A: Injuries, in most cases, are more mentally challenging than physically challenging to recover from. And depending on when your injury occurs (freshman year vs. junior year), you may have a little tougher route to getting scholarship offers, but it’s not impossible. Yes, you can come back from most injuries—it just takes plenty of extra patience, work and faith. This …
Getting Noticed
Q: I have struggles getting to summer camps, what else do you suggest? Do I have to go to camp in order to get recruited?
A: Camps are just one way to get noticed but not your only opportunity! If you can’t afford to go to overnight or week-long camps (and associated travel costs), here are a few options that might make them more affordable: – Pro-Rated Camp Fees: For example, if a camp is $300 for five days, you may be able to attend …
Q: Is it a waste of time going to a camp that I wasn’t invited to?
A: No, in my opinion, camps are almost always a positive experience. During my years organizing a Top 25 camp, most of the players who came weren’t invited. They signed up on their own and showed up to compete, so don’t feel out of place. And during that time organizing such camps, we would invite players who had media or …
Q: Football Combines: If I go to a third-party combine, will that help me get looks?
A: Yes! Combines are a great way to get on the map—whether it’s Nike, Under Armour, Reebok or other third-party sponsor! Attending regional combines will help you get more exposure versus quality players in your area and will especially give you the chance to see how you stack up with measureables. How do you stack up versus other players …
Q: I’ve emailed at least 20 coaches with little or no response. Should I give up?
A: No. If you really want to play at the collegiate level understand that you may have to reach out to hundreds of programs to reach your dream. But also remember you just need that ONE staff to believe in you – not every school in the country. – When emailing coaches, be sure to send a link to your …
Q: I’m ready to send my info to colleges – what should I write in the letters to coaches?
A: The #1 Rule to getting coaches to notice you is that they MUST see you play—either on person or on tape—to have any legitimate interest in recruiting you. So before you send college coaches’ letters or emails, get your highlights and game film together and get them on YouTube or Hudl. Upload 3-5 minutes of highlights from the season …
Q: What do I do if my high school coach isn’t sending out my film?
A: Your coaches can help you get your foot in the door, but you can also get the process started without them. Believe it or not, a lot of high school coaches don’t send out much film or help their players be proactive with the recruiting process. At the end of the day, it’s your scholarship and future education on …
Q: Where do players send their film to be evaluated? Can they send it to college coaches directly?
A: Yes! Each coaching staff splits recruiting responsibilities, normally by location, position or grad year. For this reason, it is a big time and energy-saver to begin the process by contacting the coach who is responsible for recruiting your hometown or position. Once the recruiting coach has done their research on you, the position coach has done their evaluation, …
Q: My daughter is a junior and a DII coach said if she’s not recruited by D1 schools by now that she never will be. True?
A: Everyone’s situation is different and college coaches are constantly evaluating talent and trying to find the best players available. From my experiences, there is no such thing as “too late” to coaches (even Division I coaches) if they think a prep player can help their team win. Period. Timing is important in the recruiting process—a program may only need …
Q: Does my child need to play on a high profile club/AAU team? Do coaches comb through all teams at tourneys and evaluate?
A: No, not necessarily. When coaches are evaluating players at tournaments, yes, they are looking for new talent that is not currently on their radar. But, they’re also there supporting players they are already interested in and actively recruiting, and even players who have already committed or signed. Even when a recruit commits or signs their NLI, the “recruiting” …