Early verbal offers of athletic scholarships to be outlawed by NCAA?

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.

When to start contacting college coaches

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.

Early Signing Period approaching for athletic scholarships

With the Early Signing Period coming up for most sports in less than a month (November 11-18), it's time to for a refresher on what this is all about and what it means to prospects.

The National Signing Dates are those periods of time when college coaches can sign high school seniors to a National Letter of Intent, which is explained by the NCAA:

"By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year. Pursuant to the terms of the National Letter of Intent program, participating institutions agree to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year to the student-athlete, provided he/she is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules."

The Early Signing Period next month includes basketball and most other sports.  Excluded are Football, Field Hockey, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country and Men's Water Polo.

Once the Early Signing Period is over, coaches can continue to recruit but may not sign an athlete to a National Letter of Intent until the Regular Period, which varies depending on the sport.  You can see the complete schedule for this year on the NCAA site.

What does it mean if you are not signed during the Early Period?  Well, it probably just indicates you are not a blue-chip athlete, but by no means are your scholarship hopes dashed.  There will be many more scholarships handed out during the Regular Period. 

Continue to contact coaches and get on their radar.  And, if you are already on their radar, build the relationships and pursue your scholarship dream. 

Football Recruiting: A Peek Behind the Scenes at CU-Boulder

You can get a rare peek at D-I football recruiting from an article in Boulder's Daily Camera. CU-Boulder's head coach Dan Hawkins revealed that he's playing this 2009 season with only 78 scholarship players - but not because he chose to. Nine of last year's scholarship players - plus a handful of walk-ons - didn't return this season. 

His coaching staff is working hard to recruit up to the full NCAA limit of 85 scholarship players for next season, and Hawkins hopes his program is fully-loaded by February's signing day.

Athletic scholarships and the "free pass"

I was talking with the academic liaison at a D1 university two days ago, and the thing he almost jumped out of his seat about was the importance to a college coach of each prospect's grades and SAT scores.

When I agreed wholeheartedly and referred to the NCAA minimum requirements, Ken leaned forward and set me straight.  He said that those requirements mean nothing to most schools, because the admission requirements are much higher than the NCAA minimums.

Coaches don't look at whether an athlete meets the minimum standards.  He looks at whether the student-athlete can get into his school.

Yes, a coach can get some athletes in, even if the admission requirements are not met, but he can only do it a certain number of times.  When he uses up his allotment, that's it. 

Now here is the most important statement Ken made to me:

"When a prospect can get into the college or university based on his or her academic record, then it's a free pass for the coach."

That's one big reason why your grades and academic performance are critical.  You may be a talented athlete, but passed over because you can't make the grade for that school.  Do your best to be a "free pass" for the colleges and universities where you hope to get a scholarship.  Your academics can give you an advantage over other prospects with the same or even better athletic ability.

It's Never Too Late to Get an Athletic Scholarship

Here are two remarkable stories that should encourage any athlete who thinks it is too late to get an athletic scholarship.  If you're discouraged by the scholarship process, after reading these two stories you might feel differently.

Ray Johnson earned "a track scholarship after taking up competitive jumping just a few weeks before his high school graduation in June."

Maitland Wilson is another amazing scholarship story, because he fractured "his C1 vertebrae one year ago in football practice. He nearly was paralyzed. Yet, just a few months later Wilson was dunking a basketball while wearing a neck brace and then qualifying for the state track meet in the long jump."

Both boys overcame a huge obstacle: inexperience for one and injury for another.  Perhaps you (or your student-athlete) are facing an obstacle today.  Read this article and take a fresh look at your situation.

 

 

When the coach calls...

The phone rings and it is one of those moments you've been hoping for.  It's a college coach!  Whether it's your first call or 50th, it still makes you nervous (no matter whether you're the student-athlete or the parent).   

What do I say?  Am I going to give him or her the wrong answers?  Can I ask for a scholarship on the phone?  What school is this (I didn't quite hear him at first)?  Was that question stupid?  What do I call the coach?  Mr. Paterno?  Coach Paterno?  Joe?  Sir?

Now, those thoughts are not too far off, right?  You keep thinking, "I don't want to blow this call."  And that's ok, but don't get too uptight about it.  Here are some tips for what to do and say when the coach calls:

1. Relax a little.  Take a deep breath.  This isn't a one-shot opportunity.
   
2. Have your answers prepared in advance.  In other words, think through the most likely questions the coach will ask you, and write down some bullet points for your answers.
   
3. Have your questions prepared in advance.  This isn't a one-way conversation.  Find out as much as you can about the program, school, academics, etc. 
   
4. Be yourself. 
   
5. Don't be intimidated.  That's not easy, especially in the early stages.
   
6. Be direct with the tough issues.  It's hard to talk about money and scholarships with the coach, but after several calls and sincere interest on their part, the financial element needs to be addressed. 

These are just a few guidelines as you take the phone calls from college coaches.  In most cases, you never know when they are going to when they are going to call or who it will be, so be prepared.

The Recruit-Me Kit has a complete section that deals with how to interview a coach, but what we've shared here is good for starters.

 

Athletic Scholarships and Entering the New School Year

With school getting started again, families are getting busy. And so are college coaches. But it may surprise you to know that...

... RECRUITING IS YEAR-ROUND FOR COLLEGE COACHES.

Just because they may be in season doesn't mean they stop looking for quality high school athletes. That means you can't slack off, either, as you pursue an athletic scholarship for your son or daughter.

REMINDER: Have you viewed our latest video tip that addresses this topic? It is called How to Get an Athletic Scholarship: The Recruiting Timetable. If you haven't seen it, go ahead and view it now.

It could answer some questions about the right thing to do as you enter this school year.

New Video on Recruiting Timetable

As promised, here is the new video on the recruiting timetable.

 

 

 

The Recruiting Timetable for Athletic Scholarships

One of the most-asked athletic scholarship questions we receive is, "Is it too late for me to get started?" Or, along with that, "Is it too early?" In other words, "What is the recruiting timetable?"

There is something you can do no matter what year in high school you are in. And, if you feel you're too far along in high school to get a scholarship, it's probably not true. We have worked with student-athletes who are well into their senior year, and they have received some scholarship money. You just have to work the process more intensely.

Here are some themes of action, depending on where you (or your son or daughter) are at in high school:

Freshman: Research. Determine which schools interest you, and build a contact list. Visit the NCAA and NAIA websites and find out more about recruiting rules and procedures.

Sophomore: Start contacting coaches. Develop a relationship and show interest.

Junior: Prime year. Get on coaches' radar. Be very proactive. in a variety of ways, let them know your accomplishments.

Senior: Decision year. Narrow down your possibilities. Visit schools early. Ask coaches your biggest questions and get honest evaluations so you are maximizing your time with the right schools.

These are just quick snapshots of what you should be doing in any given year. Look for a video post in the next couple days which will help you further.