Should you consider your recruiting options in multiple sports? Would it help me?
To be able to play at the Division I level in any sport takes a great deal of skills and abilities. But to have those attributes in multiple sports shows what kind of athlete you really are. Because playing both sports (Outside of possibly football and track), this article is focusing more on looking at two sports in college before deciding on one.
The problem that some feel when keeping their options open for multiple sports is that this question mark at the next level may scare away coaches. Would college coaches really not recruit a kid for basketball if they thought and/or heard that this athlete was going to go play football in college?
How much football recruiting interest can I receive as a sophomore right now?
While most college coaches normally focus on older prospects, they also want to have a good feel for the top up and coming prospects. That is why it is always important to show interest to sophomores and even sometimes freshmen if they are good enough. While few receive scholarships that early in the process, many wonder how much attention that you can get at that early age.
And while I have talked about it before as far as what mail a college coach can send a sophomore, I decided to talk about it a little more in-depth. This articles takes a look at what college coaches can do in terms of visits, calls, mail, and contact outside of the campus during the football recruiting process.
I’m a junior with football scholarship offers. What do I do right now in the month of May?
If you are one of the few football players in the country with scholarship offers in hand (By that I mean a written offer, not a verbal scholarship), you still need to consider yourself a very lucky person. The percentage of scholarship football players is less than 2% when Signing Day comes around. The fact that you have early offers says something about your ability.
But like most athletes, you would love to see that offer list grow even more so that you will be given more opportunities as where you would like to attend college. Scholarship offers breed other offers and the fact that you have them this early will help you at camps and combines. The coaches and experts will take a longer look at you because you have a scholarship offer behind your name.
How vital phone calls are from college coaches right now in the football recruiting process during the spring evaluation period
As someone who talks with football recruits throughout the country, I can say flat out that I love the months of April and May. The reason is because this is the time to separate the haves from the have nots. It finally shows what recruits have serious recruiting interest and others who don’t.
First off, why are calls so important? I will say that at least 95% of athletes who get Division I-A/BCS offers get calls from the colleges during the spring evaluation period. There are exceptions but again, at least 95% of these eventual offers come from schools that call at this time. If you think State University is serious and could offer, a call is nearly a must.
Filling numbers at elite basketball & football camps and why this article must be read before finalizing your camp schedule
I had a chance to talk to a recruit last night and was speaking with him about summer camps. While this was a basketball player, this article does apply to a variety of different sports. Before going into what he said, let me state that he has multiple Division I offers from low major schools and interest from a variety of others. Like a lot of basketball recruits, many are waiting to see him more this summer on the AAU circuit.
I asked him about what other camps that he planned to attend that summer. He mentioned that he received an invite from State University (The most liked college in his State) to their Elite Camp. Normally that is a big honor that most athletes sign up for right away. But this recruit had a very interesting line when talking about it. He said that because State University had called him or shown all that much interest, he wasn’t going to go. The reason he said was because he felt that he was invited just to fill numbers at the camp.
What exactly does a recruiting email from a college coach look like during the athletic recruiting process?
I recently had a parent email an email that was received from a college that is recruiting him. While I will obviously keep the identity of the college a secret, what they sent is the prototypical mass email that is sent out to thousands of athletes in their database. So if you get something similar, does that really make you feel special about the recruiting process for whatever sport you want to play?
Here is a brief look at some of the things that have been included in the email. It is what you should expect from all schools, regardless of the level. One thing I must stress that you must realize is even if your name is addressed at the top, that doesn’t mean it is a personal email. They may respond to any questions you ask but emails like this are sent by the millions across the country. Onto the letter:
Summer football recruiting camps are rapidly approaching. What should I be doing to prepare for them and what should I expect?
I hate to say this to football recruits reading this throughout the country but these upcoming camps at the end of May, June, and July really can make or break the recruiting process for you. The reason why I hate saying this is simply because many athletes who dream to play at State University will not be getting the chance to. It is unfortunate but in the football recruiting world, scholarships are still extremely rare at the major Division I level.
Because these are so essential for college coaches to evaluate you as an athlete, you need to be in peak physical shape and ready to compete. Think about it this way. If the school costs $25,000 per year and they are showing you serious interest (calling, visiting the high school, hand written letters), you are honestly fighting for a $100,000 worth of schooling and education. That does not even count how much gear and benefits athletes get (legal benefits, right?).
The thirty second rule in recruiting highlight videos and how you need to take a look at your video and think about it
Recently when talking to a parent regarding putting together a highlight tape, one of the things that was mentioned was the thirty second rule. While this may or may not be true, it would not surprise me one second if this really does happen. And considering this rule came from an Ivy League school, I can only imagine what SEC coaches do.
What this rule involves is when a coach watches a highlight tape of a player. The rule is that within thirty seconds, if the coach is not overly impressed with the highlights, then he moves on. The coach feels that if he is stretching to find a great play that the player made, than chances are solid that they are not going to recruit him. That means the coach can move onto the next tape and give that prospect the same time as well.
When exactly can Division II schools recruit me for athletics?
As I have mentioned here in just about every article written, it is essential in the recruiting process to consider all of your options. And while you may have grown up with Division I eyes, it may be time to consider other options. They may essentially be back up options but the most important thing is that there are other possibilities to consider if your dream school does not work out.
So with that in mind, a great option to consider is looking at Division II schools. While the schools are normally much smaller than Division I programs, that doesn’t mean athletics at these programs are played at a much lower level. Many Division I athletes actually end up transferring to Division II schools. If you are curious when these schools can recruit you, we have a few thoughts on the recruiting rules for Division II schools.
When does junior football recruiting start? Am I already behind the ball?
I received a very troubling email from a parent recently. His son is currently a junior at a school that had the same coach in place for the past decade. But after the year, he decided to retire as varsity coach. With few candidates available in the area, the school eventually went with a young coach who has a chance to be very good. He has an extensive football background after playing at a small school.
The problem is now that the senior year of the athlete is rapidly approaching, he has a coach who has not been through the recruiting process before. Going through process confuses the most savvy veterans as they continue to not understand decisions made by college coaches. And when the father asked the coach about recruiting, the coach told him that it doesn’t normally start until after spring practices finish. And when hearing that, I can tell you now that this could not be any further from the truth.