NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

 a former D1 college football recruiting coordinator’s thoughts on what NCSA can do for every college football (all sports) coaches.

 ”If I knew then what I know now” my college coaching staffs would have had more success recruiting!

First, my background.

I capped off my days as a center for the Fighting Illini by playing in the Blue Gray All Star Game, and then signed with the Oakland Raiders. It’s been over 30 years since taking off my cleats and picking up a whistle joining coaching staffs at Illinois, UNLV, UCLA and Minnesota, many of these years as the recruiting coordinator. During that time I have been a part of a #1 ranked recruiting class, several top 5 classes and several more top 25 ranked classes in the country.

I’ve also been hired by nearly 40 D1 colleges to evaluate prospects for them.

Second, why am I writing this?

There is so much more to the recruiting process than getting your name on internet sites.

College coaches get hundreds of names and stats from the internet. What he needs to do is narrow that list of names down to a manageable working list of prospects that have the academic, athletic and social skills that he wants to recruit.

Third, how long is the recruiting process, really?

The recruiting process starts when a prospect gets the first letter from a school and ends when the prospect shows up for the first practice of the school he signed with.

Fourth, why is the recruiting process this long?

This is how long it takes the college coach to get the player on the field.

Once a coach decides the student athlete can play for his university (after a number of evaluations):

• the coach has to see if the athlete can qualify
• send many recruiting letters
• make several more evaluations (academic and athletic) of the prospect
• make a lot of phone calls
• get the prospect’s unofficial transcript and SAT/ACT scores to compliance or admissions at his/her school
• see that the prospect has registered with the clearinghouse
• check to see if the prospect will be admitted by the university
• make in person contacts
• set an official visit
• host the student athlete on the official visit
• sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI)
• financial aid paperwork
• admissions paperwork
• housing paperwork
• make sure the athlete is following the summer workout program
• help the student athlete with a summer job or get into summer school or maybe the summer “bridge program”
• have the student athlete report for orientation
• receive the final transcript
• be sure the prospect is certified eligible by the clearinghouse
• other paperwork the university needs before the player can step on the field (drug testing policy, physical, student conduct, etc.)

After all this a prospect can practice.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have, what college coaches refer to as the third party, experts like NCSA be available to advise you through the recruiting process?

As a former recruiting coordinator at several universities, “if I knew then what I know now” I’d love the help NCSA has to offer

I’ve just joined NCSA as a “Recruiting Expert” and am responsible for our relationship with college football programs. I will let every college I speak with know about our support of the student athlete’s family and how we can make the “recruiting process” work smoothly!

As I’m sure all of the staff at NCSA does.

Contact NCSA today for expert guidance!!

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.

 Character matters in recruiting.  When I ask a coach in any sport what they look for in a recruit the words high character always come up in their top three.  Taking a chance on a “risky” recruit can often come back to bite a coach in the butt.

In 2007 Texas threw former high profile recruit Robert Joseph off the team for getting caught breaking into cars at a hotel parking lot.  The incident drew a ton of heat for the school, administration and football staff.  To make matters even worse it came to light that Joseph had a felony record when he came to Texas, but it went undetected by the coaching staff since his juvenile record was sealed.  This was simply a case of the details slipping through the cracks. 

Today’s Austin American Statesman discusses with Texas Head Coach Mack Brown the steps he uses to make sure that no other details fall through the cracks.

“First, we look at the kid,” Brown said. “If they’ve got good values in their family and they tell you the truth, they call you when they’re supposed to, they show up when they’re supposed to, they e-mail back when you e-mail them and they’ve done things for the school and leadership with the community - they’re responsible. Those are no-brainers, but that makes sense.”

Then it’s on to the next phase: talking to a recruit’s parents.

“We prefer kids from two-parent families because they tend to be more stable,” Brown said. “More recently, we’ve accepted kids from one-parent families because half the kids come from those homes. Now our rule is that there has to be one strong parent as a role model.

“If we have trouble with the parents, we don’t recruit the kid.”

The Longhorns also look at grade-point averages, preferring players with a 3.0 or better, depending on the school. And they look at test scores to make sure the scores are in line with the recruit’s grades.

“If he’s got a high test score and low grades, it means he hasn’t really been working as hard and isn’t putting as much effort into school,” Brown said. “That’s a red flag.”

They look at confidence. “A confident kid is going to have success and isn’t as prone to falling into something because of peer pressure,” Brown said.

They look to see if a player has transferred schools.

Next, it’s on to coaches.

“It’s not just about the head coach,” Texas A&M recruiting coordinator Tim Cassidy said. “You’ve got to talk to the assistant coaches, coaches of their opponents. The coaches of the opponent might not know as much about character, but they’re good to talk to. The more people you talk to, the more you know the kid you’re recruiting.”

If you want to make it to the highest level of your recruiting potential it is of the upmost importance that you make the right choices to ensure that your character is judged to be of the highest quality.

I’ve talked to over 4,000 families about college recruiting. Most are looking for college sports scholarships to help pay for college.  However, some parents are not looking for college athletic scholarships.  In about 20% of those conversations, either the mom or dad doesn’t want their child to play college sports. When I ask why, I get some amazing answers that are so far from reality that I’ve decided to write this post. These parents’ concerns have a common theme. They think their child will not have the time to adequately devote to their studies if they play sports in college. Mom/Dad… let’s get real. Your child is not going to be devoting 100% of their time to their studies. In fact, college students have a well-earned reputation for finding creative ways of filling up their free time.

I suggest a more productive way of using that free time is through college sports. One cannot play college sports at any level without discipline, time-management skills, a commitment to improve one’s game through hard work, and being held accountable to your teammates. Learning these life skills make college graduates who play sports much more marketable when they enter the workplace or when applying to graduate school.

In my previous career, I worked on the wholesale side of a very large multi-national bank. For a 2-year period, I was responsible for hiring newly minted college graduates for our entry-level training program that could lead to career opportunities anywhere in the world. I interviewed students from the most prestigious academic institutions including the Wharton School at the U. of Pennsylvania, The U. of Chicago, Northwestern U., the U. of Michigan, and the U. of Illinois. Most applicants were very sharp, had done their homework, came in prepared, and had great GPA’s. What separated them was their ability to demonstrate to me that they had leadership potential, were team players, would work until the job got done, enjoyed being held accountable, and could manage their time. Who did this best? My most memorable interviews were with students who played an intercollegiate sport in college. They had to manage their time. They had to be team players. They were leaders among their peers. They had the discipline to go to bed early so they could make early morning workouts. They had great GPA’s also. And they graduated on time. In short, they were exactly what I was looking for. Every one of them got a job offer from me. None accepted. Why? They always had 3 or 4 more other offers from companies paying more than my bank would pay.

Are you a student-athlete who is on a mission to play college sports? Are you a student-athlete who has played your sport for years? Imagine your first sport season after high school and you’re not playing. What would that feel like?

Most student athletes and their families are unaware of how early college recruiting begins. Or the reasons it begins so early. The problem is that 93% of high school students who go on to college are applying through the academic door. They begin researching colleges late in their junior year or early in their senior year. They listen to the high school guidance counselor who advises them to apply to several schools. They place these schools into 3 categories: 1) Reach schools (if I’m lucky, I’ll get in.) 2) Stretch schools (I’m pretty sure I’d get accepted to half of these I apply to.) and 3) safe schools (I’ll get in no matter what.) Make sure you have all of your applications in before Christmas break.

Unfortunately, student-athletes and their families think that college athletic recruiting operates along the same time-line. It doesn’t!  If you wish to apply through the athletic door, you need to understand the different calendars and timelines.

Different sports have different recruiting calendars and time-lines. However, all sports have the following in common:

1. College coaches would love to find out about you early. In some sports that’s as early as 7^th and 8^th grade, other sports it’s by 10^th grade. Waiting until the beginning of junior year begins to reduce your opportunities.
2. A college student athlete has a certain athletic profile. For example, in baseball, a student athlete needs to have a certain 60-yard dash time, a certain overhand throwing velocity, a certain bat-speed, etc. For very competitive schools, those metrics need to be achieved by the end of junior year. If not, many college coaches will refuse to evaluate a student-athlete. It takes time to develop physically and student-athletes need to train to that level early to ensure they reach that level on time.
3. College coaches only give scholarship money to student-athletes they know, like, and trust. Those trust-based relationships take time to build. Because of the recruiting restrictions placed on college coaches, it’s important that a student-athlete begin to build those relationships as a freshman. Most don’t know how to go about that.

If you’re serious about being a college student-athlete, you need to implement that game plan that will get you there. Knowing what to do is as important as doing it. If you don’t know what to do, you should contact an expert for an evaluation. You can do that at NCSA.

You can be extremely talented so as to be ranked as the 13^th (out of 1.1 million+) high school football players in the country, and still not receive an athletic scholarship. Consider the case of Josh Jarboe. Two days before he was to begin his freshman football season, he was dismissed from the University of Oklahoma Sooners. Why? As written on the ESPN website, “Earlier this week, Jarboe was the subject of a 74-second video posted on YouTube. Jarboe’s obscenity-laced rap included references to shooting people and guns.”

Be careful what is published on the internet about you. Run from any situation that will make a college coach question your character. From the day you are recruited by a college coach, you are a reflection of that program recruiting you. Make sure your actions reflect favorably on that coach and institution, or they will drop you quickly.

As a former journalism major and sports writer, I pride myself on having exquisite vernacular dexterity.

Meaning I know a lot of big words.

And from my knowledge (and through the help of Microsoft Word’s Thesaurus), I’ve come to realize that the word “coach” does not equate to “recruiting specialist”.

OK, that example might be a little extreme, but the most common reason I hear from parents and student-athletes as to why Jimmy Ray or Gretchen isn’t being recruited heavily or how they expect to be recruited usually falls back on the “captain of the clipboard”.

The general idea is that a basketball coach or a volleyball coach or a track coach is not the same as a recruiting coach.

If you’re expecting your high school coach to get things going for you, don’t forget that he or she actually has to coach your sport. On top of that, the coach has to work his or her full-time job, and let’s not forget, help your teammates with the recruiting process as well. Because you do know that you’re not the only one on your team wanting to play in college, right?

Don’t get me wrong. Having a coach that cares about you and your future is not a bad thing – quite the opposite actually. You’ve obviously impressed him as a player, a student and a person, and if a college program contacts him asking about you, you’re in luck. 

But if a coach is willing to take time out of his busy day to introduce you to college coaches, make your highlight tape, manage your mail, walk your dog and do your dirty laundry, that’s one less thing you have to worry about, right?

Wrong. You’re the one going to college, not him or her. While it’s fine for him to help a little, college coaches like to see you taking the initiative of contacting and interacting with them. That shows maturity, responsibility and organization, all of which are traits that make you that much more attractive to colleges and universities. 

Bottom-line: They’re recruiting you, not your coach.

I used to be in a couple of plays back in middle school, but I’m no Tom Cruise … maybe that’s a good thing. 

Still, let’s role-play a little bit here. I’m going to give you a scenario, and let me know what you would do. And remember, think about this from a college recruiting standpoint.

You’re a sophomore. It was the last day of JV tryouts for your sport, and you’re pretty sure you made the team. You pack up your sneakers and practice garb, throw your backpack over your shoulder and head towards the locker room exit, when all of the sudden, a firm grip grabs your arm. It’s the varsity coach.

“I’ve been watching you,” he says after inviting you into his office. “You’re good. Very good.”

“Thank you,” you reply.

“Here’s the thing,” he begins, ”There’s no question you made the JV team, and fact of the matter is, you’re going to start and probably do well. But that’s IF you decide to play for them.”

Your ears perk up.

“As you know, we have a bunch of seniors on varsity this year, meaning next year, there’s going to be a lot of holes to fill. Next year, we’re expecting you to fill part of that void.”

You attentively lean in.

“So this year, I want you to play on the varsity team. Now, you’re not going to play much, but I want you to practice with the team so you can learn my system for next year.”

“Um … ” you say, scratching your head. “Can I get back to you on that.”

So here’s the predicament. What team are you going to be on? Do you ride the pine for a year on the school’s top team, or hit the court or field and excel on JV? 

Note: I know that often times, the JV team is composed of players who dress for varsity but don’t play, but for the sake of this scenario, let’s say that you can only be on one team.

This is not a rhetorical question. Give your answer and explain your decision by commenting at the bottom of this post.

And choose wisely. The varsity coach is waiting for your response. 

 Why do high school student athletes want to play collegiate athletics?  I speak with so many student athletes who express that commitment on a daily basis and often times I wonder if they truly realize the advantages of being a collegiate athlete. Outside of love for their sport which is the best reason to want to continue to play at the next level, I believe that if student athletes realized the ancillary benefits of partaking in collegiate athletics, their desire to maximize the recruiting process would increase significantly. 

I have often contemplated writing a list of all the rewards that accompany playing collegiate athletics to pass along to prospective student athletes, but quickly realized that it might take hours if not days.  Secondary advantages such as an immediate community of possible friends on a new college campus all the way to an instant alumni network for career opportunities after college fall into this extensive list that student athletes should think about.  I believe it will inherently create more value on the goal at hand and thus a greater attention to the steps required to achieve that goal.   

Student athletes should realize that a love for their sport should serve as their main motivation for working hard in the classroom, on the field, and throughout the recruiting process.  However, they should also understand the ramifications of taking part in collegiate athletics and how that might change their entire life.  Knowing what’s at stake, every student athletes should make sure to maximize this process.  What are some other advantages that college athletes receive?  I think that is a topic well worth a discussion…