Should you inflate your height and weight during the athletic recruiting process to draw attention from prospective colleges?

I just received a question recently asking me if most players inflate their height and weight on recruiting services like Rivals.com, 247Sports.com, and other sites. Because I know that this unfortunately happens, I thought it would be important to talk about and reasons why I think you you should not do this. The first thing to mention about this is that if you overrate your height and weight, it is likely that college coaches will eventually find out about this.

One quick example I heard a few years back is that at a Junior Day held at the University of Nebraska, the Cornhusker coaching staff weighed and measured the recruits while there. So if you had impressed the coaching staff by filling out a form and saying you were a 6-foot-3, 225 pound linebacker and got measured at 6-foot, 205 pounds, the coaches will definitely think differently of you as a recruit. While these coaches likely know that this happens, it is not the first impression that you want to show the coaching staff at a school that you hope to impress.

During the spring evaluation period for football, this is a huge time for the college coaches to put recruits up to the “eye ball” test. What I mean by this is that the coaches that stop by the school want to see the recruit in person and say hello. While they are restricted by rules of how in depth they can get with the conversations, the most important part about this meeting is seeing the recruit in person and sizing them up. I assume that if the coaches are in the game long, they know if a kid is the height/weight he says he is or if the recruit is way off. Plus your high school coach will likely say something as well to the coach. Few coaches at any level want their players inflating their height by inches.

Two good stories that I have to tell about this include a lineman and as an athlete as well. One I saw first hand myself in covering the lineman and the other I heard stories about.

Starting with the athlete, there has been a story going around about this prep who sent a highlight video to Penn State and Joe Paterno. They were serious about this recruit so Paterno was watching part of the tape himself. Included was a portion where the athlete runs the 40 yard dash. After he finished running, you could hear someone yelling 4.4 seconds. Paterno decided to rewind the tape and time it himself. When he timed it with a stop watch while following the video, it ended up being 4.7 seconds. Again, this is not a perception that you want to leave with college coaches.

The second was about a small school lineman who really wanted to get recruited and go to a Division I school. This happens all the time but this story was one that stands out to me. In the first update on him, he told a reporter that he was 6-foot-1 and named all of these schools recruiting him. This recruit took visits to junior days at Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, and other programs in the Midwest. The summer before his senior year, he decided to attend a Nike Camp and a number of other camps. This is where his real ability finally shined through. He got measured at 5-foot-10 (And I heard he was closer to 5-foot-8 as well) and then performed very badly at college camps. While I heard that at worst, he might be able to walk on, those camps completely showed that he didn’t have Division I ability. To this day, I am unsure if he is playing in college.

The point of this article is to not inflate your stats. It is one thing to include your height with shoes on (which I did), but if your shoes are three inches tall, then there is a problem. Also keep your weight realistic as well. Like I said, if you inflate these stats too much, it will be something that college coaches eventually figure out. And in the recruiting process, I think it is important to be as honest as you can with college coaches. They will figure you out if you can’t play so being honest will help figure out what level you really are at.

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Vancouver Mortgage Market Update: US Economics and RRSP Season

This week's Team RRP Vancouver Mortgage Market Update crosses borders as we look at how the economy and political situation in the USA affects the housing marketing in Canada. We'll discuss tax season and how your BC Home Assessment could help you refinance your mortgage and dive into how a first-time homebuyer can take advantage of the tax benefits of using their RRSP's as a downpayment on their home.

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Division III athletic recruiting is tougher and much longer than you would think for college coaches

For those that want to continue playing athletics in college while getting a strong education, looking at the Division III level may be worth it.  Athletes don’t exactly aspire to be Division III athletes but those that plays sports at this level are true competitors who are basically playing for free.

But what many athletes who are being recruited by Division III coaches don’t realize is how difficult it is for the coaches.  They are not making the millions of dollars like Urban Meyer or Nick Saban and never are for sure that their recruits are 100% coming to the school until they show up in August.  I tracked down an interesting article about how difficult it is for some of these Division III coaches.

This older article was written out of a newspaper based in Iowa.  The state of Iowa has a number of Division III colleges that seem to go after many of the same in-state recruits.  Here are some of the most interesting quotes with a little commentary:

“It seems sometimes coaching is minor compared to recruiting,” said Coe head coach Steve Staker.

While coaching is always vital at any level, if you don’t have talent, then you likely are not going to be that successful.  You can only do so much with a team that is laden with athletes who have no abilities.  So you do have to put in a ton of time tracking down the best players.

“I have friends at D-I colleges who say they’ll never go back to Division III,” said Cornell College Coach Vince Brautigam. “Because the recruiting is just never ending.”

“Until you see the whites of their eyes, you don’t really know what your recruiting class is,” Brautigam said.

I think this is the best quote of the article.  An athlete could tell multiple Division III schools he is coming to their school.  What is exactly going to stop him outside of trying to stay true to his word?  There is nothing binding outside of not being able to get your deposit back.

The phone is the D-III coach’s best friend. While there are “dead” periods in Division I and II, D-III coaches can call or have in-person contact any time with seniors in high school.

“It is a year-around thing for us,” Staker said. “Division I and Division II have these windows where they can do and can’t do certain things. Where they can go watch these kids play or talk to the parents. We can call them all the time, we can visit them all the time, we can watch them play basketball games or go to track meets at any time.”

These coaches can do all this and but some don’t.  I know there are some coaches at this level who don’t do all that much recruiting and make the assistants do the bulk of it.  It really depends from school to school.  I do know that if there is a coach who really gets after it, he can bring in some top notch recruits because of putting in a ton of time on the road and on the phone.

“Everything starts early,” said Luther Coach Mike Durnin. “You’re spending more time developing that relationship. That’s one of our advantages, to get to know that person and develop a relationship with him.”

One of the toughest things for Division III coaches all over the country is when they start a relationship early on and a Division II school comes in with a scholarship at the last minute.  A lot of athletes like to say that they got a scholarship for athletics so many of them normally take up the Division II program.

“A lot of people don’t realize it,” Durnin said. “But the heart and desire to be successful is the same at every level.”

A lot of people also don’t realize that there are a lot of good players at the Division III level.  Hard work will be required to be successful even if you are not going to get a scholarship to play.

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Importance to shine during college football and college basketball camps

In the past, I have talked about why college camps are a money maker for the coaches at the school. There have been very few exceptions (I will talk about one later that I am aware of) to this. As an athlete during the recruiting process, you may be sent an invite to a college camp and think that is something that could eventually lead to a scholarship. While that rarely happens, there are some good things that come out of college camps (CLICK HERE FOR WHAT A CAMP INVITE REALLY MEANS).

The area that I have never really talked about before is that while at college camps, other schools are working the camp as well. For example, if you have dreams of playing at the big in-state school, you are going to attend their camp. But chances are slim that you are good enough to play at that high of a level. Other coaches, from Division I-AA, II, III, NAIA, and Junior Colleges, are likely to be working for prospect themselves..

The problem is that when kids have to pay hundreds of dollars to attend a camp, they are not their trying to wow the Division II coaches in attendance. Seriously, how many seniors do you really think pony up the money to go to a camp without at least a hope of showcasing their skills into a scholarship offer? That is why it is very important to pick camps on improving your skills..

Before deciding on where you will camp, you really should take all of the recruiting aspect out of it. You need to go to camps that will help you become the best player you can be. Obviously most seniors are paying the money to try and be recruited by the odds of leaving with anything but a t-shirt and a pat on the back are slim. So if you have been named All State or All Conference, chances are good that camp invites will eventually come..

What you should do when receiving those invites is talk to coaches and other players who have been to camps before. It always seems that some of the smaller camps are the ones that are the most fundamental and important for the athlete in the long run..

If I had a son who wanted to play Division I football, I would pick two camps that focused on recruiting. As mentioned in other articles that were written by parents and athletes, just go to one day of the camp. If it a senior elite camp, go to one day of it. If it is a week long camp, just attend for one day. Make sure that the coaches are aware that you are coming. That one day should give them more than enough time to make a decision based on your abilities. It is pretty obvious what level you can play at in a day..

Then I would have my son go to one or two camps, depending on the schedule of his high school football team, that focus on improving and becoming a better player. Learning the techniques that college coaches will teach you is worth the price. Obviously these camps will be expensive but you are saving money by going to just a day of recruiting camps..

A few camps stories that I feel inclined to tell that I have heard over the years. The first two will be negative ones and the last will be positive. A few summers back, a big in-state school sent out the camp invites to players all around the State. They had a really good year on the football field so interest in their camp grew. Some players went to the camp to see if they were good enough to earn a scholarship and ended up being one of seven hundred campers there. That number is amazing for a camp. The chances of the coaches not being completely over whelmed are small. It was not a surprise when the players left with no offers..

The second camp story camp this last summer. A running back was one of the few juniors named All State in his area so it was obvious he was good. He received the camp invites and decided to go to a camp out west. At the tail end of the camp, the prospect was talking to one of the coaches. This was the first time the coaches actually realized who the prospect was. He had taken a flight, paid for the camp, and did all of these things and the coaches were not sure who he was..

The final camp story is from a basketball program that is working to get themselves among the elite in the country. I spoke with their coaches about them having an elite camp. After making money from other kids at camps, these coaches wanted to have a great elite camp. Instead of charging hundreds of dollars, they bumped the price down to around $50. That was to cover the food and lodging. This would be a great camp to attend because the competition is top notch and the numbers are small. Throw in the price and it is easy for anyone to attend..

Anyways, I would keep the number of camps to a small total but it may be worth seeing because other coaches will be there. But keep in my mind that just because you were invited to a camp does not mean they are recruiting you..

 

 

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Should I look at Junior Colleges during the athletic recruiting process? If so, when?

Recently, there were some comments on the site posted about Junior Colleges and the recruiting process involving them. Since it has been something that I really have not talked about, now is a good time to take a look at why you should attend a Junior College or why it should be a place you at least give a look to.

The first and most major reason that the majority of top football players attend a Junior College is because of grades. They either did not have a qualifying ACT/SAT or a GPA to be able to sign a National Letter of Intent. When it is obvious that a top recruit does not have the grades to be a qualifier, Junior Colleges throughout the country show this prospect attention.

That would be the reason why an athlete from the South may end up attending a Junior College in California. Like Division I programs, Junior Colleges are looking for the best college in the country. And while they may only get the athlete for one or two years, they still want to win as many games as possible.

If you are a non qualifier for the Division I level, there are still a few other options outside of Junior College. They include going to a prep school, being a prop 48 at a Division I school, or looking at the Division II level. The NCAA is cracking down more and more on prep schools but it basically is a year away from home that prepares you for the college level. This is more prevalent in basketball than anything.

As for the prop 48, I don’t believe that is the term anymore but does not happen very often. Basically the recruit will have to pay his own way that first year and cannot practice or play with the team. Basically it would be a difficult year but if your dreams are to play at that school, it is a possibility. As for the Division II level, the difference is that they have lower requirements in terms of your grades.

The second main reason why athletes decide to play at the Junior College level in college is because they are not happy with their opportunities and want to open more doors. You may have gotten a late start to the recruiting process and play at a small school. There are any number of combinations as to why you would take this route but it just depends on an athlete.

As I have talked about in previous articles, some athletes go through the process with Division I eyes. If that never changes and those schools don’t come knocking at your door, chances are that this athlete is going to go to the Junior College level.

It really just depends on the athlete as to what they want to do. I have seen things go great and horrible at a Junior College so it really just depends on the situation. Some athletes played at a small school in high school and ended up being a two year starter at the major college after going through the Junior College process. Others end up quitting right away because the coaching staff will normally recruit over an athlete.

Last year, I saw a signing list of the a Junior College that is known to win a lot of games. They signed over 50 kids and seemed to have more on the way. While I assume the majority of these players were All Staters in high school, the coaches know that most of them will end up quitting if they are so far down the depth chart.

My experience of college athletics is having played Division III basketball. I like the fact that I received a great education and was able to stay at one school for four years. But as I have always said, keep your options open during the recruiting process. If that includes going to a Junior College, make the most of it and enjoy yourself. You are playing this sport because you love it.

One quick note for athletes that are full qualifiers coming out of high school. If you have the test scores/grades that a college is looking for, you can leave a Junior College after one year. If you do not have those requirements, you will likely have to stay there two years to get your AA. That is what Division I colleges will be looking for. But remember more than anything, you are going to college to get an education and set yourself up for the rest of your life. That is much more important than your Division I eyes that will only play at that level.

 

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What to do and not to do on recruiting highlight videos in hopes of dominating the recruiting process

I have had a chance to look at hundreds and possibly thousands of highlight recruiting videos over the last decade. During that time, I have seen a great deal of outstanding highlight videos as well as some terrible videos that would not get the top player in the country a scholarship.

Like other articles that I write, I want to help those that are currently going through the recruiting process and am happy to share my advice about what to do and not to do when putting a recruiting highlight video together. While these are not sure fire ways to get a scholarship from Alabama and Clemson, it is advice that will help you showcase your ability in front of college coaches. You obviously have to be able to play but these should help in the long run.

DO highlight where you are on the field – The last thing you want is a college coach guessing where you are on the field.

DO NOT include every highlight from the past season – Coaches do not want to see the five yards you gained on a dive or the power layup you made. Do not have your highlight video more than five minutes.

DO put your best plays early in the video – The coach won’t be watching the highlight tape for long so try to impress them early.

DO NOT include film that has lighting or quality issues – It is a waste of time if the video quality is bad to put together a highlight video.

DO have your parents film the games if the tape that the school produces is bad – This is not a great situation for your parents, but it could help you get a scholarship.

DO NOT include the same play from different angles – Unless you did something amazing once or twice on a tape, do not include a different angle or a replay. Again, don’t waste the time of a coach.

DO put the time and/or money into producing a quality highlight video – If you can play, it is worth putting your time and/or money into either doing it yourself or having it professionally made.

DO NOT forget to let the coaches know what number you are – While highlighting yourself on the video is what you want, make sure they know what number you are when watching the video.

DO NOT spend thousands of dollars to have your highlight video produced – It is a waste of money to get a movie quality DVD made. Coaches may think it is too good.

DO consider your highlight video part of your professional resume to the schools you send it to – As mentioned above, you need to be professional.

DO NOT rely on a coach or a friend to put together a quality highlight video – They may make big promises but sometimes they don’t come through. Always have back up options available.

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How the little things matter in the recruiting process to coaches in the battle for an athletic scholarship

I have harped for quite sometime about how college coaches do a great job narrowing down their recruiting databases and eventually finding recruits that can fit their system.  These coaches cut through the thousands of athletes to eventually get to only a small number in any sport that deserve a scholarship offer.  But what makes it difficult is when the college coaches believe that there are two athletes with very similar abilities.

I found one article recently that had another great story with a college coach may determine who ends up getting the scholarship offer.  As I talked about before, I know a Division I college basketball coach that ended up offering a small school prospect because he knew that the athlete work up every morning at 5 AM and lifted before school.  This showed the work ethic that this athlete had and helped him land a major Division I scholarship offer.

Here is a story that former Ohio State football coach Bill Conley shared with an audience recently regarding the football recruiting process for the Buckeyes.  For those that have followed college football, there is no doubt that The Ohio State has a wide recruiting base and has been able to land excellent recruiting class after excellent recruiting class.  Here is what Conley did with a tough decision about which recruit to offer.

“One year at Ohio State, we had one scholarship left for a defensive player.  We were looking at one guy from a big high school in the Pittsburgh area, one from the Cleveland area and another from a little, tiny school in western Ohio.  They were all pretty close, and we looked at a lot of tape on all of them. One night around midnight, I was watching film and I noticed something about the kid from the small school. His team was in a game that was a blow out, like 36-6, 36-7, something like that. It was late in the game, and this guy was still playing hard, even though the game was over.

After the other team had scored, he got through the line and blocked the extra point. It didn’t affect the outcome one way or another, but it impressed me how he was still playing at a high level. That’s the kid we wound up signing, and he wound up being a member of our 2002 National Championship team,” he said.

The article didn’t specify if the player that they were they were recruiting ended up doing anything positive for the Buckeyes.  But here is a small school athlete who kept working and was always battling.  It didn’t matter the school.  He still wanted to do whatever he could to help his team win.

This is why college coaches request full game tape.  Any football recruit can make themselves look outstanding in the highlights.  The question they are looking for is what is the athlete doing if the ball is not coming their way?  Are they just jogging through the route and not taking it very serious?  As small as this is, it really can determine if State University ends up offering you a scholarship.  The smallest things make the biggest differences in the recruiting process.

Keep this article into consideration before your next high school season.  Could a little play I take off at the end of the game be the different between a scholarship offer and walking on?

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