November 2012
10 posts
7 tags
The Power of Response
Once a student receives a questionnaire, the ball is in their court. If they do not respond, their name might be removed from that coach’s mailing list. Bigger name programs might get an 80% response to questionnaires while lesser-known programs may get as little as 10% return. Coaches assume that a student-athlete who ignores a request for information is not interested
in the program. Because...
6 tags
Do You Qualify for an Athletic Scholarship?
Scholarships are available only for student-athletes who meet the NCAA or NAIA’s minimum standards for academic achievement and, in many cases, more rigid standards established by individual schools. Scholarships are awarded one year at a time, for a maximum of 5 years (though the NCAA can grant a 6th year if injury or they have extenuating circumstances), and are renewed each year. Subscribe to...
10 tags
Using Verified Video Will Get You Noticed
College coaches do a majority of their initial evaluations by looking at videos requested or received from reliable sources and delivered online or digitally. After watching a video, a coach may decide to make an in-person evaluation. Do you have a verified highlight tape that you’re distributing to college coaches? Video is king. If you want to get noticed make sure you have film that...
6 tags
Shake the Senioritis
Happy Early Signing Day, Seniors! If you aren’t signing an NLI this week it’s not too late to be recruited. In some cases, the big name schools will have their roster spots filled. However, a large majority of the recruiting process still takes place during your senior year and well into the summer. Roughly 8% of college programs make their final recruiting decisions aft
er January 1...
8 tags
Maintain an Academic Standard
To compete successfully in sports, a student must maintain an academic standard. Parents should insist on it now, and their child will be better prepared for the demands of college. If parents overlook it now, their student-athlete might not make it past freshman year in college. Subscribe to the daily tip - click here Call to talk to a Scout: 1.800.977.9149 Commit. Succeed. Athlead
7 tags
Are You a Preferred Walk-on?
If an athlete has evaluated all other options and is looking to walk-on to a team they should know where they stand. Be sure you are a preferred walk-on and not just another random freshman trying out for a team. Preferred walk-ons have been in communication with the coaching staff and generally have been promised a roster spot. Subscribe to the daily tip and get ahead in your recruiting game -...
7 tags
Negotiate for the Best
During the admissions process, athletes should be negotiating the best packages available by leveraging other offers. In exchange for their talent, the school will educate student-athletes. This mean that the student should put it all on the table, especially if the athlete is an average student. The athlete should highlight not his athletic abilities, but also his commu
nity service and...
7 tags
Real Life Recruiting
With the exception of the high-profile DI revenue sports, you must recognize that the average recruiting budget for the most colleges and universities individual sports teams is less than $2,000 to find and recruit student athletes! This is exactly why most college rosters have athletes that are geographically based. Too many people believe in the fictional portrayals of college recruiting they...
6 tags
Get to Know Your Coaching Staff
A student-athlete will be under the supervision of a college coaching staff for 4 or 5 years. Since the coaches can have a huge influence on an athlete’s college experience, parents should get to know them from afar. Parents and athletes should work together to find a coach whose values they share, whose personality will benefit the athlete, and who is someone that child respects. Ideally, parents...
8 tags
Make a Plan Before Your Visit
If an athlete takes the initiative to schedule an unofficial visit and arrives with some knowledge about the university, as well as questions to ask the coach, the athlete is more likely to move up the coach’s list. Before an unofficial visit, an athlete should or email the coach to set up a meeting. DI and DII coaches are restricted from returning phone calls during a student’s freshman and...
October 2012
18 posts
6 tags
2013 Seniors Can Still Get Recruited
Seniors it is not too late to be recruited. The big name schools in some cases will have their rosters filled but a large majority of the recruiting process takes place during the senior year. Roughly 8% of college programs make their final recruiting decisions after January 1 of the student-athlete’s senior year and well into the summer. Subscribe to the daily tip and get ahead in your...
7 tags
Creating Positive Growth
If a college coach receives phone call after phone call from a parent, the coach might start to think that the parent is a nuisance, which could cost the child athletic scholarships. Does this mean the best approach is to send their child into an unfamiliar, sometimes scary world alone? Of course not.The most important role for parents is to create an environment of positive growth. The biggest...
7 tags
Competing Outside of High School
College coaches will look for students who love to compete, so student-athletes need to pursue organized competition outside of of high school. Look for a club that provides the best opportunity to play against strong competitors, improve skill level, and receive coaching. Athletes should be developing positive relationships with high school and club coaches, who will be asked to serve as...
6 tags
Admissions Checklist
Student-athletes need to make sure to work with the college coach during the admissions process, submit college applications early,and pay attention to deadlines. Ask the coach for an athletic application and fee waiver of the $50-$250 application fee. Many of the top academic colleges have deadlines between November and January. Others have a rolling deadline where applications are accepted until...
6 tags
Early Decision Enrollment
Some coaches might pressure an athlete to apply early, a process called “ Early Decision Enrollment.” Student-athletes should avoid Early Decision to a college unless they are 100% sure they want to attend the college. Athletes accepted as Early Decision students sign binding contracts that close doors for other opportunities. At a minimum, students who accept an Early Decision lower their...
7 tags
Being an Active Player in Your Recruiting Game
The best offers do not necessarily go to the best all-around candidates. Sometimes, the best offers go to the student who knows how to best play the game of recruiting. Just being a good student-athlete does not mean that a student will receive a scholarships offer.
Subscribe to the daily tip and kick start your recruiting game today - click here
Commit. Succeed. Athlead
7 tags
Keep the Doors Open
Keep the doors open. A student-athlete should have plenty of backups in case their first choices do not come through. By keeping in touch with every coach on their list, they will have an opportunity to secure a scholarship with a second or third choice college if the first choice college spots do not work out. Subscribe to the daily tip and get ahead in your recruiting game - click here Call to...
9 tags
The Continued Road to Success
A student-athlete will not be guaranteed a spot on a college roster simply by showing interest in a program. The process continues throughout a student’s high school years, and based on how recruited an athlete is and what school they are attending , the process might be frantic, slow, hard, or easy. The key is to keep it going and always be proactive.
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8 tags
Gain a Competitive Advantage Early
To gain the competitive advantage, a student-athlete should call college coaches early as their freshman year. Before calling the coach, you should visit the college’s website to learn some facts about the college and the program. Does the college offer your major? What are the graduation rates? What was the team’s record last year? How many senior players are graduating? You should know all this...
10 tags
Who's Sending Me Brochures?
High school student athletes receive general admissions information and brochures from colleges. Students have a hard time determining what is generated by a college coach and what is generated by an admissions college simply because he is a good student. Admissions material is one of the few things Division I and II college coaches can send to freshmen or sophomores. College coaches often give...
9 tags
Dear Coach ?
Student-athletes need to be sure they are correctly identifying this year’s coaches. Coaching staffs have high turnover rates, so athletes should make sure that they are looking at a current roster of coaches. Student-athletes should send personalized letters and be selective about who they are targeting. Nothing should be addressed, “To Whom It May Concern.” College coaches receive hundreds of...
8 tags
Making Contact
When an athlete is initiating a first contact with a coach through a letter or email, the initial letter should include an introduction, expression of interest in the university, questions, and a copy of the student’s resume or enhanced video, as well as a link to a highlight video or skills video. Subscribe to the daily tip - click here Commit. Succeed. Athlead.
7 tags
How Would You Teach Your Child to Swim?
When communicating with coaches, a parent should not be a “helicopter mom” or a “we dad”. Parents should loosen the reins and let the child take the lead. College coaches are not interested in dealing with their p
layer’s parents, so an overly involved parent might hurt a child’s chance of being recruited. http://bit.ly/ParentsRole Subscribe to the daily tip - click here...
9 tags
Put Yourself on the Map with a Response
Once a student receives a questionnaire, the ball is in their court. If they do not respond, their name might be removed from that coach’s mailing list. Bigger name programs might get an 80% response to questionnaires while lesser-known programs may get as little as 10% return. Coaches assume that a student-athlete who ignores a request for information is not interested
in the program. The...
9 tags
Create Options
Every student-athlete must contact college coaches from at least 100-200 college programs. Receiving a few emails or letters from college coaches does not constitute serious recruitment. College coaches contact thousands of student-athletes so that they have enough options to fill their needs. Student-athletes should play the same game, contacting 100-200 college coaches. About 10% will show...
8 tags
Your Four Year Game
The key to a successful recruiting process is knowing what to do and understanding when and how to do it. When working toward an athletic scholarship, approach your four years of high school as you would the four quarters of a game. Although the pressure might seem greatest during the third and fourth quarters, the points scored during the first half can be the difference between winning and...
Playing Club Sports
Being able to participate in club sports as well as high school sports shows the dedication a student-athlete has to coaches. It also demonstrates their motivation to become a better over-all athlete. Club teams are offered for advanced players. They provide student-athletes with an opportunity to play at a more competitive level and to play year-round. There is also a certain amount of prestige...
8 tags
Which Questions to Ask and When
Parents need to counsel the athlete about which questions are appropriate to ask and which should be postponed until the relationship has been built. If this is the first time the college coach has spoken with the athlete, the student might not want to ask if a scholarship is waiting for him, especially if the coach has not seen his skills video. But if the athlete has spoken with the coach three...
September 2012
25 posts
10 tags
Do You Love to Compete?
College coaches will look for students who love to compete, so student-athletes need to pursue organized competition outside of high school. Look for a club that provides the best opportunity to where you can play against stronger competitors, improve your skill level, and receive coaching. Athletes should be developing positive relationships with high school and club coaches, who will be asked to...
8 tags
Spark the Conversation
A student-athlete has unlimited opportunity to visit college campuses and meet with coaches, so long as the student-athlete initiates the communication. A coach cannot place a phone call to a student-athlete or return a phone call, nor can a coach send personal letters or emails, or respond to incoming letters and emails from freshman and sophomores. But a coach can answer the phone, and if a...
8 tags
Finding the Right Fit
Committing to a school is probably the biggest decision a kid has to make, and it will not be a four- or five-year decision, but a decision that will have forty years of consequences. It should be made with the parent’s support and guidance. Parent should ask many questions to help their children find a right fit, and they should consider several criteria. Subscribe to the daily tip and get ahead...
9 tags
Which Coach Holds the Key?
Just a single program might require 25 individual letters, emails, or phone calls because a student-athlete might not know which coach or assistant holds the key to getting the athlete on the recruiting list. Before sending emails to 25 coaches and administrators, an athlete might want to call, make an introduction, and ask for the name of the person to whom the athlete should forward information...
10 tags
The Gray Middle
The trickiest place for a student-athlete to be is in the gray, middle area. They have enough talent to earn some interest from schools but not enough to be pursued heavily. Most of these athletes lose out on potential scholarship money because they are unrealistic about their place in the athletic world, and they believe they are being more heavily recruited than they
really are. Often, these...
10 tags
Get to Know Your Coaching Staff
A student-athlete will be under the supervision of a college coaching staff for four or five years. Those coaches, including the head coach, strength coaches, position coaches, training staff, and academic support coaches might have more impact on the athlete’s life than any professor. A coach can make an experience enjoyable, stimulating, rewarding, or miserable. Becaus
e the coaches can have a...
7 tags
Make a Lasting First Impression
A student-athlete only has one chance to make a first impression, so a parent’s role in building a child’s confidence in communicating with adults is critical. Parents should start this process early so that a coach does not later mistake an athlete’s shyness for lack of interest.
Subscribe to the daily tip and get ahead in your recruiting game - click here Commit. Succeed. Athlead.
5 tags
Before You Go A-Knocking
Most student-athletes who come knocking at college coaches’ doors, are simply unqualified to play that level. The same goes for parents. Part of a parent’s job is to be a child’s number one fan. Though this is the trademark of a good parent, it is not conducive to making an objective evaluation of a child’s potential. Especially when parents likely have little, if any, access to...
6 tags
Is Your Name on the List?
College coaches rarely discover talent at events such as camps, combines, and showcases. In fact, NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from attending combines. Coaches attend most events with a list of student-athletes who they are already recruiting. If a student-athlete is not on the list, chances are that the athlete will not be on the list after attending a camp, co
mbine, or showcase. The...
5 tags
Play the Field
Equate the recruitment process to a marriage— a person does not go on one or two dates and then decide to get hitched. This process is about building trust between the student-athlete and coach, so the relationship should extend beyond phone calls and emails. We suggest that student-athletes begin taking unofficial visits to colleges as freshman, continuing until they have signed on the...
8 tags
Which Scholarship Means What?
An athlete who receives a scholarship to play a “head count” sport is always given a full ride scholarship. An athlete who receives a scholarship to play an “equivalency sport” might receive only a partial scholarship.
Commit. Succeed. Athlead.
8 tags
First Come, First Served
ATTENTION SENIORS and parents of seniors! You need to create an account at www.fafsa.ed.gov and apply for a PIN so that on January 1st, or soon after, you will be able to fill out the FAFSA forms. Money is first come first serve! Subscribe to the daily tip and get ahead in your recruiting game - click here
Commit. Succeed. Athlead.
5 tags
One Chance
A student-athlete only has one chance to make a first impression, so a parent’s role in building a child’s confidence in communicating with adults is critical. Parents should start this process early so that a coach does not later mistake an athlete’s shyness for lack of interest. Subscribe to the daily tip and get ahead in your recruiting game - click here Commit. Succeed. Athlead.
8 tags
How Many Official Visits Can I Take?
If an institution pays for any part of a visit, the visit, is considered an official visit. The NCAA restricts officials visits: A student cannot take more than five official visits to Division I and II universities, and a student can only take one visit per university. With a few exceptions, official visits generally cannot begin until opening day of the athlete’s senior year in high...
7 tags
The Urgency
Urgency is the key to getting recruiting in your senior year. Be prepared. You cannot waste time getting your video and transcript out. Get it all online so college coaches can get that information immediately. Subscribe to the daily tip and get ahead in your recruiting game - click here Commit. Succeed. Athlead.
8 tags
Game Day Visits
Game day visits provide student-athletes with the opportunity to visit campus with three tickets to watch a game. Game day visits are most common in football recruiting, but they take place in other sports as well. Most football programs will offer game day visits to student-athletes on their recruiting list. Remember that the coaching staff will be busy preparing their team, so recruits usually...
Invitation to an Official Visit
A student-athlete should be aware that being offered an official visit, does not necessarily mean they will receive a scholarship or a spot on the team. The coaching staff has identified that athlete as a top prospect, but the official visit gives them the opportunity to judge personality, lifestyle, and character. They often will use “hosts” to help get a real flavor of the student’s personality...
7 tags
Don't Panic
If you are a junior or senior and have not been in touch with coaches, it is not the time to panic. Though Division I schools likely have their rosters filled by the time a child is a senior, 80% of college programs make their final recruiting decisions after January 1 of the student-athlete’s senior year. The student-athlete should follow the communication process the same way but the one...
8 tags
Take the Wheel to Recruiting
An athlete’s high school coach will do everything they can to help an athlete become recruited, but it will not be enough. The entire senior class hopes to be recruited, as do juniors, sophomores, and freshmen getting an early start. The coach has a job, a family, and countless other obligations. Coaches don’t get paid for helping an athlete win a scholarship or turn the head of a...
6 tags
The Recruiting Funnel
Recruiting Tip of the Day: The Recruiting Funnel A college football staff might send 10,000 to 15,000 letters and watch 1,000 to 2,000 videos —>Before making 500 phone calls to potential recruits —>Verbally offering between 65-200 scholarships —>Extending up to 85 offers for official visits —>Before signing a maximum of 25 players per year Subscribe to the...
9 tags
The Leadership Role
Throughout the course of their athletic careers, most young athletes will play many different roles. At some point, whether an athlete is team captain of the soccer team or section leader of the cheer squad, the team will rely on the athlete to take a leadership position. Being a leader provides an athlete with an opportunity to interact with a broad spectrum of person
ality types. Leadership...
8 tags
What to Wear on a Visit
When taking an official visit or unofficial visit to a college, the athlete should dress appropriately. You do not need to wear a suit or tie but you do not want to wear ripped or worn down clothes either. A collared shirt, sweatshirt, jeans, and khakis are all good. You will be visiting athletic facilities, not opera houses, but coaches appreciate you showing up looking decent. If you are...
