Posted by Ron Johnston on Fri, Jun 25, 2010 @ 02:25 PM
Last Tuesday evening we had a great Recruiting Summit, with hundreds participating by phone in this free 90-minute event. Jon & I taught some important recruiting techniques, helping take the mystery out of the whole recruiting game. We actually spent more time answering questions than we did teaching our prepared topics. From the comments that came in afterwards, people clearly enjoyed the event and found it valuable.
One of the questions asked was "Can you explain the whole thing about Verbal Commitments?" We answered that, though we occasionally hear of a young athlete making a verbal commitment - sometimes as young as Junior High - a verbal commitment is completely non-binding on either party. It may feel reassuring to the athlete, but the truth is that it's not even a guarantee that a scholarship will eventually be given.
Here's what the NCAA says about verbal commitments:
Q: Can I make a verbal commitment to a school and sign a National Letter of Intent with a different school?
A: Yes. A verbal commitment, stating publicly one's intentions to attend a certain institution, is a non-binding, oral agreement between you and the institution. The only binding nature of the commitment is your word and the institution's promise. The National Letter of Intent program does not recognize verbal commitments. It is not uncommon for a student to verbally commit to one institution and subsequently sign a National Letter of Intent with another institution. And, on some occasions, a university may accept your verbal commitment and later offer the National Letter of Intent to another prospective student-athlete.
But wait... there's more!
The NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has just issued new proposed legislation that would stop early verbal offers in all sports. They say they've heard from coaches, prospects and families who felt pressured to make decisions earlier without the necessary information or academic qualifications.
The proposal would prohibit verbal offers of athletically related financial aid before July 1 after a prospective student-athlete’s junior year in high school. The proposal would also require institutions have at least a five-semester or seven-quarter high school transcript on file at the institution before extending any verbal offer of aid.
Click here to read the NCAA News article detailing the proposal.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 @ 09:05 PM
One week from tonight, talk scholarships with the experts.
Set aside 60 minutes that could change the life of the
student-athlete in your home.
Reserve your spot at THE RECRUITING SUMMIT
Tuesday, June 22, 8 pm Eastern/ 5 pm Pacific
LIVE and FREE Teleconference
We only have 168 spots left. Sign up at:
www.Recruit-Me.com/recruiting-summit
Join scholarship and recruiting experts Jon Fugler and Ron
Johnston as they tackle the most important points you need to
know, followed by an open-phone Q&A time.
You will be guaranteed to learn:
-- How to implement 3 game-changing steps to get a scholarship
(no matter what year in high school you are in)
-- How to get letters and phone calls from coaches this summer
-- How to run your recruiting campaign for under $100
-- How to avoid recruiting scams that make empty promises and
cost you thousands of dollars
-- How to avoid the dangers of online registries
IF YOU'RE AN ATHLETE, you'll be inspired and informed about how
to take the right steps in this important summer recruiting season.
IF YOU'RE A PARENT, you'll learn your important role in your son's
or daughter's scholarship pursuit, and how to lead the process.
We will also be making a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT that will show you
how to save a lot of money in your recruiting efforts.
For the cost of a long-distance call (probably about $3 for the one-
hour Summit), you will come away with life-changing information to
be successful in your recruiting efforts.
All you need is your phone to attend. It's that simple.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Sat, Mar 13, 2010 @ 11:10 PM
OK, March Madness is here, and we are going to see a ton of
schools in the spotlight on TV. This is an incredible recruiting opportunity for some schools that would normally not get this kind of exposure. If you're a student-athlete, you're going to hear about some schools you never knew existed.
They've been flying under your radar... until now.
So it is with you. You've been flying under the radar of hundreds of coaches. They don't know you exist. But that will change if you follow the instructions I'm about to give you.
In order to be noticed by college coaches, you need to be seen. You need to put yourself in front of them. It's just like those schools you've never heard of until this week-- now they'll be in front of you, and you will know who they are. They're getting exposure.
You need exposure, and that probably means you need to contact college coaches and get on their radar. Don't wait for them to find you. You need to find THEM. And coaches love it when you take the iniative like that.
So where do you start? The first thing you need to do is put together an Introductory Packet that tells coaches who you are what your achievements (academic and athletic) are.
The next step is to get that packet into the hands of college coaches at schools where you are interested in competing.
That's it. That's what it takes. Two important steps that will put you on many coaches' radar.
If you haven't signed up for our Free Stuff, be sure to do so. There's a whole lot more in there than what I can post in this blog.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Sun, Feb 28, 2010 @ 07:15 PM
I just received an email with this question: "Do you think it's too early for us to be contacting the coaches, because he is a junior?
I went into a panic! I quickly wrote back to this father, "NOW IS THE PRIME YEAR. Do not wait any longer."
Please, please, please don't start the process too late. There is something you can do every year in high school.
We're just six days away from the groundbreaking Recruiting and Scholarship Camp Online. You'll be part of history when you enroll. Check out the details and I hope to see you there on Saturday.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Tue, Feb 16, 2010 @ 11:01 PM
If I had a dollar for every time we get asked about how to get on a college coach's radar, I'd be rich! The issue keeps coming up, and we address it over and over again.
We just posted a video clip where Ron Johnston share his thoughts on the subject. Be sure to take a look.
And, check out my new video tip on how two
important steps you need to take in the recruiting process. We shot it at our kitchen table, where our sons took phone calls and answered letters from college coaches a decade ago.
A reminder-- the Recruiting and Scholarship Camp is less than three weeks away. It's March 6, so see the details and sign up.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Tue, Feb 09, 2010 @ 04:28 PM
For the first time, athletes and parents can get all the information
they need on athletic scholarships in a live, online video setting. On March 6, we will be leading a 4-hour Recruiting and Scholarship Camp, sharing everything we've taught athletes and parents in the past 7 years.
Nobody has ever done this before!
This is a 4-hour LIVE, interactive VIDEOCAST event with our scholarship coaches, Jon Fugler and Ron Johnston. Attending this FOUR-HOUR CAMP -- from the comfort of your own home -- will supercharge your efforts to get the attention of coaches and win an athletic scholarship.
What you learn in the Camp will give you rails to run on, the certainty of a proven plan to recruitment, and the confidence that you are doing exactly the right things to get recruited.
At the RECRUITING AND SCHOLARSHIP CAMP, we will give you all the information and training you'll need to carry out your own recruiting efforts completely and successfully. You will learn WHAT to do, WHEN to do it, HOW to do it, and WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE when it's done right.
You'll be equipped to run your own scholarship campaign like a PRO.
See all the details and get signed up to join hundreds of families for this special event.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Mon, Feb 08, 2010 @ 10:05 PM
Who is this Drew Brees guy anyway? What is the Super Bowl MVP made of, besides an incredible arm and amazing accuracy? I did some surfing and, in the process, found a great locker room interview with Drew, shot earlier this season and just released last month.
I was impressed. He's a family man, has a strong faith, is transparent about his ups and downs, is generous to the community, and so much more. You have to see this 10-minute video on YouTube.
We talk about athletic ability when is comes to scholarships. But character counts. Drew's got a lot of character to go with his talent. He's a guy student-athletes should model themselves after.
Enjoy the video.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Sat, Feb 06, 2010 @ 08:12 PM
I was so happy when I read this article in my local paper today. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo just signed a football player to a scholarship, and this player didn't begin playing in high school until his sophomore year.
All the talk about being serious about your sport for years and years doesn't always lead to a scholarship. And, picking up a sport late may still result in a scholarship. Athletes develop at different times, so keep your dream in sight.
Read the article in full.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Thu, Feb 04, 2010 @ 10:40 AM
Once again, National Signing Day hit like a hurricane yesterday. Here are some of the sites worth visiting that give you the lay of the land for football:
Huffington Post Blog
ESPNU 150 (Top 150 Football)
Sporting News
Posted by Jon Fugler on Mon, Feb 01, 2010 @ 08:07 PM
This could be the biggest thing we've ever done for families at Recruit-Me. For the past eight years, we've been developing the best tools on earth for families who want to pursue an athletic scholarship on their own. We've taken the guesswork out of the process, and more and more student-athletes are getting scholarships.
Now we will be teaching everything live in a half-day recruiting and scholarship camp. We'll tell you everything you know in this live online videocast that you can attend right from your home. It is a groundbreaking event, and will also include Q&A with attendees.
Check back, because in a couple days we will be giving you all the details and taking sign-ups.