Being professional on all fronts throughout the athletic recruiting process

As the old saying goes, “you only one chance to make a first impression.”  There is no doubt that rings true in every aspect of life but it must be stressed as well during the athletic recruiting process.  Being professional on all fronts throughout the courting process by college coaches will not guarantee a scholarship offer.  As I have said before, you could follow every word of advice on this site but if you can’t play, the college won’t be paying for your education.  The same is true about your professionalism.

But in my opinion, following the advice of this site and putting together a professional front during the recruiting process is a great way to stand out when compared to other recruits.  It helps put you in the best position to be evaluated.  Some college coaches will also notice the effort that you are making in trying to put the best foot forward in their eyes as well.

The reason that I started thinking about this subject is something very minor.  It is something I can assume must people don’t likely think about on a daily basis.  It is your voice mail message.  If you are a junior football recruit during the month of May and a college coach calls your phone and leaves a message, what are they going to think?  Again, this really is not something that will cost you a scholarship.  But considering all of the “interesting” messages that I have heard, it could be something minor to think about.

I have compared the recruiting process to trying to find a job.  When looking for a job, it is important to wear a suit, have a neat resume, and show off your professional side.  This can be compared to an athlete’s recruiting profile, voice mail, appearance, and everyday demeanor.  The education and work history of a job seeker can be compared to your ability on the football field, basketball court, or whatever sport you play.  In order to get the job/scholarship, your background and abilities must match what the employer/college is looking for.

There are some situations where companies just are not hiring.  Considering the struggles that our country is going through economically, that should not be much of a surprise.  In the field of athletics, your dream school may not be taking any player at your position in this current recruiting class.  The key is finding the right college at the right time.  You may have been perfect the year before but not right now.

Getting back to the point of the article, take a look at your athletic recruiting profile (hopefully this is something you have already made but if not click here now).  Try to look at it from the eyes of a college coach.  It may also be worth having some friends and your high school coach look at it.  What does it really say about you?  Was it sloppily done while you were in a hurry one night?

If you have made a recruiting highlight video, what do you feel that says about you and your abilities?  Are there random clips included throughout the whole video with extra time that the coaches will get annoyed by?  Putting your most professional foot forward makes you really think about this stuff.

And last, what about your emails to college coaches?  Are you using the same boring template to each coach when marketing yourself?  Why not take fifteen minutes for each school that you are sending your information off to and do some quick research.  I can promise you that if you use that time wisely, you can learn some interesting things about the program.  And if you do that, make sure to include in each email you are sending out to college coaches.  This shows that you are serious about their school and professional about the process.

Like I have said before, the key to getting a college scholarship is having the ability to play your chosen sport.  But you can help improve your stock by marketing yourself, showcasing your skills to be evaluated, and putting a professional foot forward the entire time.

 

 

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College Coaches don’t care about you playing at the highest level if you commit to their school

If you have a lot of interest from a variety of college coaches, there is no doubt that one of the lines you may end up hearing is about how their coaching staff really cares for their players and always does what is in their best interest.  There is no doubt that when the coaches say this, there is some truth behind it.

But if you think for a second that they would be okay with you picking a larger school that could be a better fit for you academically, you are crazy.  These coaches want to find the best athletes possible and will do all kinds of things to force you into a commitment (see deadline) and stick to it as well.

The reason why I came up with this article idea was what I saw shortly before Signing Day.  A major Division I-AA/FCS who always seems to be competing for national titles received a commitment from a talented running back. This athlete had a great deal of potential so they wanted to do everything they could to keep a larger school from swooping in at the last minute with an offer.  For the record, this athlete was a Junior College player.

The coaches from this college requested to his high school and Junior College coaches to not let word leak out.  They wanted to keep this on the down low as much as possible.  Once Signing Day rolled around and he was basically coming to their school, the coaches at the college no longer needed to keep it under wraps.

Like I said before, if State University came in with a full scholarship and a better fit for him academically and athletically, this Division I-AA school wouldn’t care.  They may talk a big game but when it comes down to it and their backs are against the wall, they will do everything they can to land the top talent.  This allows them to win games which helps them keep their job and make money coaching football in the process.

Division I-AA/smaller Division I-A schools/mid major Division I basketball programs also try to do everything they can to keep other coaches from knowing who they are recruiting and who they are offering.  There is a recent example from a mid major basketball program who put together a fantastic string of performances year after year over the last decade.  They were landing diamonds in the rough and winning a lot of games.

Once the major college basketball programs started figuring that out, the coaches from these schools started to pay much more attention to their recruits.  One school was able to snatch one of their verbally committed athletes because they were a bigger program in a better conference.  These coaches started getting paranoid and were doing everything they could to keep their offers and commitments as quiet as possible.  It didn’t matter if the other schools offered a better place for you, the mid-major program wanted your skills and they will do all they can to keep you in the fold.

What sucks about this article is it is all true.  You are likely to hear some fantastic lines from college coaches throughout the recruiting process.  But in the end, know that you and your family are the only ones that really want is best for you.  And even if you have to anger a coach in the process, do it.  You will likely end up happier and not have to wonder if you made the right decision.

 

 

 

 

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The Residences on Marine – Plans, Prices, Availability

At a Glance

• located on Marine Drive near Ambleside Park
• 3-storey concrete mixed use
• 16 condominiums
• 2- & 3-bedroom concrete homes
• 5,165 sq ft of commercial space
• roof-top terraces
• 38 underground parking spaces

Pinnacle of West Coast Living
The Residences on Marine is a boutique 3-storey development located at the pinnacle of West Coast living. Combining single-level living with modern, open floor plans, these 16 spacious homes will combine attention to detail with high-quality craftsmanship.

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Pricing for The Residences on Marine
Priced from $1.9M – $2.75M.

Floor Plans for The Residences on Marine
Choose from 16 one-level residences, offering a variety of 2- and 3-bedroom floorplans, ranging in size from 684 – 1,335 sq ft. Contact me today to discuss availability and plans according to your needs.

Amenities at The Residences on Marine
Each home offers open balconies, while the three second level units backing onto the laneway have terraces. All top floor condos have skylights with provision for solar panel installation. An internal breezeway with planters separates the north and south residences, giving greater access to natural light.

Parking and Storage
Parking, bicycle storage, and additional goods storage will be contained in three levels of underground parking accessed from the lane. A total of 26 residential vehicle stalls will be provided, of which two are handicapped and two are for small cars. An additional 12 spaces are for commercial tenant parking, of which one is handicapped and three are for small cars. There is also a commercial loading bay. In addition, there will be two at-grade visitor bicycle racks accommodating four bicycles at the Marine Drive residential entrance.

Maintenance Fees at The Residences on Marine
TBA.

Developer Team for The Residences on Marine
Innovative design, bold vision and peerless craftsmanship have always been the hallmarks of Atti Group properties. Their extensive construction background has been a powerful springboard to becoming an industry leader in residential development. They imbue all of their projects with inviting layouts, superbly-chosen sites, and materials of the highest quality. Atti Group’s experienced team has been earning the trust of both clients and investors for three decades.

Karl W. Gustavson established his own architecture firm in 1985 to focus his experience on projects that required a sensitive approach to design, while recognizing the realities of the site, localized community context, and budgets. His architectural portfolio of projects includes work in residential care, heritage restoration, multiple residential, commercial, custom residential, and resort developments. Mr. Gustavson has traveled extensively throughout the world, bringing to his architectural projects a depth of experience that continues to add to the success of his designs.

Cristina Oberti, a respected interior designer whose name is well-known in Vancouver, will be applying her extensive knowledge and systematic design process to create a unified look and coherent design for The Residences on Marine that conveys a unique and coherent, yet stylish message.

Expected Completion for The Residences on Marine
TBA. Sales begin February 2018.

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Power Plates Cookbook by Gena Hamshaw + a recipe from the book.

Today I get to share with you guys an awesome new cookbook by my good friend Gena Hamshaw, Power Plates! Power Plates is a hearty, power-packed vegan cookbook filled to the brim with colorful and nourishing meals. It is loaded with creative ideas for all your favorite plant-based ingredients. Today, I also get to share a recipe from the book: Sweet Potato Bowls with Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans and a flavorful Hemp Chimichurri Sauce and/or Cashew Queso. (pictured at top) This beautiful hardbound book is perfect for flipping through when you need some healthy-delicious inspiration, in a flash. Learn more about Power Plates, get an awesome recipe and more...Read more »

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

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What college coaches visiting high schools during the athletic recruiting process really means

There have been some interesting comments on a few of the recent columns related to what it means when a college coach visits the high school of a potential athletic recruit. One reader felt that if a Division I college coach flew to your school, then you had it “in the bag.” Another poster had seen a Division I college coach come to the school to talk to two players and neither ended up with a scholarship offer.
So the question is what is the importance of having a college coach visit you during the athletic recruiting process? First off, when a college coach visits your school, regardless of level, it definitely is not a bad thing. But it doesn’t mean that there will be a certain scholarship offer on the table coming your way either.
There are two main times when the college coaches make visits to talk to the high school coaches and say “hello” to potential prospects (if of course you happen to run into them while they are there, which seems to happen rather frequently). It is normally during the spring of your junior year and the fall of your senior year. Both times of the year, in my opinion, mean something different.
It is normally the bigger schools that are making the visits during the spring of your junior year. It is in late April and May when they can visit as well as call you during that month as well. But let me stress that these coaches travel the country and try to hit as many schools as they can. While I don’t have a number off hand, I know that staffs at most schools visit hundreds of colleges at this time. And even if a school doesn’t have a Division I player in the current class doesn’t mean that they will visit.
Again, while it is nice to show your face to a prospect at a school in the eyes of a college coach, the biggest reason for this visit may be to foster the relationship between the college coach and the high school coach. The college coach may end up recruiting a player years down the road from this school but because he built a relationship early, that could play out well for him. So just because the assistant coach of State University makes an appearance at your high school doesn’t mean you are getting a scholarship offer. It could just be building a relationship with your coach.
A perfect example of this is in a small state in the Midwest that only produces a low number of Division I athletes. But apparently UCLA felt that they needed to make the trip to visit a variety of high school coaches throughout the state. This college coach was flying to the state to build relationships and maybe set up some connections for future years. To my knowledge, UCLA has only offered a scholarship to one player in this state in the last ten or so years. But they are coming to build relationships.
The visits in the fall are a different story. Because these coaches have targeted the majority of their recruits, they will want to show their face and make sure that the athlete knows that they are visiting the school. If there is no offer on the table, they may be getting more film from the coach and doing another eyeball test. These coaches also spend time chatting with one another. So if you are in the doghouse, as much as your high school coach likes you, he will likely be honest with the college coach.
The fall visits are when the coaches have a lot less time because they are in-season. That means they won’t be going to schools where they are building relationships with the coaches. The key is to make sure that the athlete knows they are visiting, catch up with the high school coach, and see what else can help them with his recruiting.
I have to stress this that even if a college coach flies out to see you in the fall, there are no guarantees. Until you get a written offer stating that they have a scholarship for you, then nothing is in the bag. Having college coaches visit your school is a good thing but nothing to get too excited about. Expect them to bring plenty of camp brochures as they “extend invites” to this camp to you. Like the mailed camp invites, don’t expect much unless they are actually recruiting you.

 

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Do football scholarships come in February? If so, what type of athletes are receiving them?

For whatever reason, one of the most popular searched phrases on this website earlier this year was if scholarship offers come in January. So with that in mind, we are going to take a look at the type of football scholarship offers would come in February. This includes the age and why these schools may extend them at this time.
While we may be past it already time wise, one situation that occurs in very early February (ie: before Signing Day) is the late scholarship offers to the top senior players. There are basically three reasons why a scholarship offer may come during the football recruiting process during the first few days of February.
The first is if a college loses a recruit. It may be because they went head to head with another program and lost (although these usually occur on Signing Day and make it impossible to bounce back from). The football recruit the college loses also may get an offer from his dream school and decommit from your program. That leaves a void in the recruiting process that the coaches may feel they want to fill.
The second reason is if the school loses a current player. If they find out after the new year that a player on their team is leaving/transferring, then they might feel confident about offering another athlete later in the process. The closer this is to Signing Day, the better a late offer may come. Most coaches will only extend the offer if they feel confident about the athlete they are recruiting.
The third is if it is an in-state school and a bigger college offers. For example, say Ohio State has been recruiting a kid as a potential walk-on and Michigan offers a late scholarship. If the Buckeyes like the recruit enough, the scholarship from the Wolverines may prompt Ohio State to offer. This is the rarest of the three but it definitely can happen.
So for the juniors and sometimes sophomores, do football scholarships come in February? The answer is a huge yes if you have the skills that the college coaches are seeking in a recruit at the next level. The two things that college coaches want to see before offering a junior in most cases is their highlight video and them up close.
The recruiting highlight video will obviously be used to evaluate your skills. If they are overwhelmed with your size, athleticism, or overall skills, then they will put you on their board. Some schools may offer you but they usually will want to see if you can pass the eyeball test first. I will tell you know that the biggest you are, the better your chances are here.
If you have the skills needed and can pass both of those tests (without having an huge red flags), the schools will likely offer you a scholarship. Because they cannot legally call you just yet, the college coach will have to relay the message via email or by calling your high school coach. In most cases, they want to verbally offer you themselves. Afterwards, a written offer should be coming in the mail.
Since these schools cannot evaluate you on the football field at this time, they will pay close attention to their rivals and if they have offered a scholarship. One player I was following recently is very big and athletic. He was offered a scholarship by State University #1. State University #2 thought enough about him to extend an offer a week later.
If State University #1 had not offered, I honestly feel State University #2 would not have offered either. That is why I stress having media connections to make your offers public and the fact that scholarships breed other scholarships.
Overall, the month of February is a rather slow month in terms of offers for juniors and sophomores. Scholarships will be extended but if you have followed the advice of this site, you should have already sent out highlight video and gotten it in the hands of the coaches that are recruiting you.

 

 

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8 things to do to get the best mortgage renewal

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