NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

The importance of a skills video in a sport like baseball goes unnoticed at times. Just because you state on a piece of paper that you throw 86-88 MPH consistently does not mean a coach is going to automatically recruit you. It’s the same way that just because you earn a 3.8 GPA doesn’t mean you will be accepted in to every school. Interviews and essays are just as important as mechanics in a sport like baseball.

A video is not the “end all, be all”, but it does open the door for you if a college coach is wary about your true ability on paper, especially if a program is far away. Once you have video available it is important to sap as much out of that as possible. Much more important questions can be asked after a coach can evaluate footage of your at your position.

Families always ask me how to decide between camps and video is one of the most important parts of this decision making. It is vital that you try to get a feel for the coach’s interest by asking for feedback on a video before figuring out where you need to spend your money and, most importantly, your time throughout this process.

Many people believe game footage is vital for a sport like baseball, but a coach does not have the time to sit down and watch a video of you in an entire game. Also, it’s hard to figure out what angles and footage a coach wants to see. If you have not put a video together yet, be sure to check this page out for more information about how to put a quality video together. After you have created your video this cloudy process will begin to clear up a bit for you and you will understand what you have been missing out on.

Q: How important are stats in the recruiting process?

A: Stats can be important to college recruiters because they give them insight on your game performance. However, they are not the only thing that coaches look at. A big part of an athlete’s evaluation is looking at their tools. These are various skills within a sport which help coaches see the potential within an athlete. The best way to showcase these is through well made highlight videos, skills tapes, and game films.

Here’s another great recruiting question, keep them coming!

Q: How do I make a highlight video?

A: Check out these past articles: this one will show you how to make your video and this one will tell you what to do with it. You can even look at examples on NCSA’s YouTube page.

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.”

SI has posted a story entailing how the future of media broadcasts of prep games may be decided through a recent legal dispute.

Ownership of scholastic athletics coverage is at stake in a legal tussle brewing over a Wisconsin newspaper’s decision to carry a high school football game live on its Web site last fall.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sued The Post-Crescent of Appleton and parent Gannett Co. as well as the Wisconsin Newspaper Association after the newspaper carried the state playoff game on its site Nov. 8.

The association said it believes it owns the rights to the online footage because it organized, supervised and sponsored the football tournament. The lawsuit, which is scheduled for trial Feb. 8, also said the association’s ability to generate revenue needs to be protected. The association has a $7.1 million budget this year.

WIAA executive director Doug Chickering said the association is seeking only a ruling about its role and rights, not monetary damages.

Dan Flannery, executive editor of The Post-Crescent, said local sporting events represent the essence of local news coverage, and media outlets should be able to provide Internet coverage the same way they write stories or produce videos.

The newspaper wants the court to recognize that the WIAA is working on behalf of public schools and declare its no-bid, long-term contracts for TV coverage and photography unconstitutional.

Peter Fox, executive director of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, said the case “has advanced further in the legal system than in any other state.”

Athletic associations and newspaper groups elsewhere are closely watching.

“Fundamentally, this comes down to TV revenue for the associations,” said Don Craven, an attorney who worked for the IPA and helped settle the dispute two years ago. “They don’t own a commodity to sell, market or otherwise control. They should put on a very nice tournament and get out of the news business.”

If the WIAA is successful in barring the free online broadcasting of prep games it may cause other high school sports associations to consider doing the same. Athletic associations may begin to use high school games as a source of revenue by selling the games to the highest bidder. Games between nationally ranked teams have shown to draw huge ratings as ESPN has recently broadcasted several high school games.

How would this effect recruiting? It limits athletes’ exposure by taking away an outlet for coaches to see game film. This makes it even more important that a recruit find other ways to display their highlight films and game films, as well as showcase their athlete resumes to college coaches.

It is critical to have a video of yourself playing points out or drilling with your coach or pro. When playing out points coaches are looking to see the level of play that you are currently at and the potential that they see in you. What this means is that if coaches were able to get you on their campus they would know how to coach you to maximize your potential. If you are shooting a match video with points it is important to have the player that you are playing with be equal of talent if not better than you. Beating up on a weaker opponent will not help you but only hurt you.

Attention all underclassmen: Summer camps are right around the corner! This is the best opportunity to perform in front of college coaches and generate interest at the next level. Due to several NCAA rules that prohibit college coaches from evaluating student-athletes, summer camps have been a hotbed for college recruiting nationwide. Did you know that other schools may attend one summer camp? That’s right! This could be a prime opportunity for you to compete in front of a large crowd of coaches which can increase your odds of getting recruited! I have added some quick tips that can help you perform at your best this camp season:

1. Be well rested!
Don’t drive long hours and then stumble into camp. Try to get there the night before. Walk around the facility if possible and get acquainted with your surroundings. Get a good nights rest, proper meals, and most important be hydrated!

2. Perform at your best!
Understand you are being evaluated from to the time you set on foot on campus until the time you leave. From the time you start stretching until you break the final huddle, college coaches are watching your every move. My advice is giving 100% on every drill! Sprint from station to station and show these coaches you are serious about playing at the next level.

3. Reps, Reps,Reps!                                                                                                      

Getting to camp is a critical event in your recruiting efforts!

One of the biggest problems I see at camp is student-athletes not getting enough reps. Word to the wise: Take every rep as an opportunity to perform! The more reps the more opportunities you have to get evaluated. Have fun out there and understand this is your time to shine!

4. Build Relationships
Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to coaches after camp. Student-athletes who get out of their comfort zone tend to make a great first impression with a college coach. Shake hands and thank him for the opportunity. Have a copy of game and highlight film if available and be sure to follow up with the coach after the event. It can make a world of difference by just doing to the small things.

5. Be well rested (not a typo)!
That’s right student-athletes, I can’t stress enough how important it is to get proper rest in between camps. I see it time and time again when a student-athlete goes from one to camp to another without proper rest. You never know what school may be the most interested. Poor performance from lack of rest can seriously hinder your opportunities of getting recruited. Proper rest, big meals, and fluids are highly recommended!

Summer camps are where college coaches may find student-athletes who have the potential of being the right fit. Take these quick tips with you to camp and generate some serious buzz about yourself!

One of our top student-athletes is Brian Monette from Willowbrook High School just outside of Chicago, Illinois. He plays for Top Tier in the summer and last year he hit .462 in 105 at bats for them as well as went 8-2 on the mound. Brian was also named the number 22 prospect in the Illinois class of 2010 by Prep Baseball Report.

In school, Brian is maintaining a 3.55 GPA, is taking AP and honors courses, and is ranked in the top 25% of his class. Here are a few academic rewards he has received: High Honors 2006-2009, National Honors Society Member and Recommended for Youth Leaders of America. We are proud to have Brian Monette as an impact student-athlete in the class of 2010.

Every prospect needs to have a high quality video to successfully navigate the recruiting process.  However, athletes across every sport and level have questions about how to produce a high quality film.  One reason why there are so many questions, is the fact that even college coaches can’t agree on what is “the best” type of video.

We recently asked a group of over 500 volleyball, football, soccer, and basketball coaches if they preferred a highlight or full game video and the results were predictably mixed.    No sport had more than 2/3 of their coaches agreeing on one type of film over another.  So obviously, the answer is to create both.  Comments from coaches in all four sports confirm the need for two types of film.

Honestly, I really prefer both. The 2-5 minute highlight provides a glimpse, but full game typically provides thorough credibility.

Really both would be helpful. A highlight reel is good to see a lot of one player quickly. But I also find it very useful to see what the player is doing when they aren’t on the ball, etc.

Ultimately, I do want full game film, as I can begin to evaluate the player in the full context of the game.

However, for the purposes of culling through and first impression of a prospect, the 2-5 minute spot shadowed highlights give a ¨quick and dirty¨ look at a player, so I can make a quick determination if they are worth an email.

The full game film is more to determine if they are worth a visit, burning my very limited recruiting budget.

If you could actually do highlights and then the full game that would be best. We could watch the highlights and if they interest us we would then go and watch the full game with the dead time cut out.

If you are struggling to produce a high quality film for coaches I urge you to contact NCSA and learn how we can create and deliver your film directly to college coaches.

Last week Coach Randy Taylor took us behind the scenes of how a college coaching staff begins the process of putting together their recruiting boards.  If you were unable to read that article, I encourage you to check it out here.  This week Coach Taylor will take you inside a room that very few people ever get to be a part of, “the war room” and explain how college coaches make the decisions about prospects that will affect the future of their program…

We left off last week at the point in the process when the Recruiting Coordinator officially places a recruit’s name on “the list” in the war room.  As I mentioned, the war room is a highly secure office that contains the official list of recruits that all the coaches have spent months and years gathering and evaluating.  It is in this room that some of the most important decisions coaches ever have to make will be determined.

The centerpiece of every war room is “the list” which is essentially the official recruiting board that will be analyzed and vetted exhaustively by the entire coaching staff until the recruiting class is finalized.

“The list” is typically organized by position first.  Below each position is usually a list of 25-50 names or more depending on need and the number of quality players available.  The position needs are determined by the staff and next to each position will be a number dictating the quantity of prospects desired at each position.  For example:  Quarterback (1), Running Back (2), Full Back (1), Defensive End (4), etc.  This outlines how many commitments they would ultimately like to receive based on position out of the 25-50 total prospects listed.  When the dust settles, most “lists” have between 250-500 total names on them.

Within each position listing is another level of sorting by rank.  For example, the offensive line list will have groupings distinguished by color based on the coaching staff’s evaluation.  If I were coaching at Indiana, the top ranked linemen might be separated with a crimson color nameplate, the second tiered linemen in cream color nameplates, and white nameplates for the lowest ranked linemen of the 25-50 prospects at each position.

Once a list is done growing (which usually happens during a student-athletes junior year), the real battles begin as names are moved up or down the board and in the worst case, completely removed from the list.  Recruiting meetings can be all day marathons and often times can become contentious.

Why would a recruiting meeting with a staff become a source of disagreement? 

There are a number of reasons for this:

• 1) Need. In order to determine how many players will be recruited for each position, some coaches are forced to make concessions. For example, a defensive coach might challenge an offensive coach on the number of wide receivers on the board which will take away from the number of linebackers he can have. The head coach might let these discussions become heated before making the final decision after hearing arguments; the head coach has 51% of the vote.
• 2) Pride. Often times, an area coach will place the name of a prospect on “the list” only to have a position coach criticize the selection. This can elicit a defensive response from the area coach feeling the need to fight for his prospects. It is important to realize that an area coach is responsible for a certain geographic region and the more players that are signed from that location; the more successful that coach is considered.
• 3) Decisions.  In an effort to narrow down list, the head coach will ask the area and position coaches to defend their recruits or risk having the prospects they have spent months recruiting taken off the list…this is when a coach must jump on the table for a recruit.  With that in mind, the area coach better be prepared with transcripts, tape, etc in order to provide evidence of why their prospect should remain on the list.  Some coaches are more prepared than others and the head coach might schedule these meetings last minute which can make for some heated discussions.

Recruiting is a large portion of the livelihood of a college coach and when you are behind the closed doors in a war room; you are sometimes fighting for your career, so you can imagine how passionate those meetings can be.

“The list” is narrowed down as a prospect’s magnetic nameplate is removed from the board.  For a recruit, this is the worst possible thing that can happen.  There are a number of different reasons why a recruit would be removed from “the list,” but it usually happens quickly and unceremoniously.  After the decision is made, the nameplate is tossed into a box that the Recruiting Coordinator possesses and for the most part, the recruit is removed from all mailing lists and the game invite list, etc. by the recruiting secretary.  Essentially, the recruit is no longer discussed as a prospect. 

Randy’s advice:  Pay attention to communication patterns from the college coaches who have been recruiting you.  Recruits are rarely notified when they have been removed from “the list” and if mail and phone call patterns change, it means something!

Many of you are probably wondering, “What are some of the factors that coaches consider when moving names up, down, and off “the list?”

Great question!  Some of the topics are more obvious than others, but let’s run through a few:

• Academics. A thorough academic history is very helpful in determining the staying power a recruit’s name has on the list. The more prepared academically in regards to fulfilling core course requirements and core GPA, the better chance the prospect has to remain on the list. Even if a recruit has struggled in some of the core classes, it does not mean they will be immediately removed. However, if the coach is unable to gain access to proper documentation or notification that a recruit has intentions of improving their academic standing by taking summer school, etc. the student-athlete will not be given the benefit of the doubt. Do not ever hide or hold back the transcript. It is a red flag and can earn your nameplate a spot in the dreaded box of discarded recruits. Even if you are struggling, show the coach you are aware of the problem and have a plan to fix it. Make your academic information easily accessible. This will also give a college coach time to work with a recruit to put a plan together to stay on “the list.”

• Evaluation. Of course a significant portion of the decision to keep or remove a prospects name from the list hinges on the recruits athletic ability. With that in mind, make sure to have a quality highlight tape and at least one full game tape available for all coaches. Note – college coaches watch highlight tapes to decide if they want to watch a game tape! This film provides the area coach ammunition to defend an athlete’s place on the list. Without the film, a recruit is far more likely to be removed.

• 3^rd Party Evaluations. An evaluation by a trusted third party can go a long way towards keeping a prospect’s name on the board because it serves as a reference. Again, as an area coach puts his initial list together to bring before the rest of the staff, he is basically gathering evidence to state his case. This third party evaluation can add to the support and help the area coach defend the prospect.

• Parents! Believe it or not, a parent can be a main reason for a prospect getting dropped from the list. I recall one year that we were recruiting a top QB when we received a comment from the high school coach that the father might be a problem. Apparently the father was questioning play calling, challenging the conditioning, complaining to other parents, etc. We watched the father (almost as closely as the athlete) and ended up removing the recruit from the list because of the father’s actions.

These are just a few of the issues that can cause movement on “the list.”  While families do not often times agree with the decisions made by a coaching staff (especially when their son or daughter is taken off the list), I can assure you the process is not taken lightly and countless hours are spent debating and discussing prospects. 

While having the magnet with your name removed from the recruiting board is never an optimistic sign that you will receive a scholarship from that school, there will be a deliberation at some point about which dropped players could be valuable in a walk on capacity for the team.

One of the most difficult situations a head coach can put an area coach in is when he asks that they “keep the player alive.”  This happens when a recruit is placed at the bottom of the board and might be needed if other commits go elsewhere.  The area coach is forced to maintain contact with the prospect despite losing the help of the head coach or assistant coaches in the recruitment of that athlete.  The prospect will likely start receiving fewer letters and almost zero handwritten letters or phone calls from a college coach, but the area coach cannot lose the prospect in the off chance they are needed.  Much like the reason that recruits should cast a wide net of college programs, college coaching staffs need to keep a number of viable options available throughout the process. 

The reality is that every staff has a unique approach to the process of narrowing down their board, although most are relatively similar.  The key for every recruit is to put themselves in the best position by having everything a coach will need (transcript, video, measureables, etc) readily accessible and connecting with as many of the right schools as possible in an effort to ensure a place on an ample number of final recruiting boards.