Posted by Jon Fugler on Fri, Oct 02, 2009 @ 11:12 PM
The results of an NCAA study reveal that almost 92 percent of Division I schools report that spending on academic support for student-athletes remained steady or increased since 2007. This is true, despite more than half of those schools cut overall athletics spending in the midst of the national economic downturn.
According to the NCAA, "The study also showed that more institutions reported coaches becoming more supportive of the academic success of their student-athletes.
"The study found that most schools experienced between a 1 to 20 percent increase in total spending on academic programs over the last two years, with 12 percent reporting even greater increases. At the same time, overall reductions on athletics spending were identified."
The academic support includes course selection, degree-progress monitoring, class-attendance checks, study-hall facilities, course-specific tutoring and computer labs for student-athletes.
High school athletes should take notice of this increased emphasis on academics. We've said it for years, but we will say it again: you can't just rest on your athletic laurels to get an athletic scholarship. Colleges and universities are investing in student-athletes with their money.
Read the complete story on the study.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Thu, Sep 17, 2009 @ 01:02 PM
Myles Brand may have been recognized more for his firing of Bobby Knight than his presidency of the NCAA, but the truth is that he did much to reform collegiate athletics in his term, before his passing yesterday.
ESPN reported, "The first former university president to run college sports' largest governing body, Brand worked to change the perception that wins supersede academics and earned accolades for his efforts."
The NCAA has long been criticized for de-emphasis on academics, and Brand made significant efforts to change that. At Recruit-Me, we have always felt that the recruited athlete needs to make academics a priority over athletics, so we give Brand kudos for his work.
From the same article:
"This is a sad moment for the Big Ten and the NCAA as a whole," said Big Ten commissioner James E. Delany said in a statement. "Myles Brand was a tremendous leader at Indiana University and an active change agent in spotlighting academic improvement as the NCAA president. He made tremendous progress in moving the NCAA closer to its educational roots and transformed it into an organization concerned about the student component of the student-athlete."
Read the full story.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Wed, Sep 03, 2008 @ 07:45 PM
When it comes to getting into the athletic scholarship search and recruiting process, we see more activity by athletes in the Fall than at any other time of the year. I'm not quite sure why student-athletes and parents pick the Fall to get started, because recruiting is year-round at all colleges and universities.
In any case, if you're gearing up for the Fall, here are some things you should do to get ready as you pursue an athletic scholarship. Parents, come alongside your son or daughter and help him or her to follow through on these:
1. Compile your stats. Coaches will be asking for these, so get them together now.
2. Make your list of schools. You should come up with 30-40 schools you're interested in. Yes, that many! It's essential, so you can have a lot of options in your athletic scholarship pursuit.
3. Write the first draft of your letter to coaches.
If you do these three things, you'll be on your way to getting your letters out to college coaches in September. Of course, there's more to it, but this is a starting point.
A story for your encouragement: A mother called me as the Fall was about to begin a couple years ago and reported that, against all odds, her son received a last-minute baseball scholarship. When I say last-minute, I mean it, because she didn't contact us for help until May! She got a hold of our materials in the Recruit-Me System, and she and her son started in right away, contacting coaches.
He ended up getting two offers. To add to the significance of this, I have to tell you that he only pitched 17 innings his Senior year on his high school team.
It just goes to show you that it's never too late and you don't have to be a superstar to be recruited and receive an athletic scholarship. BUT, you do have to take action. Why wait any longer?
Get a jump on things today. Let me know if I can help.
Posted by Jon Fugler on Fri, Jun 13, 2008 @ 10:31 PM
Poor grades shut off a coach’s interest more quickly than anything else. Schools have minimum academic requirements and coaches usually cannot get around those minimums. It’s true that they can submit a list of prospective students who are “right on the edge” to the Admissions office, but you need to be very close to qualifying.
All things being equal, a coach would rather pursue the student-athlete with comparable abilities but with higher grades and SAT’s. It’s a better investment of their time.
If you're in academic trouble, prepare this summer to advance in the Fall. Change your study habits, set goals, picture the rewards of competing at one of your top school choices. Make a decision to go to the next level with your academics.
Another thing you can do is find a mentor. Perhaps a teacher who will help you succeed and keep you accountable. Or a friend who excels academically. There's no reward for raising your grades on your own. Don't be too proud to ask for help.
A great route to pursue, if you don't have good enough grades for your schools of choice, is Junior College. These are feeder schools into four-year institutions. Many athletes go that route and end up with a scholarship after one or two years at a JC.