has coached the likes of Brandon McKnight who received a full athletic scholarship at D1 power Purdue.

” I feel if a kid has gone through my program for four years then it is my responsibility to help give him an option for playing in college,” said Johnson. “Everyone wants Duke but that is a once in a lifetime. I ask them if they have ultimates on where they want to go to play and fall-backs after those schools. I ask them about levels and would they be willing to go to an NAIA power like Bethel and play, or to Indiana University as a student. If they are going to give me four years then I will reach out and call college coaches. I am not a good letter writer but voice-to-voice and emails are good. That way you know the college coach has received it.”

Ballard feels it is vital athletes and families become more educated about recruiting.

“They have to know about the Eligibility Centers,” said Ballard (there is now an NAIA Eligibility Center to go with the NCAA). “They need to know if they are taking the right classes, SAT and ACT timing, and much more. Parents have to find the right fit for their child. Athletes don’t always see it. A college coach can sell them on the weight room but can you really see your child at that school?”

Riley High A.D. Walt Ballard introduces NCSA's Charlie Adams

To bring Recruiting Education to your School, Club or Event, contact me at cadams@ncsasports.org and I will set the wheels in motion to have one of over 30 Recruiting Experts/Speakers at NCSA contact you.

To be Evaluated Now by a College Scout on Where YOU are in the Recruiting Process click here

Charlie Adams

NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Senior Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org

Dave Schnell was named the number one High School football recruit in the country in 1985 by Sports Illustrated. Just about every major power recruited him.

“Howard Schnellenberger (former University of Miami and Louisville Head Coach) was in my house three times,” said Tom Kurth, Dave’s former Head Football Coach at Elkhart Central High School. “All of the major schools wanted him.”

Students would hear that Joe Paterno was in the school building. Coach Kurth had chairs outside his office so the college coaches could wait to deliver their recruiting pitch.

Dave died early in the morning of May 22nd after a hard fought battle against cancer.

He was just 44 years old.

Though many knew he had been sick since 2007, it is still hard to believe. Think about that High School sports icon in your community, that larger than life figure. You think they are invincible and can’t be brought down.

Dave Schnell, nation's #1 Football Recruit in 1985 according to Sports Illustrated

After Dave died, I called Coach Kurth to reflect on his former players life, the impact College Sports had on Dave, and reflections on recruiting.

“I was very proud to be his High School coach,” said Kurth, “and very proud of what he did as a College Quarterback, but I am most proud of the concern and love he had for his four children as a parent. He was always deeply concerned they do the right thing.”

At Elkhart Central High School, Dave was a six foot three inch and 218 pound quarterback who never carried himself as if he were better than others. After he passed away, this was one of the many posts on his facebook page:”With all his success and records he set, Dave always remained humble and made time for others.”

He also maintained a work ethic that the great ones have if they want to truly succeed at the next level. He had the God given size and strength (some say they never saw a human being throw a bowling ball so hard…) yet he didn’t rest on his laurels.

“Dave and I would go into the High School gym late at night in the winter,” reflected Kurth, “and do a series of drills. We would get in there as late as 10:00 and then go over 3 step drops, 5 step, 7 steps. He would pass into a basket from various angles. He would run, do step drills, jump rope. He was coachable there and on the field. He never once complained about anything I asked him to do to get better. I would take him around to coaching clinics and we would show them the drills we had set up.”

The major D1 schools recruited him relentlessly. As it wound down, Kurth continued to emphasize the importance of finding a place where he would be more than just a football player, and that sports was a vehicle to get an education. He chose in-state Big Ten school Indiana University partly because Kurth knew many of the coaches there and knew he would be taken care of, and that he would get an education. He did, going on to be the owner of Berkey Insurance in Elkhart.

“That he signed with I.U. shocked some people,” said Kurth. “He turned down Miami, Penn State, Michigan and many others.”

Sadly, the day Dave signed his National Letter of Intent during his senior season of High School, he and his family buried his Dad, Spencer.

“I never will forget,” said Kurth, “that I.U. Head Football Coach Bill Mallory came all the way up for the funeral. Then, when Dave got real sick this past week and the end looked like it was near, I called Coach Mallory again (who is now retired) and he immediately dropped what he was doing and came to visit Dave in the Hospital during his final days. He will be back for the funeral.”

When Dave was too ill to accept his induction into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame last May, Coach Mallory was there in his place. With him was Anthony Thompson, Dave’s teammate who was the 1989 Heisman Trophy runner up as a running back. Mallory gave a powerful, emotional acceptance speech on behalf of Dave.

That is the bond that forms when a young person finds the right fit to be a college student-athlete. They bond for life. Dave always said that Coach Mallory was that father figure he needed so much after his own Dad died. All recruits should put a major emphasis on making sure the coach they play for in college is a person of integrity and character like Mallory.

Dave Schnell in the Big Ten

He led I.U. to their first win over Michigan in twenty years. He was the QB when I.U. beat Ohio State 31-10, the first time I.U. had defeated Ohio State in thirty six years! It was a game that Buckeyes Head Coach Earle Bruce called the “darkest day” in Ohio State history.

In that game, which was in Columbus on Ohio State’s home field, the score was tied at ten early in the second half when I.U. got the ball on their own three yard line. The Buckeye fans got loud. Dave, in an act that is still talked about, walked back from the line of scrimmage and turned to the Ohio State fans. He started waving his arms for them to get louder. The fans were stunned, and promptly got a lot louder as he kept waving his arms. He then drove his team right down the field 97 yards for a touchdown like a knife through warm butter. He later told friends his offense was so confident and in such sync that they knew the Buckeyes could not stop them. That’s what every college athlete strives for, to have a team in such harmony that it really doesn’t matter what the opponent does.

Coach Mallory (a conservative coach who probably had 10 1/2 heart attacks when Dave was egging on the crowd) later told the Indiana Daily Student that Dave walked up to him after the score, poked him three times in the chest, and said, “Coach, you gotta have poise!!”

“That was Dave,” Mallory told the newspaper. “He was a winner and that was how he led.”

To this day that is the only time Indiana has won at Ohio State in over half a century. He became the only quarterback in I.U. history to beat Ohio State and Michigan in the same season. He was part of three straight Bowl teams, including throwing for 378 yards in a MVP effort in the Liberty Bowl against South Carolina. His best game was his last, the Liberty Bowl. What a way to go out as a college athlete!

Like many star recruits, he could have gone to an established program and been a part of championship teams. Instead, he made his mark on a program that was up and coming at the time. Indiana was 4-18 the two years before Dave. Many recruits would have wilted under going into such a challenge. Not Dave. He wanted to be a difference maker. Recruits have to consider that – do they want to help maintain a program, or build one. It is personal to each recruit.

Even though Dave was the nation’s number one High School football recruit, he didn’t think it was “a given” that he would be a NFL player. He got his education in college. The Buffalo Bills got him out of college but with their superstar QB Jim Kelly there, Dave’s pro career did not last long. With his education and the network you establish as a college athlete, though, he was able to establish a successful business.

I last saw Dave in January of 2010. He came out to hear NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified at his alma mater, Elkhart Central. We had a big turnout in the cafeteria. The photo below shows Athletic Director “Buck” Buckley speaking at the event. Ironically, one of his goals as A.D. is to bring Elkhart Central back to the mental and physical toughness they had in the 1980′s when the likes of Dave Schnell played there.

NCSA's College Recruiting Simplified at Elkhart Central High

Dave came up to me afterwards with that special smile of his and talked about how he wanted to learn more about recruiting today. His four kids are pretty darn good at sports, and he figured the more educated he was on recruiting in today’s world, the more opportunities for them. He wasn’t like some former bigtime athletes that think they have recruiting all figured out and don’t realize how much it has changed since they played.

He got sick again that year, but you never would have known it with his “never give up” attitude. One of the things college sports teaches is to always battle back. When he was a quarterback in the Big Ten, those fast, strong defensive lineman and linebackers would knock him backwards. He would get right back up! In life, it was the same. Dave was twice diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia starting in 2007 when he suddenly got real sick. At one point after chemo he was in such bad shape that they read his Last Rites to him. He would not give in and beat the first wave into remission. Afterwards, he said this to the Indiana Daily Student:

“All the running and mental stress that I went through at IU made me mentally tough,” Schnell said. “Then I got sick, and I said, ‘Wow, all that really helped me through both of my bouts with cancer.’”

For Schnell, refusing to give in doesn’t require physical strength or prowess, but rather the right mind set.

“When you’re fighting cancer or any major illness, it not only takes a toll on you physically, but mentally as well,” Schnell said. “You have to be mentally tough and you never give up. You say you’re going to beat this thing, and that’s the way it is.”

He had a relapse of the leukemia in 2010 and fought it until the very end. It was so bad that at times he had to sit in his Hospital room without being able to see his family because of infection risks. His longtime friend Robert Buss told me of the final fight.

“Twelve hours before he died,” Robert reflected, “I was with him. He was asking the nurses to get him up so he could walk around and get better. He got up Saturday morning with no nutrition in him. It had been a week, maybe two since he had eaten. He couldn’t hold eight ounces of water….but he drank a whole Ensure and had another for lunch. He was always so positive and was even joking with his mother about a thousand dollar bet on him being able to go home, but he died at 3 in the morning…he had the heart of a Lion.”

“At IU he was known for being so clutch and having such poise,” Robert said. “He didn’t understand you were supposed to lose certain games, which is why he beat Ohio State and Michigan. He changed the rules, and we thought he could change the rules on this, but at the end it was too much.”

His High School Coach, Tom Kurth, and I talked for a long time two days after Dave’s death about Dave, and then about the recruiting process. Now retired, Coach Kurth talked about their bond, and about how years after playing at Elkhart Central Dave would come back and watch High School practice up on the hill. Coach Kurth would go up and sit down next to him and they would talk.

“He was my friend,” said Kurth. “I am really going to miss him.”

Retired Elkhart Central Head Coach Tom Kurth

Tom Kurth was one of the High School coaches that played a very active role in helping his athletes find college scholarships. It was easy with Dave because he was the number one rated High School football player in the country according to S.I. But as recruiting expert Tom Lemming says, if you are not one of the top 100 or 200 in your sport, you have to be proactive in recruiting. You can’t wait for college coaches to come after you.

“I observed my Dad when he was coach at Hobart High,” said Kurth. “He really wanted kids to better themselves and go to college. He said the greatest reward you could get as a High School coach was when they said, ‘Thank you.’”

Kurth was the head football coach at Elkhart Central from 1966 to 2001 and the Track and Field coach longer than that. He helped 97 kids get full Division One athletic scholarships and countless others to all levels of college football and track and field. His football program was so strong Alabama signed three of his kids. Bear Bryant used to be a regular visitor to Elkhart Central.

Kurth was ahead of his time because, even then, he knew it was best to start the process early.

“I always told the players if you want to go to college we would start when they were sophomores by writing letters. In a nice way I saw the kids as commodities and to sell a commodity you have to get it out there. The reason I wrote letters early was to create awareness and when the kids got good the college coaches knew about them. I still have letters I wrote to Bill Walsh when he was at Stanford. They all wrote me back.”

“A lot of the kids all wanted to be at D1 schools,” said Kurth. “I didn’t want some of them over their heads. I always said what you want to focus on first is a place where you can find your area of interest in education. I constantly preached to use athletics as a vehicle to an education. Second, I encouraged them to go where they could play. When you get there, it doesn’t matter if there are 5,000 people in the stands or 100,000, what you care about is if you play! I had a really good player named Mike Stock that took visits to D3, D2, mid major D1 and bigtime D1 programs. He ended up signing with Alabama, but he wanted to see all levels to make sure he found the right fit.”

“Families need guidance,” said Kurth. “Charlie, that is why it is so important what you and NCSA do. I admire what you all are doing because they just don’t know. For example, there are more single mothers today than ever before.”

Kurth was a High School coach that considered it his responsibility to help athletes find college scholarships. “I was in coaching to help kids,” he said. “I was not a great coach. I had great athletes and great assistant coaches. It has always bothered me that a lot of High School coaches are not involved in the process. Some think that when the kid is done with High School, they are done with the kid and that it is not their responsibility. I cared so much that I always made it a point to go see my kids play in college, whether they were at Alabama or Northern Illinois or Franklin College. It meant a lot to them to see their High School coach in the stands.”

Kurth was motivated to help kids become college athletes because he had a remarkable experience at Wittenberg University, where he played football. Was it the SEC or Big Ten? No, but he loved it.

“If the good Lord would give me any four years of my life to live over again,” said Kurth, “I would pick those four at Wittenberg in a heartbeat.”

That is why if you have the God given ability to be a college athlete, don’t let this once in a lifetime opportunity slip away. You may not be recruited by every college in the country like Dave Schnell, but there is a place out there for you if you are committed, have the athletic ability, and the academic ability.

Dave may be gone, but he will live on as a role model to all alums of Indiana University, Elkhart Central, the Northern Indiana Conference, Elkhart County, and most importantly to his family and friends.

“Dave was the best Dad I ever saw,” said Robert, his longtime friend. “His kids, Spencer, Sam, Vinnie and Brooke, were always number one. He lived for them.”

If you go to facebook and search Dave Schnell you will see the endless heartfelt writings about the impact a college athlete can have on others, including these:

“Dave, you leave behind a legacy not only of your greatness on the field, but the greatness in which you treated those you knew.”

“With all the success and records he set, Dave always remained humble and had time for others.”

“When I lost my job Dave Schnell asked me what he could do for me. I will never forget that.”

“I used to dream of being David as a kid playing street football on Roys Avenue.”

“From Hebrews: ‘With so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every burden and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.’ You endured through this long and difficult battle with leukemia. And always will you live on in your sweet children and in all those who were luck enough to know you. Peace, friend ….. peace.”

At the Viewing for Dave, his I.U. football jersey was draped over the casket with a framed picture of him under pressure in the pocket, firing a pass downfield for his Hoosiers.

Memorials can be given to the St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church or David E. Schnell Football Scholarship through Key Bank, 1842 E. Bristol St. Elkhart, IN 46514.

For more on his battle in his final hours read Columnist Bill Beck’s touching story in The Elkhart Truth

Charlie Adams, former WSBT TV Sports Director

NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Educational Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org  To Bring Recruiting Education to your School, Club or Event

NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Speaker Charlie Adams

(Editor’s Note - There is a strong discussion at the bottom of this Charlie Adams article about what the role of the High School/Club coach should be in recruiting. Please feel free to contribute your thoughts and experiences there)

Indianapolis Cathedral High School has won 7 State Football championships and 23 IHSAA State Championships in all.  Cathedral Head Football Coach Rick Streiff brought me in to deliver NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified in a a football-specific presentation to his families. Over 100 people poured into the school to learn about recruiting.

Cathedral (Indianapolis) HS Football Coach Rick Streiff introduces NCSA's Charlie Adams

One of his concerns is the continuing belief by some parents that it is truly “the job” of the High School coach to get their kid an athletic scholarship in college.

“Parents need to know that I can’t get their child a scholarship,” said Coach Streiff. “Do I help? Yes. But, I am not “The Process.” Streiff emphasized that he will talk to college coaches about the character and the academics of his players. If families ask for help in a realistic evaluation of where their child can play at the next level, he will give his honest evaluation. Whether they accept it or not is up to them. He did say that his years of experience have shown him that the better the grades, the more options a player has in recruiting.  Period.
Cathedral has produced their share of D1 athletes, but one of his frustrations is families don’t understand how competitive college sports are at all levels.

“Go watch a Wabash vs DePauw football game at D3,” he told me before I delivered College Recruiting Simplified. “There will be 10 to 15 to 20 All State football players in the game. They are really good. They may not be as big or fast as D1 but they can play.” I told the audience how Indianapolis Colts receiver Pierre Garcon had played at D3 power Mt. Union in Ohio.

Regarding D1 he said families need to know how much more accelerated the recruiting process is at that fiercely competitive level. He has had good players miss out because they started the recruiting process too late. “By senior year they find many of the D1′s have filled up their scholarships and the parents get really frustrated. It’s tough.”

If you aspire to play D1 and have the realistic potential, you had better start early, and I continue to tell families regardless of the level your child will play in college, start the recruiting PROCESS by at least by 9th grade. Athletes are on the clock academically Day One of 9th grade. Whether they are varsity or not, they should be making their baskets in the classroom, scoring their goals in the classroom, and so on. They need to be getting educated on the recruiting process and in some cases starting to take unofficial visits.

The families came away from the presentation loaded with information on how to tackle the process. To bring one of NCSA’s Educational Speakers to your School, Club or Event contact us here
****************************************

FORMER NATIONAL CHAMP AT INDIANA REFLECTS ON HIS RECRUITING

There is so much that goes into being a successful college student-athlete. While driving to speak on recruiting recently, I came across a radio program on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis. Former Indiana University basketball star Kent Benson was on, reflecting on his college recruiting process back in the mid 1970′s. Benson went on to play for the last undefeated team in men’s division one college basketball – the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers of Bobby Knight. As far as the recruiting process, he had a lot of wisdom to share that would benefit athletes today.

Some young people don’t understand the commitment it takes to be a college athlete. In the interview, Benson shared how he would often play basketball ten to twelve to fourteen hours a day at the local Baker Park. I understand burnout is an issue for some kids today, but Benson never grew weary of trying to get better.

He talked about the four D’s he followed: desire, determination, dedication and discipline. He firmly believes when you realize analyze those four words, they are applicable to recruiting and success in College sports.

Benson had the God given gift of the size to play D1. He was about 6’10″. His work ethic then made him one of the most recruited athletes in High School. As far as recruiting, he had a plan and he had reasons for considering certain schools. He said he considered Purdue because he grew up in an agriculture community. He considered Notre Dame because of his family’s strong Catholic faith and their respect for coach Digger Phelps. He considered Indiana because it was the state University and he looked at Kentucky because of its rich tradition in basketball. He took Visits. In the end, he felt the right fit was Indiana and went there. Like Benson, it is important for young people to research Universities. Have a plan, like Benson did. He just didn’t wait to see who would come after him. He put a lot of thought into it and had solid reasons for considering certain Universities.

He talked about commitment. Indiana went 32-0 his junior year and won the National Championship. Most everyone else was seniors and left. He could have too but in the recruiting process he asked coaches if they would be there all four years. Bobby Knight had said yes, so Benson felt he need to honor his end of the commitment too. He stayed his senior year on a rebuilding team.

It has been about 35 years since Benson was a college athlete. At the end of the interview, he told the radio host that not a day goes by that he doesn’t reflect on his experiences.

If you have questions on the recruiting process or would like an Evaluation of where you stand you can Click Here or contact me at cadams@ncsasports.org

Charlie Adams

NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Recruiting Network

Hanover Central High School brought NCSA Recruiting Education to their school recently. Principal Bob McRae (pictured below) greeted parents and athletes as they arrived. Athletic Director Dave Seils introduced the program. There was a large turnout, with families coming from High Schools all around the region.

Hanover Central HS Principal Bob McRae (left) and NCSA Speaker Charlie Adams

Before the program I asked A.D. Seils his insights on what parents thought about the college athletics recruiting process:

“Charlie, parents often feel like the Colleges will come to them because their kid is a starter in High School. Well, we are a Class 2A school. Just because a young person can start here doesn’t mean they would be a starter at a 4A or 5A school. Another thing we deal with is many parents feel the High School coaches don’t do enough to get their child a scholarship. Well, that’s untrue. We have coaches that work hard on that but the bottom line is that parents don’t like being told the level of college sports is best for their child. I coached NAIA basketball before getting into High School Athletic Administration. I know a lot of these kids would have a hard time playing NAIA Division 2 sports, yet their parents think they can play D1. ”

After the recruiting education presentation in the School’s Auditorium, Athletic Director Seils had this to say:

“I want NCSA to know how much we appreciated you coming to talk to our Hanover Central group. Our parents said they really learned a lot about recruiting and what they can do for their own kids. The professionalism, energy and knowledge meant a lot. Parents mentioned that we should have done this years ago.”

To bring NCSA Recruiting Education to your School, Club or Event

One of the things I spoke about at Hanover Central High School was how being a College athlete helps a young person develop the vital life skills to be successful ‘in the real world.’ After speaking at the  school I joined NCSA’s Rick McDole at the annual NCAA Convention in San Antonio where NCSA met with College Coaches and Athletic Directors. It was great to see how they utilize NCSA to connect with qualified student-athletes in the recruiting process.

One of the events at the NCAA Convention was a Panel of former College student-athletes. Although I was constantly talking with College Coaches and AD’s and could not attend the Panel, I read about it the next day in the NCAA News, which was published on sight each day in San Antonio. The four former athletes shared why being a true College student-athlete will impact the next 40 years of an athlete’s life.

Isaiah Goodman played basketball at prestigious Washington and Lee. Now at Target Corporation he said: “It’s really neat just to think about the extra hours I spent in the gym and the weight room and how that is paying off now. If I get to work just a half hour early and stay a half hour late and I do it every day, every week and every month, I start to see the progress.”

Jenn Brown was a Softball player at the University of Florida. She talked about how being a student-athlete helped her get through a very hard time in her life. Her sister was killed in a car accident while Jenn was in College.  She said she had a built-in support system thanks to her coaches and teammates.

“To go through something like that and then come back to school and have that kind of support is what helped me get through it,” she said.

Jenn developed such perseverance as a softball player that she went from a production assistant at a small television company to now being a sideline reporter for ESPN.

Nicole Semeraro played volleyball for Bentley University. She is now VP for a company that develops endoscopy ambulatory surgery centers.

“As a College student-athlete, every day you get up to play your sport and you’re so passionate about training and winning and being a team and all the different emotions that run together with that,” said Nicole. “The most important skill set you can take away from being a student-athlete is to continue to have that passion in everything you do.”

Charlie Adams

NCSA Senior Educational Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org

A former Indiana Wesleyan University baseball player, Brandon Beachy, made his first start on the mound this past week for the Atlanta Braves. This marks the first baseball player from IWU to play at the Big League level. To learn more about him and Indiana Wesleyan please click here.

Beachy threw four and a third innings and allowed only one earned run. Prior to starting for the Braves, he was named the Atlanta Braves Double – A Pitcher of the Year. Brandon graduated from Indiana Wesleyan in 2008 and he marks just one of many who have gone on to play professionally after playing at the NAIA level.

Nobody enjoys writing about saddening events, especially when these events occur in the world of sports. Sport, at its very core, is merely a game played by people of all ages. Regardless of the ability or the age, anyone involved in a sport is there for their passion and love of the game. To mix sports with tragedy is seldom necessary, but when it occurs, it should be discussed to learn valuable lessons. I feel compelled to write about a recent piece of news that has shocked the sporting world across the country and it occurred on the campus of the University of Connecticut. UConn junior cornerback Jasper Howard was killed over the weekend, on campus, after a school event had let out. Apparently, Howard and a few of his teammates were involved in an altercation and he was stabbed to death. Howard was only 20 years old.

Again, this is a sad and tragic story that has left an entire football team, an entire campus and an entire nation in mourning. Perhaps Howard wasn’t the most known player in the NCAA and maybe he wouldn’t have gone on to play professionally, but he was a student-athlete just the same as any other kid playing at the collegiate level. However, there are lessons to be learned from this horrible event and these lessons can be applied not just to sports, but to everyday life.

Everyday, we here at the National Collegiate Scouting Association help high school student-athletes fulfill their dreams of playing their sports at the collegiate level. Remembering back to my youth, I was ecstatic to be playing the sport I love at the next level. I can only hope that today’s student-athletes share the same passion and fervor that I had when it came to playing sports. With that being said, student-athletes need to realize the importance of maximizing every opportunity they are given, whether it’s on the playing field or in the classroom. If a coach gives you the opportunity to perform, play like there is no tomorrow and make the most of it. If a teacher gives you an extra credit opportunity, take full advantage of it and boost your grade in the class. If your parents are willing to give you opportunities like playing a sport or attending a certain school, embrace that opportunity with open arms.

I feel I can say this having played my last collegiate baseball game, but there will come a time in every athlete’s life when they are no longer playing the game they grew up with. I had been playing baseball since the age of 5 so when I played my last collegiate baseball game at age 22, I felt a huge emptiness afterwards. After I graduated I took a summer off of baseball for the first time in 17 years and concentrated on my professional endeavors. This turned out to be more difficult and painful than I had ever imagined as I yearned for the game more than ever. What the time away from the game showed me was that I was so glad that I had no regrets when it came to maximizing every opportunity I was given from family, teachers, coaches and friends. From my parents introducing me to the game to getting an early opportunity to fill in for a struggling upperclassmen my freshman year at college, I took full advantage of every opportunity to play the game I love.

It is truly unfortunate that it usually takes something drastic and eye opening to bring us back to reality and realize how grateful we should be for everything that we have. In this case, it happened to be the death of an NCAA athlete that makes us realize how lucky we all should be. For all student-athletes out there, take advantage of the opportunities you have been given and don’t ever take anything for granted. Always carry yourself with respect and humbleness because there will be a time in your life when you no longer have the sport you play to fall back on. Someday your priorities will shift drastically and you will want the confidence and knowledge that you have no regrets about the way you went about it.

I would like to personally send my condolences to the family of Jasper Howard, the UConn football team and the rest of the UConn student body. They may never read this article or receive these condolences, but the message of Jasper’s untimely death is clear; make the most of your opportunities and abilities, be humble and respectful and be appreciative of the time you are able to spend playing the sport you love because there will be a time when you no longer have that sport to play. Make the most of it!

The fall sports season is truly one of the most exciting times in all of the sporting world from the high school level, collegiate level and on to the highest ranks of the professional sporting leagues. As Major League Baseball enters their postseason play, the National Football League kicks off their season and the puck drops for the National Hockey League. High school athletes are in mid-season form for their respective sports and the same goes for college athletes across the country. What is so magical about this time of the year is that while so many sports are going on congruently, at so many different levels, one major lesson is to be learned by everyone participating in these sports. Whether you are taking the field as a professional athlete or waking up early for off-season training for your high school or college, one thing is happening to all athletes. They are being taught the values of hard work, commitment and dedication by their parents, coaches, teachers and teammates. To many, sport is merely that; a game that is played by people of all ages and that it is merely a game. However, those who understand sport at a much deeper level know that it is so much more than just a game. The lessons that are learned and the work ethic that is instilled in athletes are truly amazing. Let’s take a look at a few examples of how athletes use what they’ve learned in sport and have applied them to everyday life.

Nothing has changed for Trevor Heffernan in terms of his schedule since he graduated from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. During his days at WMU, he would wake up at 4 and 5 AM for early morning skate with the Men’s Ice Hockey Club Team where he played goalie, and then head off to school for a full day of classes. This routine was engrained within Trevor so when it was time for graduation, he was well-practiced in the ability to be a hard worker no matter what he was doing. Whether it was working down at the Chicago Board Options Exchange upon graduation or working on his family’s farm in upstate Illinois, Trevor always put 110% into whatever it was he was doing.

“The bonds I formed with my teammates playing hockey are unbreakable. It was these bonds that taught me the value of counting on the person next to you, whether it’s on the ice or working on my family farm. You need to commit and work towards your goals regardless of what they are.”

Today, Trevor’s main priority is preparing his family farm, Susanna Farms, for the annual harvest, which is a month long celebration of the history and natural beauty of the vast acreage of their farm. To be more specific, Trevor spends countless hours making sure things are prepared for hayrides, pumpkin picking and his pride and joy, the First Annual Haunted Hayride.

“I understand and appreciate the great history that this farm represents. Everything I learned about respect and dedication, I put towards this farm and getting it ready for other people to enjoy it as I have.”

Trevor is a true example of how playing college athletics can not only mold you physically to perform at a high level on the fields, courts and rinks, but more importantly, mold you mentally to be an all-around better person.

Kellen Kmiecik began his collegiate career playing baseball at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. He soon found opportunity elsewhere at Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina. During his college years, Kellen competed in several prestigious summer leagues including invite-only leagues in Alaska and South Carolina. In January, Kellen will head to Arizona to compete in an invite-only league so professional teams can evaluate his talent. However, Kellen brings the same passion and determination to the baseball diamond that he brings when he helps his father run the local Recreational Center in Elmwood Park, Illinois.

“I enjoy my time at the recreational center because it is a great way to give back to the surrounding area and it’s so enjoyable to see all the kids come in here and play the sports they love to play.”

When I asked Kellen if playing baseball, especially at the collegiate level, had anything to do with this, his response was precise.

“I learned everything I know about respect, focus, hard work and dedication from playing baseball. I was always taught from an early age that playing baseball is about ability and respect. There is a right way and a wrong way to play the game, and I play the game the right way. I try and live my life the way I play the game.”

Parents often worry about their student-athlete as they head off to college for their freshman year in terms of academics and athletics. Will they play enough? Will they get a good education? Will they make the right decisions? Both Trevor and Kellen are great examples of student-athletes becoming upstanding, respectful citizens upon graduation. So much goes into being a collegiate athlete that is behind the scenes, and those who can’t handle the responsibility of hard work, dedication, commitment and respect will quickly make the adjustment or fade away.

The first step towards finding the right school for your son or daughter is through an aggressive and meaningful recruiting process. We here at the National Collegiate Scouting Association understand what it takes to not only be a student-athlete, but also be a well-rounded citizen. We understand the process and the requirements better than anyone in the business and we urge you to take that first step towards starting that recruiting process. The road may seem long and harrowing, but what lies beyond it for your future student-athlete is truly amazing and will make you proud.