Please do not compare your son to top rated athletes during the recruiting process!

This past week I received an email from a parent comparing his son (now called Athlete A) to another athlete who plays in the same area (now called Athlete B). Athlete A is a solid high school player. He rushed for over 900 yards for a team that made the playoffs this fall on the football field. Athlete A has worked hard and done a nice job on the football field. He has Division III college coaches interested in his skills.
Athlete B on the other hand received multiple Division I scholarship offers before committing to a program close to home as a sophomore. He has helped his team to two straight State titles and his club is favored to win their third championship in a row very soon. Athlete B has moved from position to position during his high school career and is just a freak of nature. He has rushed for over 1,800 yards this season and will go down as one of the top high school athletes ever to play in his State.
So my first question that popped into my mind when reading this email is what the eff is this dad thinking? I know parents are the most bias people in the world and can’t see situations regarding their children with a major bias towards their son or daughter. But seriously, are you kidding me?
This happens all the time and every single time I hear it, read it, or have to speak to someone about it it makes me sick. One thing I realized a long time ago is that parents can never take the bias out when evaluation their child. I have seen it from crazy parents who try to live through their son to college coaches who should know what happens during the recruiting process.
I have even written about this multiple times but I still must stress that the one thing that parents and their children need to worry about is the one thing that they can control, themselves. College coaches are looking for certain things and if an athlete gets an offer who puts up less stats, this player may have been the perfect height, weight, strength, or have the athletic ability that a college coach is looking for.
Here is a great example. Last year, two quarterbacks who played in the same conference started getting recruiting attention. One was named All State (now called Recruit A) and another did not even receive All Conference honors (Recruit B). This year, Recruit A has thrown for over 2,100 yards, 25 touchdowns, and his team is undefeated. Recruit B has tossed for 891 yards, 12 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and his season is already over.
By looking at those numbers and stats, you would think picking out the one with the Division I offer would be easy. But it is the one with the lesser numbers. Both athletes went to camps this summer and Recruit B did a better job impressing college coaches when it mattered most. I can bet that Recruit A is bitter about this and I am sure his parents are too.
What this story boils down to is that it is not worth comparing your son to other athletes. I don’t care if he out gained the athlete going to State University. It may be a great accomplishment but that doesn’t mean State University will come calling you with a scholarship. Take care of what you can take care of and don’t compare yourself or your children to other athletes. It will just end in frustration.

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The importance of making a deep run in the postseason and how it can factor into recruiting for all sports

To be successful in the recruiting process for all sports, the first thing you must be is good at your chosen sport.  College coaches are always keeping an eye out for talented athletes who can help them win games at the next level.  It doesn’t matter the level or the location, talent trumps everything in the athletic recruiting process and that includes being on a successful team.

A good example of this has happened actually at the same high school over the last decade.  A few years back, the school produced a running back with Division I scholarship offers from a variety of schools in the eastern half of the country.  He ended picking a prestigious University but his team went winless that year on the gridiron.  Keep reading because there is a point to this that ties in to the subject, I promise.

Recently the same high school won one total game, going 1-8 overall, and sent two athletes to a Division I-AA school in-state.  In both situations, the high school ended up sending more players to the Division I level than games that they won.  This shows how skills and athleticism are more important than winning.

However, what the overall success of your high school team can do is open up new doors for you.  This really does apply to all sports.  If you can help your team get to the State tournament, chances are strong that college coaches will come out in droves for this.  It doesn’t matter if this is football, basketball, soccer, track, or anything other sport I didn’t name.  Making a deep run in the playoffs is a great way to get an opportunity to showcase your skills in front of new coaches.

A good example is the State basketball tournament.  It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, college coaches from the in-state programs will likely be coming for at least a few days to watch the players.  Then there will also be a ton of out-of-state coaches who attend for at least a day or two (depending on the timing and their schedule).  Factor that all in together and these are new doors that could be opening up for you if you play well.

Obviously the key is playing well.  For football, this would be similar to going to a camp and doing great.  Not only are you trying to help your team win the game, excelling individually is a great way to really make a name for yourself and put yourself on the map for new programs.  The more options you have, the better off you will be in the overall recruiting process.

So while individual skills is vital when trying to get looks from college coaches, playing for a winning team may be what puts you in a situation where an out of state school that rarely recruits kids in your area finally has a chance to see you.  An eventual scholarship could help pay for your college.  Keep that in mind when some say that the postseason doesn’t matter all that much in high school athletics.

 

 

 

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Big school or bust during the athletic recruiting process

I recently had a chance to speak to a football recruit who was hoping to be able to play in college at a very high level.  This athlete is a solid football player but he is someone who is more suited for the Division III/lower Division II level in college.  But for whatever reason, he was not interested in playing at a small school.

This recruit basically said he was big school or bust.  He wanted the opportunity to walk on at two of the biggest in-state schools or he wasn’t going to play.  As I have mentioned, playing college athletics takes a huge commitment from you.  I still feel strongly that limiting your options like this is not a smart move if playing in college is something that you really want to do.

The first thing I want to note is that no matter what sport, there is good football, basketball, volley, soccer, or whatever sport you want to play at all levels in college.  Some recruits think that just because they played in the biggest class in their State, the DIII level is going to be below the high school level.  Let me stress that is not the case because these athletes are four or five years older and have developed physically.  Yes, some freshman can play at all levels but few dominate (outside of those with major pro potential).

Going back to the Division III/small school level, most of the private DIII schools throughout the country offer a great education.  Yes, you will pay a pretty penny for them but athletics can help you get academic scholarship money that would likely have never been there before.  This is an option that is worth looking into because they may be a better fit for you overall.

What was most interesting during this talk is that this athlete wanted to walk on but he had no contact with either of the schools he was hoping to play football at.  A walk-on spot can happen at any time but realistically, they are similar to scholarships.  The coaches know who they want to walk-on early during the recruiting process and have a limited number of spots available.  Waiting to try and do it this late is very difficult, especially at the Division I-A level, where the coaches should be on the ball with recruiting.

I know no matter how many times I write this, there are going to be athletes with Division I eyes that feel that they are better than Division II, Division III, and NAIA schools throughout the country.  But when you limit your options, you can hurt yourself in a number of different ways.  It could make the journey to college much more difficult if you are transferring from a Junior College or a prep school and bouncing all around to play at the Division I level.  What may end up happening is that the DI level is not all that it is cracked up to be.

Many athletes have those Division I eyes because they want to be able to tell people for the rest of their lives that they played Division I basketball or football.  But what matters most in college is that you enjoyed yourself and got a great education.  This education is what is going to set you up for the rest of your life, not the four or five years that you played Division I football.

I feel strongly that having the big school or bust mentality is the wrong way to think about things.  I understand that not every athlete wants to play at the smaller school level but what is looking into your options going to hurt?  That level may be more suited for you and push you to a level any other school could not.

 

 

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Is it ethically wrong to consider other schools when committed during the athletic recruiting process?

I recently received a forwarded question that I thought needed to be addresses when talking about the athletic recruiting process.  This does apply to all sports but was specifically a football recruit.  This athlete received multiple offers during the spring and summer.  He wanted to get a decision out of the way early so he committed.

But when he committed, there seemed to always be some doubts about him being 100% true to the school.  I have said before that if you are going to pick a college, unless they are deadlining you and threatening to pull the scholarship, you need to be completely positive about where you pick.

The reason that I believe an athlete should be 100% sure of their final decision because taking yourself off the market does a few things.  For you, it will likely hurt your overall interest as college programs hear that you are committed to another program.  For the college coaches, you may be the only tight end recruit they are taking so they quit recruiting other tight ends.  If you want them to be true to their word about taking only one player at your position, then you may want to live up to your commitment.

As mentioned previously, the only case where I feel that it may be okay to make a college decision without being 100% confident in it is if the school tells you that you have two weeks to decide.  If they are basically playing hardball (especially if it is your only scholarship offer), I wouldn’t feel as bad if you decided to take other trips and see other schools after having committed.  I think deadlining is a questionable practice to force athletes into decision earlier than they want so I make the exception here.

Going back to the story, the football recruit made his decision but knew that he would likely be taking visits to other schools during the fall months.  Yes, he would visit the school that he was committed to but he would also be taking both unofficial and official visits.

So do I think it is ethical?  In all honesty, I have to say no.  Recruiting websites may call this a soft verbal/soft commitment but in my mind, the recruit has no clue where he is going unless he says he is 100% sure (and sometimes that doesn’t even matter either).  It is important for families to teach their children that being true to their word is something important in life.  So if you tell a college program that yes, I am going to take up a scholarship space for you, but want to make other visits, staying true to your word is difficult.

If I was in a situation where my son had committed to a college program that did not deadline him and was now feeling anxious enough to take other college visits, the first thing I would do is call the college coaches at the program he committed to.  I would basically explain the situation and tell them he does like your school and wants to consider them.  But in order for him to make 100% sure of his college decision, he is going to take other trips.  Call it a soft verbal, a decommitment, or whatever you want.  What I am trying to do is be as truthful as I can with the coaches who are wanting to pay for his college education.

I must warn you that there are some coaches who will pull your offer if your committed and want to take other trips.  This happens at a variety of schools so if you encounter it, don’t be surprised.  But the truth is that you must be confident in where you are headed to college.  Do you really want to be signing a Letter of Intent and have doubts in your mind?  Think long and hard about that before you give the official word to coaches and media about your final decision.

 

 

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Mushroom Avocado Toast

This is what happens when you take two of my toast faves and join them together. Mushroom Toast + Avocado Toast = today's recipe for Mushroom Avocado Toast. This super easy and simple recipe is packed with flavor and is delicious as a quick lunch, brunch or breakfast. I love this toast paired with a matcha latte in the mornings. Watch me make it and get the recipe!....Read more »

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

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I would consider all my athletic recruiting options but………..

Since I first started writing articles on this site, I have always stressed the importance of considering all of your options in the recruiting process.  It doesn’t matter if they are Division I, II, III, NAIA, or anything else you can imagine.  Is it really going to hurt you to fill out a Division II questionnaire?  In my strong opinion, the answer to that is a definite no.

In a recent email with a prospect, I have received just about every excuse possible as to why he doesn’t want to look at anything but the biggest Division I schools throughout the country.  While that is a great dream, being realistic in the recruiting process is a must that will really help you in the long run.  There are all the excuses in the world but never one that will answer the question of why you should not consider your options.

The first excuse that I have heard not only from this recruit but plenty of others is the fact that he has not been able to market himself well enough.  If you are a senior without any offers at this point and only focused on Division I-A schools, I can promise you that you need to start stressing a great deal.  It doesn’t matter what college coaches are telling you.  Unless there is a written offer on the table, then I would be worried about the attention and that may force you to want to broaden your search.

The reason why it is so important to broaden your search is because while every one dreams of a professional career playing the sport that you love, the chances to get that opportunity are extremely limited.  Only a small number of college athletes ever get the chance to play any sport professionally, even overseas.

Because of this, the main thing you need to be looking for is a strong academic school.  Yes, sports are great and I loved playing them when I was younger.  But as you get older, you realize how little they mean and how you should have focused more on academics.  You need to use your sport of choice as a means to a college scholarship (or at least more college aid at a smaller school than you would have gotten if you didn’t play sports).  If you can turn your God given gifts into less student loans when you graduate, you should be very proud.

Athletes also have what I call Division I eyes.  This is when their dream growing up has been to play their sport at the Division I level.  When they get to high school and have an excellent career, all they are looking at is how they are going to play Division I football or Division I basketball.  They may have full ride offers from Division II schools but since it doesn’t match up with what they are looking for, they pass and don’t give these Division II schools the light of day.

I saw a recruit recently pull really end up hurt by the Division I eyes he had.  There were many solid Division II programs that were hoping to land him on the basketball court.  But when these programs came calling, he either wouldn’t call them back or told them he had Division I offers for another sport.  Because he turned off so many Division II schools and the Division I programs ended up looking elsewhere, this recruit didn’t even end up playing the sport that he loved.  He picked another sport as a walk on.  If he did not have those Division I eyes, he may have found the perfect fit at a Division II schools close to home.

Anyways, the moral of this article is that it is not a wise decision to focus just on one level of college programs.  Yes, I would have loved to have the ability to play at a basketball program in a BCS school.  But realistically, I was only good enough coming out of high school to be a Division III player.  It is a hard pill for some athletes to swallow but there is likely a reason why those Division I schools are not knocking down the door.  Realize that the main goal of college is to get a degree, not play at a low major Division I school just to say you played Division I basketball.

 

 

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Getting your football recruiting highlight video done shortly after the season is vital

With football seasons across the country wrapping up, most athletes and families use this time to relax and take a breather from a busy fall.  Yes the goal is to be playing for a State title but only a select amount of teams and prep players get that opportunity.  The end of football unfortunately is actually a time for all players who played varsity and want to play college football to get their butt in gear.

The reason is so that you will not be like a number of families who end up relaxing now and scrambling later on.  For seniors, I said this before the season but you should know where you will be getting your highlight video made at.  Whether it is yourself, your coach, or a company, you need to have it lined up if that is what college coaches are asking for.  Juniors and sophomores should have this lined up as well because getting this varsity football out to college coaches is vital.

Not all seniors will need to get their highlight videos done.  The ones that have committed and still plan on signing with the school obviously don’t have to deal with recruiting.  The only thing they need to worry about is signing their autograph on the Letter of Intent.  There are other seniors who may have offers or be happy with where their football recruiting interest sits.  These same players could have attended camps and may just be waiting to see how things shake out in recruiting.

But for most of the other seniors out there, regardless if certain college coaches are asking for full game tapes, making a recruiting highlight video is very worth doing.  Even if you have attended camps and a number of other events over the last year, unless offers are on the table, nothing is guaranteed.  With the ease of hudl, take a few hours as a family and figure out the site and how to put together a quality product.

And with that in mind, you may want to take a look around and market yourself to new programs.  In order to put your best foot forward, sending out an older highlight video may not be doing you justice overall (this does happen but I would assume off-season workouts have helped make you a much stronger and better player overall as a senior).  Game tapes are great to send out but you have to remember, how many college coaches really have the time and patience to watch three full game tapes of athletes without offers?  My guess is that it will come down to a graduate assistant watching it or an assistant coach fast forwarding through it.  That is why the highlight tape is worth it.

For sophomores and juniors who have played extensive varsity football, the recruiting highlight tape is to make sure college coaches are aware of your overall abilities.  The first step to help yourself in the football recruiting process is by sending out your recruiting profile.

Once you send that out via email, you can also link to your own video footage online so the coaches can get a taste of your abilities.  What you are trying to do because you have time left in the recruiting process is get the coaches interested and look into potentially being evaluated for a scholarship by their staff.  That is why putting a highlight tape is worth it at this age because your recruiting profile can not say nearly as much as a highlight tape says when a coach watches it.

Remember to talk to the head high school coach about potentially getting game tape copies.  They are obviously the best source and someone who will likely be integral to the entire football recruiting process.

 

 

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