NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

I recently had an opportunity to ask Steven Fisher, of San Marcos High School in California, a few questions about his experience at the Team One Futures Game which was recently played on October 23^rd in Peoria, Arizona. Here is the quick interview:

It is quite the honor to be invited to play in the Team One Futures Game. How did you receive the invitation?

I was noticed for the Futures Game at a Team One event located at Orange Coast College. From there I was invited to play in a Team One All American preseason event where I was a standout among others from across the nation. The Team One preseason event was a compilation of all the best kids from this 36 team, preseason event. Again, all the kids from the pre-season event were seen somewhere in the nation and were the best from whatever state they came from. From there the best kids from the pre-season event were selected for the Team One Futures Game.

It sounds like a lot of fun; can you describe your time at the Futures Game?

The Futures Game was tons of fun, not only did I have the chance to show my talents in front of many college recruiters, I also got to play against the best kids in the nation that are my grade. We started the night off by going through a major league style workout. First we stretched, took batting practice, took grounders and prepared for the game. We played in the Peoria Stadium Complex where many great major leaguers have played.

Did you learn anything while you attended the event?

Oh yes, one thing that I learned while I was there was that baseball is such a fun and simple game and can be seen in so many ways. We were around coaches from around the nation and they knew so many little things about the game. Just being around those coaches rubbed off and created a relaxing atmosphere and brought the fun in the game out. Even though this was the biggest event I had been to the coaches seemed to really lighten the mood and bring the best out of us, keeping the game loose and competitive. I really enjoyed myself.

What kind of exposure did you receive while playing there?

There were more than 30 college recruiters sitting in the stands with radar guns pointed directly at home plate all writing. It was pretty neat.

Since you have gained experience playing in a big game with a lot of scouts, what advice can you give to other student-athletes if they ever have an opportunity like that?

Take a step back and look at the big picture. The game of baseball is very simple and hasn’t changed much since it was created. When you step into the batter’s box and see your name on the score board, go ahead take in the moment, it’s pretty awesome, but make sure you step out of the batter’s box and clear your head before the at bat begins. Go out there with confidence, but remember to play your game and not try to impress the scouts.

Tell us about what you’ve learned since being with NCSA. 

Since I have been with NCSA I have learned many valuable tips from the coaches and advisors there, but most importantly I’ve learned from the coaching calls where I had a coach or player or somebody talk to me or the group about their lifetime experiences and what they would do if they had a second chance. Now, as I am getting older, I am starting to understand that you only get one chance at life. This is definitely one thing that drives me to continuously get better and to chase my dreams full speed ahead. NCSA is definitely a place that can help me if I have questions about college, future, or daily life.

My name is Megan Mayfield and I’m going on a softball scholarship to Lynn University.  Being recruited isn’t something that just happens overnight and you can’t just rely on talent alone, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes.  Between team and individual practices, the hours spent on the practice field are uncountable. If you’re struggling with something, work on it until you get it. Go out with a coach, a parent, or even one of your teammates and practice it until you get it. Playing softball is only part of the process; you can’t be recruited if no one knows about you.  You have to get your letters out, get them out early, and make them personal. No coach wants to get a mass email; if you can’t take enough time out of your day to personally contact them, why do they want to take time out their day and personally come watch you?  When you get to the tournament, you can’t do anything more so relax and just do your best.  Make yourself standout from the rest of the team, my coach will tell you that the only reason she started watching me was because she saw me take off on a dead sprint to my position in outfield. Do something to get yourself noticed, be loud, be focused, hustle, or wear bright crazy sunglasses anything to make them look at you, because they’re looking at you they’re watching you.

There are ups and downs to be recruited.  Being denied is the worst part about the recruiting process and I was denied like there was no tomorrow.  I’ve been told that I was too small to play college ball since I was a kid, but when a college coach says it, it can be discouraging. However, I was determined to get recruited so I shook that stuff off and kept doing my best. The first time a coach waits behind the dugout after your game to talk to you is the most exciting part of being recruited. In your mind you’re thinking I did it, I got recruited and now all those practices, games, batting slumps, everything else pays off. The NCSA did the best they could’ve done for me, they put reality in perspective. They made me realize how competitive being recruited was and they helped me have a chance in that competition by telling me what I needed to do. They gave me an upper hand on all the other athletes that didn’t have someone walking them through the long process.  The only thing I can tell anyone wanting to get recruited is never give up, hustle everywhere you go, be competitive,  challenge yourself, and most importantly have just have fun.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post the NCAA was considering a slate of recruiting reforms to help clean up several gray areas of the rulebook.  Here is the NCAA’s official release of the meeting results:

The Division I Board of Directors approved a package of proposals designed to curb compensatory relationships with people associated with men’s basketball prospects and suspend coaches who violate those rules, sending a message to the membership that the issue is a top priority for presidents.

The package received broad support from a number of constituencies, including conference commissioners, basketball coaches, the Amateur Athletic Union, the chair of the Legislative Council and other presidents.

“The process shows the NCAA at its very best: We identified a need; we brought all the players to the table – including the coaches – to build consensus and support; and we worked within the governance system for solutions,” said Board chair Jim Barker, president at Clemson.

The plan adopted by the Board takes some actions immediately and puts others into the legislative cycle to be considered by the Division I governance structure.

The immediate actions include a tighter definition of a “recruited student-athlete” in men’s basketball to include anyone who has received recruiting materials or had any recruiting contact with a coaching staff member or was asked to attend an institutional camp or enroll at an institution. The Board also immediately adopted a series of interpretations meant to eliminate the funneling of money to people associated with prospects through:

* Employment relating to noncoaching staff positions

* Employment at camps and clinics

* Payment of consulting fees

* Subscriptions to recruiting services with limited value

* Donations to nonprofits

* 1-900 numbers for telephone contact with a recruit.

The proposal also includes sanctions for head coaches and assistant coaches that range from being unable to coach regular-season games to being withheld from coaching NCAA postseason contests. The NCAA enforcement staff and the Division I Committee on Infractions would be the adjudicating bodies in those instances. Tougher eligibility consequences for prospects or student-athletes involved in the violations are also part of the package.

A group of commissioners presented the proposal to the Board, including Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany.

“This is the NCAA addressing issues in absolutely the correct way. All the parties that have an interest from the educational perspective were represented,” Delany said. “It really places the enforcement of these standards at a very high priority for the staff.”

Jim Haney, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, also supported the plan, indicating that his board had been concerned about the men’s basketball recruiting environment for some time.

“For us, this package is consistent with the direction we’ve been going in the last several years, and we’re pleased to support it,” Haney said. “We encourage continued dialogue to address these issues.”

While some Board members expressed a desire to be sure the regular process for legislation was followed, Legislative Council chair Joseph D’Antonio said his group supported the proposal before the Board for immediate action because the issue was important enough to demand Board attention.

Other proposals will be introduced into the 2009-10 legislative cycle, to be vetted by the Legislative Council and the membership. These proposals target:

* Noncoaching staff hiring practices by prohibiting institutions from hiring as noncoaching personnel individuals associated with prospects two years before or after the prospect’s actual or anticipated enrollment. The legislation is intended to offer coaches a choice between recruiting the prospect and hiring the person associated with the prospect.

* Institutional camp/clinic employment by allowing institutions to hire only its own staff members or enrolled students at its camps and clinics.

* Institutional camp operation by allowing recruiting during institutional camps, and stating that prospects do not have to leave the locale to begin an unofficial visit.

* Nonscholastic events on campus by prohibiting Division I institutions from hosting, sponsoring or conducting nonscholastic men’s basketball events on campus or in facilities regularly used by the institution.

* Payment of consulting fees by prohibiting fees to individuals associated with a prospect.

While the proposals deal specifically with men’s basketball, several presidents indicated a desire to keep an eye on the recruiting environment in other sports as well – especially football and women’s basketball – to see if similar action is necessary in those sports.

The Legislative Council will review and cast initial votes on the proposals the Board entered into the regular legislative cycle at its meeting at the 2010 NCAA Convention in January. The proposal also referred several issues to the various cabinets and committees in the governance structure, including changes to the recruiting calendar, tryouts and communication with prospects. Various subgroups will examine those issues with the possibility of creating legislation for the 2010-11 cycle.

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!

What will be some of the consequences if the NCAA opens up rules to allow amateurs to play on professional teams?    Is the current NCAA ruling fair?  Will there be unintended consequences?  What do you think?

Patrick Dayton has been nominated our NCSA Baseball Student-Athlete of the Month for September. He is from Archer City, Texas and graduates in 2010. Patrick is a 6’0” 180 pound infielder who was named to the All-State Honorable Mention Team as a junior after hitting .500 in 54 at bats. He was also named to the All-Area 1st Team his first two years of high school hitting .394 his freshman year and .438 his sophomore year.

If you can believe it, Patrick excels more in the classroom. He has a 4.34 GPA on a 4.0 scale, is ranked #1 in his class, and scored a 1460 on the two-part SAT (including a perfect 800 on the math section). On top of baseball and academics, Patrick’s math and science teams have placed in the top 6 in four different math and science competitions. Patrick is looking to study engineering in college and NCSA is very proud to name Patrick Dayton our NCSA Baseball Student-Athlete of the Month for September.

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

Brian Monette to the University of Southern Illinois – Carbondale

Brian Essig commits to the University of the Pacific

And David Johannessen decides on Florida Atlantic University

In the summer of 2003 I made a pilgrimage to the place that every high-school baseball player looking to play in college should go. I had always wanted to go to this place and I still look forward to the time when I will return. The place I speak of is Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, home of the College World Series. My summer travel team was competing in a tournament in Omaha and by design, we purchased tickets to go watch a weekend’s worth of college baseball at the highest level of competition. I remember everything about that trip from stealing 2nd base during a game of my own and, in the process, tearing open my chin (I still have the scar) to standing next to ESPN’s Kenny Mayne at a urinal in one of the bathrooms at Rosenblatt. The College World Series is college baseball and from then on I knew that not playing baseball in college was not an option.

 At the time, and partly due to my amazing experience in Omaha, my expectations were unrealistic. My summer coach asked me for a list of schools I’d like him to send my information to and I quickly scribbled down a list of top Division I programs I had seen playing at Rosenblatt. For me to think that I had an opportunity to play at some of these top schools was very unrealistic for me in terms of my recruiting process and my abilities as a baseball player. In other words, I was a DIII player looking to play baseball at the Division I level, except I wasn’t aware of this. When I soon realized that I would be playing baseball in college at the DIII level, I was slightly disappointed. But looking back, I understand why I was a DIII player and I don’t regret the decision I made to play baseball in college at that level. Not only had I not gotten enough exposure at an early enough age or been aware of such services such as the National Collegiate Scouting Association, but plain and simple, I just wasn’t good enough. Looking back on this I can’t help but smile at my own naivety and the fact that I am 100% satisfied with the decision I made to play baseball at John Carroll University. I may have never gotten the chance to play in Omaha or get interviewed by Erin Andrews after a big win, but I did get to play the game I love at the collegiate level. I did get to forge bonds and friendships that will last a lifetime and I did become a better all-around person by learning the values of hard work, dedication and teamwork.

We all tune in to watch big time college football programs compete on Saturdays during football season, and everyone loves the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament come March, but for those of us who won’t ever compete at that nationally acclaimed level, take pride in the following facts:

1. You train just as hard as anyone to compete at your full potential in the sport that you love.

2. You attend class just like every other student in every other college, except you have made sacrifices to prepare for games and practice as well.

3. You will form life-lasting bonds with teammates that are just as strong as those bonds that are formed at higher levels of competition.

4. You will become a better all-around person for the hard work you dedicate to your team and to your school work.

So, in my situation, while playing baseball in college was very different than someone playing baseball at a big time DI program, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. The memories I have of the experiences I went through during my playing days in college will last forever and no one can take that away from me. What I want to stress to all student-athletes is to be realistic about their expectations when it comes to playing their sport at the collegiate level. The sooner that you do this, the sooner you can embrace your future experiences as a collegiate athlete, whether it’s playing for a top tier DI program or competing for DIII school. Please believe me when I say it’s not about the recognition, or the television highlights, or the contracts with Nike and Adidas. It’s about putting on the same uniform as your teammates and competing in the sport you all love to achieve one common goal…winning. A win is the same at the DI level as it is at the DIII level and for a serious student-athlete looking to compete in college, winning is all that should matter.

The quest to find the right college for a student-athlete is a challenge that we here at the National Collegiate Scouting Association readily accept with open arms. We understand not only what it means to families to have their student-athlete comfortable and excited to be attending the university of their choice, but we also understand the passion and desire that our student-athletes have to find that particular university. We also understand how important it is for college coaches to be matched up with qualified student-athletes who will help their universities grow both academically and athletically. With this being said, we here at NCSA will do everything we can to match student-athletes with universities that we feel would be a good fit. But when it’s all said and done, it’s up to the student-athletes to visit these schools, meet these coaches and decide for themselves if they truly see themselves being members of that university for the next four years of their lives. So how does a student-athlete go about doing this? How do they put themselves in the best situation possible to meet coaches and visit schools? They should be utilizing a somewhat untapped resource and with this I would like to introduce the unofficial visit.

For those student-athletes who have seen movies like The Program, He Got Game and Blue Chips, the recruiting process might seem like a dream come true. In The Program, Darnell Jefferson is welcomed to Eastern State University by a charter bus filled with cheerleaders. NBA superstar Ray Allen plays the main character in He Got Game and is whisked away from campus to campus for weekends of fun and spoil. Several “blue chip” prospects in Blue Chips receive gifts and frequent visits from the coaching staff. One thing each and every parent, coach and student-athlete needs to know is that these are movies attempting to depict a very long and difficult process. For the majority of high-school athletes, the best way to get a feel for a school and a coach is to take advantage of the unlimited amounts of unofficial visits a recruit can take during their four years of high school.

One might ask, “What is an unofficial visit and what other kinds of visits are there?” Great question. An official visit is one where the cost of part of the visit is incurred by the school. For example, a recruit is invited to visit the campus and during their visit the school will pay for their flight, hotel room and meals. These are less common than unofficial visits and are heavily regulated in terms of how many a school is allowed to give out and how many a student-athlete can attend. The alternative is the unofficial visit, where a student athlete visits the campus on their own and pays for it themselves. Although it may be less glorious than the official visits depicted in films, it is just as effective in terms of finding a school that you would be comfortable and eager to attend. Did I mention that you can take an unlimited amount of unofficial visits? Read on…

So let’s say you are a student-athlete and this blog has inspired you to take some unofficial visits…but you don’t know how to go about it. Here is your crash course to the unofficial visit.

First, come up with a list of schools and programs that you are interested in learning more about. Basically, you want to narrow down your list to schools you would realistically like to attend and compete for. Next, pick a weekend where you know the coach of your respective sport will be on campus. Football and basketball games are very popular events for coaches to entertain recruits, so pick a weekend where there is a game such as football or basketball. Next, you want to contact the coach to let him or her know that you will be visiting that weekend. Ask if they can give you a few minutes of their time to meet and possibly answer some questions that you may have (hint, hint…come prepared with academic and athletic questions for the coach). Next, contact admissions and also make them aware of your visit. Campuses are constantly giving tours and you want to make sure you see the campus in its entirety because it will be your home for the next four years. You also want to have a main contact in the admissions department to answer any questions you may have before, during and after your unofficial visit.

So now you’ve got your game plan to schedule some unofficial visits, but what is it that coaches are looking for when a recruit comes to campus. Marc Thibeault, head coach of John Carroll University’s baseball team, explains what he is not looking for.

“I can’t tell you how many times a recruit shows up with holes in his jeans, hat backwards, earring in and really has no questions when they visit. “

Coach Thibeault looks for potential student-athletes who can carry themselves well both on and off the field. Making a good first impression when meeting coaches is essential, and your appearance is key. A great point Coach makes is the ability of the recruit to ask meaningful questions during their visit. Think of it as a job interview; when your potential employer asks if you have any questions and you say “Nope, I think we’re all good here,” they are going to take that as a lack of preparation and excitement on your part when it comes to becoming a member of their team. College coaches will view this the same way.

When asked about some good questions for recruits to ask on their visit, Coach Thibeault had a few in mind.

-What did your graduating class end up doing upon diploma?

-How many freshmen ended up playing 4 years?

-What are the years of players playing my position?

-What were the credentials of last years recruiting class?

The above questions are great things to ask coaches and by asking these questions, a recruit shows the coach that they are interested, committed and eager to contribute to the program.

The bottom line is that no one buys a car without test driving it. No one gets married without dating first and no recruit should commit to a school without visiting campus. So instead of waiting by the phone or the computer for a coach to invite you for an official visit, maximize the unlimited amount of unofficial visits you can take and put yourself out there. The recruiting process may seem less glorious than depicted in the movies, but the end result of choosing the right school is all the glory a recruit needs.

I’ve long been a critic of  the NCAA’s ever expanding rule book.  It has become so complex that athletes face unfair penalties simply because they have no idea what the rules are!  ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook had a great take on Dez Bryant situation at Oklahoma State and his “violations.”

The Dez Bryant situation is completely ridiculous. In June, Bryant tagged along as Deion Sanders discussed a business deal that did not include Bryant, then went to dinner at Deion’s house. Months later, Oklahoma State, worried that Bryant was somehow involved in the business deal, asked him if he knew Sanders. Bryant panicked and did something really stupid, denying he knew Sanders. Now he’s suspended not for any substantive violation, rather for failing to tell the truth about a permissible action. Of course football players, like everyone else, should always tell the truth. But the punishment is totally out of proportion with the offense: Let him do a community-service project as punishment.

Surely Bryant panicked in part because NCAA rules are so complex, no one can understand them. All big colleges now have a “compliance officer” whose full-time job is to understand NCAA rules — Oklahoma State has two compliance officers plus a “monitoring coordinator” and an “eligibility coordinator” — and even they make mistakes. But they don’t pay any price for mistakes; kids do. The NCAA will bend any rule when it comes to money for the NCAA, but God forbid a confused 20-year-old should fail to follow the letter of subsection 48(d)! Note: Reader Rusty Shackleford of Tulsa reports that Jenks High, a local power plagued by eligibility and recruiting scandals, is hiring a compliance officer. For a high school!

His final point about the high school is one of the more ridiculous stories I have heard this year.  However, kids need to understand just because rules seem foolish, they won’t be held any less accountable.  having someone up to date on every NCAA rule in your corner, like NCSA, can be a huge help in recruiting.