NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

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

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“God blessed me with all the talent in the world. I knew I was going pro if I had just stayed in school. I had the world in my hands…”

Those are the words of Matt Wills, one of the most remarkable High School athletes of the past quarter century. In a powerful, must-watch 2-part TV series, sportscaster Dean Huppert has captured the story of a young man who could have been one of the best ever, had he had better guidance around him in recruiting, and had he made the right choice when it came to sign.

As a tenth grader, Wills rushed for 271 yards and scored 6 touchdowns in his third High School football game for Riley High. He could bench press 400 pounds, had sprinter speed, and was a heavyweight wrestling champion. D1 schools were on him like white on rice.

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“If you are good enough, they (college coaches) will find you.”

Those that are saying this need to stop. I hear this statement quite a bit as I speak around the country. It often comes from school Administrators, Coaches, or ADs that are more ‘old school.’ These are well-meaning people, and there are many things about ‘old school’ I like: hard work, dedication, TEAM, and respect. While many young people share these values and work very hard, overall, it’s not the same. As Lou Holtz said,  “Today so many want to talk about their rights and privileges. Twenty years ago people talked about their obligations and responsibilities.”

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For almost thirty years I have been interviewing athletes about their recruiting as they were going through the process and the major factors that went into their search for the right place to be a college athlete. The first interview was in 1983 when I had a lengthy interview with a big lineman named Todd Irvin who was being recruited by SEC football powers. “What are your factors in finding the right fit?” I asked him, and thus began years of researching what leads to the most successful recruiting experiences. As a former broadcast journalist, I interviewed literally thousands over the years, including many who had graduated who shared with me their “if I had recruiting to do over again here is how I would do it” stories. As the parent of a current NCAA cross country runner that went through the recruiting process the last few years, I have seen first hand what goes into finding the “right fit.”

I have come to the conclusion that “right fit” are two of the most important words in recruiting, more than “best scholarship” or “bigtime program.” Here are three key factors in finding the place where your son or daughter will have four or five of the most valuable years of their life. Legendary former High School Football Coach Dick Dullaghan, who helped hundreds of his players at power Ben Davis High play College, feels these three factors are critical and I agree!

1) Go Where You are Wanted: I will write more in depth about my son’s recruiting experience later, but as we made numerous Visits, I could tell the difference between Coaches, Athletes and Programs that really wanted him and those that felt he would be an okay addition to those not interested. At the school he eventually selected, virtually the entire cross country team made it out to seem him during the first school day he visited. I could tell, as a parent in the background, that it made a lasting impression on him. Although many College XC Coaches showed interest, the coach at this University showed a deep, sincere interest in his wellbeing as a student and athlete. As you go through Visits, you will be able to tell the difference. It’s a big reason why you need to be taking multiple unofficial visits, and not waiting until junior or senior year to take them! We started 10th grade year. Tim Tebow, in his new book, says that he started 10th grade as well.

If you start the recruiting process early by making your student-athlete very appealing to colleges as far as academics, athletic ability, extracurriculars, and community service, you will find that schools will really want your child to be a part of their school. As you get into Admissions on Visits, you will tell the ones that REALLY want your child compared to those that would be glad to have him or her.

2) Go Where You Can Get Significant Funding: Notice I didn’t write Go Where You Get a Full Ride. Obviously, if the place that is the right fit can offer a full scholarship, great! You have nailed it, especially in these challenging economic times. However, the most important factor is finding the right fit for your child, where academics, athletics, social setting, geography, chance to compete, coaching match, chemistry with team, proper level of collegiate competition, and faith (for those that list that as an important factor) all fall in sync.

You want your child at the College that will best position them for the next 40 years of life, and if that means paying some, and taking out some loans that will not be overwhelming, then that is important to consider. Think about the quality and reputation of the degree at a school and how that will play out over the next forty years. It’s easy to say, “Well, we need to go here because it is a lot cheaper.” However, will the bang of the degree of that school have as much clout out in the world. An athlete that plays this whole thing right, finds a darn good school, develops as a student and athlete, and who networks, can be in position to do very well over their lifetime.

As we went through this, because of the remarkable exposure NCSA brought my son, we actually had some schools that had a better overall scholarship package, but as one who has studied recruiting success for thirty years, I knew that the school he selected was the best fit for him. His scholarship package was significant, and he is at a place where he can blossom as a young person because of the right fit. He could have gone to other schools with better scholarship packages, but they were not the right fit.

3) Go Where If You Have a Career Ending Injury You Will Still Love the School: As I deliver College Recruiting Simplified to audiences all over, I cannot tell you how many times I have explained this point, and looked out to see Mom’s and Dad’s nodding in agreement. Really, at all three points above, but especially this one. Most “get it” that this whole thing is about using athletics to put the young person at a top quality college setting where they will grow and develop.

Alex Banfich was one of the nation’s top runners just a few years ago at Culver Academies. The Plymouth, IN native was heavily recruited by all kinds of D1 Cross Country/Track programs. When she made her choice, this factor was significant. She even told the local media that she wanted to be at a place where if she suffered a leg injury that ended her running she would still love the school. She chose Princeton, and is thriving there now.

Before delivering Recruiting Education at a powerful Midwest Volleyball Club, I had a long talk with the mother of four children that had or were playing D1 sports. She talked about one daughter who signed with a D1 Volleyball University in a major city. Her daughter loved the school because it had a great Communications program and it was in a big city. Unfortunately, her College Coach turned a Jekyl/Hyde on her, she felt pressured to play injured at times, and the Vball experience was not what she hoped it would be. However, she loved the school and the energy of being in the big city,  nailed her major, and put herself in position to have a coveted employee, and enduring through the challenging playing days gave her resiliency qualities that will carry all through life.

I can understand why elite athletes with remarkable God given abilities put major stock into the College Coach and program when signing, because they may have a serious chance to become a professional, but for most prospective College athletes, be careful about putting so many eggs into the basket of who the coach will be.

As a parent, you know your son or daughter. I don’t agree with parents that say the college choice is totally up to the kid. Yes, it is mainly their decision but have a lot of discussion. As a parent, you know that your child’s personality would be better suited at such-and-such school. Bring up points in a suggestive way to generate discussion and thought on their end. Develop lists of pro’s and con’s. Write them down at each visit. You probably won’t find a place that is perfect in everything, but it will help.

As I went through the process as a parent, the thing that kept me up at night was not getting a “full ride” but finding the “right fit.” My son is now early in his college days as a student-athlete and is having a remarkable experience. To see him find the absolute right fit is like a baseball player hitting a pitch with the sweet spot of the bat. It is gratifying.

The three factors above can help you in the process as well. Please share your thoughts below based on your experiences, as insights from others are appreciated. My College Recruiting Presentations are built through the observations of thousands of interviews, and your insights mean a lot.

If you would like questions answered about finding the right fit for your athlete, email me at cadams@ncsasports.org

To make sure College Coaches know about you, learn how to get your information in front of them by clicking here

If your School, Club or Organization needs Recruiting Education, contact me at cadams@ncsasports.org

Charlie Adams

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I listened as College Coaches from all levels shared their observations about Parents, Recruits and trends they are observing in recruiting. Dan Tudor, nationally known for working with College Coaches to help them with their recruiting strategies, held his annual National Collegiate Recruiting Conference in Nashville.

NCSA Recruiting Expert/Speaker Charlie Adams

Besides speaking, I had the opportunity to listen to the Coaches. The group included Coaches from all levels of College Athletics, from schools such as the University of Missouri, Clemson, Vanderbilt, Belhaven, Emmanuel College, Swarthmore College and many others. During one session the Coaches met as groups and came away with these current trends in recruiting athletes in 2011-12:

A growing Sense of Entitlement among many High School athletes that are being recruited or that are playing College Athletics.

1991 Heisman winner Desmond Howard came out with strong comments about the growing sense of Entitlement among athletes when he spoke at the Black Coaches and Administrators Convention in May: “The way these coaches recruit these kids, they make them feel like they’re the cat’s meow, that the program can’t move forward without them at the school,” Howard said. “When you recruit them that hard, then you gas them up on who they are. You give that guy a sense of entitlement.

“I was told by a giant, Bo Schembechler, that no one man is bigger than the program. Not even (Schembechler). He was larger than life. For me to sit there and this guy tells me nobody’s bigger than Michigan, that’s all he had to say.”

Howard told the St. Petersburg Times that heavy coverage of recruiting has young players in the spotlight before they’ve accomplished anything significant in college.

“I’ll give you a perfect example: Michigan fires coach Rich Rodriguez,” said Howard, who starred at Michigan from 1989-91. “All the noise in Ann Arbor is, ‘Is Denard Robinson going to stay or leave?’ I’m like, ‘Hey, if the kid wants to go, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. You looked fantastic for five games against nobody. That’s what you did.’ I’m not going to deny his talents, but, ‘You ain’t won nothing in Ann Arbor, son! Not so much we need to worry about if you’re going to be here next year or not.’ ”

NCSA Educational Speaker Derrick Mayes, who was a standout receiver for Notre Dame and who jokes that his fingers are still bent from catching passes from Brett Favre in the N.F.L., travels the world to speak about the recruiting process. He shared these observations: “My in response to the growing sense of entitlement among some young athletes: It’s so ironic that as I ponder this very idea,  I’m over in Europe spending some unbelievable quality time with the DoDDS High School student athletes, whose parents serve our country in the Military abroad.  I see just the opposite of entitlement issues over here -  humble, respectful, hardworking. It’s no wonder that the military’s children have so much “pre packaged” virtue & discipline. Perhaps our pampered “stateside” student athletes should take a look at their counterparts across the pond, who have a fraction of luxuries, resources, or – sense of entitlement.” Derrick Mayes, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Educational Speaker

Continuing on with what the College Coaches say are developing trends in Recruiting that they have observed recently:

The athletes keep getting younger that the College Coaches are looking at or that are contacting the College Coaches.

Many athletes’ parents have been spending a lot of money on Club, Travel Ball, AAU, Strength and Speed Training, and things of that nature and they expect a return on their investment in terms of significant scholarships.

NCSA Senior Recruiting Coach Joyce Wellhoefer, a former D1 Softball Coach, had these insights:

“When I was coaching six years ago all that was the same as far as “entitlement” and parents over the kids hand holding. They would go on the Visits and not go with parent groups but stay with the kid on everything (pretty soon they will be staying the night with the kid on site in the dorm!  The only thing that I have seen as a bit of a change is that signings for Softball have been earlier than six years ago.  Now almost all D1 & top D2 schools have commitments of junior year or younger.

But that is so true with parents spending so much money on clubs, travel, private lessons and many expect the ‘full rides’  I also had a hard time getting the Junior College athletes as they were getting full rides and then to come play D1 where I was at I could only give them 1/2 or less as I was not a fully funded program.” Joyce Wellhoefer, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Senior Recruiting Coach

The Official Visit is now the Unofficial Visit as many athletes are committing early before they can even take Official Visits in their senior year of High School.

For more on Unofficial Visits

Official Visits vs Unofficial Visits

Parents are more involved than ever before in Recruiting and many are saying things to College Coaches such as “We are taking the SAT’s” or “We made it to State this past season.”

For more on the Parents Role in Recruiting

Many athletes know all about texting their friends but their phone communication skills are weak, which hurts them in recruiting

NCSA Recruiting Expert and Speaker Othello Henderson, who played football at UCLA and in the NFL, says: “Student-athletes need to realize good communication skills, whether in person or over the phone, are an essential part of obtaining athletic scholarships. The recruiting process is not the time to act shy or stand-offish, especially when it comes to coaches and scouts. Being respectfully articulate is key. Unless a coach or scout initiates, using the same colloquial rhetoric they do with friends may not be the smartest form of conversation.” – Othello Henderson, NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Educational Speaker

“I see the weak phone skills with our kids. That is one reason I am not a big advocate of the facebook. When I work with NCSA kids I treat them like I am recruiting . I call their cell phones (sometimes Mom or Dad to get some things) but I try to get more time with them alone because that is what College Coaches want and expect when they are recruiting them.”

Joyce Wellhoefer
NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Senior Recruiting Coach

At the Conference one of the top Softball Coaches in the country was talking to me about things she looked for regarding character in athletes. In that sport, at certain times, all of the athletes are in the dugout together when the team is at bat. She said one thing that would turn her off is the talented athlete that comes into the dugout, sits down, and yells, “Mom!! Red Gatorade! NOW!!” She says that happens more than you would think. Scratch that kid off the Recruiting List…

It was funny how she said it, but she had a point. On the other hand, she said the kind of player that really jumps out at her is that center fielder that goes out the outfield calmly but firmly giving instructions to her fellow outfielders, and saying something along the lines of, “Nothing gets past us to the fence!” College Coaches want that kind of determined, respectful young person that has a fire within. That kind of young person is competitive, sets high standards, and is a leader.

There is a great need for athletes and families to be educated on what leads to a successful recruiting experience.

To bring NCSA Recruiting Education to your Summer Camp, League, Parents Meeting, High School or Club Event click here

To Set up a Personal Evaluation Time with a Former College Coach or Athlete to make sure You understand the Recruiting Process, click here

Charlie Adams

NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network Educational Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org

(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
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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

While most 9th and 10th grade athletes in High School are facing the typical challenges of 14, 15 and 16 year olds, soccer standout Ellis Whitt was dealing with something much more serious. His mother, Angela, was in a battle with Breast Cancer that would take her life during his sophomore year.

“Ellis went through a period of his life after that where he didn’t care about much,” said his grandfather George. “He missed his mother that much.”

NCSA Educational Speaker Charlie Adams

“Ellis was the oldest of her children,” said Becky, his grandmother. “Even though things were rough Angela was always there for him, even in the final two years when she was always in bed or the recliner and worn out. He would come in after school or a soccer game and plop down on the bed next to her and tell her about everything that happened. They were so close. She loved jelly beans and this one time she caught him sneaking out of her room with jelly bellies. Here she was, just 84 pounds at that point, and she was chasing him around the house!”

Becky laughed, and she cried, as she reflected on Angela.

“She was a good Christian woman,” Becky added. “She was always concerned about where he was spiritually, and would ask him not to listen to certain music. She was a concerned, loving parent.”

Soccer player Ellis Whitt of Bremen, IN

His grandparents took physical custody of Ellis and his two younger brothers. All of this happened as he was emerging as a potential top soccer talent. The Bremen (Indiana) High School student was blessed with remarkable speed and had all kinds of potential as a soccer player with the realistic ability to possibly be a  College soccer player. He was a successful High School player but for any young person that is serious about becoming a College Soccer player, Club Soccer is critical for many reasons including skill development and caliber of competition. Ellis’ Club Tryouts with the NIFA Premier/Junior Irish U 15 team were just a week after his mother had died.

“I didn’t want to go,” said Ellis. “But my grandmother said I should and that if I wasn’t good enough to make it then I wouldn’t. In the end, I felt my Mom would want me to do it.”

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” said Roy Roelke, his Club Coach. “They had buried his Mom like three days before. I did not know that at the time. I saw a very quiet, removed kid and recognized he was nervous at that first tryout. He had raw, unrefined talent. He was very fast. I encouraged him to relax and he did well. Two days later, at the final Tryout, a lot of the kids were really nervous because this would determine if they made the team. I took him aside and told him I wasn’t supposed to do this but I told him he had already made the team. He got tears in his eyes and told me his mother had just died and that he really appreciated the way I had handled this.”

“His Coach took him under his wing,” said George, “and we appreciated that. It gave him that male presence that was so important for him at that time.”

“That first year he was very unrefined,” said Roy. “He hadn’t had high level coaching coming from a rural community. One of the things I told him was that if he wanted to play College soccer he would have to work on his weaknesses, and that is what he did.”

Ellis’ academics suffered during that time because he was so low.

“That is something we told College coaches later,” said his Grandfather. “They needed to know why his grades went down. Families have to communicate those kinds of things during recruiting. During this whole time his life didn’t settle down until his senior year.”

“His grandfather,” said Becky, “had been a Middle School Principal in Culver, Indiana. He went in to talk to his teachers, especially in Pre Calc. Sometimes people look at an athlete like Ellis, who is muscular and works out, and think he isn’t motivated as much academically, but George taught him that you have to talk with your teachers and not just assume they will come to you. That will serve him well in College because you have to have relationships with Professors.”

Deep into his junior season, Ellis was not being recruited much. He had played in Club Tournaments (TFA Cup in Cincinnati and the Scott Gallagher Tournament near St Louis) and his team won both, but nothing was coming from the College coaches.

“We were a good Club team,” said his coach, Roy, “but not a national caliber team and unless you play on the national scale you won’t be in front of a lot of College coaches.”

Although Club sports are very important, you cannot assume they lead to scholarships. College coaches go to showcase events and tournaments primarily to evaluate players they already have a relationship with, and not always to discover kids.

Then two things happened that are important in recruiting. Ellis and his grandfather came to hear NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified in May of his junior year. Junior Irish makes the presentation possible each year at their huge Junior Irish Memorial Day Tournament that draws teams from all over the Midwest. I delivered the Talk in their big white tent. We had a bunch of chairs set up and I poured out the education and the inspiration! I felt like a Tent Revival preacher. Parents walking by the Tent to games came into the tent to listen to the powerful content of the 5 Things You Need to Know and the 5 Things you MUST Do in recruiting. Ellis and his grandfather listened intently. They later talked with NCSA Senior Recruiting Coordinator Doug Vose. Here are the observations Doug made during that talk with his grandmother:

“When I first spoke with Becky Irvin in regard to her grandson Ellis back in June, it was apparent fromthe beginning that Ellis was the sort of athlete that coaches dream of – he eats, sleeps and breathes soccer. Although Ellis is a talented athlete, it was clear that Becky was new to the concept of helping to navigate a student-athlete through the recruiting process. In June, Ellis was receiving mail from some schools due to his solid grade point average, but the family had only seen athletic related contact from one or two schools. The notion that many of Ellis’ peers of similar ability were already being recruiting was a foreign one for Becky.” Doug Vose, Senior Recruiting Coordinator, NCSA

Doug set up an Evaluation Call with NCSA Senior Scout Jenny Goodpaster.

I remember clearly the day I did Ellis’s evaluation after my colleague, Doug Vose, had set up the meeting.  In talking with Ellis’s Grandparents, George and Becky, I could tell they really cared about finding the “Right FIt” for Ellis.  Becky mentioned, when I asked, ‘what are you looking for in a college for Ellis?, she answered, ‘Jenny, we want the professors to know Ellis and have it be personal.’  I knew right then that it was about him being happy and getting a great education.  That is what is important to me as a scout in helping families and changing kids lives.  While soccer
is an added bonus, him searching and discovering a perfect environment to be for the next four year whiles he gets his degree is a true blessing.  Albion College snagged a good one” Jenny Goodpaster, Senior Scout, NCSA

After that thorough Evaluation they then joined the NCSA family.

Wham! This unknown talent from tiny Bremen, IN was now in the data base of College soccer coaches.

“I hadn’t even started recruiting,” said Ellis. “I didn’t know where to start. As soon as I heard your message I got going. Being with NCSA made it so much easier. You don’t have to present yourself everywhere. The College coaches come to you. I had a lot of really good schools come after me because I was in the NCSA data base.”

The other thing that was pivotal was the involvement by his Club Coach. As I always say, it is not ‘the job’ of your High School or Club Coach to get you a scholarship, but there are many that do everything they can, like his Coach. Roy did have connections and one of them was Jerry Block, the Head Coach at Albion College in south-central Michigan. Jerry and Roy both had played for DePauw University (at different times) and knew each other from working camps. Roy let Coach Block know about Ellis. In this case it was the NCSA Profile and the Club coach working together that led to the right fit for Ellis.

“Coach Block loved my NCSA profile,” said Ellis. “The video really made a big difference and he liked that he could see exactly what my grades were.”

The video showed the amazing speed Ellis possessed as a Right Midfielder, Left Midfielder or Forward. NCSA’s Video team put an arrow on Ellis at the start of every play on his tape, making it easy for the College coaches to identify him. You can’t make College coaches play Detective trying to find you on a tape. Their time is too valuable.

“He is brutally fast,” said his Club Coach. Ellis was the Most Valuable Freshman Sprinter for Bremen.

“He has got some wheels,” said Jeff Schlicht, NCSA’s Soccer Recruiting Coach and former College Soccer player at Western Michigan University. Schlicht evaluated Ellis and got his information sent out to Colleges that were the right academic and athletic fit.

Ellis Whitt loves soccer and wants to play it at the next level

Ellis and his grandparents took three visits to Albion. “I liked that it was smaller and I felt very comfortable there,” said Ellis. “The guys on the team were all very nice. They’d let me know about the program and other things than soccer. Albion is 2 ½ hours from home so my family can come see me play. At first, I kind of wanted to go far off to College, but now I like the idea of being 2 ½ hours away.”

“I told him to invite us up,” said Becky. “They have really good food in that cafeteria at Albion! I really liked the Coach. He is a nice young man and I could tell he is a man of character. It is a beautiful campus.”

Becoming comfortable at D3 was a process.

“It took him a while to get there,” said his grandfather. “He had some contact with some D 1’s but didn’t get much interest from them. After talking with lots of people he came to realize he probably could land at a D1 or D2 but sit awhile. If he really wanted to play, he needed to look at D3. He really grew up through this process and came to draw his own conclusions.”

“People don’t understand how competitive D3 soccer can be,” said Roy, his Club Coach. “There are loaded teams with all kinds of kids that were All Conference in High School, Player of the Year in their Conference and State. People should go see Ohio Wesleyan play DePauw sometime.”

“I was surprised at how much talent they have at Albion,” Ellis, who was Offensive Player of the Year twice for his Bremen High School team, said. “I thought I would be one of the better players.”

Ellis went to two games and one practice during his three visits to Albion. It is so important that families take those unofficial or official visits. When you hone in on one school, visit again. Make sure it is the right fit.

Ellis is a young man that loves his sport, and couldn’t imagine being in College without being able to play it. Because of his speed, and how his skills have grown from his excellent coaching in Club, his dream is to play professional soccer after College.

“With all that happened to him,” said Roy, his Club Coach, “it would have
been easy for him to turn into a punk or throw in the towel, but he didn’t. He has faced a ton of adversity with the death of his Mom. I think his story should be shared in the newspapers and on the local TV News.”

His grandfather, George, is grateful they went into the big White Tent that day during the Junior Irish Tournament and heard “College Recruiting Simplified.”

“Without the information from that Talk,” said George, “we wouldn’t have known where to go. I had no clue. We are thankful his information was sent out through NCSA and his Club coach was involved. It really helped to have his video sent out. A lot of coaches called. The thing I noticed was since his information was verified it gave coaches something to look at that was concrete. They knew exactly where Ellis stood academically and with soccer skills. He had several options, but Albion College was the one that really, really cared.

Go where they REALLY want you, where there is funding, and where if you blow out your knee you will still love the College. That’s what I always tell audiences at College Recruiting Simplified.

Ellis says he wants to continue to get better to honor the memory of his mother. “I want to be successful so I can give back to my community in Bremen,” he said. “Maybe I can inspire players to go on and do more than I ever do.”

Ellis Whitt, honoring the memory of his Mother

The College Athletics Recruiting process is not just about trying to connect with a scholarship. It is about growing up and maturing. That’s what Ellis has done.

“At the funeral,” said Becky, “his maturity started to show. He and his twin brother had not had the best relationship up to that point. It was adversarial. He was the older brother who was the soccer star. They were in the background. But at the funeral the two younger brothers were crying so much, and Ellis went over to them and put his arms around them and held them. I saw that and I cried and cried. And ever since then he has helped them. He became that big brother.”

“He is respectful to us always around the house. If the driveway needs the snow shoveled, he just goes and does it. He listens to us. He may not agree with everything his grandparents say, but he is respectful when he disagrees. He knows what he wants. He knows it won’t be easy but he is going after it.”

Ellis has completed his freshman season at Albion, playing in nine games.  Only 7 percent of High School athletes have what it takes to be a College student-athlete. Ellis is one of them…

To Talk with a College Scout about the Recruiting Process, click here

Charlie Adams, Speaker

NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network

cadams@ncsasports.org

Bobby Mouat is playing football at LaGrange College. How he got there is quite the story…..

“All we care about is to get our son and daughter something we never had,” said Bruce Mouat, the father. “That is an education in College.”

Flash back to Labor Day weekend of 1984. Bruce and Lisa were 18 and 19 years old, in love and destined to get married. They were going to enroll in College the Tuesday after the Labor Day weekend. Everything was perfect. Then, over that weekend, they pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store in Baltimore. Nearby they noticed a group that had obviously been partying pretty hard. A troublemaker in the group came over and was determined to start something. He claimed their car almost hit him, which was ridiculous. The hoodlum was dead set on creating a bad scene. Words were exchanged and in the blink of an eye the bad guy pulled out a gun and started firing into the car.

“To hear yourself scream at that level is something you never forget,” said Bruce. Glass shattered everywhere. People ran. Within seconds it was over. Lisa slumped over and said she had been hit. Blood was everywhere.”

“Thank God that Baltimore County Hospital was across the street,” said Bruce. “The guy had used hollow point bullets. A fragment of one hit her aorta. I got her in just in time to save her life. I don’t know if you remember the ‘Members Only’ jackets from that time, but I took mine off to wrap her. When I ran into the ER with her, the Police and other medics made me go into another room after I had given the staff my wife, and immediately strip down. They had to know that I was not hurt.”

“It was a nightmare. Needless to say, we did not enroll in College that Tuesday.”

Bruce says it took six months for Lisa to physically recover and over a year to overcome the hardest mental part of the recovery. Within that year her mother died of a massive stroke while playing cards and his Dad died in his arms from mesothelioma.

“It was a terrible time in our life,” said Bruce, “but it galvanized what has been a strong marriage ever since. To think that we were days away from enrolling in College, and then for all that to happen. We never did go to College, but it made us more determined that our kids would one day.”

Bruce and Lisa left Baltimore and settled in southern Georgia. They have two children. Their daughter is, true to their promise, attending a small College now. Their son Bobby was a hard working football player for Tiftarea Academy.

As a 12th grader, he was a 5’10” 205 pound inside linebacker who was constantly trying to improve any way he could. His dream was to be a college football player. He did not have the God given size or abilities to play on scholarship Between the Hedges in Athens for the Georgia Bulldogs or feel Nick Saban’s glare during practice at Alabama. He was a D3, NAIA and possibly D2 prospect, which was fine with him.

“He will be the first college athlete in our family,” said Bruce, at the time.

Recruiting was going nowhere for the Mouat family. “We live in rural Georgia,” said Bruce.” There are more dirt roads in our county than paved ones, no kidding. Our son plays for a school in Chula, Georgia. Not many College coaches have heard of Chula.”

They heard how NCSA helps families manage the recruiting process and matches College coaches with qualified student-athletes. They did an evaluation call.

“That Matt Roe of NCSA was tremendous,” said Bruce.

They came on board in April of his junior year and life has not been the same since.

“We could not duplicate the experience NCSA has given us,” said Bruce. We would have no idea how to get his name out to even a portion of what happened after his first distribution through NCSA. When we look at the viewership log so far, my wife and I feel it is the best investment we have made in our lives. I mean this could be a life changing event for our son and our family. The affect will be on generations to come, from where he goes to College.”

“He had over 200 College football programs look at his Player Profile. Some just look. Others have actively recruited him. The staff at the NCSA office in Chicago is always accommodating and things get done in a timely manner with a genuine care. That’s the way it comes across to me. We own a small Snap On Tools franchise. They have a great brand with name recognition which, to me, is a lot like NCSA”

“I love working with the people at NCSA. The program works.”

Bobby has had multiple scholarship offers. One school called six times. Projected to be a small college player, he ended up signing with LaGrange College in Georgia, a NCAA Division 3 member and a part of the Great South Atlantic  Conference.

“What I have learned about recruiting,” said Bruce, “is you have to do the work as well. You can’t just get into NCSA and sit back.”

While he was going through recruiting, Bobby wrote the following account of some of the things they have been doing that have resulted in scholarship offers:

1 -“We targeted schools provided it had a major I was interested in. We contacted head coaches, recruiting coaches and position coaches and pasted our ncsa link to our email introductions. We followed up any contact with a thank you email.

2 – Took a trip to New England and visited 3 colleges in 4 days. Vermont, Mass, and Pennsylvania. My father and I took thank you letters to give to coaches as we left. We met with coaching staff, took copies of ncsa highlight video and one full game video. We met with Admissions and followed up visit with thank you emails when we got home.

3 – I actively tried to improve my SAT and ACT test scores as I was diagnosed with ADHD last year and have struggled slightly to have the grades I want. I have made great improvements in school and have impressed my teachers. Although I never had terrible grades I am doing much better and have a lot more confidence. I have qualified on SAT for a lot of schools but feel I can do better on SAT and ACT to increase my chances.

4 – I am committed to the process and I am a first generation college bound student. My parents have committed all their time to helping and these three are by far not the only things we are doing.

– Bobby Mouat, 12^th grade Linebacker, Tiftarea Academy Football (now a College Football player)

During his senior year, I talked with Bobby about his perspective of being a High School athlete in NCSA. This is what he said at the time:

“It’s made a huge difference,” said Bobby. I have gone from pretty much not being recruited at all to a lot of schools. Every day I log on and look at the different schools and look at the Coach requests. I have found that they are looking for good athletes who are good students. We worked hard to make sure my video was up. I think it has had a great effect. In my video I played 3 or 4 positions and a lot of the College coaches tell me they find that very attractive. I have always loved playing football and I want to keep playing. I love the competition and always trying to get better.”

“What I like about being in NCSA is there is so much information at your fingertips,” said Bruce. “It is a blessing. You have to do the program for it to work. You can’t have an incomplete Profile. It would be like having a restaurant without a menu.”

“The resources offered were life changing.”

Charlie Adams

NCSA Recruiting Expert

cadams@ncsasports.org

NCSA's Charlie Adams helps families to understand the recruiting process

If you would like to do an Analysis of your potential to be recruited by College Coaches: Your Recruiting Evaluation

To bring a NCSA Educational speaker to your community

Charlie Adams brings 23 years of experience covering the recruiting of high school athletes who reached their dream of playing college sports. Adams was an award winning sportscaster at television stations and is one of NCSA’s Recruiting Experts.

I had a long conversation with a mother and father whose daughter, a soccer player, had just found the right fit for college.

She was found by the college coach when he was looking at another recruit’s video. The other recruit was not clearly identified on the video, and the college coach noticed their daughter making plays on it. This is why you cannot make college coaches play detective in trying to figure out where you are on video, or some other kid will get a scholarship off your tape. I have found the NCSA guidance in this area critical. An arrow pointing at the recruit at the start of a play is very important. One of the points of College Recruiting Simplified is to make a “winning Highlight/Skills video.” The key word there is ‘winning.’ Families often have no idea how much more successful they will be in recruiting if they had a better understanding of how to work the video process. I continue to be amazed at how many families don’t even have a plan for it, and don’t have video of their kid – even as 12th graders sometimes!

The mother, father and daughter made several unofficial visits during her High School days. The young lady evaluated out to be a NAIA or D3 player, so they met with several coaches. One young head coach got all wound up during their meeting and talked about how they would have a “D1 mentality” at the D3 school. He was a little too gung-ho. They appreciated his fever and enthusiasm, but wanted to find someone a little calmer. They continued the process, made more visits, and found a school with a veteran coach who still had the fire for coaching. It wasn’t the reason they picked the school. Their major reason was the school would allow her to grown in her faith, athletics and academics, but they felt this particular coach had the calm, steady approach and decades of experience to better fit her. Now, the next kid might eat up that other coach’s wound-up approach. It’s all part of getting out there and finding the right fit. I spoke at the Mizuno Mid East Regional Volleyball Qualifiers in Indianapolis earlier this year. I talked with one mother whose daughter had already been on three unofficial visits in the Fall of her junior year, and was close to firming up the right fit. It was because she was “out there.”

For an Evaluation of your College Recruiting potential

Charlie Adams

NCSA Senior Speaker

cadams@ncsasports.org

In this article by Curtis Eichelberger found on Bloomberg News today, you can read about the advantage students who play sports in college receive in employment after college.  You should read the entire article, but here’s the money quote:

“Athletes can bring something extra that’s necessary for success in finance, Werner said.

“In a business where it tends to knock you down a lot, they tend to get back up,” he said. “That drive, that level of discipline, the rigor they have in their own personal lives and their willingness to take on hard challenges; a lot of that gets taught to you on an athletic field.”

NCSA is THE Athletic Recruiting Network.  We empower our student-athletes in their chosen careers through our network of employers who hire student athletes.  You can find out more about that here.