NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

After last night’s thrashing of the Sox it appears that the Tampa Bay Rays will be heading to their first ever fall classic.  Their unpredictable rise has stunned the baseball world.  Just as stunning was the route to the major leagues taken by outfielder Fernando Perez, who has played a crucial role for the team in the postseason.

 Perez’s family emigrated from Cuba and settled in Brooklyn before eventually settling in Jersey.  His parents kept him focused on education first and sports second and he earned a partial scholarship to the prestigious Peddie School.  When he wasn’t recruited heavily by traditional baseball powers he used his academic background to play in the Ivy League’s at Columbia.  He then became just the third player in Columbia history to drafted.  This postseason he became the first Columbia grad with a postseason hit since Gen Larkin won the 1991 World Series with a single in Game 7.

His unlikely story is a lesson to recruits everywhere that your academics goals don’t have to take a backseat to your athletic dreams.

 1.  Dedication to the Classroom.

College coaches understand that not all student-athletes perform the same on tests.  They do, however, know the difference between trying hard and being lackadaisical.  The harder a student-athlete works in school along with his attendance record is strongly considered by colleges prior to a scholarship being offered.  Coaches do believe there is a correlation between effort in the classroom and effort on the athletic field of play.  Dedication and reliability go hand-in-hand.

2.  Communicate with the High School Coach.

It is important that the student-athlete let their high school coach know their intentions in relation to going on to the next level.  A student-athlete can not be afraid to let the coach know what type of academic interests they have and what colleges they are interested in possibly attending. The student-athlete should ask the coach to be honest about his talents and potential.

3.  Work to improve your physical skills.

Playing a sport at the college level demands great physical skills and discipline.  Each level of competition is more demanding and the student-athlete needs to continually improve.  In order to complete and to stay injury free, the student-athlete most stay in top physical condition.  It is absolutely vital for the player to work on improving their strength, speed, flexibility, agility and individual position skills.

4.  Make a positive impression on college coaches.

The way a student-athlete talks, dresses and carries themselves is important when talking with a college coach.  The student-athlete that comes across as arrogant, selfish, foul mouthed or rude is someone who will quickly be eliminated by college staff.  Colleges want team players who are a positive reflection of their program on and off the field.

5.  Be honest with recruiters.

College coaches like student-athletes to be honest during the recruiting process.  A student-athlete should not lead a school on if there is no genuine interest.  The student-athlete and the high school they come from are viewed more positively by the colleges if they are up front and honest during the recruiting process. College coaching staffs do not have time to waste on an athlete that doesn’t have a genuine interest in their institution and program.

Bill Conley worked at Ohio State for 17 years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

  Can’t pay for college? Maybe Uncle Sam can help you. Getting accepted into a military academy or ROTC (Reserved  Officer Training Corps) program may be the most rewarding experience a young man or woman can receive. In this blog entry I want to distinguish between the two elements of government academic training and possibly assist you in the benefits of applying and competing for a military academy or ROTC program.

The Academies

Acceptance: Military academies such as West Point and Annapolis have a prestigious history of fielding some of the best athletic teams our country has ever seen along with first-class education. One thing prospective student-athletes need to understand is that it is tuition free. That’s right it’s free! However, getting accepted into West Point, Annapolis, or Colorado Springs is not an easy task. The academies are very selective in the acceptance process and certain documentation needs to be in order before applying. These documents include letter of recommendations from your state congressman, outstanding GPA, test scores and proof that you are a leader in your community. If you are getting recruited by a coach from one of the academies, I highly recommend you communicate over what is needed to be accepted.

Commitment: Understand that this decision is a commitment. The next four years of your life will be dedicated to earning a degree of your choice and learning the principles of leading our country. After graduation you will be considered a commissioned officer and have a six year enlistment to your branch. The Naval Academy is the only academy where Midshipmen have the option of either serving in the United States Navy or the United States Marine Corps. To learn more about the academies click on these links below:

United States Military Academy

United States Naval Academy

United States Air Force Academy

Reserved Officer Training Corp

Acceptance: The ROTC program is also another great program offered by our military which gives prospective students the opportunity to select the college of their choice while the government picks up the tuition bill. The ROTC program is not as selective with prospective students as the academies, but it is highly recommended that an applicant have outstanding academics and athletic performance. During your four year college commitment students in the program will be enrolled in a series of military science courses and be required to attend military sanctioned events over the first two summers while attending OCS (Officer Candidate School) their third summer and TBS (The Basic School) in their fourth summer.

Commitment: Your commitment after you earn your degree is similar to that of a midshipmen or cadet. You will embark on a 6 year enlistment. If at any point you decide that the military is not for you, you will owe the government the money that was paid for your degree. To learn more about the Reserved Officer Training Corps Click below.

ROTC 

Your role as an athlete

Athletics play a huge role in the image of the military academies. Every year the Army versus Navy game is one of the biggest rivalries in our country. As an athlete, not only do you have your responsibilities preparing week to week against opponents, you also have a series of inspections, assignments, and studies.  Organization, time management, and being squared away will separate you from the pack.

Merchant Marine Academy, New Mexico Military Institute, The Citadel, & the Coast Guard

The Merchant Marine Academy, New Mexico Military Institue, United States Coast Guard Academy, and The Citadel are also fine insitutions that offer first class education. After speaking with representatives from each institution this is the information we found.

   Merchant Marine Academy: The Merchant Academy encourages their student’s to serve as civilians after graduation in the Maritime Industry. These positions include deck officers, engineers, security, and logistics. Students are required to serve an 8 year reservist enlistment which is broken down to 2 weeks per year. 75% of the Merchant Marine Students will be placed in this job industry while making lucrative salaries. 75% enlist in the Naval and Marine Reserve compononent, while 25% enlist into one of the four military branches. The Merchant Marine Academy has 23 varsity sports. Rugby is nationally ranked, and 85% of the student body participates in sports. To learn more about the Merchant Marine Academy click here

New Mexico Military Institute: All students who attend New Mexico Military Institute do not have a military commitment after graduation. They do encourage students to attend military academies after graduation and compete at the junior college level. NMMI offers an ROTC program where students voluntarily sign up and are required to serve a 4 year enlistment in the branch of their choice. To learn more about the New Mexico Military Institute click here

The Citadel: The Citadel is located in Charleston, SC and competes at the Division 1-AA level. There is no mandatory enlistment after graduation. They also offer an ROTC program that does not have a binding contract to serve after your schooling is complete. They do encourage students to serve in one of the four military branches. To learn more about The Citadel click here

The United States Coast Guard Academy

The United States Coast Guard Academy is tuition free. However, there is a $3,000 initial fee which includes a laptop and uniforms. There is a 5 year enlistment that is involved after graduation. Students will receive their military occupation specialty after their second year in the academy. Teams who compete for the academy compete at the Division 3 level. 65% of their students graduate from the academy. If at any point a student has a change of heart the situation is handled case by case and certain money will be owed back to the institution. To learn more about the United States Coast Guard Academy click here

 Serving our country was one of the best career decisions I have ever made. During my enlistment as a young Marine I learned discipline, leadership, and achieved goals I never would have done on my own. These tools helped me become the person I am today and set me up for a wonderful job. To learn more about military life or questions please comment on this blog below and an NCSA Recruiting Coach will be in touch with you.

 You don’t want to wait until senior year to learn about the recruiting process. You can start taking serious recrtuiintg steps as a freshman. National Collegiate Scouting Association president Chris Krause’s simple timeline that everyone can follow:

 ”You can’t expect coaches to keep the process moving all the time, because the average coach [is] very limited in time by the NCAA and by recruiting budgets,” Krause says. “It’s up to you to keep the process moving.”

Freshman Year
Get the ball rolling early, because “college coaches are recruiting the world,” Krause says. “If [your] competition is being proactive and [you’re not], they’ll assume you’re not interested.” Understanding NCAA recruiting rules is crucial to the success of this first step. The rules and regs constantly change, and staying abreast will save you from breaking them-and the headaches and heartaches of being penalized.

Also know the measurables for your sport [e.g, Football: 40-yard dash, vertical jump; Volleyball: standing reach, touch jump; Softball: pop times, ray and jug guns]. “Those are the types of little things [to know], so you know where you stack up.” 

Krause also recommends going to a D-I, -II and -III game or competition to learn the differences between the levels of play. You’ll benefit from this experience as you graduate to sophomore status.

Sophomore Year
Resume the recruiting process by starting your athletic résumé, noting the essentials. “[Coaches] want to know how tall, strong and fast you are [and] what you’re doing academically,” Krause says.

A paper evaluation isn’t the only analysis you need at this point. A scouting evaluation-from your high school coach or an independent third party-is also necessary to help you realistically determine where you stack up against higher competition.

By this time, look into compiling a skills tape, which you can send to a coach after writing a personal letter. “Don’t send videos unsolicited,” Krause warns. “Let the coach know you’re interested [in his program] and why.

“Recruiting is about relationships. The more chance you can help a coach build a relationship with you, the easier you make the process on him, and the more likely you’re going to be recruited.”

This year is also when you should be calling D-III coaches, who, unlike D-I or -II coaches, aren’t prohibited from calling you back. “[This] can really be a great tune-up for you, so by the time you get to your junior year, you’re really prepared for those phone calls.”

Junior Year
This stage is intense because as Krause explains, “what you do during your junior year really makes up a lot of minds.” 

If you’re not receiving letters by now, better start putting ink to paper. “Writing a letter is critical,” Krause says. Be specific when addressing the coach [e.g., write “Dear Coach Smith,” not “Dear Coach”], and share what you like about his/her program and why you’re interested in playing for the team.

Open the [phone] lines of communication. For most sports, this is the year you can start receiving calls from D-I and -II coaches. Always return calls in a timely manner and be fully prepared for phone conversations by knowing about the school’s academic background, its athletic conference and the team’s style of play.

Krause recommends focusing on 10 to 20 schools you think could be a realistic fit, then proactively start talking to those coaches and scheduling unofficial visits.

Senior Year
“For bigger D-I programs, most scholarships are offered during the junior year,” Krause notes.

Didn’t get the offer you wanted? You can still take your game to college. “Keep the level of schools in your recruiting pool open at all times,” Krause advises. “For D-III, most of those coaches are waiting to see who signed D-I and who didn’t. And most of the time, tons of studentathletes weren’t recruited by D-I schools, and now they need to follow up with [coaches from other divisions].”

NCSA aims to not only steer our athletes to succesful athletic careers, but more importnatly succesful academic careers.  That being siad I would like to recognize and congratulate the LSU Tiger Baseball Team for a perfect 1,000 Academic Progress Rate for the 2007-08 academic year.

Coach Paul Maineiri reflected on his team’s success on the field and in the classroom. 

“Having gone into this profession to be an educator and teacher, it is of course important for youngsters to fulfill their potential as baseball players, but it is even more important for them to earn their degrees and become contributing people in society once they finish their playing careers,”

“I know we have the resources with staffing and facilities to help our student-athletes achieve what they did in the classroom. Other schools may not be as fortunate, so success is relative when you look at each school. At least, I hope that LSU can prove that one aspect of the student-athlete’s life doesn’t have to be sacrificed to achieve success in other aspects. I hope we’ve shown it is possible to make it to the College World Series as well as achieve a 1,000 APR.”

I encourage all student athletes looking for the right place to continue their athletic careers to look for coaches like this that will take your future in the classroom to heart.

When I read Ross’ post “Success is felt at every level” I recalled one of my favorite poems (it is really an article, but to me it reads like a poem).

“Why We Play D-III Athletics” was written by Sean Sornsin, a baseball player at Cornell College.

“It’s not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making SportsCenter.  It’s a deep need in us that comes from the heart. We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat.  We do it all for our teammates and for the student in our calculus class that we don’t even know.

We don’t practice with a future major league first baseman; we practice with a future sports agent. We don’t lift weights with a future Olympic wrestler; we lift with a future doctor. We don’t run with a future Wimbledon champion; we run with a future CEO.  It’s a bigger part of us than our friends and family can understand.  Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans; sometimes 25.  But we still play hard. You cheer for us because you know us.  You know more than just our names.  Like all of you, we are students first.  We don’t sign autographs.  But we do sign graduate school applications, MCAT exams, and student body petitions.  When we miss a kick or strike out, we don’t let down an entire state.  We only let down our teammates, coaches, and fans.

But the hurt is still the same.  We train hard, lift, throw, run, kick, tackle, shoot, dribble, and lift some more, and in the morning we go to class.  And in that class we are nothing more than students.  It’s about pride in ourselves, in our school.  It’s about our love and passion for the game.  And when it’s over, when we walk off that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble.  Those tears are real.  But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves.  We will forever be what few can claim…college athletes.”

 I have just finished my summer ‘08 season in baseball. I have attended numerous tournaments including in Omaha, NE where the college World Series is held, Slump Buster Triple Crown Tournament and the Triple Crown World Series in Steamboat Springs. I am now in the off season and continue to practice, weight train and staying in shape for the baseball season coming up at our high school. I have also signed up for a showcase in Mesa, AZ on September 26, 2008.  I have joined a fall league in Farmington, NM which is an hour away I feel that it is a good price to pay to stay in shape. I really appreciate the coaches for giving us their time to help us with our future.

Right now I am improving my skills and also working on strength and agility. I just signed up to be coached by Duane Ward, who was a professional athlete played for the Toronto Blue Jays. I am making sure that I can keep my grades up so that I can compete without having to worry about my grades. If and when I make the team I will work even harder on maintaining my grades and further improving my baseball season.  I am fairly new to the town so I hope to make the team and get playing time on my talent.  My pitching since I am a lefty is going to help me succeed I just need to keep working technique. My hitting is coming along great I learned a new technique and hitting on both sides of the plate I have stayed with a wood bat throughout the off season and practice.

1.   Stress academics more than athletics.

Parents really need to keep the entire recruiting process in perspective.  A career can be over in one play; then what happens to their child?  Parents should encourage their child to be as good as they can be in both academics and athletics.  More doors will be open to the student-athlete who is solid both in the classroom and on the field. 

2. Work through the high school coach.

It’s very important that parents do not by-pass the high school coach in the recruiting process.  This is not only looked upon negatively by the high school coach, but also by the college.  The high school coach is the direct liaison with the colleges.  It’s crucial that parents and coaches work hand-in-hand helping the student-athlete during the entire recruiting process.

3. Encourage attendance at camps and combines.

Exposure of the student athletes to camps and combines is important in recruiting.  Working through the high school coach, parents and student athletes select a limited number of camps and/or combines that the student athlete should attend.  Normally the high school coach can best match up the talents of the student athlete to the best camps.

4. Do college research.

There are a variety of ways to obtain information about specific colleges and universities.  Parents can, and should extensively check out those institutions the student athlete is most interested in attending.  Graduation, rates, various majors, post academic programs, etc. can all be found through the internet, working through the high school counselor and by dealing directly with specific institutions.

5. Go on college visits.

Parents should not allow their child to make an official college visit by themselves.  Deciding which college or university to attend is one of the most important decisions in one’s lifetime.  Parents may ask questions and make observations the student athlete may not.  The maturity and experience of the parents is vital in the recruiting process.  Do not assume the child has everything under control; parents need to help.

6. Put egos aside.

When it gets down to the time to make the decision on which college to attend, parents and the student athlete must put egos aside. The final decision as to what school to attend should be based on the best overall match. School size should not be as important as the best academic, athletic and social match.

Bill Conley worked at Ohio State for 17 years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

The University of Miami (FL) signed 13 players for the 2008 class.  The class includes five pitchers and eight position players.  Ten players haul from the state of Florida and three from Texas.  Five of the newcomers were selected in the 2008 MLB Draft including junior college transfer Chris Herrmann who was taken in the 10th round.  Coach Morris expects all of these players to make an impact during the 2009 season.

As promised, here’s my second post about an article in today’s Chicago Sun-Times. This one is about proposed law that would ban the use of metal bats for baseball players between the ages of 8 and 18 in Chicago. From the article:

Introduced on Wednesday by Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd), the law would follow the lead of New York City, which banned the bats in high school play last year.

“This is an issue of protecting our young people and bringing them back to our old pastime of baseball and wooden bats,” Fioretti said.

It’s true that metal bats allow players to hit the ball harder, faster and farther, which can be extremely dangerous if hit directly back to the unsuspecting pitcher.

But wooden bats aren’t fail safe either. As a commenter on the article noted, “What happens when the wood bat splitters and someone gets hurt from that; wiffle ball.”  

Another thing to consider. In college, they use metal bats, which are very different from wooden bats. Now, one might think that it would be easier to hit with a metal bat after four years of using wood bats, but that’s not necessarily the case.

This also is going to mess up recruiting. Say you have two players of equal skill. One player is on a team that uses metal bats, the other is on a team that uses wood. The kid using the metal bat is going to have more hits and home runs than the kid with the wooden bat, making him appear the better player in the eyes of a college coach — though that might not be the case.

If you’re going to make the change to wooden bats, make the whole country make the change as well. Otherwise, metal bats need to stay to keep a consistent playing field.