Broaden your recruiting horizons and visit multiple schools during the athletic recruiting process

I have spent the past two years harping time and time again about the importance to consider all of your options during the athletic recruiting process. You may have the biggest Division I eyes known to the world but if all of them suddenly disappear after you have a poor senior year, what are your backup plans? These schools also have recruiting boards and may not even take time big time athletes like yourself.
If you are a football recruit going through the process, the fall is a great time to broaden your horizons. The reason this time is important for football recruits is because you can go to campuses and see schools in action. If schools are willing to offer you free tickets and you have access to a vehicle that can get you to the game, you might as well try to see what schools at all levels have to offer.
The more visits that you take, the more opportunity that you will personally have to be able to compare schools with one another. You may think that you are a Division I football player and that is all you want to do. But when you take a trip to State University and actually get a feel for the size of the campus and sheer amount of people that go to the school, you may change your mind. At the same time, you may end up falling in love with the school and hoping for an opportunity to even walk-on at State University.
The same can be said for the Division III level. There is a lot I love about Division III football because it is so pure. Most games are not televised and these athletes are basically playing for the love of the game. But one thing that most Division III schools are lacking is a huge following. So don’t go to a Division III game expecting a huge tailgate and a great crowd for the games. Outside of family members, the local community, and some students, not that many people are going to be coming to the game.
The reason that you should try to take as many visits as you can is simply to get a feel for all the schools at different levels. You can do all the research online you want but the best way to get a real feel for a campus and a college is to actually drive your butt there and walk around. Without that, it is nearly impossible to make your own assumptions about the school.
A few years back I was told by someone how great this certain Division III school was. According to the person that I talked to, they had brand new facilities and everything was first class. I finally had an opportunity to visit there a while back and it wasn’t all that special. It didn’t seem all that new and I wasn’t really sure where my source for his information. That is why taking trips yourself is so vital.
So if you have the time, money, and wheels to get around, you might as well take advantage of comparing schools and their game day atmosphere. Also, don’t always go to the big rivalry game. Some smaller colleges are smart enough to schedule recruiting visits for the day when the fans actually care about the game. The off games are sometimes the ones to watch and see how the crowd reacts. Did anyone come? Were they into the game? Can you see yourself playing there for the next four or five years?

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Financial advice when you get a raise

[This is a "first draft". Comments appreciated.]

One of the best pieces of financial advice I ever got was to pretend you didn't get a raise, and send the increment to your retirement or long-term investing or to accelerate debt repayment.

Simply wait until your first paycheck with the new amount and see how much higher the take-home is. Set up an automatic deposit or transfer of that amount into your long term investment.

The theory is that you are used to living without that money. So, why pocket it? Instead, put it towards something that will help you in the long term. Most people put off saving for retirement until it is too late, or think that they can't save for retirement. They end up in their 50s or 60s realizing they should have started a long, long, time ago. The reality is that if you start saving a little bit of money each paycheck, just $20 to start, you won't miss it now, and in the future you'll be surprised at how much it has grown.

You were saving nothing towards requirement before, now you are saving something. Something is more than nothing. The way compound interest works, a little something early on turns into a lot of money in the future.

The money you invest in long-term savings often doubles every 10-15 years That is, save $100 now, and in 14 years (assuming 5 percent, which is typical for index funds) that $100 will be $200. If you do this when you are 25, by the time you retire at 65 that $100 will be about $735... a $635 profit and you did zero work! (Zero work other than ignoring the monthly statements for 40 years!)

I didn't get this advice until I was in my mid-thirties. If I had followed that advice since my very first post-college job, I'd have approximately $150,000 more in my retirement account. I could be retiring a year earlier!

If I had gotten the advice when I was first in the job market, I probably wouldn't have followed it. I was living paycheck-to-paycheck as the tech industry wasn't paying sysadmins much back then. However, if I had taken a few steps (brown-bagging my lunch instead of eating out every day), I could have set aside $100 each month easily. That would have been 120 additional $100 payments, each gathering compound interest for 30-40 years.

Let me check my privilage for a moment and acknowledge that not everyone can do this technique. A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet and that raise is much-needed for current expenses. This is especially true if you are just starting a new family or have other large expenses. When I was living paycheck-to-paycheck that was because I had a spending problem, not an earning problem. Believe you me they are way different.

So, where should you put this new money that you are pretending you don't have?

If you are in debt, put it towards paying off that debt. Do this for consumer and high-interests debt (credit cards, student loans, and so on) but not necessarily for your home mortgate.
(Why not your home mortgage?) Make it the "extra amount" you add to the highest interest rate debt you have. Suppose that's an 23% interest rate credit card with a monthly minimum payment of $200, and your raise is an additional $50 per month. Pay $250 each month until that debt is gone. Now the debt that has the highest interest rate (was the second highest) should be your target. Suppose it has a $100 monthly minimum payment. You can now lump that $250 as the extra amount for that debt, for a monthly payment of $350. Continue doing this until all your consumer debt is paid off and then live a debt-free life. This technique is called "snowballing" because the "extra" amount grows like a snowball rolling down a hill. When you are debt-free, take advantage of the fact that you are used to living without that amount just like you do with a raise.

If you are not in debt, increase your 401k contributions. This year the most you can put into your 401k in 2018 is $18,500. That is $1542 per month if you are paid monthly, $771 if you are paid twice a month, or $356 if you are paid weekly. If your 401k plan requires you to specify a percentage, not a dollar amount, talk with your payroll department. They'll do the math for you to figure out the right percent.

Most 401k programs match up to a certain amount. Suppose your employer matches the first 2 percent of your salary. (I assure you your matching plan is different, but this amount makes my math easy.) If you put 4 percent of your salary into your 401k, you'll see the equivalent of 6 percent going into your account each month. Ify ou contribute less than 2 percent, you are leaving money on the table. My advice? Don't let your employer keep that money! If a contribution of that size will mean you'll have to eat out less, make your coffee instead of going to Starbucks every day, etc. its probably worth it.

An interesting tidbit about 401k's: The matching is based on the percentage not on the dollar amount. Suppose Mary and Sally both max out their 401k by contributing $18,500 every year. If Mary makes $100k, that 2 percent match is $2,000. Sally makes $150k, so her match is $3000/year. People that make more money get more matching in absolute terms. It is yet another way that people that perks for wealthy people are everywhere.

If you have maxed out your 401k, then put the increment into a mutual fund or other long-term investment.

I am not a financial advisor, so you should not take financial advice from me. Consult a professional. That said, I like the mutual funds that are named after the year you plan on retiring, like the VTTSX - Vanguard Target Retirement 2060 Fund which does the right thing for a typical person who plans on retiring around the year 2060.

Normally what a financial advisor does is set you up with a diverse mix of funds that are at the right risk/reward ratio for your comfort. The typical investor can handle more risk when they are young, and less risk when they are closer to retirement. They'll "rebalance" you every year to reflect that you are closer to retirement. Therefore, some very smart people realized that they could make mutual funds that do exactly that. This eliminates much of what people need financial advisors for. Considering how much an advisor can cost, this is good for people with simple needs.

Obviously if you have more than simple needs (like a lot of dependents, complex investments, multiple homes, you are saving for children's college, and so on) consider an investment advisor. However, until you have one, don't use it as an excuse to not invest at all!

Some random thoughts:

• Reward yourself. Use the first increment for a nice dinner or something you like. The paperwork to change your 401k witholding will probably take a paycheck or two anyway.
• If you get a big raise, consider putting half towards a short-term goal like the down payment on a house.
• Every time you have a major life change (change jobs, buy a house, have a child, etc.) you might have to rethink your snowballing and other monthly financial contributions. It is often a good time to reset.

In summary:

1 Pretend you don't get a raise. 2 Use the additional "increment" in your take-home for long-term investing. 3 First pay off toxic debt, then max your 401k, then retirement accounts. 4 Tom loves "target" mutual funds named after the approximate year you plan on retiring. It is lazy and awesome.

A lot of these ideas are in the book, The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach. Hey, I'm a sysadmin and I automate all my stuff, right? These techniques are about "set it and forget it" investing.

Don't let "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Set up automatic payments and let it roll. You'll forget about it and years later open your account and be surprised at how well you've done.

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Could being lazy cost you over $111,328 during the athletic recruiting process?

Yesterday I talked about what type of background work research college coaches do when trying to figure out which athletic recruits that they want to offer a scholarship to. And if there are two players on the fence, the coach is definitely going to offer the one who works the hardest and has the best character.
These coaches are looking for gym rats and weight room warriors who love working out and will inspire teammates to put in extra time (just ask the players at Michigan). But what happens if you are the type of player who goes through the motion and gets by on natural talent? Unfortunately, high school coaches are likely not going to lie to college coaches and make up how hard you work. And if that is the case, this really could cost you over $100,000 during the course of your four or five years in college.
In this hypothetical situation, lets say that you have spent your life dreaming of playing football at Michigan State (yes, Michigan State). You currently live in Ohio but have spent your life growing up and hoping to do everything that you can to play for the Spartans. You have attended their camps, taped their games, and have studied their football recruiting classes for the past decade.
The good news for you is that you have become quite an athlete as well. You have smaller Division I offers from schools like Kent State, Miami of Ohio, Ball State, and similar programs but your dream is to play at Michigan State. Their coaches have invited you to games, evaluated you at their camp, and continue to call when the rules allow it.
You know that they are taking two recruits at tight end and they already have a commit from one player there. They have another scholarship out to an athlete but he decided to commit to Notre Dame. It is now down to you and one other recruit. The coaches want to secure a commitment from one of you so they do some digging for a week. They watch your full game tapes (to see if you take plays off), attend a workout of yours, and then talk to your high school coach. Michigan State coaches do the exact same thing for the other recruit.
What they find is disappointing. The other recruit works a great deal harder and will likely be a better college player because of this. They offer that recruit and he accepts basically on the spot. Because you have always dreamed of playing college football in Lansing, you decide to eventually take their walk-on offer. So how much would a walk-on from outside of Michigan be paying this year to attend MSU? The total, again, just for this year, would be $27,832. While I believe tuition will go up, if it stays the same, that would be $111,328 for four years. Throw in a fifth year and it would be $139,160.
Again, prices vary in a lot of situations for colleges but if you had worked harder during games and in the off-season, it would have been a no brainer for Michigan State to extend a scholarship your way. But this is how things go in the football recruiting process or athletic recruiting process for that matter. College coaches find little things that end up being the difference between getting a full scholarship and a walk-on offer. It would be tough to be in this situation but it happens all the time.
So even if you are a wide receiver and the ball isn’t coming your way, it is never a good time to take a play off. It is never time to skip a weight lifting session because you want to relax with your girlfriend. Stuff like this happens all the time but in the end it may cost you over $100,000.

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What type of background check will a college coach do for an athletic recruit?

College coaches in all sports earn thousands and even millions of dollars to bring in the best athletes to help them win games, contests, or matches. Because you are not going to win a national title without top notch recruits, these coaches understand that they must find the best athletes who have enough character and ability to avoid trouble off the field/court.
So when a college coach is recruiting an athlete and considering a scholarship, what exactly will they be looking for? Who will they talk to in trying to track down information or you? What methods do they use to find this information? There are definitely some interesting ways that college coaches find out more information about athletic recruits and we will talk about that now.
First off, college coaches are looking for a lot of information about potential recruits. In these background checks, they are not worried about your skills or abilities. If they are at this point in the athletic recruiting process, then I am willing to bet that they think you are potentially good enough for a scholarship or walk-on offer. Why do all this digging for an athlete who doesn’t have what it takes to play at their school?
Some of the major things that they are looking for include work ethic, attitude, character, how you are as a person away from the court/field, and similar areas related to you overall. The reason that they are searching more into these areas because no matter how many times they watch your recruiting highlight video, they will be unable to get that much of a feel for you (although they really can tell a lot from a full game tape). These college coaches will use just about any means necessary and talk to a lot of people to find out this information.
So who could the coaches track down? Some of the main people include: your head coach, your assistant coaches, guidance counselors, teachers at your school, opposing coaches, people in the community, and experts that they trust in the area as well. One source that former Arizona head basketball coach Lute Olson used was the janitor. Do you act like a prick to your janitors and throw your garbage on the floor? I am unsure if it ever cost an athlete a scholarship but this is the perfect example of why to be a good person and not burn and bridges.
The reason that all of the areas come into play so much is because coaches do not want to recruit an athlete who is going to be headache down the line. They track all this information down on players that they are serious about. If you are a border line recruit, this information can send you over the edge for a scholarship offer.
Over the last decade, I have seen two great examples of how a background check turned out positively for recruits and another that didn’t go so well. The first was a basketball player who played at a very small school (yes, I have told this before by the way). It was basically a tiny program but he had size and ability. What eventually led to the scholarship offer was the fact that the college coach found out he lifted every morning at 5 AM. Again, this high school athlete was at the school every morning. Could he have taken that time off? Of course he could have but he didn’t.
The second was more recently about a football player who was told by the staff at his dream school that they were no longer going to recruit him. The coaches felt confident about other players at his position that they basically cut ties there. But a few weeks later, they invited him up for a visit and told him there was a walk-on offer available for him. The other recruit at his position then got in trouble shortly there after for robbing someone (I wish I was joking). The head coach came in that Monday and was so sick of dealing with idiot players that they offered this player a four in five year scholarship. The reason is because while he was limited athletically, he was a great kid and character would never be an issue.
Again, don’t let a character issue be the difference in getting a scholarship or not. These coaches will do a thorough job finding out more information on you as a person so hopefully you have done enough positive in life to not let anything come back and haunt you in that chase.

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Stack Overflow in NYC is hiring Windows SREs

Are you a Windows Server sysadmin?

Love PowerShell? Have experience with Microsoft SQL Server administration?

Looking to step up to an SRE position at a website all your friends love?

Apply to work with my team at Stack Overflow in NYC.

More info here: https://stackoverflow.com/jobs/190514/

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Chipotle Maple Tofu Tacos

These Chipotle Maple Tofu Tacos with spinach and smashed avocado, fresh lime juice on top are an easy and satisfying plant-based, protein-rich meal. This spicy-sweet tofu is the perfect filling to mingle with buttery avocado and a light layer of healthy greens. I love to serve my tacos with hot sauce and vegan sour cream, ranch or mayo on top. Get the recipe and make these tonight!..Read more »

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It is harder to get college athletic looks when breaking out as a senior

The easiest way to get recruited and stay recruited during your high school athletic career is get to the varsity level early and make a name for yourself.  By doing this, it makes it easier for you to get your name out to college coaches.  These coaches can see you early in your career and see the improvements that you have made over the off-season.  While this is the ideal way to go, it doesn’t always happen like that.

We recently had a comment from a grandparent who saw his grandson really break on the scene this fall on the football field.  He was wondering when the recruiting attention would start after such a break out year.  The problem is that when you break out as a senior, it is a much tougher battle to impress college coaches and earn a college scholarship.  It may not be fair but that is the way it works in the world of recruiting.

College coaches, especially at the Division I-A (BCS) level, like to get recruiting started and finished as early as possible.  These coaches are always looking ahead to the biggest and best thing.  They may be working to finish this class but if a coach has been in the State for a while, they have a great feel on the upcoming juniors, sophomores, and possibly even freshmen.

Let me state that even if you are not on their initial radar, it doesn’t mean that you can’t earn a scholarship at the college at next level.  The problem is that you are going to have to work a lot harder to make up for lost time.  Most athletes don’t worry about which school will realistically offer them if they are not producing on the field.  You must now find a way to make up for that time and make the most of your opportunities in the eyes of college coaches.

If you are striving for Division I-A attention in any of the BCS schools and you don’t have interest from these programs, chances are slim that you can get a scholarship offer.  Walking on may be a potential thing to look into but break out seniors rarely receive Division I offers from those major programs.  As mentioned above, these schools are focused in on a number of targets that they have already evaluated and seen in person.  Getting them to watch your video this late in the process is not going to be easy.  Your tape must be amazing to really get a serious scholarship look from these schools (again, it can happen but the odds are against you).

In all honesty, my focus would be at the Division I-AA (FCS) and Division II levels.  These schools are normally a step behind in the recruiting process simply because they are waiting to see which athletes the Division I-A schools offer.  These FCS programs do offer a few athletes here and there but they usually wait until late November, December, and even January to really make it apparent as to which athletes they want to land in each class.

These schools rarely have commitments this early and that means more scholarship money is open at these schools.  If you can impress them with your recruiting profile, then there is a better chance to have them watch your highlight video.

A good example of getting this to happen is when a football player is either hurt his junior year or playing behind another Division I athlete during that year.  If that is the case, then you may be sitting there waiting in the wings and hoping for a chance.  At most schools, unless you are far and away better than the senior ahead of you (during your junior year), chances that you will be sitting most of the time.

If you are a recruit who just broke out during your senior year and have little recruiting interest, here are a few things that you should do differently that could help you get that scholarship offer:

• Broaden your search: Don’t just focus on the big schools in your State.  Look at schools that may fit you all over the country and at all levels.  I don’t want to hear the Division I eyes excuse like I normally get either.
• Put together a fantastic highlight tape: If you break out as a senior recruit, make sure that highlight tape is as good as it can be.  This will help.
• Have a very professional recruiting profile ready to send: This needs to showcase what you did as a senior and why you didn’t do it as a junior.  These coaches need to know
• Get your video out there: It doesn’t matter if it is Hudl, Youtube, Scout, Rivals, or anywhere else, get your highlights out to the public and in front of as many people as possible.
• Contact media people in your area to try and help: What is the worst that can happen, they will say no?  Getting some publicity is a great thing.  Twitter and social media will help as well.
• Make up for lost time: The next few months need to be spent researching schools, contacting coaches, and getting your name out there.  The time you spend will pay off if you work hard enough and are good enough on the field.

 

 

 

 

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Vitamix Giveaway!

Hey all! As I mentioned in my last post, I am knee-deep in packing, getting ready for a move. And a month or so ago I bought a Vitamix to use for a giveaway. Well I want to get it off my hands before the move, so here we go! I am excited to host this Vitamix giveaway for all the folks who have supported me through the years by buying or borrowing one of my cookbooks. Here are the details!...Read more »

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Advice on sending out senior game tapes to college coaches during the football recruiting process

Once your junior season of football ends, I believe it is extremely vital to put together a recruiting highlight video that you can send to college coaches and post online at a number of free websites.  But what about seniors during the middle of the season?

If you have followed the steps outlined in The Five Steps to a Scholarship and are good enough, then I would expect that college coaches would want to see game tapes from your first two to four games.  I have made fun of it before college coaches will tell you to keep working hard and that they will keep evaluating you following their summer camps.  These game tapes are the further evaluation that they are looking to do.

First off, the reason that these college coaches are requesting these game tapes is for a few different reasons.  The first is that they want to see if you made any progress since their summer camp.  If they told you to work on your flexibility and strength, if you have done so, it should be obvious on the game tapes.  The second major reason is they want to get a feel for you when you don’t get the ball.  Are you taking plays off?  Are you being lazy when the ball is not rushed your way?  These are things that they want to know.  This is also why you should never take plays off.  Is a five second rest worth costing you a scholarship?

With this being your senior year and halfway through the month of September, there is a decent chance that you have already played three full regular season games (don’t include preseason/scrimmages).  They are not looking for a highlight tape, they want to see the whole enchilada.  So how do you figure out which coaches to send the tapes to?

With it being two weeks into September, how many college coaches have called you?  Have you asked them about the evaluation process?  What do they believe you need to do next?  If they take the time to call you this fall, then they are interested in your abilities.  You need to figure out what they want.  My guess is that they want these full game tapes.

Do not, I repeat, do not send three game tapes to coaches that are not showing you much interest.  While I can see you sending game tapes to school that didn’t call, I can promise you it would be easier to just throw away the game tapes than send it to a school that has not been showing much interest overall in the recruiting process.  This cold sending rarely works for a three minute highlight video.  Just imagine what will happen with three hours of game tapes.

Hopefully you will have no problems securing game tape from your high school coach.  This is very important simply because you must be able to get good game footage to send out.  If not, how exactly are coaches going to be able to figure out if you worked on a few areas of weakness?

My overall thoughts are that you should send out three game tapes to colleges that are recruiting you.  However, I must say this.  I don’t recall any Division I school suddenly offering after seeing this game tape.  These Division I coaches likely have a hierarchy of recruits.  You may be the third offensive tackle that they are recruiting.  Athletes normally get that scholarship if the two players ahead of you pick another school, leaving you as the top option.

There are situations where this does occur but in all honesty it is rare.  That is why I feel you should be marketing yourself to different schools.  If you don’t have any offers and have Division I-A attention, look for Division I-AA schools.  Your quickest way to a scholarship is likely to open the door to a new school and see what they think.

 

 

 

 

 

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The lowdown on unofficial football recruiting visits

With the college football season in full swing, I have seemed to be fielding more questions that relate to unofficial visits as of late.  These unofficial visits are something that I strongly recommend and something that I feel will give you a better feel with regards to what a school has to offer.

So with that in mind, I am going to use this article to give readers a low down on unofficial visits, the importance of them for you, for the college, and touch on a variety of other areas as well.  This includes if a college coach will move on to another recruit if you don’t show.

I think the best place to start is a definition of an unofficial visit.  This is a trip where you will be paying for travel, accommodations, and most of the food yourself.  The school will give you three tickets to the game and if you are really lucky, they will feed you as well.  Being fed by the coaches depends on the specific school.

Again, you will be paying a big chunk of change if there is travel involved so keep that in mind before heading on an unofficial that you must fly to.  For the record, I would avoid taking unofficial visits to programs that are over four hours away by car unless they have offered.  The reason is because you could be spending hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars for what turns out to be nothing.  You may fall in love with the school but if they don’t extend a scholarship, it won’t matter.  That is why it is vital to stay close to home for these unofficial visits, unless of course they have already offered.

So who gets invited to these unofficial visits?  I hate to say it but basically anyone and everyone on the recruiting database for that school.  I recently was told by a recruit who went on an unofficial visit that one of the coaches told them that there were 120 recruits in attendance.  Again, these are the athletes who actually took the time to make the trip.  If 120 actually made it to campus, I would gather that at least 300 received invites.  Let me stress the at least part of that statement.

The reason why colleges try to bring so many athletes onto campus is because unless they have offered, they don’t want to burn bridges with potential recruits.  My example is this.  Say you are a junior and you put together a great sophomore year.  You have been on a number of recruiting databases but no schools have offered yet.  State University knows you are good but are still not sure if you can play at that level.

The reason they try to bring you onto campus is just in case you blow up.  If you do really make strides as a junior and show that you are scholarship worthy, these coaches know that you have been to their school and had an opportunity to see the game day atmosphere.  These visits are vital for coaches because many feels that half the battle is getting an athlete on campus.

Imagine the same scenario for a junior athlete who did not receive any game day invites.  When he eventually blows up on the recruiting scene, the coaches at State University would have a tougher time getting into the picture because they haven’t met him, brought him on campus, and tried to sell them what their school has to offer.  This is the exact reason why Division II schools usually only offer scholarships when an athlete takes an official visit.  Getting them to come to their school cannot be more vital overall in the recruiting process for athletes that they seriously hope to land.

What happens if I can’t make the trip?  While coaches love seeing all athletes in-attendance, there is no doubt in my mind that they also understand that making visits is not easy for athletes.  They know that the players have their own season, school, family, and other areas that are a huge priority.  Getting to games is important but no, they are not going to suddenly stop recruiting you simply because you were unable to attend.  I would let them know that you appreciated the offer but can’t say reasons A, B, and C.  Chances are that the coaches will want you to come back in the future, and with every school having a lot of home games, you should be able to get more tickets.

In wrapping up, unofficial visits again are the ones that you are paying for out of pocket.  Don’t expect the school to reimburse you because it just won’t happen.  It is also important to reiterate that taking unofficial visits to school far away from home are usually a waste of time and money unless the school has offered.  Unless there is a huge game that you want to see because you are a fan of college football (ie: Florida-Georgia, Oklahoma-Texas, USC-UCLA), spending big time money does not mean anything will come of it.  That is why I would make sure that there is a scholarship on the table before you go take an in-depth look at schools outside of a four hour driving radius.

 

 

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Does having a teammate who is also being recruited help or hurt you in the athletic recruiting process?

There are some high school programs who are blessed with multiple Division I athletes year after year. They send a number of players every decade to that level as they have proven to be a pipeline for colleges. Other high schools may be lucky to have a Division I athlete once every fifty years. It really just depends on the school, the population of the area, and a number of similar factors along those lines.
But if you are one of the lucky ones who is at a school that has other college prospects in your class, is that going to help you or hurt you? Will you be overshadowed by your own teammates or will having someone talented next to you help open doors that may not have been opened without them? Find out as we take a look at all of this now.
I think that sometimes it does depend on the sport and the school as well. Some programs are better equipped than others to handle the recruiting process of multiple athletes. Most of the schools that do have pipelines to the scholarship level in college have a system in place that will help send athletes there as well.
A school like this is great because it most likely means that you have a coaching staff who has helped athletes through the recruiting process before. They may not know everything but they have helped previous athletes at that school go on to the scholarship level. And while that it not always necessary, it certainly is not going to hurt you having a high school coach know what he is doing.
It is sometimes also easier for the college coaches to call the high school coaches and ask about multiple athletes as opposed to trying to track down separate high school coaches. Another financial factor that this could help is it eases the burden of travel with camps and unofficial visits to schools. You have a built in travel buddy with you.
While there are some obvious benefits, there could be some reasons why it hurts both athletes. Again, it does depend on the sport but jealousy could creep in. It depends on the relationship between the two athletes (and their families, let me stress that) but in a sport like basketball, if one athlete is taking all the shots, the other may get frustrated. An athlete could also be disappointed if their teammate gets a scholarship offer but they put up better numbers over the course of the season (this happens and is a great case for why the high school seasons don’t matter much in recruiting).
You may also have a high school coach who either is new to the recruiting process or just doesn’t have the time to handle two athletes being recruited. I have said this before but high school coaches are stretched in so many different ways year after year. Putting the time and effort into two athletes in one class may be an impossible task for some college coaches to juggle.
I think in the long run if you can avoid the jealously issue, it is a huge benefit to have a potential college athlete along side you. I would assume it would help your team win more games, and if you can get to State, that should help the recruiting for both players. If one sends out tape, the college coaches are always looking for anyone who can play so that may help you as well. If you are in this situation, I would feel blessed that someone else has put in the time and dedication to the best as well and that should only help the team and your abilities grow.

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Focusing on phone calls from college coaches during the athletic recruiting process

If you are a senior athlete hoping to get recruited, one of the ways that college coaches will express a great deal of interest in you is by calling.  As shown in the Levels of Recruiting Interest Article, the only thing that a coach can do in the recruiting process to show more interest is bring you for an official visit or extend a scholarship offer.  This phone call means that they really are serious about you.

While it is great to receive call after call, it is not always an easy process for a teenager to be able to focus on what the coach is talking about.  You may be talking to so many different coaches that it is tough to focus ask the questions that you are looking to get answered.  Schools at all levels call athletes, even if they have Division I offers.  It just happens.  So here are some hints and tips as to what you should do when taking calls.

The first thing you need to realize is that if you are getting any calls at all, you are a very good athlete.  These schools only call athletes that they are at least somewhat interested in.  While call after call can get annoying (just wait football recruits who haven’t made a decision), you are very lucky to have been put in this situation.  Things could be much worse with no calls and a lack of overall interest.  The more calls, the more interest you have so realize that it is a good thing.

When these coaches do call, I would recommend to have a file about each school that calls.  You should have some blank sheets of paper where you can write down notes and you may also look ahead and have questions about the school.  Because you are never 100% sure about what schools specifically are going to call, it may be best to have a master list of questions that you ask all schools that call.  I would talk to your parents and family about helping you set up a recruiting filing system so you can track when they are contacting you.

One of the toughest things for a teenager to do during the call is actually focus on the call itself.  With video games, TV, and computers, there are distractions everywhere.  I have always said that you should consider all your options so even if it is a Division III school, unless you have Division I or II offers, you should focus on the call and learn more about their school.  Yes, it will take some of your time away but it won’t hurt to broaden your recruiting base and see what this school has to offer.

During the months of December and January, things seem to really start heating up in the football recruiting process.  If you are a recruit who has been getting looks from Division I-AA (FCS) and Division II schools, there is little doubt that you must brace yourself for a very stressful and hectic time.  This will include visits to the schools, coaches visiting you, and also a number of phone calls.  There is also a balance for you with your family and your friends as well.

If you are that good of an athlete that you receive ten to twenty calls a week, you must do a great job managing your time.  These coaches are likely going to call during the evening while you may be studying for a test or doing homework.  Will you put down the books to talk to the college coaches?  Or will you call them back at another time?  This is something that you must seriously think about during each and every evening because there are likely going to be a lot of schools and coaches calling.

That is why having files on each school is so important.  If there are really fifteen schools calling you (which really may happen), you may confuse the coaches and the schools.  There will just be a lot going through your head at this time.  So if you keep detailed notes about what you talked about and what the coach says about visits and offers, you can refer to those when speaking with them again.

The calls are made to help create a bond between you and the coaches.  If they call you four times before you visit, they will know a lot about you going into the trip and be able to fit what you are looking for better.  You will be more comfortable and they may have already been able to lineup a professor in the Business department to speak with you about your interest in that as a major.  This legwork needs to be done beforehand and if you sit on the phone just listening to the coach, this interaction and bond will not happen.

Take advantage of these calls from college coaches no matter what sport you play.  I will be talking about what questions you should ask in the near future but for senior recruits, this is something that you should start preparing for if it has not been happening already.

 

 

 

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The athletic recruiting process for ALL sports is very similar

If you have been a long time reader of Recruiting-101, there is no doubt that you would have realized that we focus mostly on football, basketball, and then add in some baseball as well. Yes, it doesn’t seem to be fair in the over athletic equation but I personally don’t know how much that really matters.

My points is that regardless of the sport, the athletic recruiting process is pretty similar in football and golf. Or basketball and softball. There are some time changes as far as when recruiting gets started and the official title of their summer teams, but I do believe that the lessons I talk about in regards to the athletic recruiting process can be applied to all other sports as well.

I feel that the most popular sport I write about is football. Because of the sheer numbers of football players trying to be recruited, I think that helps me bring in the most readers. So how exactly could those lessons I talk about in regards to football translate over to softball/baseball?

That is very easy in my opinion. Let me state that I believe the major difference is at the Division I-A (BCS) level, football coaches can only offer full scholarships while softball and baseball are allowed to offer partial scholarships. This is something that varies greatly because you could be a baseball player who brags about your scholarship and it is only 10% of your tuition. If you are a Division I-A/BCS scholarship football player, the school is paying for your entire schooling.

For football recruits, college coaches want you to visit the campus. They will try and bring you in for game day visits and Junior Day trips. These coaches know that getting an athlete to campus is half the battle. The same exact statement could come from a baseball/softball coach as well. While they may not try to bring in the sheer numbers that football does, these sports have Junior Days and try to get athletes that they like onto their campus to show them their facilities, academics, and give them a better overall feel for what the campus is like.

Unlike basketball, it seems that these sports do wait a little while to extend scholarship offers. Unless the athlete is just a freak of nature, then all three sports won’t be offering too many freshman and sophomores. The reason is because it is hard to get a real feel for their abilities early on. Again, basketball is so much different in terms of this.

Top football recruits spend the summer going to football camps in order to impress college coaches. Top baseball/softball players spend months playing for club teams and attending showcases. Each allows the athletes to get in front of college coaches so that they can determine their abilities. Camps are much more important in football but baseball/softball coaches will offer standout players at their camps.

There may be a difference in the how much media attention the recruiting process for both receives (football = way too much; baseball/softball = very little) but the same lessons can be applied to each. Some of my recent articles about a teammate being recruited is for all sports. There was also the lowdown on unofficial visits and broadcasting your recruiting attention. If you are looking in the correct context. they all apply. I believe that while there are differences between all sports, the overall athletic recruiting process is similar regardless if it is football, badminton, lacrosse, or anything else.

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Two things that will spark football recruiting interest during the fall for seniors

In the minds of most athletes and especially their parents, the way to improve your stock in the eyes of college coaches and get recruited by a number of big schools as a senior is to put together a great senior season.  I have heard this from countless players that they are focusing on the season and will let the recruiting take care of itself.  But even if you have an Elite All State season as well as break numerous State and school records, that doesn’t mean it will help you in the recruiting process all that much.

In my opinion for seniors, there are two things that will really spark your overall football recruiting interest at the highest levels.  Because these schools have already worked ahead and know what players they are going to recruit, a great senior year won’t cut it.  So with that in mind, find out what two things could really spark your overall recruiting.

I came up with these two things simply by following the recruiting process of a school in the Big 12.  This program has had a lot of success over the last decade and that includes multiple finishes in the top 10 poll at the end of the season.  And although this may vary by college, I can promise you that most schools do thing this way (especially at the BCS/Division I-A level).

Getting that first offer
I say this all the time but scholarship offers breed other scholarship offers.  The reason is because college coaches evaluate a prospect who has received an offer from a school at their level (especially if they are a conference rival) longer than one that doesn’t have any offers on the table.  Opposing college coaches don’t want to be the one that let a future All American slip out of their home state.  So if Tennessee knows that Auburn has offered an in-state prospect, I am willing to bet a lot of money that the Vols will make damn sure that they have studied film and done a background check on him.

This is the exact reason why I have always stressed to broadcast your overall recruiting attention.  You need to have people in the media that can make sure that word will get out that State University has offered a scholarship.  Once Out of State University knows, they are certainly going to take a longer look.  The good thing is you can also sell this Division I offer on your recruiting profile as well.

Going back to the Big 12 school I mentioned above, over the last five years, I can only remember them offering three kids at this point in the recruiting process who attended their camp.  The reason that they eventually offered two of them (I will talk about the third soon) is because they received another offer from a school at a similar level.  Once that happened, the Big 12 school basically realized that they didn’t have much of a choice.  It was either offer him or let him go.

Seeing other prospects at your position commit elsewhere (or even decommit)
If you are really a recruiting junkie and follow the football recruiting process very in-depth, you can watch the domino process of what happens when a high profile recruit commits to a school.  The position that it is easiest to follow is at quarterback simply because most schools take at least one quarterback every year or two.

Take a high profile like the #1 rated lineman in the country.  This senior is listed by Rivals.com as having a top six of Florida, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC.  In this hypothetical situation, just say that this recruit picks Florida and they fill their offensive line commitments for this class and are done recruiting there.  But there are still five other schools trying to figure out their number situation.  Minnesota and Notre Dame have other lineman that they really like and with their top target gone, they decide to offer a recruit that they have ranked as a B (as opposed to the A’s they had offered earlier).  Ohio State doesn’t like who they have left on their board so they decide to bank the scholarship at this point.  Oklahoma and USC loved this athlete but didn’t need a lineman so they use their scholarship for another position.

The crazy thing about this story is that it happens all the time, it is just hard to follow unless you have inside access to the college coaches. If you have attended a camp, visited the school, and know that they like you but they haven’t offered, then there is a good chance that you could be a B, C, or D recruit.  You may need a few breaks with other prospects picking elsewhere to get a scholarship from that school, regardless how good you look on your senior tape.  Yes, some schools may be wowed by that tape but this usually means very little from a school that has already seen you.

I do always try to stress that if you are a senior and if the schools recruiting you haven’t offered yet, then you need to broaden your search and look for other programs.  The reason is because unless the dominoes fall your way, then likely will get a walk-on at most from that school.

It really does suck for recruits out there but outside of finding new schools, these are the two major ways to spark recruiting interest from programs that are currently showing you interest.  Start looking outside your immediate area and find programs that could be a better fit.  You may find a school that is perfect for you or an offer from a new school may lead to a scholarship from one close to home.

 

 

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"Continuous Discussion" Video Podcast today!

The next episode of the "Continuous Discussion" video podcast will include a panel discussion about the upcoming DevOps Enterprise Summit in Las Vegas this October. I'll be on the panel.

Watch the podcast as it is recorded later today:

• Tuesday, August 21, 10am PT / 1pm ET
• https://electric-cloud.com/c9d9-devops-podcast/

You won't want to miss it! See you there!

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Three Reasons to Use a Mortgage Broker in Vancouver

With the help of a mortgage broker, Dubreuil was able to move into his new home at the beginning of the year. And with a three-year-old son getting ready to start school soon, he figures his family will be in their new home for many years to come.

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Being realistic in the athletic recruiting process and the importance of doing it yourself

It seems like there are always stories and interesting aspects that I hear about the athletic recruiting process that seem to go against what I talk about on this site. While athletes and families choose to take whatever path that they think can help them get a scholarship and the opportunity to play college football, they may not always be taking the path that is advised.
I recently had a chance to speak with a football recruit that has been hearing from Division III colleges in his area. This athlete is a solid player who earned All Conference honors as a junior and could receive All State honors this fall as a senior. He plays in one of the better conferences in his State but continues to only hear from Division III schools. Because of the lack of interest, this athlete decided he wanted to hire an agent (basically a one man recruiting service) to help with him getting recruiting interest.
The person that does this one man recruiting service talks a big game. He works with a lot of athletes in the area and always brags about how he works with the best of the best. The problem with that is every recruiting situation is different and not everyone has the ability that the Division I schools are looking for. Anyways, even with the lack of attention that this recruit has been getting, the agent has been talking up a big game how he is talking to Division I schools in this state.
Again, I always make sure to mention that it is very important to market yourself and get your name out there as much as possible. But hiring someone that costs hundreds and likely thousands of dollars to call Division I schools (that are likely not listening, let me stress that) makes no sense to me. If you are only getting Division III interest, is this guy going to magically turn you into a Division I player? You are going from a level of no scholarships to the highest level of college football possible.
The point I want to make when bringing up this story is that you have to be realistic during the recruiting process. You may obviously think that you have Division I talent but when it comes down to it, how many athletes has your school sent to Division I schools? Did you attend any camps in the summer to showcase your skills in front of college coaches? How did they respond?
I am all for making sure that college coaches are completely aware of you and your ability. But one of the Division I schools is in the backyard of this athlete. The college coaches have recruited this high school before and will continue to do so in the future. Do you realistically think that wasting your money with this agent will suddenly prompt you to get a scholarship? (Please let me note while I don’t exactly support full fledged recruiting services, I trust them much more than shady one man operations with lack of documentations about them).
If you are handling the recruiting process yourself early on, I am all for marketing yourself to Division I colleges that you feel could be a potential good fit. But realistically, you have to realize that trying to market yourself to these Division I schools will be tough. At the very most, you have a long shot of possibly getting a walk on role (and that does depend on the school). In the majority of situations, then you are wasting time trying to contact them.
Again, this goes back to the amount of interest you have as a senior. If you have Division I-A (BCS) attention at this point from a number of schools, then yes, broaden your search to all of the ones in your area. If you are in California, look for all the west coast Division I-AA (FCS) schools that could possibly be a good fit for you in college.
If you are a senior and all the attention you have been getting is Division III interest, there is probably a reason why. It may be because you are too slow, too small, or don’t have the athleticism to play Division I. If that is the case, your broadened search should be at Division II schools in your area that match what you are looking for. And I can tell you to do that easily without charging the hundreds of dollars that this agent did. I can predict this not working out and I am willing to bet on that.

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The battle of rebuilding and losing versus being established and winning in the athletic recruiting process

One of the toughest decisions that you will have to make as an athlete going through the athletic recruiting process is not just the school that you eventually pick. If you are good enough and have enough recruiting interest, chances are high that schools from the same conference may come calling. What that means is you will have to make the difficult decision of picking a possible powerhouse in conference or a potential up and comer.
If you choose either route, there are definite advantages and disadvantages that must be weighed throughout the recruiting process. Obviously it does depend on what schools are recruiting you. If there are ten schools showing you interest, chances are that some are top tier teams while others are trying to turn their program around.
The easiest route to go is to the safe school that is going to win games. They may be the powerhouse in conference play and have the ability to compete on a yearly basis for the conference title and possibly more. In any conference at any level, it is easy to figure out what schools fit this profile. Just look at Alabama, Appalachian State, Northwest Missouri State, and Mount Union on the football field. All of these schools always find ways to win games, no matter what the year.
While you will be getting a chance to win a lot of games over the four or five years you are at their school, there is also a good chance that the competition will be fierce. Coaches at schools with the highest profiles have to make sure that they have the best athletes year after year. What that means is that many will over recruit a position. Say as a redshirt sophomore, you finally have a chance to see the field at tight end. But if the coaches are not thrilled with your performance, they will definitely be trying to upgrade by finding a transfer or a recruit who can see the field immediately. It may not be fair but happens all the time.
These coaches want to continue their winning ways and if they hurt your feelings along the way, it happens. This occurs at schools at all levels, from Division I to Division III. If you think the powerhouse at the DIII level that Mount Union has built is not done by bringing in top notch recruits and transfer, then you are kidding yourself.
The other option that you can take is going to a less established school. The program may have had some bad breaks over the years or they have a new coach at the helm. What this coach is going to be selling to as many recruits as he can talk to is the chance to see playing time early in your career. Most new coaches take over a program because the coach before them has either been fired or stepped down because of the pressure that they are receiving from those around the school.
When a new coach takes over, they know that they must improve the talent that they have on their roster. What they must do is try to find as many recruits as possible and will be able to promise plenty of playing time for athletes early in their college career. And what I have also found is that the more game experience you have, the better it will help you over the course of your career.
It is easy to buy into these coaches in one aspect because athletes want to see the field early in their career. There is no doubt about that. But on the other side of the coin you are always taking a big gamble going to a school that is going to lose a lot of games, especially early in your career. But if you trust the coach and feel that he can turn things around, it will be a big advantage to be a part of things.
In order for you to make that decision between the two, you need to think long and hard about the positives and negatives of both. Would you be okay with sitting the bench three years and playing for your final two seasons? Or would you want to see the field as a true freshman, get game experience, but lose a lot more games in the process? If you have enough schools recruiting you, this is definitely something you will want to think about.

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Should I take visits to bigger schools if I am likely going to play at a small college?

A few years back I received an email from a parent/coach of a son who was a junior football player at the time.  This parent was realistic about the abilities of his son and was informing me that his son had been invited to a Junior Day at a Division I school.  But what struck me as strange is that the parent/coach was honest with me and said that he likely cannot play at that level.  This was the first and last email where I received a parent saying something like that.

It should come as no surprise that this two time All Stater ended up picking a Division III school close to home.  He just did not have the size needed to play at the Division I level and was honest with himself about that.  But if you know or believe your eventual location will be a smaller school, should you visit bigger schools?  Or should you be shooting for the stars and trying to play at the biggest school you possibly can?

These are both tough questions to answer.  Just for the record, this athlete was a 6-foot, 185 pound defensive end who played at a very small school.  That is why this coach/parent was honest with me about it.  He was informing me of the invite and made sure to make it clear that the school would likely never offer a scholarship (which it didn’t).

While this is a perfect example of a mass invite to Junior Days (and it happens all over the country, just ask Louisville, Kansas State, Iowa State, and so many others), I know that it is tough to go from a Division I to Division III visit and try to compare the two places.  The Division I school should be much bigger as well as should have much better facilities.

So why should I NOT visit larger schools if I am going to play at a small school?
If you see something that is so much better than where you are likely going to end up, are you really going to be happy at that smaller school?  Say you take an unofficial visit as a senior to a program that sells out their stadium to 50,000 fans.  The crowd support is amazing and the fans are living it up.  The next weekend, you go to a Division III program where there may be a total of 1,000 people there (including players and coaches).  Can you bounce back and be happy with that?

Some athletes just want to play their chosen sport.  At the Division III level, you basically have to have a major love for the game if you are going to play it for free and invest so much time in it.  If that is you, then it won’t matter one bit what you see.  You will understand that the levels are much different and you are going to give it your all every Saturday, regardless if there are 10 or 10,000 fans watching.

Other athletes are spoiled by the larger school.  A few years back I remember an offensive lineman who was solid but not great.  He would have done a nice job at the Division III level but had eyes much bigger than that (it may have been because he had a number of Division I teammates).  Basically the lineman kept saying he either wanted to play at Oklahoma or not play at all.  Shockingly the Sooners never came calling and he hung up the cleats after his senior year.

So why should I not visit larger schools if I am going to play at a small school?
If you understand the difference in the levels and knows that playing small school college football will never get ten of thousands of fans there, then you might as well go for it.  If you are going on an unofficial visit, it is free tickets and in some cases they are going to feed you as well.  If the travel is not too far, you might as well enjoy a Saturday in front of a large crowd and check out the school.

This may also the school you have dreamt of playing for.  If that is the case, then you will likely get tours of the facilities that most of the public has never seen before.  It is worth it for all the cool stuff that you will see.  But again, it boils down to you understand that this is likely a pipe dream for your future.  It can get hard sometimes but at the very best you may get an offer as a walk-on.  And that is at the very best.

 

 

 

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What to look for in schools when taking unofficial recruiting visits

For those football recruits out there reading this article, the fall is a fantastic time to make unofficial visits.  These trips to college programs can give you a much better overall feeling for the schools that are recruiting you and allow you an up close look at what the program provides.

It doesn’t matter if you have a scholarship from the school or not; they want as many athletes as possible to come to the campus for game day visits.  The reason is because they don’t want to miss out on any athletes.  While this does mean that invites to game day visits don’t mean all that much, getting free tickets to a college football game is usually worth the costs involved with travel.

So for those taking unofficial visits during football games this fall, we have put together a few things to take special note of.  It may be worth writing these and other areas you want to focus on during your visit as well.

The campus
If you are going to be going to this school for the next four or five years, then you should like the campus.  Are you a small town athlete and the campus is spread upon mile after mile?  Think about finding a school that can fit the style that you are looking for.  You will likely be walking to class everyday so think about the size of it.  Is the campus connected or are there other things that separate it?

The fan support
If you end up going to this school, think about their support both positively and negatively.  I know right before Phillip Fulmer was fired at Tennessee, the home fans booed him and that didn’t exactly help him in the football recruiting process.  There are always good to be a few bad apples but you should try to get a good feel for the overall support of the fans.  Are they always positive?  Are they front runners?  These are things to think about.

The atmosphere
Taking a football visit will replicate what the atmosphere is like if you play there.  You can get a feel for the fans, the city, and the atmosphere surrounding it all.

The surroundings of the college
What I mean by this is the area outside of the college.  Is it in a small town or a bad neighborhood where you might not feel safe stepping outside?

Your interaction with coaches
First let me state that coaches are busy on game days so they don’t have a ton of time to talk to recruits.  But I am willing to bet that any good coach is willing to show their top prospects attention.  It doesn’t matter how little time he has, if there is an offer to an athlete that is there, a good coach will make him feel comfortable and take the time to talk to him.

How many other recruits are there
Are there hundreds of other recruits?  That might be a red flag at how many tickets that they are sending out to recruits.  If you don’t have a scholarship, then it may be an uphill battle.

What they do with players at your future position
If you play tight end, watch the tight end’s warmup and what they do while they are in the game.  Take the time to follow your future position and see what they do before and during the game.

The girls
Just kidding.

 

 

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The 3 Steps that take You from Pre-Approval to Your New Home

Picture this: You’ve finally been able to put away enough for a down-payment on your dream home. It’s taken you five years of diligent saving, but you did it! You have also been diligently working on improving your credit score and paying off debts and are at a place of financial stability.

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5-Ingredient (No Cook!) Tomato Soup

This 5-Ingredient (No Cook!) Tomato Soup is a perfect quickie lunch or dinner. Comfort food vibes with loads of flavor. And nothing looks prettier than little pillows of grilled cheese croutons dipped in rich red, velvety soup. Really, this is probably my favorite way to eat grilled cheese. And yes you read that right, this soup is basically a no-cook recipe! As in, no stove needed. You make and "cook" this soup all in a high-speed blender. But don't worry, if you only have a basic blender, you can still make this soup, just with an added step of warming it in your stove. Grab a big soup spoon!...Read more »

This is a summary, images and full post available on HHL website!

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The Athletic Recruiting Process is a long journey for families

One of the most stressful times in the lives of parents and their children is if they go through the athletic recruiting process. It doesn’t matter if you are a Division I recruit or someone hoping to play sports at the NAIA level, it is tough weighing out the benefits of all the schools involved. Not only are sports important, academics is what should make or break the decision.
I feel strongly that everyone who is going through this process should be humble the entire time. What I mean by that is that it is a journey and during that time, you need to do what you can to learn as much as possible. The more you learn, the better chance that you have of knowing what is going on and helping your child during such a stressful time.
I am not afraid to admit that I do not know everything about the athletic recruiting process. But I do try to get my hands on everything possible as well as speak with coaches and respected experts who I feel can help increase my recruiting knowledge. So if you are a parent, why would you not do the same?
It doesn’t matter if your son or daughter was offered a scholarship when they were a freshman in high school, do you know everything there is about the school that offered? What is the background of the coaches? Is this school a powerhouse in the sport that they offered for? How can I publicize this offer into possibly getting more scholarships? These type of questions are a big reason why I think the recruiting process for families is always a learning process.
I do want to say that you can read as many books as you want, read this site everyday, and talk to coaches as much as you can but it is impossible to know every single situation about the schools that are recruiting you. Unless you have a chance to see the recruiting board for all of the schools, then you really will never have a good feel for where your child stands with these schools.
What also makes it tough is that as a parent, no matter how hard you try, you are still bias during the athletic recruiting process. I have talked about it before but it is impossible to take away the bias you have and look at the situation realistically. This is the child that you raised and I can only imagine how difficult it is to take that out of the equation.
Anyways, going back to the original subject, it is important to learn as much as you can during this process. For me, I feel most stressed when I do not understand what is going on. I believe most parents get overly stressed when they are unsure about the recruiting process and what is going on. That is why I feel there will never, ever be a time where you should feel like you know exactly what is going on. You should always be humble during the recruiting process and realize that there is more information and things to learn.
Even if you have been going through it for three years, unless your son or daughter has made a final decision and it looks like that is where they will sign, never turn down an opportunity to learn because you think you know it all. As I said earlier, I believe there is no way that one person can no everything. I sure don’t so why would parents think that they do?
And when you think the recruiting process is over after signing a National Letter of Intent, keep the information that you used to study the other programs. You never know when the day will come that either this child wants to transfer and look at the other schools you researched back in the day or you have another child about to go through it.

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CMHC Releases Housing Start Figures

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Why don’t I have an athletic scholarship offer?

At this time of year, college programs have been their recruiting boards in place for this class in all sports.  It doesn’t matter if it is football, volleyball, hockey, or any other sports.  These coaches should know what they are doing and who they will be recruiting over the next few months.  Some schools may already have a number of commitments but they know what they need to do to finish out recruiting this senior class.

And as an athlete or a family who has been going through the recruiting process, many are wondering why they don’t have a scholarship offer?  Again, this obviously is a unique situation that depends from athlete to athlete and case to case.  There is no one size fits all answer but I will try to do my best to figure it out and help you realize why there is no scholarship offer on the table.  Let me preface this by being brutally honest and you need to know that coming in.

You are not good enough
This goes with my mention of being brutally honest.  As an athlete or a parent, it is nearly impossible to really be able to determine if you are a scholarship athlete.  Athletes always think that they are better than they really are (I did back in the day myself) and that makes it extremely tough to judge fairly.  As for families, there is a parent bias that can never be shaken.  You will always think that your son or daughter is the best at what they do, regardless of their real ability.  That is just the way it goes and you have to realize that going in.

You haven’t marketed yourself to a wide enough scope
During the recruiting process, you decided to only target schools in the Big East to continue your football career.  The problem is that you are not a Big East type player.  You may think you are but coaches at all of those schools disagree.  That is why now is a great time to widen your base and look at other Division I-AA and II schools in your area or around the country.  You want the perfect fit athletically and academically but that doesn’t always have to be in your backyard.   Go through the second step of The Five Steps to a Scholarship Offer and see what schools you can find that fit you well.  Targeting new schools can definitely help matters.

You haven’t gotten your Hudl video/tape out
There is no doubt in my mind that getting a quality recruiting highlight video out is very important during the recruiting process.  If you have the time and abilities to do it on Hudl, then go ahead.  If not, tt may be worth looking into professional services that can produce an outstanding highlight video that can help catch the eye of college coaches.  If you haven’t done a tape, consider doing one.  If you have done one and the quality is terrible and the editing is bad, then it may be worth getting one professionally done.  This tape is essential, especially in the football recruiting process.

You don’t have enough relevant video to send out  
Say for example that in high school, you decided to take one for the team and make the move to quarterback.  The problem is that your future may be at another position.  Without relevant tape and if they can’t see you in person, it is going to be tough to sell a college coach on you playing tight end rather than quarterback.  That is why camps are so important during the summer so that the schools can work with you and your athleticism.

It is not far enough along in the process
I hate using this excuse because I have heard a ton of athletes say something similar.  But for football recruiting, most Division I-AA and II schools have not extended their scholarship offers.  These schools are still evaluating potential recruits and are trying to get a feel for these athletes and their interest during the winter months.  If you are not doing The Five Steps to a Scholarship already, this is not an excuse that you can use at all.

You don’t have the numbers that certain college coaches want
College coaches are huge into numbers like 40 time, bench press, vertical, and things of that nature.  Many love looking at these numbers and you may just be shy of what college coaches are looking for.  Your 4.7 40-yard dash time may be a tad too slow.  Your 6-foot frame may be a little small for what college coaches are looking for.

If you think you are a Division I athlete and an offer is not on the table yet, then it may be time to reevaluate that.  I am willing to admit that this is a very difficult process simply because you never know what can happen as schools can step in at the last minute.  But there is probably at least some reason why there is no an offer there yet.

 

 

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The different types of high school coaches during the recruiting process

When picturing how the athletic recruiting process will go for you, I would imagine that you feel it will be extremely smooth.  You will have a high school coach who does a great job marketing you to college coaches and that will eventually lead to multiple Division I offers before you sign with the school you grew up following.

Unfortunately, that dream scenario may happen in 1 out of 10,000 situations, if not less.  I have never actually been told by a family that the high school coach did enough for them in the recruiting process.  Usually I just hear complaints about how the coach doesn’t do anything/doesn’t care.  With this in mind, I have put together a list of the different types of high school coaches that families will encounter in the recruiting process.  Feel free to pick out which one your high school coach is.

Connected, motivated, and will travel
Qualities: Plain and simply does everything he can for all of his athletes to play at the college level.
More: This is the dream coach that likely doesn’t exist.  He is connected with college coaches that he has worked with over the last few years.  He is motivated to help his athletes find a home and will even take them to visits if they don’t have a ride.  I have one coach that I know who fits some of this but is a little too controlling (see more soon).  This type of coach may not exist simply because if someone works this hard, they want to take care of the entire process and control it all.

Pushing the top dogs
Qualities: Helps his best players find a future home and will do everything for them.
More: The focus of this coach is to help his best few players find a college.  He will call college coaches, market them, and maybe even make a highlight video for the best of the best.  But if you are not among that group, good luck getting any interest.

Over the top with control
Qualities: Wants to control everything about the recruiting process.
More: A perfect example is a coach who does an excellent job marketing his players but has told them he doesn’t want them to go to college camps because he doesn’t want them away from team workouts.  If an athlete has Division I offers already, then that is fine.  The problem occurs when an athlete is a fringe Division I player hoping to land a scholarship offer.  That hurts them in a huge way.

Willing to help when called upon
Qualities: When asked, they will help you.
More: The key for you is to jumpstart them and point them in the right direction.  You may need to ask them to call college coaches or send out tape.  Some people may need reminding multiple times and this coach is a perfect example.

Inactive
Qualities: Doesn’t do much or bring much to table.
More: Likely a coach with a lot on his plate.  It may be someone who teaches, is the athletic director, and has a family.  There is not much time on the side to be able to help you with the recruiting process.  They are overall inactive.

No clue
Qualities: The recruiting process?  What?
More: Likely a small school coach who has not played college athletics and has not seen any of their players go to the college level.  They have no clue what is going on.  A good example is a high school coach who told me that a major college program was likely going to offer one of his players.  I talked to the player and he said the college didn’t call in May.  The coach just doesn’t understand the process.

 

 

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When should I start marketing myself to college coaches during the athletic recruiting process?

In the past, I have always talked about the most important time to market yourself during the athletic recruiting process is after you have logged extensive minutes at the varsity level and put up some solid stats.  It doesn’t matter much your age or the sport.  But for whatever reason, this question keeps coming back to me time and time again in different formats.

For example, what if I play at one of the best high schools in the country and won’t play until I am a senior?  What if there is a Division I player ahead of me that is keeping me at the sophomore/junior varsity level?  With so many different variables, I thought it was time to look at this age old question (or at least it seems like it) and look at it from a variety of perspectives.

Why should you wait to market yourself?
There is no doubt that the first reason to wait is because college coaches won’t take junior varsity stats/sophomore/freshman stats all that serious.  These coaches have hundreds upon hundreds of recruits marketing themselves to the coaches that they have to sift through the ones that have varsity experience.  If there is not enough time in the day (or enough graduate assistants around to do it), then chances are slim they will be looking seriously into the twenty-three touchdowns you rushed for against junior varsity players.

If the staff decides to take the time to watch to actually watch your highlight tape, in most situations, it is pretty obvious that you are not playing at the varsity level.  Signs that they will note include: number of players on both teams, number of people in the stands, time of day (most varsity games are played on Friday nights), and just the overall level of competition.

Why you should not wait to market yourself?
These are the reasons that everyone out there just wants to hear!  I have talked a lot on the site about the importance of getting your name on the radar of college coaches.  The sooner you are on the radar, the better chance that you will be evaluated throughout the recruiting process.  And the only way to get a scholarship offer is if you get evaluated by these coaches.  That is why sending my information and marketing myself needs to be done today!

I am not going to pretend that I understand every single situation out there.  You really may be at one of the best schools in the country and playing time is hard to find.  Others may be behind a quarterback that is going to Notre Dame and you just have to wait your turn.  These situations happen and you need to adjust accordingly.  That means you will need to go to more camps and figure out ways to get yourself into the recruiting database for college coaches.

In the end, what should be done?
In all honesty, it really just depends on what you want to do.  I know that college coaches are evaluating and putting prospective feelers out there on athletes who have not played varsity but could have the potential to be a scholarship athlete down the road.  So if you feel you want to market yourself and give that a try, go right ahead.  Nothing may come of it but it certainly would not hurt.  You have to do what makes you feel most comfortable and that could end up being either one of these ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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