Spring football is upon us, and that means colleges coaches will soon be hitting the road to visit high schools, and see the next class of recruits. This is your opportunity as a player to impress the coaches in person. The NCAA has very strict guidelines when it comes to colleges interacting one on one with prospects so don't feel down if you don't get any "face time" with the coaches. The most they're allowed to do is say hi, and briefly introduce themselves. To see exactly what the NCAA allows and when they're allowed to do it...visit the NCAA link to the right, and visit the recruiting calender.
When the college coaches visit your school they will spend most of their time talking with your head coach, watching practice, and maybe even attending your spring game. This is the time for you to make sure your head coach has a copy of your highlight tape, your correct contact information, and a copy of your BEST whole game from last season.
Obviously not every player who thinks he's a real prospect actually is, and your head coach will (hopefully) be honest with you when it comes time to deciding which colleges he should give your videos to. This doesn't mean that you can't still send stuff out on your own, and I highly encourage that. My son's coach once told me that he didn't think my son should target schools above the lower tier of DI programs, but we still sent his stuff out, and he garnered offers from LSU, UF, FSU, etc...
Once you have everything in place with your head coach...it's up to you to perform on the field. Give 100 percent every practice because you have no idea who may be watching. Give 100 percent during your spring game for the same reason, and make sure you get a good film of the game. You can read my post on film in the February archives if you're unsure how to make a quality video.
Once spring is over be sure to send out a highlight tape of your spring game (assuming you had a great performance) to all of the colleges that showed interest in you over the spring. Talk to the head coach, and he can tell you who he spoke to, and which schools are looking at you. You should also send it out to any schools you want to target.
So...get everything in order with your head coach RIGHT NOW, go 100 percent at every practice, and in the spring game. Follow up by sending out video of your spring performance, and building relationships with the colleges that show you interest in the spring. If you do these things spring football will be a very productive time for you!
Email me anytime at: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Next Update
I apologize for not updating the blog lately. I have been very busy with personal business, and with spring break this week...my youngest is out of school, and I'm taking him to training. The blog will be up and running again with regular updates beginning Monday, April 7. With spring evaluations starting, college spring games, and the Nike Camps underway...you'll want to stay tuned on Monday!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Parental Do's and Don'ts
The do list has already been covered in the previous posts, and they will continue to be talked about in future posts. Keep following the guidelines I have previously talked about and you will have a great chance of getting your child noticed.
I want to take a few minutes and list some of the don'ts. Hopefully you can learn from some of the mistakes I made during the process.
First: Don't alienate any of the programs that are looking at or have offered your child. During Vince's recruitment I allowed people's comments about me and my son to get to me, and as a result I bad mouthed one of the programs that offered him. In hindsight I shouldn't have paid attention to what people were saying and just stuck by what I knew to be true about that program, and that was that the program was a first class organization. It's very easy to get caught up in the criticisms of your child, and your natural reflex is to lash out. Remember to always consider the source before you react.
Second: The NCAA has very strict rules regarding the recruitment of prospects. Before you do ANYTHING that you're unsure about...check with that college's compliance office to make sure it's okay. There are restrictions on who you can talk to, where you can go, and what you can and cannot accept from people or schools. Always check with the compliance office before you do anything that might be considered a gray area.
Third: Allow your child to make their own decision in regards to what school they choose. The fact is that maybe the school you always dreamed of them playing for may not be their best choice. And your choice may not be their choice. Look objectively at every option, check the depth chart, see how they use kids at your child's position, check the academics, location, coaches, and teammates. After you thoroughly research everything, you can guide your child and weigh the pros and cons with him. With your help he will be able to make his own educated choice.
Fourth: Remember to be supportive and keep the process fun. Your child will have a lot of attention on him during this process, and with attention comes pressure. As a parent you shouldn't be too overbearing...he'll get enough of that from the colleges recruiting him, and the critics criticising him.
Until next time you can write me at: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
I want to take a few minutes and list some of the don'ts. Hopefully you can learn from some of the mistakes I made during the process.
First: Don't alienate any of the programs that are looking at or have offered your child. During Vince's recruitment I allowed people's comments about me and my son to get to me, and as a result I bad mouthed one of the programs that offered him. In hindsight I shouldn't have paid attention to what people were saying and just stuck by what I knew to be true about that program, and that was that the program was a first class organization. It's very easy to get caught up in the criticisms of your child, and your natural reflex is to lash out. Remember to always consider the source before you react.
Second: The NCAA has very strict rules regarding the recruitment of prospects. Before you do ANYTHING that you're unsure about...check with that college's compliance office to make sure it's okay. There are restrictions on who you can talk to, where you can go, and what you can and cannot accept from people or schools. Always check with the compliance office before you do anything that might be considered a gray area.
Third: Allow your child to make their own decision in regards to what school they choose. The fact is that maybe the school you always dreamed of them playing for may not be their best choice. And your choice may not be their choice. Look objectively at every option, check the depth chart, see how they use kids at your child's position, check the academics, location, coaches, and teammates. After you thoroughly research everything, you can guide your child and weigh the pros and cons with him. With your help he will be able to make his own educated choice.
Fourth: Remember to be supportive and keep the process fun. Your child will have a lot of attention on him during this process, and with attention comes pressure. As a parent you shouldn't be too overbearing...he'll get enough of that from the colleges recruiting him, and the critics criticising him.
Until next time you can write me at: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Promoting Part II
Obviously performing well at camps, combines, and in games (especially when you make the papers aware) will get you attention from colleges. Many of them subscribe to recruiting services, and they routinely look at both Rivals and Scout (despite their denials). I can personally attest to having a college coach contact me shortly after something I said on a Rivals.com message board, and then have that same coach tell me 2 weeks later that they don't pay any attention to the recruiting sites. THEY DO!
All of that being said, I still believe that you must be proactive and contact the colleges you're interested in on your own. There's a link to the right of this blog that lists all of the DI programs & several lower division schools. The link will take you directly to that school's Rivals.com site (these are not the school's official sites), and you can look on these sites to see who and what types of players these schools are offering. The link is also a great way to Google search the official sites of the schools you're interested in.
The best way to get a college's contact information is on their official website. Nine out of ten times you will need to go to the athletic department's page, and look for the staff directory. You will often find a list of the coaches, their email addresses, and phone numbers. If you cannot find individual information you can always address any film to the "Recruiting Coordinator". You should be able to find an address for the program on the school's site...if not you can call the athletic department itself and ask for the address.
Now that you have the contact information you can send out your game film. I suggest that you mail a highlight video every 3 games. If you're creating email links of your film you can also email the coaches your highlights. I would also email them about any accolades, links to newspaper stories, links to Internet stories, and any stats for a great game you may have had. Be sure to include your personal contact information with each email or land mail you send.
Don't be discouraged if you don't hear anything right away. It doesn't mean they aren't looking, and often the NCCA restricts the contact that colleges can have with recruits. If they're interested they will attempt to find out more about you by contacting you directly (when they can) or by talking with your head coach.
Always keep a copy of your best whole game film available. Highlights often peak a college's interest, but once they're interested they will ask for a whole game film. This allows them to see how you perform when you're not making a highlight. I would also coordinate with your head coach and make sure he has several copies (DVD or VHS) of your highlight video and your best game. Colleges often stop by to talk to your coach without your knowledge, and having these videos handy will make sure the colleges don't leave your school empty handed.
Don't pester the coaches with long frequent emails. Your goal is to sell yourself to them with VALID film and stats. Coaches have little time for frivolous emails and film. Eventually they will recognize you as a waste of their time and promptly delete your emails or round file your film. Keep your emails and letters to the point, and be honest with yourself...are you really what they're looking for? If so....good luck and god bless!
As always you can post a comment if you have a question or send me an email to: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
All of that being said, I still believe that you must be proactive and contact the colleges you're interested in on your own. There's a link to the right of this blog that lists all of the DI programs & several lower division schools. The link will take you directly to that school's Rivals.com site (these are not the school's official sites), and you can look on these sites to see who and what types of players these schools are offering. The link is also a great way to Google search the official sites of the schools you're interested in.
The best way to get a college's contact information is on their official website. Nine out of ten times you will need to go to the athletic department's page, and look for the staff directory. You will often find a list of the coaches, their email addresses, and phone numbers. If you cannot find individual information you can always address any film to the "Recruiting Coordinator". You should be able to find an address for the program on the school's site...if not you can call the athletic department itself and ask for the address.
Now that you have the contact information you can send out your game film. I suggest that you mail a highlight video every 3 games. If you're creating email links of your film you can also email the coaches your highlights. I would also email them about any accolades, links to newspaper stories, links to Internet stories, and any stats for a great game you may have had. Be sure to include your personal contact information with each email or land mail you send.
Don't be discouraged if you don't hear anything right away. It doesn't mean they aren't looking, and often the NCCA restricts the contact that colleges can have with recruits. If they're interested they will attempt to find out more about you by contacting you directly (when they can) or by talking with your head coach.
Always keep a copy of your best whole game film available. Highlights often peak a college's interest, but once they're interested they will ask for a whole game film. This allows them to see how you perform when you're not making a highlight. I would also coordinate with your head coach and make sure he has several copies (DVD or VHS) of your highlight video and your best game. Colleges often stop by to talk to your coach without your knowledge, and having these videos handy will make sure the colleges don't leave your school empty handed.
Don't pester the coaches with long frequent emails. Your goal is to sell yourself to them with VALID film and stats. Coaches have little time for frivolous emails and film. Eventually they will recognize you as a waste of their time and promptly delete your emails or round file your film. Keep your emails and letters to the point, and be honest with yourself...are you really what they're looking for? If so....good luck and god bless!
As always you can post a comment if you have a question or send me an email to: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Promoting Part I
We have talked about promoting yourself through camps, combines, and film. Now I want to talk about how to use all of these things to promote yourself directly to colleges.
Sure great performances at a camp or combine will get you recognition, but why allow the recruiting sites or media outlets at these events to be the only ones talking about you? Why not do it yourself? Not every program subscribes to a recruiting service, and many newspaper prep writers (who happen to vote for the all state teams that colleges DO pay attention to) don't subscribe to the recruiting sites either.
So in part one lets talk about getting yourself some recognition from the newspapers. Of course not every paper in your state cares what you did on Friday night because they have their own area to cover, BUT when it comes time to put the all state teams together...the more writers that know your name the better.
So how do you get your name to them? Well in Florida (and I'm sure in other states...you can do a Google search to find out) the Florida Sports Writer Association makes the all state selections. I looked up their web site by doing a Google search, and found a list of all the member papers including the email addresses of the prep writers.
Every Friday night or Saturday morning after I had tallied my son's stats from the previous game (we watched the game film every Friday night...as should you since you're taping them ...I hope) I would email his numbers to all of the prep writers on the FSWA member list.
I would also email them whenever my son's performed well at a camp, combine, or received an accolade for being an outstanding player.
Be honest and don't lie to the papers...they can double check with the high school coach about your son's numbers. You may be a few tackles or yards off from the school's numbers, and that's expected but to just purposely make up stats will get you in trouble.
Your goal should be to get your son's name out there every chance you can to these papers. Don't let a single writer get by that doesn't know his name. When all the state selections come around he will at least be in the discussion...assuming he had a great season.
This is one area where parents often don't think about promoting their child. They're always intent on sending things to schools (and that's good) but they forget about the prep writers. The more press the better. There's a link to the FSWA to the right of this blog. Search to find out how, and who votes on a particular state's all state teams, and follow the advice above.
You can also include a link to your child's highlight video in your emails. This allows the writers a chance to see him for themselves.
The next blog will cover promoting to colleges themselves. As always you can ask a question by leaving a comment or sending an email to: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com.
Sure great performances at a camp or combine will get you recognition, but why allow the recruiting sites or media outlets at these events to be the only ones talking about you? Why not do it yourself? Not every program subscribes to a recruiting service, and many newspaper prep writers (who happen to vote for the all state teams that colleges DO pay attention to) don't subscribe to the recruiting sites either.
So in part one lets talk about getting yourself some recognition from the newspapers. Of course not every paper in your state cares what you did on Friday night because they have their own area to cover, BUT when it comes time to put the all state teams together...the more writers that know your name the better.
So how do you get your name to them? Well in Florida (and I'm sure in other states...you can do a Google search to find out) the Florida Sports Writer Association makes the all state selections. I looked up their web site by doing a Google search, and found a list of all the member papers including the email addresses of the prep writers.
Every Friday night or Saturday morning after I had tallied my son's stats from the previous game (we watched the game film every Friday night...as should you since you're taping them ...I hope) I would email his numbers to all of the prep writers on the FSWA member list.
I would also email them whenever my son's performed well at a camp, combine, or received an accolade for being an outstanding player.
Be honest and don't lie to the papers...they can double check with the high school coach about your son's numbers. You may be a few tackles or yards off from the school's numbers, and that's expected but to just purposely make up stats will get you in trouble.
Your goal should be to get your son's name out there every chance you can to these papers. Don't let a single writer get by that doesn't know his name. When all the state selections come around he will at least be in the discussion...assuming he had a great season.
This is one area where parents often don't think about promoting their child. They're always intent on sending things to schools (and that's good) but they forget about the prep writers. The more press the better. There's a link to the FSWA to the right of this blog. Search to find out how, and who votes on a particular state's all state teams, and follow the advice above.
You can also include a link to your child's highlight video in your emails. This allows the writers a chance to see him for themselves.
The next blog will cover promoting to colleges themselves. As always you can ask a question by leaving a comment or sending an email to: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Introducing Mike James
I spoke a few posts back about the GREAT FREE highlight videos that Derek Williams of Sunshinepreps.net does. If you live in Florida you should NEVER pay to have your highlights done. There is also a Georgiapreps.net and a Texaspreps.net....visit the link to Sunshinepreps on the right for all the contact information.
I wanted to share an example of his work with you by linking this FIRST LOOK VIDEO of Ridge Community High's 2009 RB Mike James. The video says it all, and thanks to this video the DI offers are coming in! Here is Mike: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PdhuxmRu3w8
I wanted to share an example of his work with you by linking this FIRST LOOK VIDEO of Ridge Community High's 2009 RB Mike James. The video says it all, and thanks to this video the DI offers are coming in! Here is Mike: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PdhuxmRu3w8
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Recruiting Mail
I want to talk a little bit about recruiting mail, what it means, the different types, and how a university probably heard about you causing them to send it.
When you begin getting mail from schools it will probably arrive in your head coach's school mail box. It's not uncommon for high school coaches to check their mailboxes very INFREQUENTLY so after you get the first stack of letters from your coach...you may want to check with him on a weekly basis to see if you have gotten anymore.
The first type of letters you are likely to receive will be "form letters" that schools send out to hundreds of prospects. You will recognize these letters by their lack of hand written signatures or hand written notes. Most likely a graduate assistant or recruiting assistant at that school has gotten your name from an all county, all state, or recruiting service list that they subscribe to. They really don't know who you are despite what the form letter may say, but you have somehow made their list and they are now trying to find out more about you.
Another type of mail you will receive in the beginning of the recruiting process is a prospect questionnaire. This is how a school gets your contact information (home address, phone number, etc...) after you fill these out and mail them back...you will start getting letters mailed directly to your home. YOU SHOULD FILL ALL QUESTIONNAIRES OUT AND MAIL THEM BACK.
There is a section on every questionnaire that asks what your top 5 schools are. I suggest that you always list the school that is sending you the questionnaire as #1. Every school has an ego, and if you mail the form back in and you rank them very low or don't list them at all...they may assume you have no interest in them, and they may end contact with you at that point. Your goal is to get as many scholarship offers as you can, and god forbid you list 5 schools that never offer only to alienate the one that would have. DON'T BURN ANY BRIDGES. Play the game to your advantage even if it means stroking the ego of a program you have no interest in. You never know which programs will offer and which ones won't.
When filling out these questionnaires make sure to be honest, but there is nothing wrong with adding an inch to your height (if you're an inch under what they like) and maybe 10 pounds to your weight if you're a little lighter then they like. I'm not telling you to be a liar and really stretch the truth a mile...just an inch or so. Odds are you'll grow at least an inch before you graduate, and put on at least 10 pounds. If you don't think colleges do this themselves then look at their official rosters....look at a player's height, weight, and 40 time...then compare those numbers to that player's NFL combine numbers. You might be amazed how much those players shrunk and how much slower they got when the NFL officially measured them! Hint...Hint
The next type of mail you may get will be hand signed or hand written letters, cards, or notes. It's a safe bet that the program sending these actually knows who you are, and they have a sincere interest in you. It's a good sign when you get these types of letters.
I suggest keeping a list of every school sending you mail. I also suggest that you call the coach from that school that recruits your area, and thank them for the letter. Touch base with them and let them know that you appreciate their interest, and look forward to learning more about their program. They may or may not know who you are when you call BUT you have made contact with them and put your name in their head AND you have let them know that you're interested in their program. You can call a coach whenever, and as often as you like BUT the coaches are limited to when and how often they can call you. You can look on the NCAA link to the right, and look up the "recruiting calender" to see when coaches are allowed to do what.
Whenever you talk to a coach...keep a few notes on your conversation so when they do call you a month or so down the road...you can look at your notes, and reference them during your conversation. A coach may be very impressed when he calls you and you ask him "How's your daughter doing? I know you were excited about her softball game last time we talked." The coach will think, "This kid really has an interest in us if he remembers what we talked about a month ago." Again...play the game to your advantage.
This covers the three main types of mail you will get during the recruiting process, and some tips on how to respond to them. If you have a question post a comment or email me at: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
When you begin getting mail from schools it will probably arrive in your head coach's school mail box. It's not uncommon for high school coaches to check their mailboxes very INFREQUENTLY so after you get the first stack of letters from your coach...you may want to check with him on a weekly basis to see if you have gotten anymore.
The first type of letters you are likely to receive will be "form letters" that schools send out to hundreds of prospects. You will recognize these letters by their lack of hand written signatures or hand written notes. Most likely a graduate assistant or recruiting assistant at that school has gotten your name from an all county, all state, or recruiting service list that they subscribe to. They really don't know who you are despite what the form letter may say, but you have somehow made their list and they are now trying to find out more about you.
Another type of mail you will receive in the beginning of the recruiting process is a prospect questionnaire. This is how a school gets your contact information (home address, phone number, etc...) after you fill these out and mail them back...you will start getting letters mailed directly to your home. YOU SHOULD FILL ALL QUESTIONNAIRES OUT AND MAIL THEM BACK.
There is a section on every questionnaire that asks what your top 5 schools are. I suggest that you always list the school that is sending you the questionnaire as #1. Every school has an ego, and if you mail the form back in and you rank them very low or don't list them at all...they may assume you have no interest in them, and they may end contact with you at that point. Your goal is to get as many scholarship offers as you can, and god forbid you list 5 schools that never offer only to alienate the one that would have. DON'T BURN ANY BRIDGES. Play the game to your advantage even if it means stroking the ego of a program you have no interest in. You never know which programs will offer and which ones won't.
When filling out these questionnaires make sure to be honest, but there is nothing wrong with adding an inch to your height (if you're an inch under what they like) and maybe 10 pounds to your weight if you're a little lighter then they like. I'm not telling you to be a liar and really stretch the truth a mile...just an inch or so. Odds are you'll grow at least an inch before you graduate, and put on at least 10 pounds. If you don't think colleges do this themselves then look at their official rosters....look at a player's height, weight, and 40 time...then compare those numbers to that player's NFL combine numbers. You might be amazed how much those players shrunk and how much slower they got when the NFL officially measured them! Hint...Hint
The next type of mail you may get will be hand signed or hand written letters, cards, or notes. It's a safe bet that the program sending these actually knows who you are, and they have a sincere interest in you. It's a good sign when you get these types of letters.
I suggest keeping a list of every school sending you mail. I also suggest that you call the coach from that school that recruits your area, and thank them for the letter. Touch base with them and let them know that you appreciate their interest, and look forward to learning more about their program. They may or may not know who you are when you call BUT you have made contact with them and put your name in their head AND you have let them know that you're interested in their program. You can call a coach whenever, and as often as you like BUT the coaches are limited to when and how often they can call you. You can look on the NCAA link to the right, and look up the "recruiting calender" to see when coaches are allowed to do what.
Whenever you talk to a coach...keep a few notes on your conversation so when they do call you a month or so down the road...you can look at your notes, and reference them during your conversation. A coach may be very impressed when he calls you and you ask him "How's your daughter doing? I know you were excited about her softball game last time we talked." The coach will think, "This kid really has an interest in us if he remembers what we talked about a month ago." Again...play the game to your advantage.
This covers the three main types of mail you will get during the recruiting process, and some tips on how to respond to them. If you have a question post a comment or email me at: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
Monday, March 3, 2008
Academic Eligibility
I want to talk about the academic side of recruiting. I realize that this will apply to each individual differently, but there are certain rules that apply to everyone.
First: You need to know what the NCAA requires in order for you to be eligible. What your school requires for you to graduate can be (and most likely is) different from what the NCAA requires. It's important that you look into this right away. There's a link to the NCAA Eligibility Center to the right of this blog.
Different divisions have different requirements so what applies to a division one program may not apply to a division two or three program. You should meet with your high school guidance counselor as soon as possible, and go over your current transcript to see where you are. It's important that the parent and the athlete stay on top of this because no-one will watch it closer then you. Make sure that you're meeting the graduation requirements for your school, AND the NCAA requirements. You can graduate, but if you're not eligible per the NCAA, a college will not give you a scholarship. Most parents and students do not realize that there are two different sets of requirements. The sooner you get on the right track the better.
The NCAA site will cover the required courses, and there is even a section where you can look at your particular high school, and see what classes your school offers to meet the NCAA requirements. This is also a great way to compare your current transcript to the required classes, and see what you already have.
I know there are currently 16 core classes that the NCAA requires to be eligible for DI competition. The web site will tell you what they are.
Second: You must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. The above mentioned site will also allow you to register for the clearinghouse. You should do this no later then your junior year or at the beginning of your senior year. This is required by the NCAA, and this is how they tract your eligibility. There is a fee, but I think the fee is waved if you meet certain requirements.
Third: Take the SAT and the ACT as often as you can. The official web sites for both are to the right of this post. You can register there, see the test dates, and get your scores all on these sites. There is NO PENALTY for how many times you take these tests, and the NCAA and the universities only count your highest scores. There is a "sliding scale" that applies to division one programs only. The sliding scale takes your core GPA (from high school) into cnsideration when deciding if you're eligible. The higher your core GPA the lower you can score on the SAT and the ACT to be eligible. Again...this applies to DI programs only, and you can find this information on the NCAA site to the right. Also: the NCAA Clearinghouse no longer accepts SAT or ACT score reports from your school or any source other then the testing center itself! When you register to take these tests YOU MUST choose the NCAA as one of the places to receive your scores. They will not accept scores from any other source...period!
Summing things up: Get with your school guidance counselor ASAP and go over your transcript to make sure you're on pace to graduate AND meet the NCAA's requirements, register for the NCAA Clearinghouse, take the SAT and the ACT as often as you can, and make sure you send a score report directly from the testing center to the NCAA Clearinghouse.
I hope this helps point you in the right direction, and as always: If you have a question post a comment or email me at: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
First: You need to know what the NCAA requires in order for you to be eligible. What your school requires for you to graduate can be (and most likely is) different from what the NCAA requires. It's important that you look into this right away. There's a link to the NCAA Eligibility Center to the right of this blog.
Different divisions have different requirements so what applies to a division one program may not apply to a division two or three program. You should meet with your high school guidance counselor as soon as possible, and go over your current transcript to see where you are. It's important that the parent and the athlete stay on top of this because no-one will watch it closer then you. Make sure that you're meeting the graduation requirements for your school, AND the NCAA requirements. You can graduate, but if you're not eligible per the NCAA, a college will not give you a scholarship. Most parents and students do not realize that there are two different sets of requirements. The sooner you get on the right track the better.
The NCAA site will cover the required courses, and there is even a section where you can look at your particular high school, and see what classes your school offers to meet the NCAA requirements. This is also a great way to compare your current transcript to the required classes, and see what you already have.
I know there are currently 16 core classes that the NCAA requires to be eligible for DI competition. The web site will tell you what they are.
Second: You must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. The above mentioned site will also allow you to register for the clearinghouse. You should do this no later then your junior year or at the beginning of your senior year. This is required by the NCAA, and this is how they tract your eligibility. There is a fee, but I think the fee is waved if you meet certain requirements.
Third: Take the SAT and the ACT as often as you can. The official web sites for both are to the right of this post. You can register there, see the test dates, and get your scores all on these sites. There is NO PENALTY for how many times you take these tests, and the NCAA and the universities only count your highest scores. There is a "sliding scale" that applies to division one programs only. The sliding scale takes your core GPA (from high school) into cnsideration when deciding if you're eligible. The higher your core GPA the lower you can score on the SAT and the ACT to be eligible. Again...this applies to DI programs only, and you can find this information on the NCAA site to the right. Also: the NCAA Clearinghouse no longer accepts SAT or ACT score reports from your school or any source other then the testing center itself! When you register to take these tests YOU MUST choose the NCAA as one of the places to receive your scores. They will not accept scores from any other source...period!
Summing things up: Get with your school guidance counselor ASAP and go over your transcript to make sure you're on pace to graduate AND meet the NCAA's requirements, register for the NCAA Clearinghouse, take the SAT and the ACT as often as you can, and make sure you send a score report directly from the testing center to the NCAA Clearinghouse.
I hope this helps point you in the right direction, and as always: If you have a question post a comment or email me at: RecruitingInsider.Mark@gmail.com
Friday, February 29, 2008
Training
We have talked about camps and combines so I think it's only fitting that we discuss training next. Not just for combines and camps, but for the offseason as well.
In today's game of football speed is king. Speed is of course relative to your position, and the fasted OL will be a far cry from the fastest DB. So what can you use as a guideline to see where you need to be to be considered among the top at your position?
A great place to start is with the previous season's Rivals 100 and Rivals 250 lists. You can find these on the Rivals web site and there is a link to the right. Look at last year's top prospects at your position, and you will get a good idea of what the "measurables" are for the top players. A word of caution: If their profile does not have a little "R" beside their numbers...then those numbers have NOT been verified at an official event. Those are just numbers that the athlete and or his coach submitted to Rivals...they HAVE NOT been verifed. Remember when we discussed combines and I said if your game film is making you a top prospect STAY AWAY from the combines unless you KNOW you will test well? Well these top players without the verified numbers have done just that. If you can convince everyone that you are a 4.4 DB, and your film looks like you're a 4.4 DB then leave it alone...don't go to a combine and run a 4.6 just to hurt your stock. That being said don't be a big liar to colleges and recruiting services either...you will only hurt yourself. It is common knowledge though that most programs, and athletes "stretch" the truth a bit. A 5' 11" kid may be listed at 6' or a 4.5 guy may be listed at 4.4. Just let them take your word for it if that's what everyone believes. Otherwise follow my advice in the combine blog.
So now that you have a good idea of where you need to be at your position to be considered in the top how do you get there? Obviously you can't grow taller by training, but that doesn't mean give up. You may be overlooked by most DI programs because your height isn't what they want for that position, BUT there are exceptions to every rule AND you still have a great shot at a lower division scholarship. That being said: SPEED IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER.
There are several places on the web where you can lookup different training techniques to make you faster and quicker. Most of these drills are even sport specific so they allow you to become a faster, quicker, stronger, player.
Sparqtraining.com, Nikefootball.com, and CoachTom Shaw.com are the sites I have linked to this blog. The Sparq site and Nikefootball will show you drills you can do on your own, and they have dvd's and training tools for sale. It's a small investment to make when you consider the cost of a college education. You can also search the web for other sites that offer training techniques that will meet your specific needs.
If you want to be trained by a professional then I recommend Coach Shaw. You can visit his web site to the right, and see his second to none list of clients. You will train side by side his NFL clients at Disney's beautiful Wide World of Sports Complex. Most of his top NFL prospect clients and pro clients pay around $900 a WEEK for his services, but high school kids can get 6 weeks of training 4-5 days a week for $450 (total cost). If you live out of town or state then housing arrangements can be made for an additional fee. Tom is a Sparq master trainer, he does every Nike Camp around the country, and he has 3 Super Bowl rings with the Patriots when he trained them. Please visit his site if you are interested in learning more about him.
Coach Shaw will also be conducting some camps for high school players, and they will be held at Disney's Wide World of Sports Comlex. Camp 1 is: June 23 - 25 and Camp 2 is: July 7 - 9. All sports are welcome, and you will train with pro athletes. The camps will run each day from 8:30am - 11:30am and they are $185.00 each. Boys and girls are welcome from every sport. If you're interested in these camps or his 6 week program email me at RECRUITINGINSIDER.MARK@GMAIL.COM.
I will get you all the information.
I hope I have given you a good starting point to see where you need to be, and a few ideas on how to get there. As always if you have a question...post a comment.
In today's game of football speed is king. Speed is of course relative to your position, and the fasted OL will be a far cry from the fastest DB. So what can you use as a guideline to see where you need to be to be considered among the top at your position?
A great place to start is with the previous season's Rivals 100 and Rivals 250 lists. You can find these on the Rivals web site and there is a link to the right. Look at last year's top prospects at your position, and you will get a good idea of what the "measurables" are for the top players. A word of caution: If their profile does not have a little "R" beside their numbers...then those numbers have NOT been verified at an official event. Those are just numbers that the athlete and or his coach submitted to Rivals...they HAVE NOT been verifed. Remember when we discussed combines and I said if your game film is making you a top prospect STAY AWAY from the combines unless you KNOW you will test well? Well these top players without the verified numbers have done just that. If you can convince everyone that you are a 4.4 DB, and your film looks like you're a 4.4 DB then leave it alone...don't go to a combine and run a 4.6 just to hurt your stock. That being said don't be a big liar to colleges and recruiting services either...you will only hurt yourself. It is common knowledge though that most programs, and athletes "stretch" the truth a bit. A 5' 11" kid may be listed at 6' or a 4.5 guy may be listed at 4.4. Just let them take your word for it if that's what everyone believes. Otherwise follow my advice in the combine blog.
So now that you have a good idea of where you need to be at your position to be considered in the top how do you get there? Obviously you can't grow taller by training, but that doesn't mean give up. You may be overlooked by most DI programs because your height isn't what they want for that position, BUT there are exceptions to every rule AND you still have a great shot at a lower division scholarship. That being said: SPEED IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER.
There are several places on the web where you can lookup different training techniques to make you faster and quicker. Most of these drills are even sport specific so they allow you to become a faster, quicker, stronger, player.
Sparqtraining.com, Nikefootball.com, and CoachTom Shaw.com are the sites I have linked to this blog. The Sparq site and Nikefootball will show you drills you can do on your own, and they have dvd's and training tools for sale. It's a small investment to make when you consider the cost of a college education. You can also search the web for other sites that offer training techniques that will meet your specific needs.
If you want to be trained by a professional then I recommend Coach Shaw. You can visit his web site to the right, and see his second to none list of clients. You will train side by side his NFL clients at Disney's beautiful Wide World of Sports Complex. Most of his top NFL prospect clients and pro clients pay around $900 a WEEK for his services, but high school kids can get 6 weeks of training 4-5 days a week for $450 (total cost). If you live out of town or state then housing arrangements can be made for an additional fee. Tom is a Sparq master trainer, he does every Nike Camp around the country, and he has 3 Super Bowl rings with the Patriots when he trained them. Please visit his site if you are interested in learning more about him.
Coach Shaw will also be conducting some camps for high school players, and they will be held at Disney's Wide World of Sports Comlex. Camp 1 is: June 23 - 25 and Camp 2 is: July 7 - 9. All sports are welcome, and you will train with pro athletes. The camps will run each day from 8:30am - 11:30am and they are $185.00 each. Boys and girls are welcome from every sport. If you're interested in these camps or his 6 week program email me at RECRUITINGINSIDER.MARK@GMAIL.COM.
I will get you all the information.
I hope I have given you a good starting point to see where you need to be, and a few ideas on how to get there. As always if you have a question...post a comment.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Camps
Many parents ask me what camps they should send their kids to, and are they actually worth the money? The answer is: There are several great camps out there, and yes (if you pick the right ones) they're worth the money.
First let me start with my favorite because again...it's FREE, and it gives tons of exposure to the athletes in attendance. I'm referring to the Nike Camps that are held yearly all over the country on the campuses of several major DI schools. DO NOT confuse the Nike Camps with the Nike Combines. The combines are open to everyone, and they conduct testing. The Nike Camps are invitation only, and they do not conduct testing. The camps do position specific drills, and one on one drills.
To be invited to a Nike Camp you can either have a great performance at a Nike Combine, be recognized as a top prospect, be a former camp participant, or simply have your Head Football Coach contact Brian@StudentSports.com and recommend you as a legit DI prospect. There is a limit to how many athletes each high school can send. Very few if any athletes that are not at least rising juniors will be given an invitation. You can learn more about the Nike Camps by clicking on the Nike Camps link to the right of this blog.
There have been Nike Camps where over 20 major college head coaches have been in attendance including such names as : Charlie Weiss, Urban Meyer, and Mark Richt. NCAA guidelines dictate when a college coach can attend, BUT they are often in hiding watching from a distance on the dates they are not allowed to be on the field with the athletes.
In addition to testing your skills against the top prospects in the country, you will get great exposure from the Rivals network if you perform well, you'll be watched by coaches from major programs (as described above), and you'll get valuable speed training from Coach Tom Shaw (link on the right)...all for free!
So what about pay camps? The first one I believe to be worth the money is a lineman camp called "The Down and Dirty Camp". This is THE lineman camp! There is contact involved, it's conducted by several college coaches from all over america, and it's recognized nationwide as the elite lineman camp. If you're a lineman looking for a camp then this is it. There is a link to this camp on the right of this blog, and you'll find everything you need to know there.
The next pay camps that I believe are worth the money (when chosen properly) are the summer camps that each university does. You can find information on each school's camp by looking on their official web site, and looking for their summer camps link. If you can't find the link...you can always call the football office for that particular school, and ask for the information. You can find the phone number on the school's official web site.
I say "When chosen properly" for this reason: If you try to attend every camp that sends you a brochure during the recruiting process...you'll go broke! Before you travel from Florida to Louisiana to Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, and then back to Florida...make sure you're doing it because it's worth it.
Schools often mail out camp brochures "inviting you as a top prospect" just because your name popped up on a recruiting list they subscribe to, and in reality they don't know you from adam. You show up thinking you're special only to realize they don't know your name, where you're from, or what position you play. Why do schools do this? Well again...some grad assistant saw you on a list...it cost the school 41 cents to mail the brochure, and who knows? Maybe you'll attend, and turn out to be just what they're looking for...if not it only cost them the postage. You on the other hand will likely be out several hundred dollars in camp costs, food, and travel expenses.
So which ones are worth it? I would suggest attending the ones that are conducted by schools you really have an interest in, AND YOU KNOW you'll perform so well at the camp it will put you on their "radar". Be realistic...if you stink...you stink...save your money. If you perform poorly at camps, but your game film is awesome...don't attend the camp. You can always pass the coaches "eyeball test" at an unofficial visit during the season (we'll discuss visits in a later blog) save your money.
The other university camps I consider worth the money are the camps being held by schools that truly have an interest in you. If you're getting hand written letters or cards (not form letters) they're probably really looking at you. Colleges can only call during specific times based on NCAA rules, but you can call them ANYTIME. If you get a hand written card or letter I suggest that the parents and the athlete call the school and talk to the coach. You can really gage their interest, and get a good idea if it's worth the money to attend their camp. If you already have an offer from that school you can skip the camp. You already got what you want...don't risk a poor performance making them second guess their offer.
Lets face it...despite how these university camps are marketed...they are evaluation camps. Sure there are kids of all ages, but they have to allow that because of the NCAA. They really have these camps to see first hand, and work with first hand, the players they have seen on the all county lists, all state lists, and on the recruiting services lists. They're also hoping to find that "sleeper" that no-one is talking about.
You'll know if you performed well at the camp if the coach asks you send them your game film, tells you they'll be at your school to see you, gives you some one on one time with the head coach, asks for your contact information, or a combination of any of these. Of course there is no doubt what they think if you get a scholarship offer.
Just be careful, do your research, and spend your money wisely. Camps (when chosen properly) can be a great asset to getting you a scholarship offer.
If you have a question...post a comment.
First let me start with my favorite because again...it's FREE, and it gives tons of exposure to the athletes in attendance. I'm referring to the Nike Camps that are held yearly all over the country on the campuses of several major DI schools. DO NOT confuse the Nike Camps with the Nike Combines. The combines are open to everyone, and they conduct testing. The Nike Camps are invitation only, and they do not conduct testing. The camps do position specific drills, and one on one drills.
To be invited to a Nike Camp you can either have a great performance at a Nike Combine, be recognized as a top prospect, be a former camp participant, or simply have your Head Football Coach contact Brian@StudentSports.com and recommend you as a legit DI prospect. There is a limit to how many athletes each high school can send. Very few if any athletes that are not at least rising juniors will be given an invitation. You can learn more about the Nike Camps by clicking on the Nike Camps link to the right of this blog.
There have been Nike Camps where over 20 major college head coaches have been in attendance including such names as : Charlie Weiss, Urban Meyer, and Mark Richt. NCAA guidelines dictate when a college coach can attend, BUT they are often in hiding watching from a distance on the dates they are not allowed to be on the field with the athletes.
In addition to testing your skills against the top prospects in the country, you will get great exposure from the Rivals network if you perform well, you'll be watched by coaches from major programs (as described above), and you'll get valuable speed training from Coach Tom Shaw (link on the right)...all for free!
So what about pay camps? The first one I believe to be worth the money is a lineman camp called "The Down and Dirty Camp". This is THE lineman camp! There is contact involved, it's conducted by several college coaches from all over america, and it's recognized nationwide as the elite lineman camp. If you're a lineman looking for a camp then this is it. There is a link to this camp on the right of this blog, and you'll find everything you need to know there.
The next pay camps that I believe are worth the money (when chosen properly) are the summer camps that each university does. You can find information on each school's camp by looking on their official web site, and looking for their summer camps link. If you can't find the link...you can always call the football office for that particular school, and ask for the information. You can find the phone number on the school's official web site.
I say "When chosen properly" for this reason: If you try to attend every camp that sends you a brochure during the recruiting process...you'll go broke! Before you travel from Florida to Louisiana to Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, and then back to Florida...make sure you're doing it because it's worth it.
Schools often mail out camp brochures "inviting you as a top prospect" just because your name popped up on a recruiting list they subscribe to, and in reality they don't know you from adam. You show up thinking you're special only to realize they don't know your name, where you're from, or what position you play. Why do schools do this? Well again...some grad assistant saw you on a list...it cost the school 41 cents to mail the brochure, and who knows? Maybe you'll attend, and turn out to be just what they're looking for...if not it only cost them the postage. You on the other hand will likely be out several hundred dollars in camp costs, food, and travel expenses.
So which ones are worth it? I would suggest attending the ones that are conducted by schools you really have an interest in, AND YOU KNOW you'll perform so well at the camp it will put you on their "radar". Be realistic...if you stink...you stink...save your money. If you perform poorly at camps, but your game film is awesome...don't attend the camp. You can always pass the coaches "eyeball test" at an unofficial visit during the season (we'll discuss visits in a later blog) save your money.
The other university camps I consider worth the money are the camps being held by schools that truly have an interest in you. If you're getting hand written letters or cards (not form letters) they're probably really looking at you. Colleges can only call during specific times based on NCAA rules, but you can call them ANYTIME. If you get a hand written card or letter I suggest that the parents and the athlete call the school and talk to the coach. You can really gage their interest, and get a good idea if it's worth the money to attend their camp. If you already have an offer from that school you can skip the camp. You already got what you want...don't risk a poor performance making them second guess their offer.
Lets face it...despite how these university camps are marketed...they are evaluation camps. Sure there are kids of all ages, but they have to allow that because of the NCAA. They really have these camps to see first hand, and work with first hand, the players they have seen on the all county lists, all state lists, and on the recruiting services lists. They're also hoping to find that "sleeper" that no-one is talking about.
You'll know if you performed well at the camp if the coach asks you send them your game film, tells you they'll be at your school to see you, gives you some one on one time with the head coach, asks for your contact information, or a combination of any of these. Of course there is no doubt what they think if you get a scholarship offer.
Just be careful, do your research, and spend your money wisely. Camps (when chosen properly) can be a great asset to getting you a scholarship offer.
If you have a question...post a comment.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sports Illustrated Article
I was going to cover camps in this next blog, but I decided to piggy back my previous blog on combines by talking a little about the Orlando Nike Combine that took place this past Saturday.
In my previous blog I talked about how combines can really help unknown players get noticed. I discussed the pro's and the con's. I also talked about how much coverage the Nike combines and Scout combines get even though they are free events.
Case in point: Despite the usual coverage received by the Rivals Recruiting Network (and that is HUGE)...I was approached by a reporter for SI.com. What a GREAT opportunity in addition to Rivals to have SI covering an event like the Nike Combine. This further strengthened my belief in the value of a good combine performance for these young athletes.
I want to share with you the article that Andy Staples of SI did about this blog. I think it does a great job of saying exactly what this blog is all about, and it also shows how many major outlets cover these events...and that's GREAT for the kids.
Thank you Andy for helping me spread word, and helping as many kids as we can.
Here is the link to the SI article:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/andy_staples/02/25/recruiting.notebook/index.html
We will cover Camps in the next blog.
In my previous blog I talked about how combines can really help unknown players get noticed. I discussed the pro's and the con's. I also talked about how much coverage the Nike combines and Scout combines get even though they are free events.
Case in point: Despite the usual coverage received by the Rivals Recruiting Network (and that is HUGE)...I was approached by a reporter for SI.com. What a GREAT opportunity in addition to Rivals to have SI covering an event like the Nike Combine. This further strengthened my belief in the value of a good combine performance for these young athletes.
I want to share with you the article that Andy Staples of SI did about this blog. I think it does a great job of saying exactly what this blog is all about, and it also shows how many major outlets cover these events...and that's GREAT for the kids.
Thank you Andy for helping me spread word, and helping as many kids as we can.
Here is the link to the SI article:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/andy_staples/02/25/recruiting.notebook/index.html
We will cover Camps in the next blog.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Combines
There are a ton of combines out there so how does a parent or athlete decide which ones they should attend or if they should attend one at all?
I think I should start out by saying this: If your game film is awesome, and you are getting attention from colleges maybe even offers based on your film...unless you KNOW you're an awesome tester (40, vertical, shuttle, etc...) LEAVE THE COMBINES ALONE. You don't see top college players who know they'll be drafted in the top of the NFL draft compete at the combine do you? Well maybe a few, but again they KNOW they will test well. Most of them don't want a bad combine performance to adversly affect their draft status. If you're already annointed as a top pick...why take a chance at hurting your stock? This applies to high school athletes as well...if you're already getting your offers based on your film...it might be best not to do the combines. It is important to note that if you have a bad combine (at least at the Nike combine and maybe the Scout combines) you do not have to turn your scores in...AND YOU SHOULDN'T if they're bad.
Believe me when I tell you...THE TIMES YOUR HEAD COACH GIVES YOU WILL BE VERY DIFFERENT THEN YOUR COMBINE SCORES. There are a lot of 4.6 kids at combines who swear they run 4.4 because their coach said they did. For most kids a combine will give them their first real times and scores.
So what about the kid who is a great player, but hasn't got an offer based on his film yet? Well again...if he does well at a combine it could give him the publicity he needs to catch the eye of college coaches. The combines worked great for my son...they got him a great deal of press from the major internet recruiting sites, and in turn the colleges took note of him.
So how do you decide which combine to attend should you choose to attend one? I recommend the Nike Combines because they are covered by the Rivals network, and give great exposure to the top performers not to mention it's open to everyone FREE OF CHARGE who is a freshman up to a rising senior (juniors about to be seniors) in high school. The second one I recommend is the Scout combine because they are covered by the Scout network. It's also FREE and open to the same group listed above.
There are links to StudentSports.com on the right side of this page and to Nikefootball.com. You can find all the information about Nike Combines there. They are currently under way. There is also a link to Scout.com and you can find information about their combines there. They have not started yet.
I really don't see the point in spending money on combines when you have these two FOR FREE, and they're covered by the two largest recruiting networks in the U.S.
So what do they do at these combines? First they get the athlete's height (without shoes) and take their weight. Next will be a series of different events depending on which combine you attend. You can go to the afore mentioned websites to see a current list of what they will be doing.
When my sons competed at the Nike combine and the Scout combine (just last year) they did their vertical jump (jumping straight up on an electronic pad). The athletes should wear very light shoes (flats...cleats are not allowed on the mats). They will be allowed to jump until their scores begin to decrease.
At the Nike and Scout events they ran their 40. This is done on turf in cleats NOT ON A TRACK, and track spikes are not allowed. The turf will most likely be grass. WEAR THE LIGHTEST CLEATS YOU CAN FIND. I don't care if they're soccer cleats as long as they're cleats. Be sure to run all the way through the finish and don't dive or lung at the end...this will only slow you down.
The Nike combine has done away with the 185lb bench press and replaced it with a SPARQ ball toss. The athlete throws the 3 pound ball while on both knees. The throw is a two handed chest pass (like the basketball pass) and throwing it at a 45 degree angle works best. Avoid "lobs" and low throws.
The Nike combine and the Scout Combine do a 20 yard shuttle. There are 3 cones (one in the center and one to each side of the center cone that are both 5 yards from the center). The athlete begins at the center cone and then runs to the cone (right or left athletes choice) touches the ground sprints past the center cone touches the ground at the far cone, and then sprints past the center cone. For instance: you line up at the center cone facing forward (not in the direction of the cone you're about to run to) you run 5 yards to your right...touch the ground by the cone, run to the far cone past the center cone, touch the ground, and then sprint past the center cone (your staring point). Keep a wide base in your turns when you touch so you don't slip, and be sure to sprint through the end of the drill. Again...cleats must be worn (use the light ones from your 40) and it will be done on the turf...likely grass.
The Scout combine also does the L or 3 cone drill. The Nike Combine does not do this. The Scout combine also does a standing broad jump...Nike does not.
To see how to do these drills and read about them...visit the sites I mentioned above. The links are to the right.
So how do you know what a good score is? Simple: visit the above sites and look at last years results. You'll see what the top scores were, and you can even see what the best scores for your position were. Obviously a good 40 time for an OL is a far cry from a good 40 time for a DB.
I hope this information on combines was helpful. If you have any questions then post a comment. The next blog will cover camps.
I think I should start out by saying this: If your game film is awesome, and you are getting attention from colleges maybe even offers based on your film...unless you KNOW you're an awesome tester (40, vertical, shuttle, etc...) LEAVE THE COMBINES ALONE. You don't see top college players who know they'll be drafted in the top of the NFL draft compete at the combine do you? Well maybe a few, but again they KNOW they will test well. Most of them don't want a bad combine performance to adversly affect their draft status. If you're already annointed as a top pick...why take a chance at hurting your stock? This applies to high school athletes as well...if you're already getting your offers based on your film...it might be best not to do the combines. It is important to note that if you have a bad combine (at least at the Nike combine and maybe the Scout combines) you do not have to turn your scores in...AND YOU SHOULDN'T if they're bad.
Believe me when I tell you...THE TIMES YOUR HEAD COACH GIVES YOU WILL BE VERY DIFFERENT THEN YOUR COMBINE SCORES. There are a lot of 4.6 kids at combines who swear they run 4.4 because their coach said they did. For most kids a combine will give them their first real times and scores.
So what about the kid who is a great player, but hasn't got an offer based on his film yet? Well again...if he does well at a combine it could give him the publicity he needs to catch the eye of college coaches. The combines worked great for my son...they got him a great deal of press from the major internet recruiting sites, and in turn the colleges took note of him.
So how do you decide which combine to attend should you choose to attend one? I recommend the Nike Combines because they are covered by the Rivals network, and give great exposure to the top performers not to mention it's open to everyone FREE OF CHARGE who is a freshman up to a rising senior (juniors about to be seniors) in high school. The second one I recommend is the Scout combine because they are covered by the Scout network. It's also FREE and open to the same group listed above.
There are links to StudentSports.com on the right side of this page and to Nikefootball.com. You can find all the information about Nike Combines there. They are currently under way. There is also a link to Scout.com and you can find information about their combines there. They have not started yet.
I really don't see the point in spending money on combines when you have these two FOR FREE, and they're covered by the two largest recruiting networks in the U.S.
So what do they do at these combines? First they get the athlete's height (without shoes) and take their weight. Next will be a series of different events depending on which combine you attend. You can go to the afore mentioned websites to see a current list of what they will be doing.
When my sons competed at the Nike combine and the Scout combine (just last year) they did their vertical jump (jumping straight up on an electronic pad). The athletes should wear very light shoes (flats...cleats are not allowed on the mats). They will be allowed to jump until their scores begin to decrease.
At the Nike and Scout events they ran their 40. This is done on turf in cleats NOT ON A TRACK, and track spikes are not allowed. The turf will most likely be grass. WEAR THE LIGHTEST CLEATS YOU CAN FIND. I don't care if they're soccer cleats as long as they're cleats. Be sure to run all the way through the finish and don't dive or lung at the end...this will only slow you down.
The Nike combine has done away with the 185lb bench press and replaced it with a SPARQ ball toss. The athlete throws the 3 pound ball while on both knees. The throw is a two handed chest pass (like the basketball pass) and throwing it at a 45 degree angle works best. Avoid "lobs" and low throws.
The Nike combine and the Scout Combine do a 20 yard shuttle. There are 3 cones (one in the center and one to each side of the center cone that are both 5 yards from the center). The athlete begins at the center cone and then runs to the cone (right or left athletes choice) touches the ground sprints past the center cone touches the ground at the far cone, and then sprints past the center cone. For instance: you line up at the center cone facing forward (not in the direction of the cone you're about to run to) you run 5 yards to your right...touch the ground by the cone, run to the far cone past the center cone, touch the ground, and then sprint past the center cone (your staring point). Keep a wide base in your turns when you touch so you don't slip, and be sure to sprint through the end of the drill. Again...cleats must be worn (use the light ones from your 40) and it will be done on the turf...likely grass.
The Scout combine also does the L or 3 cone drill. The Nike Combine does not do this. The Scout combine also does a standing broad jump...Nike does not.
To see how to do these drills and read about them...visit the sites I mentioned above. The links are to the right.
So how do you know what a good score is? Simple: visit the above sites and look at last years results. You'll see what the top scores were, and you can even see what the best scores for your position were. Obviously a good 40 time for an OL is a far cry from a good 40 time for a DB.
I hope this information on combines was helpful. If you have any questions then post a comment. The next blog will cover camps.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Film...The First Steps to Getting Recruited
Lets (for arguments sake) assume you're a DI talent, and you want to get your name "out there." I will share with you the steps we took to promote our sons (and they worked).
First: The most important thing you can have of yourself is game film. Some schools produce great film of their games, but sadly most make very poor quality game films. I have seen film from some schools that you can't even watch. Colleges are not going to waste their time looking at film they can't even see.
I suggest investing in a camcorder that someone in your family can use to film your games. If you can't afford one then maybe someone in your family has one that you can use...maybe the school has a tv production class, and they might allow you (the parent) to use a camera to film the games, and if all else fails...(assuming the school produces bad film) go to the head coach and volunteer to film the games for him. The coach would love to have quality film to work with, and that's almost a sure way to get the school or maybe a booster to loan you a camera for the games.
If you have your own camera you can spend more time highlighting your child in the footage, but if you're filming for the school you'll have to give it a more "broad look". If your doing it for the school...ask the coach what he wants, and he'll give you instructions on how he wants the game filmed. Your only fee will be a copy of each film.
When filming it's important to keep the camera steady, and stay in focus. As a general rule you should be able to see the numbers on the jerseys. The best film is clear, steady, and begins each play showing both lines of scrimmage, the qb, the rb's, and the lb's...you will also see the wr's and the db's that are lined up on the line. It isn't neccesary to zoom out so far that you include the safeties...as you follow the play you'll get them on film. If you zoom out too far you won't be able to identify the players, and even the play itself will be difficult to see.
If your using your own camera...you can zoom in briefly before each play to identify your child...and then zoom back to film the play. These should be slow clear zooms (both in and out)...don't move so fast that it gives the viewer a headache.
Practice with the camera at your child's practices, their spring game, local little league games, etc...so when the season begins you'll have your technique down pat, and you'll be able to make a good quality tape. The higher you film the better. You'll cover more of the field this way.
Once you get the first three games it's time to make a highlight video. Again...many schools have tv production classes, and you can speak to the teacher about making the highlight video. Don't be afraid to ask, and if you volunteer to do it yourself...the teacher can just show you how to make the fim, and then you're in business.
There are also other ways to get highlights made for FREE. Doing it yourself is always number one, but (and we're assuming the player is DI caliber for this next suggestion) you can send copies of the game film to Rivals or Scout. I have links to both of these national recruiting services to the right of this blog. Look up the contact information on these sites, and they'll tell you where to send the film. These companies earn a living by covering recruiting, and they're always excited to get film on the next great player...especially if it looks like they discovered the kid.
Rivals and Scout are great resources because universities look at their databases, and they pay close attention to who these sites say are the best players. Coaches will tell you they don't pay attention to these sites, BUT THEY DO. Without naming names...I can attest to more then one major university calling me based on something they saw on Rivals and Scout.
Using these sites help coaches get on the next group of recruits early, because most of these sites have already done the groud work in identifying the next great players. One way they make this identification is by watching film...so send your raw footage to them...every 3 or 4 games.
If you live in Florida there are 2 other invaluable resources...Flavarsity.com and Sunshinepreps.net (There are links to both sites on the right).
Michael Langston runs FlaVarsity, and he truly cares about the kids. Mike does stories on kids, puts there video on his site (his site is part or Rivals), and his message boards like football central (which is free) is a great place to talk to other people about the process.
Sunshinepreps.net is run by Derek Williams, and Derek makes more highlight films for Florida players (for FREE) then anyone I know. He probably made film on a 1000 players last year just in Florida...again FOR FREE. Derek makes emailable wmv files out of the highlight films so you can email the footage directly to college coaches! He knows just about every coach at every level of college football so he can get your film in front of the right coaches, and point you in the right direction to do it yourself. He also features film on his website. I believe there is also a Georgia preps and a Texas preps.
So when should you start filming? Unless your child is an absolute "freak of nature" on the field you can probably skip his freshman year. I would definately film his entire sophomore and junior seasons including spring and post season games. The sophomore and junior seasons are THE MOST IMPORTANT!! Like we discussed earlier...the 2009 class is already getting offers and giving committments before they even play 1 down of their senior year. They are known talents, and that's because they were recogized during their sophomore and junior seasons.
I hope this brief overview on film was helpful. The next blog will discuss combines and camps...stay tuned.
First: The most important thing you can have of yourself is game film. Some schools produce great film of their games, but sadly most make very poor quality game films. I have seen film from some schools that you can't even watch. Colleges are not going to waste their time looking at film they can't even see.
I suggest investing in a camcorder that someone in your family can use to film your games. If you can't afford one then maybe someone in your family has one that you can use...maybe the school has a tv production class, and they might allow you (the parent) to use a camera to film the games, and if all else fails...(assuming the school produces bad film) go to the head coach and volunteer to film the games for him. The coach would love to have quality film to work with, and that's almost a sure way to get the school or maybe a booster to loan you a camera for the games.
If you have your own camera you can spend more time highlighting your child in the footage, but if you're filming for the school you'll have to give it a more "broad look". If your doing it for the school...ask the coach what he wants, and he'll give you instructions on how he wants the game filmed. Your only fee will be a copy of each film.
When filming it's important to keep the camera steady, and stay in focus. As a general rule you should be able to see the numbers on the jerseys. The best film is clear, steady, and begins each play showing both lines of scrimmage, the qb, the rb's, and the lb's...you will also see the wr's and the db's that are lined up on the line. It isn't neccesary to zoom out so far that you include the safeties...as you follow the play you'll get them on film. If you zoom out too far you won't be able to identify the players, and even the play itself will be difficult to see.
If your using your own camera...you can zoom in briefly before each play to identify your child...and then zoom back to film the play. These should be slow clear zooms (both in and out)...don't move so fast that it gives the viewer a headache.
Practice with the camera at your child's practices, their spring game, local little league games, etc...so when the season begins you'll have your technique down pat, and you'll be able to make a good quality tape. The higher you film the better. You'll cover more of the field this way.
Once you get the first three games it's time to make a highlight video. Again...many schools have tv production classes, and you can speak to the teacher about making the highlight video. Don't be afraid to ask, and if you volunteer to do it yourself...the teacher can just show you how to make the fim, and then you're in business.
There are also other ways to get highlights made for FREE. Doing it yourself is always number one, but (and we're assuming the player is DI caliber for this next suggestion) you can send copies of the game film to Rivals or Scout. I have links to both of these national recruiting services to the right of this blog. Look up the contact information on these sites, and they'll tell you where to send the film. These companies earn a living by covering recruiting, and they're always excited to get film on the next great player...especially if it looks like they discovered the kid.
Rivals and Scout are great resources because universities look at their databases, and they pay close attention to who these sites say are the best players. Coaches will tell you they don't pay attention to these sites, BUT THEY DO. Without naming names...I can attest to more then one major university calling me based on something they saw on Rivals and Scout.
Using these sites help coaches get on the next group of recruits early, because most of these sites have already done the groud work in identifying the next great players. One way they make this identification is by watching film...so send your raw footage to them...every 3 or 4 games.
If you live in Florida there are 2 other invaluable resources...Flavarsity.com and Sunshinepreps.net (There are links to both sites on the right).
Michael Langston runs FlaVarsity, and he truly cares about the kids. Mike does stories on kids, puts there video on his site (his site is part or Rivals), and his message boards like football central (which is free) is a great place to talk to other people about the process.
Sunshinepreps.net is run by Derek Williams, and Derek makes more highlight films for Florida players (for FREE) then anyone I know. He probably made film on a 1000 players last year just in Florida...again FOR FREE. Derek makes emailable wmv files out of the highlight films so you can email the footage directly to college coaches! He knows just about every coach at every level of college football so he can get your film in front of the right coaches, and point you in the right direction to do it yourself. He also features film on his website. I believe there is also a Georgia preps and a Texas preps.
So when should you start filming? Unless your child is an absolute "freak of nature" on the field you can probably skip his freshman year. I would definately film his entire sophomore and junior seasons including spring and post season games. The sophomore and junior seasons are THE MOST IMPORTANT!! Like we discussed earlier...the 2009 class is already getting offers and giving committments before they even play 1 down of their senior year. They are known talents, and that's because they were recogized during their sophomore and junior seasons.
I hope this brief overview on film was helpful. The next blog will discuss combines and camps...stay tuned.
Monday, February 18, 2008
The Facts (Introduction Part II)
Signing day for the class of 2008 wasn't even 2 weeks ago, and you are already seeing committments roll in, and offers go out for the class of 2009. You may ask yourself, "How can all of these schools offer and accept committments from kids who haven't even played one down of their senior year?" The answer is simple: These kids are known commodities.
In today's competitive world of recruiting where multi-million dollar coaching salaries, and millions of dollars are at stake for the university based on how well their football program does...recruiting is KING! Who a school recruits today will be the future (and hopefully the success) of their program. Colleges are looking for an edge...a way to stay one step ahead of their competitors....and a way to get on the best kids as early as possible. A recruit tends to show respect to the first program that offers them, it more often then not...at least gets that school a visit from the recruit.
The old days are OVER! If you wait around on a coach to find you, and you're rolling into your senior year...you will be playing from behind when it comes to getting a scholarship offer. It's possible, but what coaches call "sleepers" (a recruit they find out about during the player's senior year that isn't well known) are few and far between. Don't rest your child's future on hoping he will be spotted. So how do coaches find these players early on? The answers are below:
If you are lucky enough to play for a program that is consistently in the state playoffs, you play for a team that has a long tradition of sending kids to the next level, you play for a coach who tiressly works to get his players scholarships, or a combination of any of the above...you are one of the the lucky ones!! You will probably have to do very little to help yourself.
BUT if you play on a new program, a losing team, a team that doesn't produce many next level players, or you play for a coach who does little or nothing to promote his players...THEN YOU BELONG TO THE MAJORITY! Just because the things I just listed applies to you...it doesn't mean there aren't "next level players" (maybe yourself) on those teams. It just means that you will be the who has to do the leg work to get yourself recognized.
It's important to point out here that NOT every player who thinks they're good enough to play college ball actually is. It's also important that parents set aside their blinders, and realize this themselves. Fortunately there are several levels of college football, and even though you may not be DI caliber...you can still earn a scholarship to a lower division school, and continue your education while playing football. That's what it's really about...earning that degree, and for many kids...sports may be the only ticket they have to a college education.
So how does the second group of kids get recognized (the majority), and when should they start? Tune in tomorrow, and I'll tell you.
In today's competitive world of recruiting where multi-million dollar coaching salaries, and millions of dollars are at stake for the university based on how well their football program does...recruiting is KING! Who a school recruits today will be the future (and hopefully the success) of their program. Colleges are looking for an edge...a way to stay one step ahead of their competitors....and a way to get on the best kids as early as possible. A recruit tends to show respect to the first program that offers them, it more often then not...at least gets that school a visit from the recruit.
The old days are OVER! If you wait around on a coach to find you, and you're rolling into your senior year...you will be playing from behind when it comes to getting a scholarship offer. It's possible, but what coaches call "sleepers" (a recruit they find out about during the player's senior year that isn't well known) are few and far between. Don't rest your child's future on hoping he will be spotted. So how do coaches find these players early on? The answers are below:
If you are lucky enough to play for a program that is consistently in the state playoffs, you play for a team that has a long tradition of sending kids to the next level, you play for a coach who tiressly works to get his players scholarships, or a combination of any of the above...you are one of the the lucky ones!! You will probably have to do very little to help yourself.
BUT if you play on a new program, a losing team, a team that doesn't produce many next level players, or you play for a coach who does little or nothing to promote his players...THEN YOU BELONG TO THE MAJORITY! Just because the things I just listed applies to you...it doesn't mean there aren't "next level players" (maybe yourself) on those teams. It just means that you will be the who has to do the leg work to get yourself recognized.
It's important to point out here that NOT every player who thinks they're good enough to play college ball actually is. It's also important that parents set aside their blinders, and realize this themselves. Fortunately there are several levels of college football, and even though you may not be DI caliber...you can still earn a scholarship to a lower division school, and continue your education while playing football. That's what it's really about...earning that degree, and for many kids...sports may be the only ticket they have to a college education.
So how does the second group of kids get recognized (the majority), and when should they start? Tune in tomorrow, and I'll tell you.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Introduction
First things first...the internet has changed everything! What used to be a local paper blurb (National Signing Day) has become an internet and television multi-million dollar industry. With so much attention on today's high school athletes many parents ask, "How do I get my child recognized?"
The purpose of this blog will be to help you do just that. I want to share with parents around the country...my experiences with the recruiting process, and help them help their children. I don't care what team you support, where you live, or what color you are...I just want to help the kids.
I have been through the recruiting process twice with two of my sons, and I'm about to do it again with my third. They're all football players so that's where my experience is, but I'm certain that most of this information can be transfered to other sports.
My first son played for a Division II football program, and my second son signed a full football scholarship with FSU this year. What I learned during the process with my first son, helped me with the recruitment of my second. The second son finished his High School career as a Rivals 250 member, a Prep Star All American, and had offers from such power houses as: FSU, UF, LSU, and Alabama. I say this not to brag, but to point out that I know what it takes to get recognized...and I know what it's like to have a child going through the process.
This first blog is more of an introduction then anything else. It's just a way to let you know what I'll be blogging about. Everyday or every other day I will post information that will help walk you through the recruiting process. I will start by giving you information on how to get recognized, and then we will go into training, academics, the ncaa, and the recruiting process itself.
My hope is to make this an interactive blog so I can answer questions, and help people directly. I say "my hope" because I don't want this to become a forum for bashing rival schools or each other. The focus will be on helping the kids no matter where they live or who they hope to play for.
Tune in tomorrow, and we will talk about taking the first steps to being recruited.
The purpose of this blog will be to help you do just that. I want to share with parents around the country...my experiences with the recruiting process, and help them help their children. I don't care what team you support, where you live, or what color you are...I just want to help the kids.
I have been through the recruiting process twice with two of my sons, and I'm about to do it again with my third. They're all football players so that's where my experience is, but I'm certain that most of this information can be transfered to other sports.
My first son played for a Division II football program, and my second son signed a full football scholarship with FSU this year. What I learned during the process with my first son, helped me with the recruitment of my second. The second son finished his High School career as a Rivals 250 member, a Prep Star All American, and had offers from such power houses as: FSU, UF, LSU, and Alabama. I say this not to brag, but to point out that I know what it takes to get recognized...and I know what it's like to have a child going through the process.
This first blog is more of an introduction then anything else. It's just a way to let you know what I'll be blogging about. Everyday or every other day I will post information that will help walk you through the recruiting process. I will start by giving you information on how to get recognized, and then we will go into training, academics, the ncaa, and the recruiting process itself.
My hope is to make this an interactive blog so I can answer questions, and help people directly. I say "my hope" because I don't want this to become a forum for bashing rival schools or each other. The focus will be on helping the kids no matter where they live or who they hope to play for.
Tune in tomorrow, and we will talk about taking the first steps to being recruited.
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