"IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, THEN YOU PLAN TO FAIL"-

JOHN WOODEN - UCLA BASKETBALL

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This page is intended to provide the high school student athlete with basic tools to start the process of potentialy playing athletics at the NEXT LEVEL.  Check this page periodically for changes and updates as they will occur often.  This page is also not intended to take the place of high school or college counselors or college/university recruiters.  Be sure to check with the college you are interested in and the NCAA or NAIA or NJCAA for current relative college athletic information.  During the football season I will be conducting seminars on the information below.  More detailed information will be provided and discussed. 

Below are some steps to follow as well as strategies to make the process easier.

• Academics
• Athletics
• NCAA "Eligibility Center"
• Identifying a school
• The Recruitment Process
• Strategies 
• Reality Check

ACADEMICS:  First and formost are grades and the type of classes a high school student athlete must obtain.  A college or university coach can do nothing for you if you do not meet the academic and admission standards of the school you wish to attend.  What sort of classes have you successfuly completed?  The NCAA has identified (and your high school counselor should have this information) a curriculum that you must successfully complete (see our links button for the Eligibility Center web site).  In addition, what are your test scores (ACT, SAT)?  Don't wait until your senior year to begin this process.  Start by taking the appropriate classes in 9th grade.

ATHLETICS:  What sport do you want to play in college?  Can you play more than one? - Should you?  Typically a college athlete will play one sport.  There is too much to do in terms of practice, preperation, and health for one sport let alone two.  However there are some athletes that do and have been successful.  

NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER: If you plan on attending and playing for a NCAA Division I or Division II school all student athletes MUST register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.  There is a cost of $50.00 to register.  The Eligibility Center web site ensures student athletes complete the minimum curriculum requirements; things like classes, grades and test scores.  In addition this is where you will identify the sport you wish to play in.  College and university coaches can access this information to check on potential student athletes.

IDENTIFYING A SCHOOL: Obviously something very important in your decision making process is to identify a school you would like to attend and play for.  In some cases, if you are fortunate enough to be the "blue chip" athlete that many college and university coaches covet then you will probably be recruited and much of this step will be done for you.  However there are still things you must consider.  Don't just jump at the first offer presented to you.  Consider the school location, majors offered, type of scholarship offered, what kind of offense or defense does the coach run, what is the graduation rate of student athletes, academic support for student athletes, etc.  Identify several schools in state and out of state.  Visit the college website, look at the Athletic page for the specific sport you wish to play.  Find the Coaches contact information.  Send a brief (no more then a paragraph) email to the coach; introducing yourself, how interested you are in playing for them and provide your high school coaches contact information.  If possible; go and visit the school and visit the coach.  Introduce yourself and shake his or her hand.    

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS: Don't just concentrate on the top division I colleges, many of these bigger schools usually have a large number of potential athletes that they are actively recruiting.  These are athletes who have been on the college coaches "radar" for quite some time.  The competition is tough, unless you are a blue chip althlete you won't receive a scholarship offer.  There is nothing wrong with smaller division I, II, III, NAIA or junior colleges.  What is important is you get your education.

 The NCAA has rules for college coaches when recruiting a student-athlete. If the college coaching staff contacts the student-athletes on more then one occasion, then this student-athlete is technically in the recruiting process. The NCAA regulates the recruiting process with different periods throughout the year. There are four periods: the contact period, evaluation period, quiet period and the dead period. The amount of face-to-face and verbal communication varies with each period. The contact period is the only time a coach can visit the recruit and the family. During the visit period, the coach can go to the recruit's school and watch practices and games, but the coach cannot talk to the recruit. The quiet period is when the recruit visits the school, and the coach may talk to the recruit while on campus. The dead period involves no face-to-face contact with the recruit. Telephone calls are permitted during all periods.

College visits

The recruit can have five official visits with his family to the campus, providing that a cleared high school transcript and/or a SAT score is provided to the college. These official visits can be made during the contact, visit and quiet periods. The recruit can also make unofficial visits, but he must pay for the cost.

STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR CHANCES OF PLAYING AT THE NEXT LEVEL: Film, statistics, references (coaches, teachers, pastor, employer, team mates), grades, camps,

REALITY CHECK: No such thing as a "full ride scholarship".  More and more schools are offering four one year scholarships, one year at a time.  This is due to issues surrounding skill, attitude, eligibility, and moral terpitude.  Just over 5% or 5 out of every 100 high school athletes (men and women, all sports) will play at the college level.  Less than 1% or 1 out of every 100 high school athletes will be offered an athletic scholarship.  Actually there are thousands more academic scholarships available then there are athletic.  Either way you must work; before, and during as well as off season, in and out of the classroom.  Are you willing to play out of state possibly in another region (east coast, mid-west, west coast, etc.)?  Very few scholarships are available, would you be willing to "walk on"?  When trying out for a team you must be percieved as being better that what the coach already has.  Why would a coach consider you if he already has a player at the skill level you bring to the table?  You must work harder, you must be more talented.  You must give the coach something he does not have.