NCSA Blog

When a student-athlete tells me that their sport is their “life,” I usually take it with a grain of salt. But sometimes, kids do get so worked up with their sport that schooling kind of takes a back seat. To counteract this mania, Northshore High School in Louisiana is requiring all football players to take mandatory tutoring. From the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

This year, Northshore High is truly embracing the term “student athlete,” and putting the student’s academic responsibilities first. Coach Mike Bourg, varsity football coach, and Mary Wahden have decided to initiate an athlete tutoring program. The program is a mandatory weekly tutoring session for all football players, freshman and varsity alike.

Hats off to Northshore High. Football can be your “life” now, but if you don’t look at how important those grades and how much colleges look at your academics, football won’t be your “life” in the future.

Another good thing about this mandatory tutoring — most colleges require a certain amount of study hours for their freshman athletes. So come time for college, going to the mandated tutoring isn’t going to seem like that big of a deal because you’ve already been doing it for a few years.

The end of goal of college is getting a degree and forming a career. Northshore is taking steps to make sure that happens for its students.

This post will be the most incredible thing you’ve ever read.

It will open up the heavens, align the planets, clear your pores and allow your pets to communicate with you.

After reading that introduction, you’ll more than likely fall into two groups. The majority of the people are going call my bluff.The others will be really excited to read this post – so in advance, I apologize for the let down you would receive.

Let’s try this again.

This post will probably be beneficial to you. It will educate you, guide you and potentially open your eyes to ideas you might not have previously been aware of.

What’s the biggest difference between the two introductions? In the first, I’m cocky. In the second, I’m confident.

During my evaluations, I tell the student-athletes that I want to know every thing about them as a student-athlete – any accolades, any awards, any reason why if I were a coach, I’d want to recruit them.

Occasionally, I’ll get someone who falls under the first introduction. He’ll try to make me believe that he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

What I get more commonly is a student-athlete that I can obviously tell is uncomfortable talking about his or her achievements because he or she doesn’t want to come across as cocky.

So he or she will leave information out, which luckily for them in this case, usually is added by the parents.

That – omitting vital information – also leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It’s like I said a couple paragraphs above – If I’m a coach, I need to know why I should want to recruit you! Don’t oversell me because I either won’t believe you or I’ll more than likely be in for a letdown. But don’t undersell me either because then you might not have the qualifications I’m looking for!

Both instances ultimately would lead to me not recruiting you. Instead, go through year-by-year, being honest about your statistics and the awards that you’ve received in a confident tone. Coaches will appreciate it, and after you’ve received a scholarship or an opportunity to play, you’ll appreciate it as well.

Yesterday’s New York Times has a must read from Andy Staples contemplating how Buzz Bissinger’s classic book Friday Night Lights may have played out today.  He focused on the tragic story of Boobie Miles.  For those who haven’t read the book he was a one of the highest profile recruits in the country who hurt his knee and ended up not attending college.  Its another reminder of why athletes today need to put academics first to ensure that they have options no matter what happens on the field.

The article also highlights the importance of visits and early commitments in today recruiting.  I encourage everyone to read the article and the book.

 With Football season kicking off recruits are starting to send tapes to colleges all over the country knowing that decisions on scholarships are offered at a sometimes blinding pace.  Many athletes are depending on their high school coach to assist with the process.  At Fleming Island, one of the top athletic high schools in Florida, Coach Neal Chipoletti is working overtime to make sure his players get the recognition they deserve.  Gatorcountry.com details Coach Chipoletti’s efforts in assisting 2010 Florida commit Ian Silberbman:

“We sent out Ian’s highlight tape to over 100 schools across the country,” Fleming Island coach Neal Chipoletti said. “If a kid demonstrates the interest in playing college football, we will do everything we can to help them out.”

Fleming Island offensive line coach Damenyum Springs has known all along that he has a big time player on his hands. He knew it wouldn’t be long until the rest of the country discovered what he already knew.

“A lot of people didn’t know or hadn’t seen him,” Springs said of Silberman, whose first season as a starter was last season as a sophomore. “His highlight film was nice and people said ‘wow, how did we miss this kid?’ Then everyone jumped [to try and recruit him].”

Chipoletti said he bought $1,500 worth of DVDs, in order to make highlight tapes for his players and also has invested heavily into audio-visual equipment to help make the process go smooth.

Things have paid off quickly for Fleming Island, which has sent 30 players to college in only five seasons of fielding a varsity football team.

Overall, it takes a total commitment from everyone involved at the program to help kids make it to the next level.

“My principal and athletic director have been very supportive of everything we’ve done,” Chipoletti said. “They’ve allowed me to bring in talented coaches … the coaches who coach for me are professionals and do a great job with the kids.”

What parent and recruits all over the country need to realize is that the effort by Coach Chipoletti is far from the norm.  Even with all of his extra work several issues need to be considered.  There is a tremendous cost involved with sending so many DVD’s around the country.  For athletes that aren’t targeting D1 schools, 100 schools may not be enough.  Also, many athletes are asked by coaches to send in updates as the season progresses or early next season.  If this is the case the tremendous cost and effort in sending out so many DVD’s will have to be repeated.  Can you count on your high school coach for that much help?

The reality is that you can’t.  Coaches are paid to coach, not to find athletes a place to play in college.  That is why thousands of athletes are turning to NCSA’s verified scouting reports.  They allow athletes to quickly send updated information and video to coaches around the country efficiently.  Too many athletes wait too long waiting for help that never arrives.  I suggest that you get moving today.

Over the last three years, I would estimate that I have spoken with over 5,000 student athletes and their families.  One of the first questions that I tend to ask since it seems to predicate the rest of my conversation is, “How serious is your son or daughter about playing college sports?”  The answer is almost always “100% serious.”  I suppose this should not surprise me, but I have come to realize that a lot of these student athletes really are nowhere near “100% serious.”

I often feel as though if a student athlete has played a specific sport for a number of years, and played at a relatively high level, they almost feel obligated to want to play at the collegiate level.  Note to high school student athletes:  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WANT TO PLAY COLLEGE SPORTS.

The reason that I am passionate about working at NCSA with student athletes is because I know how many advantages student athletes will receive from playing collegiate athletics.  From preferred scheduling, to an immediate group of friends on campus, to networking opportunities after college, the list of benefits is extremely long.  For those who truly want to play at the next level, that experience will prove to change their life in many ways and most of them overwhelmingly positive. 

However, if you have competed in high school or club athletics, please understand that you are not required to continue playing in college.  The most important goal should be earning a college education whether or not athletics is a part of that.  That being said, if you are passionate about playing at the next level then I strongly suggest you begin taking a proactive approach in your recruiting process because it will change your life in many great ways. 

by Chris Krause, NCSA Founder and President

There is something that sets a few select athletes apart from their competition in the eyes of college coaches.

What that “something” is might surprise you.

It isn’t anything that happens during competition.  It’s not something that happens during practice, or even in the classroom.

It’s what happens during a crucial part of the recruiting process, when a coach can finally get the chance to talk one-on-one with the prospect they are interested in after reviewing their academic and athletic credentials.  It’s what happens during a phone call from a college coach to a high school student-athlete.

What happens, most of the time, is a lack of good communication on the part of the student-athlete prospect that is getting a call from the college coach.  Most athletes give simple “yes” and “no” answers.  They mumble.  They don’t give coaches the information they are searching for in the phone call, and it frustrates those college recruiters.

You see, when a college coach gets to the point of calling a high school prospect, something pretty significant has just happened: That athlete has jumped ahead of the pack of other prospects on a coach’s list, and are now being called to see if they would be a good fit for that coach and his or her program.

Most prospects on a coach’s recruiting list do not get called.  Those that do hear from a coach have a unique opportunity to really stand out from the crowd, and accelerate their chances of getting an offer from a coach.

However, when that prospect doesn’t communicate effectively with a college coach that is calling them, it may cause the coach to reconsider whether or not that prospect would be a good fit for their program.  It’s one of the most frustrating aspects of recruiting, and it seems to be getting worse.  In the age of e-mail and text messaging, and the general use of computers by teens to communicate with other teens, coaches are noticing that it’s getting harder and harder to have really good, really in-depth conversations with their prospects.

That’s where the opportunity exists for prospects who want to get an edge over their competition for athletic scholarships.  If you can talk to a coach, carry on a conversation, and communicate effectively, you will stand-out from your competition in the mind of that coach.

If you are the prospect who gives them the information that they’re looking for, you will be the prospect that they are more likely to pursue because they are able to learn about you as a person, and not just as an athlete.

Do you want to be one of those prospects who knows how to talk effectively with a college coach?  Here are my tips for communicating with college coaches:

Return their messages.  If they leave a message on your voicemail or message machine, it’s vital that you call them back immediately.  Even if it’s late at night, call back and leave a message.  Let them know that you received their message, and that you are interested in talking to them.

Be persistent.  You will see that many coaches are pretty persistent when it comes to getting your attention and trying to convince you to come play for their program.  Take a page from their playbook, and make sure you are persistent in getting back in touch with a coach who has tried to call you.  Don’t give up after just one return call.  Call again, follow-up with an e-mail, and then do all over again in a day or two if you haven’t heard back from them yet.

Tell them when you can spend time talking.  Let them know when the best time to talk is, and what your daily schedule looks like.  Most prospects don’t do that, and it frustrates coaches. 

Speak clearly, and use your best grammar.  Don’t mumble or slur your words.  How you talk to your friends at school might not be the best way to talk to a college coach who is thinking about paying for your college education.  Try to impress a coach with how you speak.

Show respect.  Address them as “Coach Smith”, or “sir”, or “Ms. Jones”.  Until you have an established relationship with that coach, show him or her respect in how you address them.  It sounds like a small detail, but it can make a really positive impression in a coach’s mind.

Ask questions.  You should have a list of “ready to ask” questions that you would want to discuss with a coach.  They might be questions about playing time, the majors their school offers, or dormitory options on campus.  I recommend that you write down a few good questions and refer to that list when you hear from a college coach.

Answer questions with a lot of details and information.  Remember, do not give them short “yes” or “no” answers.  Go into a lot of detail.  Give them more than they are looking for in terms of information on a particular topic.  The more you talk to them, the more excited they’ll be about the idea of you coming to play for them.

Write them a thank you note right away.  Send a quick e-mail and let them know that you really enjoyed the conversation.  Then, do this:  Ask the coach what the next step in the process is.  If you do that, they will tell you.  And, you won’t be left wondering if you’re going to get recruited by that coach or not.

Do you see how important good communication on your part is?  Do you understand how rare it is these days that a college coach comes across a student-athlete who communicates effectively during the recruiting process?

If you commit to doing this, I promise that you will not be disappointed.  Coaches will notice your approach, and put you at the top of their call list.

September 1^st is an important date for several sports in the recruiting process. On this date college coaches will be allowed to start contacting prospective student athletes on a more frequent basis. Many student athletes have a certain level of anxiety regarding speaking to college coaches.

Some student athletes have trouble understanding which questions are important to ask, while others avoid these calls all together. And all too commonly, some student athletes will waste the opportunity they have with college coaches and not ask a single question concerning their status with the school. Whatever your scenario, it’s important that we review the basics of handling phone calls from college coaches.

The first thing I want you to do is breath, stay calm and don’t get anxious. When you start to field phone calls from college coaches you will notice one common theme, they like to talk. Most of the phone calls you receive from college coaches they will simply be talking at you. Meaning they’re driving the conversation. For the most part you will simply sit there and listen. Occasionally you might be asked a pretty basic question regarding last Friday’s game, or how your classes are going but for the most part you should have no trouble answering the questions they ask you. So don’t worry, these phone calls are nothing to get anxious about. I can guarantee after your first call you will not have any anxiety regarding future calls.

Now that you’re relaxed, I want to make sure you understand what your objective should be as a recruit who fields phone calls from college coaches. It’s all about information, plain and simple. The ego stroke most recruits receive about how great of a player they are is really just a side bonus, trust me.  Don’t let the ego boast side track you, stay focused and remember to get as much information as you can from these coaches. 

Now you may be asking yourself, “What sort of information should I find out?” If you asked yourself that, congratulations, you’re starting to understand this process. For the most part it’s simple. You know what you want to find out about, maybe it’s the major that you’ve always wanted to study, maybe it’s whether or not you will have an opportunity to play early, maybe you want know about what kind of academic support the school offers their athletes. The fact is most of the questions need to come from you, ask yourself what is important and then find out whether or not the school can offer what you’re looking for.

I encourage you to write out a list of questions, that way you can ask the same set of questions to every coach you deal with. This will allow you to compare the different answers each school gives you. This will help you when you enter into the decision making part of this process. Trust me; it will be extremely helpful to simply look down at a pad of paper to find your questions, versus having to remember all of them on the spot.

Remember the trick is to get as much information from these coaches as possible. I recommend always working towards finding out where the coach is with his recruiting class, (in terms of offers made at your position) where you stand on his recruiting board, and when you can expect a decision on whether or not they are interested in having you join there program. Finding out this info will really allow you to organize your recruiting effort in a much more effective manor hopefully allowing you to find as much success as possible.

 There is no denying that the web has fundamentally altered college recruiting.  The key change the internet brought to recruiting is speed.  Athletes are discovered at younger ages and offered scholarships earlier than ever before.  Emails are sent from high school coaches, college coaches, parents and student athletes in mass and at dizzying speed.  Athletes have the ability to post their highlights on all sorts of file sharing systems like YouTube.  Recruiting services pop up on the web every day claiming to simplify the process for all sorts of varying fees.

But, with all this information a problem is also created: Clutter.  How does a coach rifle through all the emails he receives?  Can he trust an email from a high school coach that he has never heard of?  Realistically, coaches don’t have enough time to really evaluate all the information so they turn to a trusted source.

NCSA has become that trust source.  At NCSA we use our verified scouting reports to give college coaches the real thing.  They can easily see what an athletes real grades, highlight video and all the necessary information they need to see to make the initial decision whether an athlete is recruitable or not.

But, what the internet hasn’t changed and will never replace is the human interaction necessary to build real relationships with college coaches.  NCSA entire curriculum is engineered to teach athletes how to go beyond the internet and make the visits and phone calls that give a coach the level of trust necessary to offer a scholarship.

 NCSA Student-Athlete and recent LSU commit, Stavion Lowe, has recently received national recognition as one of the top 3 offensive tackles in the country. Scouts. Inc and ESPN Analyst Bill Conley has rated Lowe as the 3^rd best tackle in the country. Conley’s notes the 6′5, 295 pound tackle “Keeps great body position and leverage on the pass-rusher…” and “Lowe demonstrates his foot agility when pulling and turning up field to pick up linebackers; he is smooth and fluid when on the move.”

NCSA Recruiting Coach Marc Coburn guided Lowe through his recruiting, emphasizing the importance of doing research, narrowing down schools, and not ruling out any prospective universities. Lowe admits the whole process has taught him to be reserved and his decision would be based on trust. He felt comfortable in Baton Rouge, and it helped that LSU was close to home. Click here to read more of ESPN’s scouting notes on the big tackle, Stavion Lowe from Brownwood, Texas.

Forbes magazine sat down with their proclaimed “Sports’ Most Powerful Coach,” and he offered a line that hammers home one of NCSA’s core beliefs:

When he visits a recruit, he says, “I tell them this is a 40-year decision, not a 4-year one.” He stresses the importance of his players’ being successful as people, as students and as athletes. Queen Marvin, the mother of Julio Jones, says: “He came in here and talked about education. That’s what I want for my son. Football won’t always be there.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves…