Should you disclose an injury to college coaches during the athletic recruiting process?

I recently had a chance to speak with a recruit who was telling me that he had missed some time after the football season due to a knee injury.  When asking him further about what happened, he told me that he had torn the MCL but didn’t want that to be known.  The reason why he was keeping it “on the down low” was because he didn’t want college coaches to know.

In speaking with this recruit and knowing his connection to college football, it struck me as odd that he would want to keep something like this to himself.  With medical science these days, what exactly cannot be fixed or improved over time?  It is not like this recruit was expected to workout before Signing Day.  So the question is, does an injury like this need to be told to a college coach?

The obvious reason why this recruit may not want to tell college coaches is because they think that it might scare them away.  But what college football programs have not been stung here or there by a torn ACL or knee problems?  In my opinion, this type of thing happens all the time and they are not suddenly going to disappear late in the process.  Here are reasons why you should and should not tell the coaches.

I am going to tell the college coaches I am hurt because:
What use is there to hide this?  If a college coach has not offered an athlete a scholarship, then injury or not, it will make little difference to their long term evaluation.  For the schools that have offered, if you are good enough, why would they pull the offer?  What injury have athletes not come back from?  Microfracture surgery?  Tommy John surgery?  You name it, an athlete has come back from it.

Chances are that if a coaching staff is going to pull your scholarship offer or no longer recruit you because of a torn up knee, then the same staff may eventually sell you out down the road as well.  Fast forward a year and you hurt that same knee while at their school.  Are they suddenly going to say that your scholarship will not be renewed?  If a staff pulls the offer in the first place, then something like this may happen.  While ethics are not strong in college athletics, I would assume must would want you even with the injury.

I am NOT going to tell the college coaches I am hurt because:
Do they really need to know?  The coaches should be evaluating me on my senior film and performance during camp in the summer.  They should not be taking into consideration that my knee has problems at this point, especially with the doctor telling me that it will be stronger than before in six months.  It will just take a little time to get there and back to normal.

My final analysis is that you should:
Tell the college coaches simply because it is not something you need to hide.   Many coaches like to come and watch an athlete participate in a winter sport to get a feel for their athleticism and toughness.  They may come to a basketball/wrestling practice or a game.  For hoops, the coaches can see what type of athletic ability you have on the court.  In wrestling, they can also learn more about you and your toughness.

Since the coach may be asking you about coming to watch you participate, you need to be honest with them as to if you will be in action or not.  The last thing you want to tell a college coach is that you are not practicing/playing after they made the trip to your school.  That and lying is not a great first impression to have in front of any college coaches.

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I am a junior in the football recruiting process with interest and no scholarship offers. What should I be doing in December (Part One)?

For junior football recruits out there, the month is December is actually more about preparing for the oncoming storm that you will encounter during the process.  Using this time wisely will save you from headaches down the road as you try to scramble to get caught up.

It is more about doing your homework and research simply because college coaches have a lot going on.  Some coaches are using the beginning of the month to finish up their season.  That obviously comes above everything because these December games are extremely valuable to keeping their program at a high level.

Coaches are also hitting the road in order to see senior prospects and finish up their current class of recruits.  Bringing in the most talent that you can will likely help you win games.  That translates to more overall success as well as financial opportunities.  Throw in the holidays and that means December may be when college coaches spend the least amount of time looking ahead to younger classes (the only exceptions may occur when a college already wraps up most of their commitments from the current crop of seniors).

What that means for you juniors out there is that you likely won’t be making visits to colleges and per NCAA rules won’t be fielding calls from them either (that won’t be legal until late April).  You may get a chance to say “hello” to these college coaches if they visit your school but that is basically it.

Outside of time spent working out and excelling in the classroom (school work has to be very important), your focus right now should be sitting down with your family, talking, and doing research about the eventual football recruiting process that you will be going through soon.  You wouldn’t be reading this site unless you were under the assumption that things will heat up over the next twelve months.

Parents, make sure your junior athletes do this.  Feel free to print this out and continue to show it to them over and over.  But what we need you to do is come up with some things you are looking for in a future college.  Cute girls and warm weather unfortunately is not going to be enough here.  You really need to think about it, even if most teenagers will change their answer within an hour or so.  But for the time that you are reading this, think about what first comes to mind with these questions.  Write them down or speak with your parents about this now. 

Even if you didn’t get a cent of scholarship money, would you still want to play college football?
What fields am I interested in academically?
How far away from home do I want to be in my future college?
What level of college football would be my dream to play at?
Would I still be happy playing at a smaller college if it allows me to continue playing?
What position do you want to play in college?
Do you love football?
What things would be at your dream college program?

There are a ton of other questions that your family can discuss.  The point is trying to figure out what your interests are and what you are looking for in a college program.  If I were to try talking to a 17-year old version of myself, that version would have no clue as to what he wants to do in life.  And because of that, I know it is extremely difficult for football players to really figure out what they want not only in college but in life.  However, it is important that your family openly discuss college and the interests that could land you at a certain school.

This discussion needs to be ongoing as well.  It can’t be a one time thing where the parents take the answers and use it to only look at schools that fit those parameters.  The reason why this has to continue month after month until a college decision is made is because teenagers change their mind frequently that one day you may want to play on the west coast and a minute later you are heading to the south.  So many things can change so quickly that talking and keeping dialogue open is the best way to come help figure out what deep down an athlete wants in a college.

Look for part two soon!

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What a coaching change can do during the athletic recruiting process

It doesn’t matter what sport it is but a change in coaching will have an overall impact on the recruiting process at that given school. And unless they have already named a coach-in-waiting, then that impact will be something that is negative to the current crop of recruits at the school.

But for recruits who may be borderline athletes at that level, a coaching change may end up being the best thing that can happen to them. A new staff will also give recruits another look to see if they are good enough to play at their program. This is something that can be a huge benefit in the long run for these athletes because the coaches may be willing to take more chances.

Once a school has an established coaching staff and relationships built up throughout the country, they are able to take their time during the evaluation process and target specific recruits. These coaches are also able to have A recruits, B recruits, C recruits, and so on if their top targets just don’t work out.

For a coaching staff who is hired in November, December, or January, the timetable is much different. The first thing that most staffs will be doing is taking a look at the current crop of commitments. If the previous staff moved on to a better job, than the new coaching staff will be working to keep these committed athletes in the mix at their school. They will work hard making sure these players eventually sign with their school.

If the previous coaching staff is fired, then all bets are off as to what the new staff will do. This new staff may feel that the current crop of commitments is not good enough and will start from squad one in their evaluations. What that means is that players committed and offered by this school may no longer have that option in the recruiting process. The publicity is bad but this does happen frequently.

The new staff will also be at a disadvantage in signing recruits that have scholarship offers in hand. Relationships are a vital thing in recruiting for all sports and that familiarity with other coaches will likely have a negative effect. What that means is that they may be more willing to take a chance on a local kid or someone who has dreamt of playing for that program.

Again, let me stress that while they will stretch a little on recruiting, they are not going to offer a kid who just has Division III interest. They are going to get a recruit who the previous staff may have felt would be a grayshirt recruit or a preferred walk-on with a strong chance of eventually earning a scholarship.

The staff will likely need to sign at least twenty prospects, depending on the school, so they may need to stretch on a few. A perfect example of this in action was Nick Saban during his first two years recruiting at Alabama. Saban is considered one of the top recruiters in the game and in his first year (which was limited because of timing), he pulled in zero five-star recruits, ten four-star recruits (which is pretty good for the timing), twelve three-star recruits, and three two-star recruits.

With his first full year of recruiting, Saban landed the top class in the country according to Rivals.com. He brought in three five-star recruits, nineteen four-star recruits, eight three-star recruits, and two two-star recruits. In order to fill that first class, Saban had to stretch to fill the spots that were open. With more time at the helm, Alabama will continue to become one of the most dominant programs once again.

Going back to the point, a coaching change can be a great thing for athletes during the athletic recruiting process. It could open doors that would have not been there previously. If you have Division I-AA offers but feel you are a Division I-A player, my advice is to send your recruiting profile to every Division I-A school that has had a coaching change. These are the schools that will be most open to a late recruit.

 

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How to handle athletic recruiting visits from college coaches

If you are a sought after recruit, one thing that you must get used to is the fact that you will be getting visits from college coaches very often. These coaches will mostly be coming to your high school but they may also see you in action at one of your games or come to your house for an in home visit.

While a coach will not offer you based on how polite you are, if the staff feels that you are not the type of person they want in their program, they really will move on. Who is going to offer an athlete that is disrespectful of their parents? Chances are high that this athlete will do the same thing to their coaches down the road.

When a coach comes to your high school, you want to present yourself in a positive manner. Make sure to stand up straight because as I have talked about many times, they will be giving you the eye ball test. While legally they cannot say much more than hello, it would be best to be wearing nice clothes. That is tough at times because coaches do come by the school unannounced. However, think of this as the early stages of a job interview. You want the coach to feel that you are a high character person, and for good or bad, they will be looking at your attire when meeting you for the first time.

When speaking with the coach, they may give you a camp brochure or invite you for a visit. Most of the conversation about you will come between your high school coach and the college coach. If you can, speak with your high school coach about the visit and how serious they are about you. Chances are good that the coach may leave the high school with a tape or view the tape with the coach in his office.

There are rules on how often Division I coaches can visit you after games but this is anther important time. Back in my day, the top player on my basketball team would get visits from college coaches all of the time after games. These coaches would wait in line to speak with him. I have seen this many times and even if it happens, do not rush any of the college coaches. They will find it rude and that could turn them off when considering to offer you a scholarship.

Even if you don’t know the coach, make eye contact with him and speak with him about their school. Chances are probably good you have spoken with him on the phone before (At least you hope). They will talk about their season and probably about how you are playing as well. This is just a time to get to know the coaches better.

One of the toughest parts about the coaches visiting is if your team does not win. Honestly, even when I was playing basketball in college, my family knew I would be grumpy for a loss. So even if your team loses, try to be as cordial as possible. No matter if their trip was five minutes or five hours, these coaches drove to see you play in hopes of eventually landing you at the college level. Be nice to the coaches and don’t cop an attitude just because your team lost.

For an in home visit, chances are that the coaches think very highly of you if they are making this trip. While a scholarship is far from a sure thing, it does mean that you are high on their recruiting board if they are spending time to make a trip to your house. This is another time when you want to put your best foot forward. It also gives your parents a chance to learn more about the coaching staff.

When they come for this visit, it is a great time to ask question. Are you concerned about the location? What about their struggles on the court, the field, or the diamond? If those are things that you are seriously worried about, ask them. See what they say about how you would fit into their team and how they would use you. Are they recruiting other players at your position? How is the depth chart?

Unless the visit goes bad (And I have heard some horror stories about the parents eventually yelling at the coaches), they will likely be there to help you with any concerns or questions that you have about their school. This may be the best time to ask questions and learn more about the coaching staff. Talking to a coach over the phone can only help you know more about him just so much. This in home visit is a great time to see what type of people they are.

As with high school visits, make sure to stand tall and wear something that you feel will help you in the long run. If there are questions about your weight or if you have been sick, wear baggy clothes. As mentioned by Ross Tucker in another article, he said wear your big shoes that will help make you look the tallest you can be. That really can help in the long run and is something to think about when they are coming to visit.

Overall, you should be yourself in front of the coaches. If you are putting up a front, they will probably eventually realize it. Make sure to ask questions and learn more about their programs, no matter what level. Don’t just dismiss the coach because they are at the Division III level. When it comes time to transfer from that scholarship school if it doesn’t work out, I can promise you they will remember that.

 

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I played out of position on the football field and have very little footage for a highlight video. What should I do for recruiting purposes?

A parent was kind enough to shed some light on the current football recruiting situation of his son recently. Just to give a little background, the athlete has spent his life playing tight end and that is what he will be playing at the college level. But during his senior season, the high school changed the offense and he saw very little balls thrown his way. With the spread these days, this is something that is happening more often than you can imagine.

While this recruit didn’t exactly play out of position, he did do very little in the passing game to really warrant much recruiting interest. But this player has some potential and wants a chance to play in college. If you are in this situation or have been playing a different spot than where you will play in college, this article should be right up your alley.

The first key to playing out of position is going to college camps. There are many athletes that I have covered over the last few years that play a different position in high school than they would in college. One athlete comes to mind played quarterback and safety at the prep level but would be a tight end in college at the Division I-A (FCS) level. It was vital for this athlete to go to their camp and show that he had what it takes to play tight end. There have also been many other running back recruits trying their hand at defensive back for the first time at a summer camp.

The reason that these camps are vital is because it gives a chance for the coaches to work with you and see what type of ability you have at the new position. They should realize this is not something you will be comfortable with right away. But they will also be seeing how coachable you are and how easily you digest a new position. Let me stress that for most recruits, it is very difficult.

If you are a junior or younger, then it may be worth speaking with your high school coach about it. Talk to them about the recruiting process and how it may be possible to play a position that could help you garner a scholarship. While the coach may have your best interest in mind, he or she is also trying to win as many games as possible.

What I mean by that is the coach may be willing to try you at defensive back on top of running back on certain downs and distances. The coach is likely not going to move you from quarterback to tight end if there is no one on your team to throw the ball. Most smaller schools put the best athlete at quarterback so if that is your spot offensively, you may need to stay there. The same goes for any number of positions. It is easier to talk a coach into possibly playing you both ways rather than moving you from a vital position to somewhere less important offensively and defensively.

The final key is making most of what you have available. The athlete I had mentioned plays tight end and he only saw a limited number of passes during the season. If you make only five catches all year, what you will need to do is find a way to supplement highlights. This means you may look harder into the video of you blocking or playing defense. These catches are likely not going to get you a scholarship but the blocking and determination you show there could help.

The ideal situation is to play the position in high school that you will play in college. The problem is that in at least 15% of cases, that doesn’t always happen. So you need to get to camps, try to reason with your high school coach, and make the most of the footage you have. It is not a great situation but something that will not kill the recruiting process for you if you take the right steps.

 

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What are the ten biggest factors in a college decision for athletic recruiting

With Signing Day around the corner, high school athletes will be signing their Letters of Intent and in the process finalizing a college decision.  If anyone questioned that their verbal commitments meant much, it will be signing this National Letter of Intent that makes things completely official.

We have decided to put together the top ten different factors that likely play major factors in any college decision, especially those for athletics (obviously if you are not playing sports, your role on the team doesn’t matter much).  These ten are in no particular order but each should be something to think about strongly before you sign away a year of your life with the National Letter of Intent.

1.) Coaches
The coaches are the ones recruiting you so unless you grew up dreaming of playing for their school, they should play a major role in your decision.  They will help you get comfortable with the program overall.

2.) Location
If it is ten minutes or ten hours away, location is something that you should think about.  Can your parents make the trip to your games?  Can you drive home over a weekend to see your family (or girlfriend)?

3.) Playing time
Competitive athletes don’t go to a college thinking they will never play.  So if you spend four years sitting the bench, would you really be happy in the long run?

4.) Academics
You will be a student athlete who is there to get an education, not play sports (despite what some schools think).  Academics must play a major role in your college decision.  You will regret it later on if you don’t think about it early.

5.) Success of the program
Do you want to go to a team that will be spending the next few years rebuilding?  That may mean more playing time so success of the program is something to think about.  Would you be happy losing a lot of games early on?

6.) The players
Unless a school is going through major rebuilding (and it does happen),  then the players at the school will likely be ones that you hang out with while there.  Becoming comfortable with these players is important in a decision.

7.) Weather
Are you going to college to play baseball?  Then maybe going down South will help you be able to play year round.  It is a minor decision but something that really should be thought about.

8.) A feeling of home
The thing that most athletes say about making a decision is that they finally found a school that felt like home.  It is basically impossible to describe the feeling but something you just know in your gut.

9.) Following of the team
I had a chance to play college basketball at a place that was bad going in.  Due to their struggles, about twenty students went to the game (I wish I was joking).  This following is something that is vital for the overall outcome of your decision.

10.) Scholarship money
This may actually be number one for a lot of athletes.  The amount of scholarship money that you receive is huge.

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