Santa Cruz Beach Veggie Burritos

These Santa Cruz Beach Veggie Burritos remind me of being a teenager, grabbing a burrito with my friends on the way to or from the beach. The secret to these burritos is that they celebrate simplicity - nothing too fancy with seasonings. Salt, lime, maybe a few fajita spices for the grains and really letting the textures and flavors of the plant ingredients shine through. The other secret to these burritos: cilantro. If you don't like cilantro, I have an option for you, but the way I add cilantro to these burritos is unique and it is my favorite signature thing about this recipe. So who is up for a vegan burrito night? Read more »

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How much do college coaches factor in the record of my team during the athletic recruiting process?

The goal of any coach at any level is to win games.  No matter how much they want to develop the athletes and help them grow as people, the bottom line is that they have to win.  This doesn’t matter if it is junior high to the major colleges.  There is at least some pressure on every coach to win ball games.

But for recruits throughout the country, not everyone of them is on a winning team.  The football recruit or basketball recruit may be the only one at their school that takes the sport serious and that hurts the team in the long run.  So in the minds of college coaches, how much does the record of the team really matter when they are in the recruiting process?

The first thing I want to note about this is that all coaches would love to have players that they consider winners.  What I mean by that is they want recruits who have spent their life winning.  That winning mentality is a hard thing to teach.  And when players have winning mentalities, it usually means that they are able to work hard to achieve their goals.

But because of how recruiting works, not every recruit throughout the country will win a lot of ball games.  For example, there was a running back a few years ago who had scholarship offers from schools like Wisconsin, Iowa, and many others before he committed to Nebraska.  The record of his senior football team ended up being 0-9.

The reason that the team struggled so greatly is because they had one great player and many bad players.  While he was a phenomenal athlete at running back, defensive back, punt returner, and kick returner, there were ten other teammates on the field who were not nearly as good as him.  And in the end, he put up some big numbers but the team struggled mightily.

College coaches didn’t take much stock into the team record because they knew that the team had a history of struggling.  This is another perfect example that college coaches do end up putting more stock on football recruits during the summer camps and basketball recruits during the AAU season.  The regular season is fine and great but the place to earn a scholarship is during the summer.  If you play well there, get an offer, and commit, then there will not be an much pressure on you as a senior.

What matters during the recruiting process is not the record of your team.  You may play on a team that wins a State title and each player who goes on to the college level in that sport may not get a look above Division III.  The college coaches are looking for players who have the ability to play at that level, not the ones that know how to win in high school.

But that isn’t the whole story.  College coaches will get worried if a basketball player, for example, is not helping his team win games.  Because there are just five players on the court at one time, a great basketball player sometimes has the ability to win games by himself.  Although the opposition could throw junk defenses at them, college coaches will wonder about a recruit if they just can’t win games.  While it won’t be a major factor in recruiting, it will make some coaches wonder.

The most important note about winning games is that it allows you to put yourself in front of college coaches.  For example, I am willing to bet at just about every State basketball and football tournament in the country, college coaches from around the area make an appearance and watch the games.  If your team is terrible and bows out early, you won’t get the chance to play there.

If you do get to play there, you are opening yourself up to a whole new world of college coaches.  I have seen so many athletes raise their stock at the State tournament and heat up their recruiting.  For the players sitting in the stands watching, they are missing out on a golden opportunity to showcase their skills in front of these coaches.  But because they lost early, that opportunity is unfortunately not there.

The same can be said at AAU tournaments or 7-on-7 passing camps.  The more games your team wins, the more games that they will get a chance to play.  That also means the more games that college coaches have to view your team and watch you play.  So really, the record of the team will not hurt you in recruiting.  But the more your team wins, the more doors that may eventually up for you in the athletic recruiting process.

 

 

 

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22 Vegan Veggie Burger Recipes

updated: 6/2017 - original: 2013 A full-proof way to make your summer weekend amazing? Have a veggie burger night! Veggie burgers of course. Veggie burgers are so flavorful, healthy and easy to make. Have a cruelty-free BBQ or beach burger bash while enjoying of these recipes. Veggie burger meals are simple. Classic. Fuss-free. Plant-based burgers are free of saturated fat, gentle on the planet and rich in healthy ingredients like plant-based protein, veggies, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes and more - and yes - when done right, veggie burgers can be totally flavor-tastic. This summer, reinvent the burger, in your own kitchen! Here are my veggie burger recipes..Read more »

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How does the Ivy League differ from other Division I schools in athletic recruiting?

At the Division I level, nearly all basketball programs throughout the country offer full ride scholarship offers.  Per NCAA rules, these Division I schools have to extend scholarship that meet full tuition.  But one conference differs from that rule.  That conference is the Ivy League and they are and have been against giving full scholarship offers for basketball.

The Ivy League also does the same in other sports as well.  This is a conference that plays at the Division I level but does not hand out athletic scholarships for football, baseball, hockey, or any other sport that you can think of.  Instead, the students are awarded financial aid on the same standards that apply to all students.  Basically what that means for coaches in the Ivy League is that it could easily be among the hardest jobs in the country.

So the first thing that differs when comparing Ivy League recruits with other Division I schools is that they will not be handing out athletic scholarships based skills in your chosen sport.  While schools will do what they can to help you financially, the conference will lose athletes to other Division I schools because they can offer a full ride.

The second, and something most people know, is that you need to be very intelligent to be able to not only compete in Ivy League sports, but attend an Ivy League school.  Regardless of how things go on the athletic side of things, leaving college with a degree from Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, or any of the other Ivy League programs is a huge advantage during the next forty plus years that you are working.  And as I have said many times before, you need to use your sport to your advantage and get the most out of it that you can.  If that is an Ivy League education, then you really can’t do a whole lot better.

For those that are interested in seriously learning more about how the athletic recruiting process works for Ivy League schools, I would recommend checking out Playing the Game: Inside Athletic Recruiting in the Ivy League.  This book by Chris Lincoln is a great look inside what these colleges are looking for and really how difficult it is to find athletes that fit what the Ivy League is looking for.

One of the things that book talks in-depth about is that the majority of the schools have to recruit at a national level.  Few other schools, regardless of the level, really recruit at a national level (Maybe USC in football and North Carolina in basketball but few others really do).  The Ivy League coaches have to do that because they are looking for outstanding athletes who excel academically.  And in the end, most of the schools actually end up recruiting the same athletes because there is such a small pool to draw from.

The perfect athlete that a school like Harvard, Brown, Yale, or Penn is looking for is someone who is a great athlete, strong in academics, and comes from a house that does not make much money.  The reason money matters is that the lower income that your parents make, the more that they can help you financially.  While some schools have gone away from student loans and are using their endowment to pay for the education of students, not every program in the Ivy League has switched to that format.  In 2001, Princeton entirely replaced student loans with grant increases for all students.  They took these steps so that they could not only get better students, but also better athletes.

Another major aspect where there is a difference is in the National Letters of Intent.  Because athletes are not signing scholarship papers, they are not signing anything.  And with aid agreements, they are not binding so you have until you enroll in the fall to change your mind.  That is another reason why coaching in the league is a difficult process.

For more information, please check out Playing the Game: Inside Athletic Recruiting in the Ivy League that talks about Ivy League recruiting for athletes.

 

 

 

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How do I get college coaches to watch my recruiting highlight video?

I wrote yesterday about how you should not waste your time “cold sending” recruiting highlight tapes to college coaches.  That is something I doubt I will ever change my stance on.  But it also had a number of users asking about what they need to do to get their highlight videos in front of college coaches and be able to be seen.  In order to get that dream scholarship, these coaches need to see your highlights and your ability on the tape.

So in order to help recruited athletes get this tape in front of college coaches, I have come up with a few suggestions that could help move the process along.  For this, there is no magic formula because it depends a great deal on if your recruiting profile would be impressive enough for college coaches to want to learn more about you.  In some cases they will and others they won’t.  But anyways, here are a few ways to give your highlights the best opportunity to be seen by the eyes of college coaches.

Before I get started, I may seem like a broken record in saying this, but make sure to check out The Five Steps to a Scholarship Offer.  Many of these same steps are talked about in that article.  Checking out both articles and thinking long and hard about what you can do during the recruiting process will really help you.

Put together a solid Recruiting Profile
The more awards and impressive stats that you have, the more likely a college coach will put you into their recruiting database.  As I have said before, do not inflate your stats or even round them up.  The last thing you want to be caught in is a lie so don’t fib on this recruiting profile.  It is your resume and the college coaches are the ones that will be interviewing you.  Keep it professional and up to date.

Market yourself to College Coaches
You need to take the time to find the college coaches that match your interests as far as academics and athletics.  Once you find those schools, email them with your recruiting profile and tell them all about why they should take a look at you.  Be persistent in this but also try not to be annoying.  There is a thin line between the two.

Put together a quality highlight video
I have seen some poor highlight tapes as of late so you really have to realize that putting together a quality highlight tape is something that is important.  If you want this final product to be watched by college coaches, you want this to be as solid as possible.  Don’t waste the beginning of the video on pictures.  Get to plays -quickly.

Make your video highlights available online
Link to hudl, youtube, or where it is hosted online.  This is a huge need.

Try to get yourself listed with Rivals, Scout, and ESPN
I know for a fact that the majority of college coaches throughout the country use these sites to find prospects and watch video.  If you can get yourself listed and possibly get them to add video highlights of you, that is a great step in the recruiting process.  It doesn’t mean that a scholarship is on the way but it does mean that coaches can possibly find you through those means.  (Rivals Advice, 247Sports Advice, Scout Advice, and ESPN Advice).

Have your high school coach follow up with college coaches
A high school coach is key in the recruiting process because this coach will not have the bias that a parent.  College coaches also will be more willing to work with a high school coach because the college may recruit an athlete at their school down the road.  They don’t want to burn any bridges.  So having your high school coach follow up with college coaches is a great way to get them to look at your video and possibly get an honest evaluation.

Excel at summer camps
Before your junior year of football, let’s say that you decide to attend State University’s summer football camp.  This is a great recruiting tool for the coaching staff and something that allows them to get in early with recruits.  If you perform extremely well, there is no doubt that they will put you on their recruiting list.

Have All State seasons on the football field
Some college coaches will at least send questionnaires to those that had All State seasons.  This doesn’t mean you are really being recruited but it does mean that you are at least on the radar.  The better season that you have, the better chance that the college coach will at least look at your highlight video.

 

 

 

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How do I get a Football/Basketball Recruiting Profile on ESPN Scouts Inc./RecruitingNation.com as well as my highlight video added to my profile?

When looking at Rivals.com, Scout.com, and 247Sports.com, it was a breeze finding contact information and the email addresses needed to contact recruiting experts and get yourself listed in their database of top players. But it was definitely a challenge to find much at ESPN. It may be because they want to keep the database limited or that they just don’t have enough staff at this point to really cover high school athletics.

Anyways, I have done what I could to find as much contact information as I can to submit more information about yourself to ESPN. The good news is that it does seem that they watch a substantial amount of tape and grade the players out. While some are more accurate than others, this is at least a step in the right direction for their coverage. For those curious, click here to see how they grade out prospective recruits. Here is also where to search the database to see if you are listed

The main recruiting site of ESPN can be found at http://ift.tt/1qfYIhE even though it is under the same umbrella of ESPN.

As for the database, let me mention that before you try this, I would recommend having some solid stats and Division I interest to back up your claim of how good of a player you are. Chances are that if you should be listed in that database, then you definitely should have at least a minor amount of interest from schools at the Division I level.

The great new is they actually have a form that can help. Click here for that.

Where to send video? I was actually able to find this:

ESPN Recruiting
92 Montvale Ave.
Suite 4850
Stoneham, Mass., 02180

As always seems to be the case with ESPN, putting contact information is too damn hard so all they do is link their twitter handles. If you are the worldwide leader, you can do what you want. They cut their staff heavily last year and there is even less contact information listed on the list.

Senior national recruiting analyst: Tom Luginbill
Follow Tom Luginbill on Twitter: @TomLuginbill

 

 

 

 

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71 Vegan Ice Cream recipes for Summer!

Happy summer everyone! Before I dive into this epic list of recipes, I want to look back on the evolution of vegan ice cream. Over the past few 10-15 years I have watched vegan/non-dairy ice cream dramatically evolve. I can remember a time when I grumpily dove my spoon into dry and really, not-very-good soy or rice-based ice cream because they were the only options in stores. Just two to three flavors available. Chocolate. Vanilla. Strawberry. Later, soy and almond and soon coconut-based flavors evolved or popped up. More brands. Smarter brands.. Brands started to get savvier with their recipes, and vegan ice cream actually started to taste... good. Then came cashew ice cream. And the coconut milk ice cream got richer and creamier. And I even started to find vegan ice creams in soft...

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