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. 

 Softball Travel Team

I get asked the question about what expenses one might expect to incur to play on a competitive travel softball team for the summer.  In my research I have come up with the following information:  What has been your experience and expenses?

Team Expense:

12U Team $750 team fees

14U Team  $1,300 -$2,000 team fees

18U Team $2,400 team fees

Those fees typically cover things such as: uniforms, field rental, & tournament fees.

Travel: 2-3 big events Air fare $300/flight X 3 family members = $900 X 3 = $2,700

Hotel: $100/night x 15 nights = $1,500

Transportation to local events - Gas, etc. 15-20 days per summer for games & tournaments = 50 miles per event average .60 per mile X 20 = $600 Car fees

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From online blogs:

One man that I know in Phoenix recorded every cent that he spent on his daughter’s softball experience for 2007. She plays year round. He recorded every penny and would include even the suntan lotion, extra socks, etc. It included HS ball and camps.   His DD was 14 and he spent $10,400.

Bat bag - $40.00 glove $80.00 back up glove $135.00 3 bats - $850.00 cleats $90.00 helmet $40.00 sweatshirt $45.00 plus sliders, compression pants, visor, etc.

But, even the $10k in a year may be a little light for some years we have played. Nationals alone one year probably ran us $5k, family of 4, airline flights, rental car, hotel, meals, etc,

Training/Lessons

Club K (TN)    Private lessons          $80 per hour

Sluggers                                             $49 per ½ hour

MO                                                      $45 per ½ hour

All-Star                                               $40 per ½ hour

Extra Innings                                     $39 per ½ hour

Generally the athlete is going to go 1x - 3 x’s per week through the winter & some summer

$80/hour x 2 x 25 weeks= $4,000

Camps/Clinics:

$45 (low end) for a 1 day

$200-$525 on campus camps

Among the many reasons to enter the college sports recruiting process earning an athletic scholarship to pay for college is always at the top of the list. Playing in college offsets the burden of paying for college. After all, who wants to be paying for college 10 years after they graduate because of student loans? In May 2007, testimony before US congress revealed that a quarter of all students graduate with too much debt to pay back on a starting teachers salary. That is way too high.

If that’s the case, shouldn’t you be knowledgeable in the ways of Financial Aid?

I earned my MBA from one of the top business schools in the country and traded sophisticated financial instruments for over 20 years. I thought I could figure this financial aid thing out. I couldn’t. I needed help. I’m very glad I invested in professional advice that helped maximize the grants and scholarships my daughter received. One of the great things about NCSA is that their advice on how to maximize scholarship dollars actually works. And it continues to work. Except for the less than 1% of college athletes who have “full rides” (tuition, books, room & board, fees, transportation), most families must negotiate their financial aid package on an annual basis. Paying for that expert advice helped - a lot! As she enters her junior year, my daughter has received over $135,000 in financial aid. Not one penny of that is a student loan. It’s all grants that don’t have to be paid back. Do you think I’m happy with the professional advice I received? My return on that investment was over 6700.00 per cent!

Do you think the college athletic recruiting process should provide you with the highest number of opportunities? Do you think understanding college athletics recruiting can reveal the perfect college fit for you? How do you go about increasing your opportunities? What system should you employ to make sure you are selecting the right opportunity for you?

College coaches begin by initially contacting 1,000 or 2,000 or even 10,000 (depending on the sport) student athletes by sending them camp brochures, emails, questionnaires, etc. Those same college coaches are clearly not recruiting all of those student-athletes. Why do they start with such a large pool? They are following the advice of Marketing 101: the more kids who they find out about, the better chance they’ll find the really quality student-athlete who will help their program. If that’s a good strategy for college coaches, shouldn’t a student-athlete use the same strategy? Doing so will increase your number of opportunities.

A savvy student-athlete will learn as early as freshman year that they need to develop trust-based relationships with college coaches. This can only happen through communication. Since the NCAA restricts the amount and timing of contacts initiated by college coaches, the student-athlete must be proactive. Unfortunately, the 14 or 15 year old student-athlete doesn’t have the life experiences or the maturity to begin building relationships with adults. The good news is they can be trained in that skill set. It’s like interviewing for a job. 

College recruiting boils down to trust-based relationships between college coaches and student-athletes. What college coach is going to make a significant investment in a student-athlete unless they know a lot more about that student-athlete than her/his performance on the playing field?

If you agree with playing the numbers game and building trust-based relationships with college coaches, have you thought about how you would do that? If you’re a student-athlete reading this, do you think your parents can do this for you? If so, you better forget about playing sports in college. Do you think your coach can do this for you? Again, if so, you better forget about finding the perfect college fit for you. You are the one that needs to take charge. You can only do that if you develop the skill set to do so. Who will teach you that?

Finally, if you do all of the above correctly, how do you determine the right fit? There are many different factors including: academic quality of the school, size of school, location of school, financial aid package, level of competition, opportunity to play early, getting along with the coaching staff and players, receiving tutoring help (if necessary), etc. There is a way to logically sort out all of those factors. If you need help, go here.

For all you softball players out there: What did you this summer? Going to the movies, hanging out with friends, shopping at the mall?

Or did you play softball?

Hopefully, if you’re serious about the college recruiting process, you were doing the fourth option. According to an article written by Kenny Cress, the verdict from coaches is out. If you want a college scholarship, you better have travel experience. From the piece:

What [Cal State Bakersfield’s head softball coach Kathy Welter] said about travel ball softball echoed what much of the other coaches interviewed by the Santa Maria Times said about it. Travel ball is extensive, travel ball is expensive and travel ball is a must if a player wants a college scholarship.

“They can play a lot more games than they can (during the high school season), and of course they’ll have a better chance of being recruited by coaches,” thanks to exposure tournaments, Welter said.

So there you have it, straight from the horse’s mouth. Playing travel sports – not just for softball, but soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming and volleyball to name a few more — give you a better chance of playing at the next level. It comes down to dedication, striving to become the best player you can be.

And yes, travel and club sports can be expensive. But here’s the thing — college is expensive! The end goal is to get some sort of aid for college expenses, and if a couple thousand dollar investment could ultimately lead to a scholarship and knock $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 off your education bill, that’s a pretty impressive return on investment.

In the last week NCSA has received MULTIPLE emails from college coaches who are STILL searching for 2008 prospects. If you have aspirations to play your sport in college it may not bee too late.

Just today, we were contacted by a college coach who is still in need of a goalie in the 2008 class. If you are a senior who still has collegiate athletic hopes, here are a few tips.

1. Don’t just sit there! If you have not been “discovered” yet, it probably isn’t going to happen. Pick up the phone and start writing emails. You need to introduce yourself.

2. Lower your standards. These last minute coach requests are not coming from USC football or UNC soccer. However, there are some Division III, NAIA, JUCO and Club programs that still need players. Target these levels.

3. Keep your options open. If you are looking to make a commitment this late in the game, you are not going to have the luxury of choosing your school. If you truly love your sport, you should consider any opportunity you may have to play at the next level.

If you are not a senior, you still have time. Take a proactive approach to your recruiting NOW so you are not scrambling at the last minute.

 The Waxahachie Daily Light wrote an article this weekend that illustrates exactly why just playing for your high school team isn’t enough to secure sports scholarship.  These select teams provide several aspiring players with the opportunity to pursue a shot at playing collegiate softball.

Ennis head softball coach Rodney McNeill cited tournaments, such as college lookouts, as an economical resource for recruiting players.“College ball is going on  the same time as high school,” the Lady Lions’ skipper said. “It’s not efficient to recruit high school if you go to watch and there is only two teams playing. During the summer, 40 to 50 teams play at a single tournament.”

Robert Banda knows first hand the impact these tournaments can have on hopeful collegiate softball players.“You have these tournaments,” said Robert, who is the head coach for the Texas Thunder 18U team. “They sometimes guarantee five games at that park. You have to get the coaches to come out and watch.”

NCSA’s works daily to make sure our athletes understand not only the importance of playing in showcases and tournaments, but contacting coaches ahead of time to ensure they get a chance to be evaluated.  NCSA student athletes use their Scouting Reports as a tool to showcase both their skills and grades before attending any event.  The report allows a coach to make sure he is spending his time scouting players that are the right fit for their programs.

Athletic Scholarship or pro contract?  That is the question.  Recently, Brandon Jennings has made headlines because he is going to play professional basketball in Europe rather than maintain his amateur status and play college basketball.  Many people have criticized Brandon for this decision, but I think it’s brilliant.  Brandon does not have interest in being a student athlete, he dreams to be a professional basketball player which is exactly what he will be.  Why should he spend a year in college in the U.S. simply because the current system requires that?

Basketball is not the only sport that regulates the process of being drafted into the professional ranks.  The NFLalso demands that players spend two years in college before they are eligible to enter the draft.  While their reasons are quite logical and pertain to the physical difference between the college and pro game, basketball does not have the same argument.  Many players have made the leap from high school basketball to professional basketball and found a great deal of success.  In fact, two of the best players in the game made that leap and do not seem to be having any problem.  Ever heard of Kobe Bryant and Lebron James? 

Rather than create a system that requires athletes who have no interest in being students play a year in college before entering the draft, the NCAA should focus on improving its basketball game and making high school athletes realize that playing college basketball will help their transition to the pro game.  If the NCAA were able to prove that through its coaching and personal development of its athletes that they have a higher probability of success both in professional basketball and the years following their pro career then more high school athletes will view that as the best option. 

If you look at the evolution of baseball, you will notice how this can work.  Each year, more college baseball players are drafted very high in the MLB draft because they have proven to have an impact quicker than the high school players who take years to develop in the minors.  High school baseball players have seen this and are now considering college baseball as the best option even when they are drafted out of high school. 

The reality is that there are a handful of high school basketball players who are actually capable of going straight to the NBA after high school and finding success immediately.  I realize that eliminating the requirements to enter the NBA draft will result in many high school players making a poor decision and entering the draft prematurely.  However, how many players have spent three or four years in college and still failed to find success in the NBA? The answer is a lot!  If the NCAA were able to prove that attending college for even a year or two will result in a better life then maybe those that consider making the leap prematurely will choose college instead of the NBA…This way the problem will fix itself rather than creating a system that hurts the most talented athletes in the world who truly belong in the NBA at age 18.

The college recruiting experience has many twists and turns.  There are many factors that play into recruiting for a student-athlete but one they have control over is doing the research.  Every student-athlete’s process is completely unique and different.  Doing research on the colleges and the process should be one of the top priorities!

Not only is the Stanford University one of the top academics schools in the country but it is also one of the best athletic programs (Stanford has won 14 consecutive Directors’ Cup).  The Stanford baseball program is a regulaly in the College World Series and is a two time National Champion. 

The Baseball Assistant Coach Dean Stotz at Stanford talks about the importance of research and choosing a college; “I have been doing this a long time, and if I may be so bold, I would like to help you simplify the process of selecting what college you will attend. First of all, please have respect for the magnitude of this college decision. You will live with this decision THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! This is not a “four year” decision, but a “FORTY YEAR DECISION”. There are no “mulligans”, no “do-overs”. Consider the task as if you are doing the most important research paper of your young life. The title of your research paper is: Where will I attend college? Now, how do you do well on a research paper?–RESEARCH!!!

There are three broad areas of risk in your college decision. You must decide what type of “academic challenge”, what type of “baseball challenge”, and what type of what I call “social challenge” you wish to take on.  In Coach Marquess’s and my 31 years we have not graduated 9 people who attended Stanford for four years.” What do you think?  Please post a comment on this topic!!

Go to any large club tournament, take a look at the huge number of really good players, and you will figure it out in just a few seconds: 

Competition for a college volleyball scholarship is incredibly competitive.  And like it or not, you - or your daughter - is right in the middle of it all if a college volleyball career is your goal. 

Smart student-athletes, as well as their parents, now know that most prospects are no longer “discovered” by college recruiters roaming the country looking for recruits.  Instead, athletes who get the opportunity to experience a college volleyball career do so by giving themselves an edge in the way they market themselves to college coaches, in the same way that playing club volleyball gives you an edge over your competition on the court.

Many of those same student-athletes and their parents turn to NCSA for help in gaining that recruiting edge.  Why? 

• NCSA is the recognized leader in athletic recruiting information for today’s student-athlete.  
• NCSA has the largest trained national staff, comprised of former college athletes and coaches, who maintain close working relationships with college volleyball recruiters around the country.
• NCSA is the trusted educational partner for respected youth sports organizations and high school athletic departments around the country.  They look to us for advice, direction and insider knowledge on how parents and athletes should approach the complicated recruiting process to achieve the greatest chance for success.  

The knowledge, the established relationships with coaches, and being a leader in the industry puts NCSA in the best position to help college volleyball prospects make the most of their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at the next level.  Here are just a few of the specific ways NCSA does it for hundreds of volleyball prospects around the country year after year:

• NCSA’s proven system matches recruits with their ideal college volleyball programs, based on the athlete’s athletic and academic talents.  College volleyball coaches trust us to deliver relevant, accurate information on prospects that they would otherwise not know about.  (Click here to see an example of what college recruiters see from NCSA). 
• NCSA assigns a personal recruiting coach to each volleyball prospect and her family to answer questions that arise during the recruiting process, giving them guidance throughout the fight for a chance to play college volleyball.  That means you don’t make some of the common mistakes that other prospects make during the recruiting process. 
• NCSA can deliver every piece of critical information that a college volleyball recruiting coordinator would need to determine if a volleyball prospect is the right fit for their program:  All their important athletic statistics, a streaming web volleyball skills and highlight video, a verified copy of their official transcript, and the prospect’s contact information…everything a coach would need to scout, and recruit, that volleyball prospect. 

Now, here are three big questions for you…

Are you a high school age volleyball player, or the parent of a volleyball player, who thinks you have what it takes to play at the next level? 

Are you looking for an edge in the fight to win a college volleyball scholarship?

Do you think it would be smart to have a nationally respected team of college recruiting experts standing side-by-side with you as you go through this complicated process?

If the answer is yes, the next step is simple: 

Click here to take the first step in our free prospect evaluation process.  We’ll begin by asking you a few simple questions about your athletic career so far, as we start to gather important information that college volleyball coaches would want to evaluate as they consider you for their program.

Think about it:  Doesn’t it make sense to submit your information to a team of college recruiting experts, so that they can recommend what your next steps should be to maximize your opportunity to play college volleyball? 

Click here to register for your evaluation.

Once you do, we think you’ll see why so many of today’s better college volleyball prospects turn to the National Collegiate Scouting Association for help in winning the fight for a chance to win a college volleyball scholarship, and a chance to play at the next level.