Don’t get frustrated

The recruiting process can be a complicated web of procedures, eligibility standards and compliance rules which is why we are here to help recruits understand. Getting recruited will no doubt be frustrating; the results you are hoping for will not be there right away. This is just the way it goes. Too many times we see once eager recruits throwing in the towel too soon before they have a chance to see the opportunities they could have had.

Many times athletes have a great junior year and wonder why college coaches have not found them. They wonder if they have what it takes to compete at the college level, since no college coaches have showed any interest in them. Some athletes give up their dream to play at the college level, because they don’t receive the gratification from coaches they are looking for. What recruits need to do is dedicate enough time to being recruited and to locating the right college program for them.

You are not going to see quick results

If you are looking for immediate satisfaction, you’re probably not going to find it with the recruiting process. Potential athletic recruits want to feel they are the best and want to have coach’s competing over them. Of course, this is what all potential college athletes want, but unfortunately it’s not going to happen unless you are the top of the top in the country.

Asking questions is the best way to learn

Athletes who are going to be successful in their recruiting are going to need to learn the ins and outs of the recruiting process. They are going to need to ask many questions. And put in the time to seek out the best college program for them.

Being Successful

In order to be successful in your recruiting process, you will need to understand the recruiting process and reach out to college coaches. College coaches want to hear from athletes they do not always have the time or money to see all potential athletes’ play which is why making contact and letting coaches know of your interest will be beneficial in your recruitment.

Remember to be patient, ask questions and stick with your goal of getting recruited. The more time you put into the process the better your chances of playing at the college level.

If you have any other questions about sticking with your recruiting process than leave a comment below or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

But for many high-school athletes, they are turning to the wrong sources for energy and nutrition. Energy drinks seem like a great way to get extra energy before a practice or game, but they aren’t good for you. And they aren’t good for high performance athletes. If you are looking to get recruited by college coaches, you will need to be at your best when it matters most. Energy drinks may not be the way to do it.

Energy drinks, like many processed foods, contain a variety of chemicals instead of natural ingredients. These chemicals can have different effects on your body, especially if consumed in excess. For example, one energy drink can contain several different stimulant ingredients, a combination that can affect your heart rate and blood pressure. If you experience these side effects during vigorous exercise, it could affect your performance and your health.

Dehydration is a huge side effect of energy drinks. And as all athletes know, hydration is crucial to keeping your body healthy and being able to compete at the highest level possible. If you rely on energy drinks for a pick-me-up, you are depriving your bodies of the necessary hydration is needs to function properly.

There is also a lot of sugar in energy drinks. The combination of the stimulants and sugar is what causes the “high energy” or jolts after consumption. However, that same combo causes the crash that many people experience after the effects wear off. Athletes can benefit from bursts of energy, but can you imagine being in the middle of competition when you crash? You definitely won’t perform your best.

High school athletes need to wary of what they eat or drink because it can affect their performance. They also need to be informed of the various ingredients in some of the stuff that they consume, especially if they are looking to get recruited and play sports in college. The NCAA has a list of banned substances that athletes agree not to consume during their career in college. If you test positive for any of them at any time, you can lose your scholarship and your eligibility. Check out the most recent NCAA Banned Substance List here.

This may surprise you, but caffeine is one of the substances on that list! So as a high school athlete, it’s a good idea to develop good eating and drinking habits now so that you can transition into the same routine when you go to college. Here are some other tips to help you make the right choices in the things you eat and drink:

Read the labels: To get a better understanding of what you are putting into your body, you need to read the nutrition labels. Get to know what the ingredients are and do your research. You could save yourself some health problems further down the road.

Look out for warning labels: If you see a warning label on the package, think twice before consuming it. There is a reason they had to put that warning on there and there is no good reason to take the risk.

Talk to a nutritionist: If you have questions about what may help or hurt your athletic performance, ask a nutritionist for their tips and advice. They can help you find ways to get energized without energy drinks.

Do you have questions you need answers to? Leave them in the comments below or ask us on Facebook or Twitter.

As a college athlete, you have an opportunity to earn an athletic scholarship. But because college sports are highly competitive, there are thousands of other athletes who are working to earn those scholarships. Each NCAA college sport has a different number of scholarships available and different ways of them being allocated. That means your chances of earning an athletic scholarship for your sport might be more difficult than you think.

During the recruiting process, you will have discussions with college coaches about available opportunities to compete on their team. College coaches may or may not bring up the topic of scholarships as well, but you should only bring up the options for scholarships when you have developed your relationship with the coach. If you bring up the scholarship subject too early, you are only an athlete looking for money, not a team player who will be dedicated to the team.

In order to best approach the subject, you will need to prepare yourself for the multiple options that might come up.

What kind of financial aid do I need?

It is an important part of the recruiting process to sit down as a family and discuss what you can afford for college. Not only will this help determine which schools you will apply to but it can also help you make the ultimate decision when it comes time to selecting a school. Only top-tier athletes will earn a full-ride scholarship so it is important to be prepared for only partial scholarship money for tuition.

What do I need to do to earn a scholarship?

This is an important question to ask any college coach that you are talking to. You will be competing against other potential student athletes for available scholarship money and open positions on the team. By asking the coach what you need to do to beat out the other athletes, you are demonstrating to them your dedication to earning a spot on their team. Whether it’s hitting a new mark in your event, dropping time of your personal record, or scoring higher on the SAT, knowing what you need to achieve to earn that scholarship can make it or break it for you.

Am I one of the athletes being considered for a scholarship?

By asking a college coach whether you are being considered for an available scholarship, you will know where you stand on their recruiting board. If you know you have other athletes ahead of you in line, this will help you make the right choices for your next move. You can continue working with the coach to do what you need to earn the scholarship, or you can focus on working to earn a scholarship at another school where you might have a better chance. Either way, you won’t know where you stand unless you ask.

Do I qualify for any other type of scholarship?

There are more scholarships available to athletes than through the team itself. If you have good grades or test scores, you might qualify for an academic scholarship which can help pay for part of your tuition or the cost of books. There are also merit scholarships that you need to consider to help pay for college. These additional scholarships can often be found on the school’s website, or you can ask the coach to help you find them.

Do you have questions you need answers to? Leave them in the comments below or ask us on Facebook or Twitter.

If you are in the recruiting process, it’s even more important to stay in shape so that you can demonstrate to the college coaches that you are dedicated enough to work out during your vacation. College coaches expect that kind of hard work and persistence in their athletes.

Summer break for high school students usually means time away from practice and competition in their sport. While it is important to get a break to prevent burnout, but if you are not careful about your training, you could lose valuable opportunities to condition and improve. College coaches will want to see that you are using your summer break to be productive and it will very important to keep them updated while you are out of school.

In order to stay on track with your ability to get recruited, it’s always a good idea to make sure you work out during the summer. It can be difficult to have the motivation or time to put in workouts, especially if you are traveling. But it will make a huge difference when you return to the team in the Fall.

Here are the top 4 ways to keep in shape this summer:

Train with a Teammate:

It’s always more fun to work out with a buddy so get together with a teammate or two and do some training that you would normally do in practice with them. That way, you are all getting the conditioning and training you need and it’s with people who understand and know what needs to get done.

Ask your coach for a workout schedule:

Your coach should be more than willing to leave you with a list of stuff to practice and train for while you are gone for the summer. They would be a great resource for training ideas since they know your strengths and weaknesses. Being able to work on these on your own can make a big difference in your skill level when you get back to school.

Play for a Year-Round/Travel Team:

Playing for a club or travel team usually means their season extends into your high school team’s off-season. Being able to compete in games in tournaments while you are on break from your high school team means you will stay in decent shape before you head back to school. It will keep your muscles and endurance in similar condition as they would be if you were in season at high school.

Go to a Sport Camp:

Sports camps offer athletes a great way to train, condition, and work on specific skills with coaches during their summer break. These camps can be a great opportunity to spend some time at a college that the athlete is interested in as well. College coaches spend their time at camps evaluating athletes and offering tips and direction. Make sure to be in contact with the college coach before you go to their camp. That way, you have a better chance of being recognized and they will know to be on the lookout for you.

If you have any other questions about college division levels or other recruiting questions, than leave a comment below or you can connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Last week I discussed Timmy’s freshman year and his first summer as a high school athlete. This week I will cover Timmy’s full sophomore year and part of his junior year. As I have mentioned in past lessons, Timmy is a good student and athlete who just happens to make silly mistakes during his recruiting process. We want you to SPOT THEM and CORRECT THEM.

Sophomore Year

It’s August again and Timmy is back in shoulder pads for the first time since spring football. Everyone can tell Timmy is excited; this moment is all Timmy spoke about even though he spent the entire summer chilling out and playing with friends. Timmy learned from his first year of football making the varsity squad and getting decent playing time. He has become diligent in keeping his personal statistics.

By the end of football season Timmy had earned a starting position with his team and was slowly becoming a fan and media favorite. This excited his parents, they thought the more Timmy was featured in the newspaper, the more coaches were going to notice him. As Timmy ventured into basketball season he felt disconnected with the sport subsequently affecting his playing ability and statistics. Unfortunately this continued throughout the season causing Timmy to ride the bench quite often.

Trying Something New

Timmy decided to give Track a try during the spring and forwent an opportunity with the varsity baseball team. He was happy with his decision until he pulled his hamstring running the 400 yard dash at a meet. This injury ended his track season and ended his opportunity to attend any combines, tournaments, or showcases during the spring and early summer.

As mid-summer approached Timmy was back to full health with football on his mind. He decided to join some of his teammates at a few football camps. Not knowing much about the camps other than which ones his teammates previously selected, Timmy went all in. Upon returning from the camps Timmy felt he was a better football player and was hoping his new “skills” would show this upcoming season. Timmy’s skills came through having a breakout junior campaign!

“Discovering” Timmy

Timmy was one of the best players on his team, he had the stats, and he started getting form letters from schools ranging in division; Timmy thought his time to be recruited had started… his dreams were coming true! He thought he might start to contact coaches after the season but for now since he was getting letters they were obviously interested in him.

Timmy’s Mistakes

I featured 7 mistakes in this week’s lesson. As with all of Timmy’s lessons, I ask that you recognize and correct the mistakes in the comment section of this blog.

Mistakes from College Recruiting Mistakes #2: The Recruiting Video

#1- “Still guessing at which classes to take he moved swiftly through winter basketball”
Correction- As highlighted in Lesson #2 mistake #4, Timmy should have devised a plan for classes by this point.

#2- “Learning slightly from his mistakes with JV football he has his parents start filming his games.”
Correction- Highlight films are an important aspect of recruiting and should be taken seriously, proper game film should always be kept.

#3- “His parents were very big supporters, going to every game and cheering loud for their boy.”
Correction- If professional video footage is not an option then a parent should either be filming or cheering , not both.

#4- “At the end of Timmy’s freshman year Joe and Rita thought it would be best for Timmy to spend his summer having fun with his friends from the neighborhood as he has done every summer for many years.”
Correction- While time off is important, athletes with dreams of playing college sports should spend their summer becoming better at their sport. For Timmy he should have been attending camps and hitting the weight room.

#5- “Timmy’s coaches had other plans for Timmy in hopes he might become a varsity athlete his sophomore year but Timmy delighted in the idea of taking a break from sports and enjoying a couple months off.”
Correction- You should never ignore the advice of your coach when he or she is trying to make you a better athlete.

Do you have questions you need answers to? Leave them in the comments below or ask us on Facebook or Twitter.

Why you need to create recruiting goals

Having the goal of playing college sports, is something that most high school athletes dream about, but don’t know the proper steps of making it to the college level. Creating the right goals to get to the college level will help make the college recruiting successful. Student-athletes will need to learn how to create a clear pathway in order to reach their main goal of; playing college sports. First, they will need to begin by constructing a main goal.

The Main Goal

This is the goal you will need to have your sights set on. A goal so big you don’t think is possible until you lay out a path to get there. It will be a long term goal. A goal you will need to work hard to achieve, but will be worth the wait when you achieve it.

Your Main Goal might look like this: When I graduate high school, I want to play college tennis at University of California.

Keep in mind, in order to achieve your main goal you need to Be Specific

Creating a clear path with specific smaller goals will help you make the recruiting process easier to navigate. Here are some examples of creating your smaller goal pathway:

• During junior year season I will practice or train 6 times a week.
• Throughout my junior year I will compete in at least 7 tournaments.
• During junior year I will have researched colleges in which I will best be suited to play for and reach out to five coaches at those schools.

Obtainable

This is the most important step of the goal making process. You will need to make sure your goals are obtainable. Creating goals of playing at the NCAA division I level when you only started playing your sport as a high school senior may not be the most appropriate goal for you. This is not to say reaching the goal is impossible, it only means you will need to work much harder at getting to your ending point.

Give yourself time limits

Having goals with specific numbers and ending dates will make it better for you to see how hard you will need to work to achieve each smaller goal.

Evaluate

You need to take a look and review your goals every few weeks. This will give you time to make updates to your existing goals, create new goals and to cross off goals you have achieved. Looking over your goals frequently will also help remind you of what you will need to accomplish and work on in order to reach your main goal.

Remember to update your goals regularly, this will help you in navigating through your recruiting process and get you to your main goal. If you need any assistance in creating recruiting goals or with any other recruiting aspects than leave a comment below or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

If you are looking to get noticed by a college coach, it is imperative that you are presenting them with the best information possible. That means a great highlight video that displays your on court skills on both offense and defense, and a sport resume with your season statistics. There are tons of statistics used in basketball to help evaluate the competition levels of athletes.

Many athletes make the mistake of not having their stats ready when they contact college coaches. This tells the coach that you either you thought you didn’t have good enough stats to send to them or you were too lazy to collect them. Either way, it leaves a bad impression on the coach when you fail to give them this vital information.

College coaches want to see your basketball stats for a number of reasons. Here are the top three:

Shows your Progress: By sending the college coach multiple seasons of stats, you are giving them a chance to see how you have improved and progressed over time. Being able to see that is a huge benefit to coaches because it allows them to better evaluate your potential in their program. If you send them only one season of statistics, they won’t be able to judge how you might perform over your college career, and then won’t be interested in you.

Can use them to compare players: Stats for basketball are collected in the same way for every athlete. That’s why coaches like to use them to compare different potential student athletes that they might be considering for their program. If one high school basketball player has better stats that are more consistent than another player, chances are they will be more interested in the first athlete.

Shows them what you are capable of: Ultimately, statistics in basketball show how good of a player you are. The better the stats, the higher level you can compete in. And getting good stats is a matter of practice, training, skills, and playing time. Even if you have limited stat information, it is better to have some then none!

If you have any other questions about college division levels or other recruiting questions, than leave a comment below or you can connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Get an understanding of each division level; ask your current coach for advice or even get some tips by attending college camps and showcases where you will be working with college coaches. It’s important to not be stubborn about this; thinking that you are a division I athlete when coaches clearly know you are not, will make your recruiting process miserable. College coaches will be reluctant to respond to athletes they feel do not meet the level of competition for their program.

Here is a quick overview of the different college division levels, get a sense of which college will be the best fit for you.

NCAA division I

Division I is what many recruits think of when they begin considering college sports, mostly because of how ESPN televises top high school athletes’ signing NLI’s. Division I schools begin recruiting and expressing their interest in athletes early; this does not mean you will not have a chance at playing at a DI if you’re not being recruited now, only that college coaches need to know who you are. Coaches at this level expect recruits to have the necessary experience in their sport including club and travel teams, along with years of experience and dedication to the sport.

NCAA division II

Like division I, athletes are able to obtain an athletic scholarship at this level of competition. Division II also consists of colleges which compete at top levels of play. The competition is tough, but if you have the drive, experience and the grades than you will be able to find a suitable college at this level.

NCAA division III

This is the only NCAA division level where athletes do not register with the NCAA eligibility center because athletes at this level are not eligible to gain an athletic scholarship; instead, athletes will need to apply for institutional financial aid the same as the student-body population.

NAIA

NAIA colleges and universities are a great option for high school athletes who wish to continue playing sports at the college level, but who also want to concentrate on life after college sports. NAIA schools pride themselves on being a small community, consisting of colleges and universities with smaller populations. NAIA offers athletic scholarships; students will need to go through the NAIA eligibility center in order to meet requirements to participate in athletics at this level. NAIA is the perfect option for student-athletes who love their sport and take their academics seriously.

NJCAA

National Junior College Athletic Association is where student-athletes who wish to attend a 2-year college will go. NJCAA colleges are able to offer student-athletes scholarships; granted the school has the funds for scholarships, be sure to discuss this with coaches first. Athletes interested in participating at the Junior college level will not need to go through an eligibility process, only meet requirements of the junior college they wish to attend. Some student-athletes have planned to attend a junior college first in order to get a feel for playing sports at the college level. Junior colleges can be a good way for an athlete to get their feet wet and then to transfer to a 4-year college.

Remember to keep your options open in order to expand your college opportunities.

If you have any other questions about college division levels or other recruiting questions, than leave a comment below or you can connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Ice hockey is different from many other college sports, not just in the limited number or programs, but in recruiting as well. Unlike most other sports, it is not unusual for ice hockey players to play a couple of years of Junior A League Hockey before being able to earn a scholarship for college.

That is why it is important for ice hockey players to start their recruiting before they start their Junior League careers. College coaches will want to hear from the athlete as they prepare to start their tour in the Junior League. That way, the college coach can follow the athlete’s progress throughout their time in the Junior League. This is their way of evaluating the athlete for a possible scholarship.

Here are some great hockey-specific recruiting tips to help you through the process:

Start Early

In order for college coaches to have an accurate evaluation of your skills and potential in college, they will want to follow your progress even before you start playing in the Junior Leagues. You might think that it doesn’t make sense to contact college coaches so far in advance, but coaches are used to following athletes for multiple years. The evaluation of hockey players is an important part of their program and college ice hockey recruiting has the special circumstances it needs to allow this.

Don’t Forget Your Grades

For many ice hockey athletes, they find themselves away from traditional high school classes since they end up touring and playing the Junior Leagues before they graduate high school. Many of these athletes will take online classes or homeschooled programs to finish their degree. It is very important not to slack on completing your high school education. College coaches are looking not only for strong athletes but for strong students as well. Having good grades and test scores can improve your chances of finding a scholarship.

Stay in Contact With College Coaches

If you start playing in the Junior Leagues, it will be crucial for your recruitment to stay in contact with the college coaches that you reached out to. In order to be able to follow your progress, make it as easy as possible for them. Send them updates on your schedule whenever there are changes or extensions. You should also be sure to send them your up-to-date stats on your recent games.

To ask more questions about ice hockey scholarships and recruiting, find us on Facebook or Twitter!

Ending out Freshman Year

Picking up where I left off, Timmy had finished football season and was ready to move on with the rest of his freshman year. Still guessing at which classes to take he moved swiftly through winter basketball and into spring baseball having successful 1st seasons with both teams; given his athletic abilities this wasn’t a surprise to many.

Learning slightly from his mistakes with JV football he has his parents start filming his games. His parents were very big supporters, going to every game and cheering loud for their boy. Sometimes this made filming rather difficult but they stuck through the process.

At the end of Timmy’s freshman year Joe and Rita thought it would be best for Timmy to spend his summer having fun with his friends from the neighborhood as he has done every summer for many years. Timmy’s coaches had other plans for Timmy in hopes he might become a varsity athlete his sophomore year but Timmy delighted in the idea of taking a break from sports and enjoying a couple months off.

As directed with this series, please take notice of the mistakes that Timmy and his family have made in this segment of Timmy’s high school and recruiting experience. Tell us in the comment section which mistakes you have found and how you personally would have done things differently if you were in Timmy’s shoes.

Timmy’s Mistakes

This week’s segment featured 5 mistakes made by Timmy and/or Timmy’s parents, did you find them? Also, I included 1 positive decision in this week’s segment as well, did you notice it? As written at the top of each week’s lesson, please find and correct Timmy’s mistakes in the comment section of the blog!

Mistakes from College Recruiting Mistakes #1: NCAA Eligibility

#1- “Like what most athletes want at a young age, Timmy wanted more than anything to become a professional athlete.”

Correction- Although having dreams of being a professional athlete are great and quite popular among youth today, the possibilities are also a LONG SHOT. It is great to have dreams but solidify those dreams with a good solid reality as well. In this case Timmy should have a backup plan in case professional sports don’t work out.

#2- “He wasn’t sure in what sport but he knew he wanted money and fame!”

Correction- It’s always a good idea to understand your strengths. This is difficult as a freshman but is a good idea to have thoughts in your mind about which sport you would want to play in college.

#3- “Although it was against his parents ideals, they let him revel in fantasy because he was doing so well in everything else.”

Correction- Timmy’s parents should have done a better job of managing their son’s “dreams.” They should re-enforce the power of education and let Timmy know if he works hard and has luck on his side then MAYBE professional sports will work out; if they don’t he has a solid education to work off of.

#4- “Timmy has decided to take random classes and, like his youth, attempt to play every sport imaginable offered at his high school.”

Correction: Even as an incoming freshman you and your family need to have set goals in place understanding what classes it will take to become a college student-athlete. Accomplish this by educating yourself with information found in the NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete and speak with a guidance counselor.

#5- “He played the entire season on JV, had a good year with good statistics but no one would know because he didn’t track them.”

Correction: Again, even as a freshman statistics are extremely important as they tell your journey as an athlete each year. If for some reason you have great stats one year and the next not so great, there’s a story there. The same goes for someone who progressively gets better each season and can show that through numbers.

#6- “He had good film too but you couldn’t watch it because the coach eventually taped over it.”

Correction- Similar to keeping statistics, it’s wise to have film that shows your progression as an athlete. This film can also help you to get invites to camps and showcases you might not get otherwise.

Do you have questions about your recruiting? Leave them in the comments below of find us on Facebook or Twitter.