James Stockton, Recruiting Coach
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
(312) 610-6157
NCSA Recruiting
I am currently a Basketball Recruiting Coach for NCSA and began my career in April of 2019 as a Recruiting Coordinator. As for my own playing experience, in high school, I played soccer and basketball. During my senior year, I was named 1st Team All-County and 3rd Team All-Conference in basketball. After high school I was given the opportunity to redshirt at East Stroudsburg University, however, my coach had left the program and I had to return to my community college Ocean County College where I played for 2 years and was named 1st Team All-Conference, 2nd Team All-Region, and 1st Team Academic All American. After Ocean County College I transferred to The College of New Jersey where I played my last two years of college. At TCNJ I receive a Bachelor’s of Science in the concentration of Health & Exercise Science in May of 2012. During this time I also received certifications in Personal Training, Sports Nutritionist, Strength & Conditioning Coach, and a teaching certification in Health & Physical Education in the state of New Jersey.
At the age of 18 while still playing in college I began coaching an AAU team of 8th graders and continued to coach them until they were out of high school. At this point, I made the choice that I wanted to continue coaching but at a higher level so I became a volunteer coach at a local high school. I coached at Toms River High School North for one season upon completion of that season Ocean County College had an opening for the Assistant Men’s basketball Coach I applied and was hired at my Alma mater. I continued to coach at Ocean County College for the next 5 years and in that time I have had the great pleasure of helping players achieve their goals and dreams both on and off the court.
During my last year of coaching at Ocean County College, I decided to further my education in athletics and attended Concordia University Irvine and began my master’s program in Coaching & Athletic Administration. I have since graduated from Concordia University Irvine with a Master’s Degree in Coaching & Athletic Administration in November of 2018.
I then left coaching at Ocean County College and accepted the Head Men’s Basketball coach at Sussex County College a Division III junior college in Newton, New Jersey where I coached for 3 years( one being the covid year). In my time at Sussex I have help numerous players achieve their dream of playing in college and continuing to play after completing their degree at Sussex. I am currently an Assistant Coach at Penn State York College in York PA.
In my time as both a player and a coach, I have met some of the most amazing people, friends, colleagues, teammates, and players. I have been a first-hand witness to young athletes achieve their dreams of playing at the next level and beyond. In my experience, there is a place for every athlete who is determined and dedicated to becoming a collegiate athlete as long as they are willing to put in the work both on the field or court and in the classroom.
As a junior college player and coach I have lived, seen, and sadly, continue to see what happens when players and their families are not fully aware of how the recruiting process works and how to create a plan to meet all of the goals, wants, and needs of the family. In many cases, it is the young athlete who may miss out on a great opportunity. This is why I love what I do, being able to educate families about the recruiting process, help create criteria and list of potential colleges, connect those families with the colleges and coaches that fit academically and athletically, and essentially help young athletes dreams come true.
