To Do or Not To Do in Recruiting

In this article, I am going to discuss ways to get recruited and ways to eliminate yourself from getting recruited.

I am often dumbstruck by the lack of tact and lack of awareness that many athletes and parents have on how to get recruited, so i feel it is my duty to enlighten people. You can agree or disagree, but I speak the truth from covering four phases that no one else in our industry ever has. #1. I played D1 football on scholarship and experienced the process (played at UCONN, started and was on scholarship) #2. I have been a football coach in high school for 15 years (11 as head coach) #3. I own NUC sports since 2005 and have seen more athletes and evaluated more athletes than any other person in the united states (bar none, no one close, I challenge you to find anyone who has evaluated more), #4 I own an NFL agency and work with NFL players and evaluate them so I understand the super elite level. I think that uniquely qualifies me to speak on this topic from a grass roots level that everyone can relate to.

So, lets discuss what NOT to do first!

BLAMING OTHERS!!

The easiest thing for an athlete and parent to do when things do go well is blame others. I.E Team has losing record, not getting enough passes thrown to you, we don’t pass enough, we don’t run the ball enough, the coach doesn’t like me, my teammates are mean, so on and so on.

Don’t get caught in this trap. It is important that you always assess what you can do to get better and what you can do to lift your teammates. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR COACHES ENDORSEMENT to get recruited hard. If your coach sees you as a bad teammate, a complainer, a bad worker, a bad listener, or a pain in the you know what, he will not endorse you to coaches, if he doesn’t endorse you, then you will not get recruited. Every college coach asks the high school coach what he thinks about a player, and if he hesitates, doesn’t say glowing things, or flat out says no, then the college coaches is moving on.

If you are a parent and you complain, blame the coach and don’t think your son is being treated fairly, the best thing you can do is NOT COMPLAIN. Send your son in to meet with the coach and talk with him about what he can do to improve. That will go a very very long way!

Don’t undermine the coach, talk to other players or parents about him and put him in a precarious spot. Ultimately that will hurt you, not the coach. The coach even if he gets fired will move on in life, the player will never get the opportunity again to be recruited.

MISSING PRACTICE

I don’t care what you have to do, what you think is important, what you like or don’t like, or what inconvenience something might be, don’t miss practice.

If you miss practice or as a parent, if you let your son miss practice two things happen. #1 You do not improve as a player and #2 The team and the coach looks at your commitment to the team as being minimal. Here is an important thing to understand, once practice starts and the team begins practicing, the coaching is evaluating and the players are developing trust. You need both your coach and your teammates to believe in you for you to thrive as an athlete. I know summer vacations are fun and everyone thinks that the world will end if you don’t get some 10 day cruise to Jamaica, but the truth is there is always someone working hard, so if you are not someone is and they will take your spot.

NOT PAYING ATTENTION IN SCHOOL

This is a sure fire and easy way not to get recruited. The first thing college coaches ask for when they ask about a player is to get their transcripts. If you do not have the requirements to get into their school, you will not be recruited. So, do the best you can at school and make sure at every instance you are getting the very best grades possible and building the best rapport with your teachers and administrators.

HOW TO GET RECRUITED!!

YOU MUST BE THE VERY BEST AND COMPETE

You must go to combines, college camps, showcases and compete to see what the best is out there. This will give you the direction to where you need to go. By going to these avenues you will see scholarship players, compete against them and show what you can do. There is a 3 step process.

Go to Combines/Camps/Showcases

Winning awards or being a top player at these events helps college sometimes give offers, but most likely either filter you in or out in their process. There are so many athletes out there and college use every avenue to say yes, no or maybe to a player. If you do well at these event you will be on the radar when you go to college camps.

2. Go to College Camps

If you go to college camps and do well then you can get an offer, but only go to camps where the coaches are interested in you. Do not go to camps that the coaches have no interest. If you do you will be one of a million kids at that camp who are trying to get looked at. Unless you are 6–5 or run a 4.4 40, or you are both or as big as a mountain, you will not get noticed. Choose the right camp.

3. Go to Visits On Campus and Have Your Coach Actively Reach To Schools On Your Behalf

You must be visible, meeting college coaches and the right ones is half the process. They must know who you are to recruit you and you must meet them so they like you and want to recruit you. its all about relationships and if you are a top player and build that relationship you will get recruited. Ask you high school coach to send your name to colleges, but you must ask him what he thinks your level is, by knowing that you will have an idea of where you may be playing in college.

YOU MUST HAVE EXCEPTIONAL FILM

I used to use the word “great” but now i use exceptional. If you film or highlight is not elite, then you will not get a D1 offer. You may be able to play D3 with great or very good film, but not D1. The exception is if you are 6–5 or run a 4.4 40, or you are both or as big as a mountain*** get the message! Colleges want great players with great athleticism.

The above is an example, did this video in 2015 predicting some of the top players, you can see even at a young age these players are exceptional.

YOU MUST HAVE A SOLID TRANSCRIPT

You need to have the grade necessary in order to qualify with the NCAA. Go to www.ncaa.org and look at the clearinghouse. You must also have the qualifying grades for whatever school you desire to go to! Make sure you get a copy of US World News and Report and see the top schools and what kind of students they have. They will lower standards for athletes but they will not take in non-qualifiers and athletes who do not meet their academic standards.

YOU MUST MARKET YOURSELF TO COACHES

Make a video introducing yourself and tweet it to position coaches. Send them emails with your profile. Go to campus and meet with them. Go up to them at your school’s 7v7 tourney on campus. Be creative and make sure they get to know you in a positive way!! Send them mail with your profile. Do something different to get your name out there, just sending your hudl link will not be enough, the exception is, well you know>>>you are 6–5 or run a 4.4 40, or you are both or as big as a mountain***.

I focused on getting you to understand how blaming others is so bad, because that is the #1 issue i see with athletes and parents on helping their athletes get recruited, they blame everyone. Then i focused on what do to get right, they are simple, it is critical and everyone can do it!!