Athletic Scholarship Advice for HS & JuCo Athletes
A: Great question! All these emails, letters, cards and Unofficial Visits won’t mean much at the end of the day, unless they lead to offers, right? You may feel that offers just fall freely from the sky for other players in your area, but truthfully, coaches put a ton of time into evaluations. They watch several games, try to …
A: If the quarterback isn’t throwing your way often, you’ll worry your stats won’t be good enough to get recruited. College coaches know that stats can be misleading and many coaches don’t put too much weight on their importance, instead they evaluate overall skills, size and speed. If you have the base traits, they can coach you. Don’t panic, there …
A: Yes but it will be tough. Coaches are looking for players who can help them WIN. Period. Players who can consistently provide at least one skill that can affect the outcome of the game. Even if you aren’t a starter, that doesn’t have to eliminate you from consideration but you must find a key role for yourself. The best …
A: Great size is a trait that can help you get on the recruiting map, often even if coaches haven’t had the chance to evaluate your skills or see you play. But, what happens if you have the skill but not great size? Will getting recruited be tougher? Yes! Is it impossible? Not necessarily! If size is your weakness—work on …
A: While they can’t contact you until sometime around your junior year (it varies by sport), coaches are researching and compiling lists of top sophomores and freshmen, sometimes even younger. Coaches work off a list of players that they are recruiting, let’s call it their ‘Watch List.’ They are constantly adding and subtracting names from their personal list and …
A: Here are seven keys to impressing coaches… 1. FUNDAMENTALS, FUNDAMENTALS, FUNDAMENTALS! Execute your responsibility! Be focused! Play to the whistle! Coaches are looking for players who can make every play thrown their way—not just that one ESPN-type highlight. MASTER the simple skills of your position. Get drills from your coaches. Watch the best pro players, what are the simple …
One of a coach’s toughest jobs during the recruiting process is to evaluate the risk vs. reward with players. All coaches in America ask themselves: “Will I sign a more talented player with off-the-field issues or mistakes in their past… or will I sign a less talented player who has no off-the-field issues?” Every situation is different and every coaching …
At every program I’ve worked we’ve gotten daily calls, letters and emails requesting a questionnaire. This isn’t usually a helpful or efficient way to get on a coach’s radar, particularly at many Division I schools. Again, the only true way to get the school to recruit you is if they see you play in person or on video. The …
If you are looking for an edge in recruiting, a way to separate yourself from the other players at your level and to climb into the next level of competition—think about how you can become unique, how can you separate yourself? What can you become a specialist in? Sure, all coaches are looking for scorers and elite speed and size. …
When making decisions about which players to offer, once coaches have decided that you have the athletic talent to potentially be a prospect for them– they begin evaluating you entirely. They watch your behavior on the bench, how you take coaching, how you interact with your teammates, how you react when the game or play doesn’t go your way, your …