The recent Rivals Top 100 rankings have just been released and Euless,Texas Trinity tops the charts as the #1 high 
school football team in America. Other notables in the Top 100 are St. Thomas Aquinas out of Ft. Lauderdale, Long Beach Poly, and Cincinnati Elder. These programs have proven track records for displaying great character, and always putting education first. Click here to see the rest of the Rivals.com Top 100 rankings.
In every sport an athlete must condition and strength train. How you perform this activity is just as important. If you are a baseball player, would you go for a long distant run? Baseball consists of explosive movements that are short to moderate. So why would you go on a three mile run? Endurance can be established with long sprints.
Now that baseball players are in the off season it is important to establish a strong base for the upcoming season. A player must “report to camp” in top physical condition in order to compete at the highest level.
A baseball workout must contain some key ingredients. 1) Work on your baseball skills such as hitting, fielding and throwing. 2) Strength train in the weight room. 3) Conditioning by running poles, base running and long sprints. 4) There must be a proper warm up and cool down routine. 5) There must be a proper core (your core is you’re your knees to chest) routine.
How do you get the mental edge in your game? How do you think and act like a champion? Are you born a leader or is it developed over time? Having the right thoughts during practice, competition and in your life is a critical part of “winning that college scholarship”.
A credible source for learning “Championship Thinking” is Jim Meier. He was an interval part of the Oregon State University Baseball Team who won back to back NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007. Jim’s weekly internet show has guests who are the “who’s who” of the baseball world. Next weeks guest (Oct. 29) is none other then Paul Mainieri, head baseball coach at LSU.
“Developing…Mind, Heart, Spirit”
Two nights a week when I leave the NCSA campus I morph into my other role as a girl’s travel hockey coach. I have been a coach for the last ten years and during that time I have noticed some major changes in the young ladies I work with. One of the biggest shifts is the way these student-athletes communicate.
When I began my coaching career cell phones were a rare sight on college campuses let alone grade school playgrounds. The thought of an eight year old child with their own mobile device seemed preposterous. If a player was sick and could not make a practice or game they were forced to pick up the phone and call their coach. If a player was stuck in traffic they knew they would have to face the consequences once they arrived at the rink because there was no way to notify their coach or teammates. My, how the world has changed! On a typical night I receive two or three text messages from my players telling me they are running behind, and sometimes their texts ask detailed questions.
“Call me so we can discuss this,” I say.
“Ok latr,” is usually the response.
My phone rarely rings. Yesterday, I received an email from a player who was ill and could not make it to practice. The email arrived at 7:55pm, five minutes before practice was scheduled to begin.
Modern technology has made it too easy for us to avoid human interaction. The trend to write an email when it would be simpler and quicker to pick up the phone pervades offices, campus and even homes across the country. As coaches, parents and educators we must help our youth learn the value of a genuine conversation. As our youngsters turn into college prospects they must have solid communication tools in order to interact with college coaches. Don’t wait until it is too late to teach your children these valuable lessons!
Can’t pay for college? Maybe Uncle Sam can help you. Getting accepted into a military academy or ROTC (Reserved 
Officer Training Corps) program may be the most rewarding experience a young man or woman can receive. In this blog entry I want to distinguish between the two elements of government academic training and possibly assist you in the benefits of applying and competing for a military academy or ROTC program.
The Academies
Acceptance: Military academies such as West Point and Annapolis have a prestigious history of fielding some of the best athletic teams our country has ever seen along with first-class education. One thing prospective student-athletes need to understand is that it is tuition free. That’s right it’s free! However, getting accepted into West Point, Annapolis, or Colorado Springs is not an easy task. The academies are very selective in the acceptance process and certain documentation needs to be in order before applying. These documents include letter of recommendations from your state congressman, outstanding GPA, test scores and proof that you are a leader in your community. If you are getting recruited by a coach from one of the academies, I highly recommend you communicate over what is needed to be accepted.
Commitment: Understand that this decision is a commitment. The next four years of your life will be dedicated to earning a degree of your choice and learning the principles of leading our country. After graduation you will be considered a commissioned officer and have a six year enlistment to your branch. The Naval Academy is the only academy where Midshipmen have the option of either serving in the United States Navy or the United States Marine Corps. To learn more about the academies click on these links below:
United States Military Academy
United States Air Force Academy
Reserved Officer Training Corp 
Acceptance: The ROTC program is also another great program offered by our military which gives prospective students the opportunity to select the college of their choice while the government picks up the tuition bill. The ROTC program is not as selective with prospective students as the academies, but it is highly recommended that an applicant have outstanding academics and athletic performance. During your four year college commitment students in the program will be enrolled in a series of military science courses and be required to attend military sanctioned events over the first two summers while attending OCS (Officer Candidate School) their third summer and TBS (The Basic School) in their fourth summer.
Commitment: Your commitment after you earn your degree is similar to that of a midshipmen or cadet. You will embark on a 6 year enlistment. If at any point you decide that the military is not for you, you will owe the government the money that was paid for your degree. To learn more about the Reserved Officer Training Corps Click below.
Your role as an athlete 
Athletics play a huge role in the image of the military academies. Every year the Army versus Navy game is one of the biggest rivalries in our country. As an athlete, not only do you have your responsibilities preparing week to week against opponents, you also have a series of inspections, assignments, and studies. Organization, time management, and being squared away will separate you from the pack.
Merchant Marine Academy, New Mexico Military Institute, The Citadel, & the Coast Guard
The Merchant Marine Academy, New Mexico Military Institue, United States Coast Guard Academy, and The Citadel are also fine insitutions that offer first class education. After speaking with representatives from each institution this is the information we found.
Merchant Marine Academy: The Merchant Academy encourages their student’s to serve as civilians after graduation in the Maritime Industry. These positions include deck officers, engineers, security, and logistics. Students are required to serve an 8 year reservist enlistment which is broken down to 2 weeks per year. 75% of the Merchant Marine Students will be placed in this job industry while making lucrative salaries. 75% enlist in the Naval and Marine Reserve compononent, while 25% enlist into one of the four military branches. The Merchant Marine Academy has 23 varsity sports. Rugby is nationally ranked, and 85% of the student body participates in sports. To learn more about the Merchant Marine Academy click here
New Mexico Military Institute: All students who attend New Mexico Military Institute do not have a military commitment after graduation. They do encourage students to attend military academies after graduation and compete at the junior college level. NMMI offers an ROTC program where students voluntarily sign up and are required to serve a 4 year enlistment in the branch of their choice. To learn more about the New Mexico Military Institute click here
The Citadel: The Citadel is located in Charleston, SC and competes at the Division 1-AA level. There is no mandatory enlistment after graduation. They also offer an ROTC program that does not have a binding contract to serve after your schooling is complete. They do encourage students to serve in one of the four military branches. To learn more about The Citadel click here
The United States Coast Guard Academy
The United States Coast Guard Academy is tuition free. However, there is a $3,000 initial fee which includes a laptop and uniforms. There is a 5 year enlistment that is involved after graduation. Students will receive their military occupation specialty after their second year in the academy. Teams who compete for the academy compete at the Division 3 level. 65% of their students graduate from the academy. If at any point a student has a change of heart the situation is handled case by case and certain money will be owed back to the institution. To learn more about the United States Coast Guard Academy click here
Serving our country was one of the best career decisions I have ever made. During my enlistment as a young Marine I learned discipline, leadership, and achieved goals I never would have done on my own. These tools helped me become the person I am today and set me up for a wonderful job. To learn more about military life or questions please comment on this blog below and an NCSA Recruiting Coach will be in touch with you.
This a funny (and a little depressing) article is written by Willits JV girls’ basketball coach George Atwood and is titled “10-step plan to devastate a high school basketball program.” It essentially chronicles some of the things that high school coaches have to endure on a reoccurring (and often continuous) basis. Basically, it non-chalantly shows that just as parents can get frustrated with coaches, coaches can get frustrated with parents. It’s a two-way street.
Coaches are people, just like you and me. In the same way parents want the best for their kids, most coaches feel the same way for their players and their team.
Here’s the thing. Your coaches can’t make everyone happy, but from personal experience, you can rest assured that if they could, they would. Kudos to Coach Atwood for writing this piece. It’s unfair to demand so much more from someone who, chances are, already is doing more than he or she can already handle.
Now that football is in full swing, many teams are having great success on Friday nights and others are seeking out their first win. I have heard from many families that their high school coach is not helping them get recruited. Word to the wise: Your high school coach is not in charge of your recruiting! Many families feel that a coach has a say in this process. I can tell you from first hand experience that the only person in charge of your recruiting is YOU! You are responsible for getting good film, getting your name out there, and marketing yourself to college coaches. When a college is interested, the first person they will refer to is your high school coach. So do yourself another favor: Get along with your high school coach until you graduate! 
Once you get your diploma, you never have to speak to the ole’ball coach again. Unfortunately, not all high school coaches make good role models. At times, they may use harsh language and belittle players. Don’t focus on the language they are using understand how they are trying to coach you. Every coach has a different style of teaching. Listen to what they are saying, not how they are saying it. From personal experience, my high school coach did nothing for me in the recruiting process. I soon realized that if I wanted something done the right way, I would have to do it myself. For many high school players in the country this is your last season on the gridiron. Make it a great one by staying positive and having fun! A great attitude will spread throughout the team which in return will show up on the film.
Joe Paterno is arguably the face of college football. “Joe Pa” enters his 59th season with the Penn State Nittany Lions, a record for a football coach at any level. Recently, his football program has been under attack for their off-the-field incidents. Since 2002, 46 Penn State football players have been charged for a total of 163 counts of various criminal acts. From those 163 counts, 27 resulted in guilty pleas. These acts have embarrassed the legendary career of Coach Paterno as well as Penn State University. Paterno and his staff have even gone as far as having his whole team participate in the stadium clean-up after a Saturday home game as punishment to his players. 
As a former college athlete I always followed these rules handed down to me by my coaches.
Being around others who care about your future and success will never put you in a situation where you have to answer to the authorities.
As an athlete, whether you like it or not, people know who you are. Anytime you’re involved in an altercation it will be magnified because of your status. Do what is best for you and your future…”Walk away!”
Understand that when you step off the field you represent not only yourself, but your family, your teammates, and your school. Don’t do anything to jeopardize those elements in your life. College coaches will always want to know as much about you as possible. They may not only ask your coach what kind of person you are, they might ask a secretary, or a teacher. The bottom line is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.
When a student-athlete tells me that their sport is their “life,” I usually take it with a grain of salt. But sometimes, kids do get so worked up with their sport that schooling kind of takes a back seat. To counteract this mania, Northshore High School in Louisiana is requiring all football players to take mandatory tutoring. From the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
This year, Northshore High is truly embracing the term “student athlete,” and putting the student’s academic responsibilities first. Coach Mike Bourg, varsity football coach, and Mary Wahden have decided to initiate an athlete tutoring program. The program is a mandatory weekly tutoring session for all football players, freshman and varsity alike.
Hats off to Northshore High. Football can be your “life” now, but if you don’t look at how important those grades and how much colleges look at your academics, football won’t be your “life” in the future.
Another good thing about this mandatory tutoring — most colleges require a certain amount of study hours for their freshman athletes. So come time for college, going to the mandated tutoring isn’t going to seem like that big of a deal because you’ve already been doing it for a few years.
The end of goal of college is getting a degree and forming a career. Northshore is taking steps to make sure that happens for its students.
a former D1 college football recruiting coordinator’s thoughts on what NCSA can do for every college football (all sports) coaches.
”If I knew then what I know now” my college coaching staffs would have had more success recruiting!
First, my background.
I capped off my days as a center for the Fighting Illini by playing in the Blue Gray All Star Game, and then signed with the Oakland Raiders. It’s been over 30 years since taking off my cleats and picking up a whistle joining coaching staffs at Illinois, UNLV, UCLA and Minnesota, many of these years as the recruiting coordinator. During that time I have been a part of a #1 ranked recruiting class, several top 5 classes and several more top 25 ranked classes in the country.
I’ve also been hired by nearly 40 D1 colleges to evaluate prospects for them.
Second, why am I writing this?
There is so much more to the recruiting process than getting your name on internet sites.
College coaches get hundreds of names and stats from the internet. What he needs to do is narrow that list of names down to a manageable working list of prospects that have the academic, athletic and social skills that he wants to recruit.
Third, how long is the recruiting process, really?
The recruiting process starts when a prospect gets the first letter from a school and ends when the prospect shows up for the first practice of the school he signed with.
Fourth, why is the recruiting process this long?
This is how long it takes the college coach to get the player on the field.
Once a coach decides the student athlete can play for his university (after a number of evaluations):
After all this a prospect can practice.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have, what college coaches refer to as the third party, experts like NCSA be available to advise you through the recruiting process?
As a former recruiting coordinator at several universities, “if I knew then what I know now” I’d love the help NCSA has to offer
I’ve just joined NCSA as a “Recruiting Expert” and am responsible for our relationship with college football programs. I will let every college I speak with know about our support of the student athlete’s family and how we can make the “recruiting process” work smoothly!
As I’m sure all of the staff at NCSA does.
Contact NCSA today for expert guidance!!
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