COLLEGE ATHLETIC RECRUITING 101 TABLE OF CONTENTS COLLEGE
COLLEGE ATHLETIC RECRUITING 101
TABLE OF CONTENTS COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ WHAT ARE COLLEGE COACHES LOOKING FOR? THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISIONS I & II (Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, Home-schooled Students, Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse, National Letter of Intent, Breach of the National Letter of Intent, Financial Aid (Scholarships), Recruiting Behind-a-Player, Evaluating Opportunities) THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISION III POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS ACADEMIC & ATHLETIC WEBSITES RELATED NCAA PUBLICATIONS
COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: How many divisions does the NCAA sponsor? A: Three: Divisions I, III Q: Is the NCAA the only organization which governs collegiate athletics? A: No. The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and the NJCAA (The National Junior College Athletic Association) also act as governing bodies over their member institutions. Q: When can colleges send recruiting materials to prospects? A: Divisions I & II: On or after September 1 of the prospect’s junior year. A: Division III: Are not governed by these NCAA rules, but typically make contact during the spring of the prospect’s junior year.
COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: Which levels can offer full scholarships? A: Division I Q: What is the difference between official and unofficial visits? A: Official visits are paid for by the institution. Unofficial visits are paid for by the individual prospects and their families. Q: When can a prospect begin making official visits? A: Official visits cannot be made until after classes start for the prospect’s senior year.
COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: How long can an official visit last? A: No longer than 48 hours. Q: When can a prospect begin making unofficial visits? A: They can be made at any time. Q: What can the institution pay for during an unofficial visit? A: Nothing. Q: What can a prospect do during an unofficial visit? A: Have a tour of the campus, meet with counselors, etc. , but nothing can be paid for.
COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: How many times can a prospect visit a campus? A: An unlimited number of unofficial visits. Q: Institutions can make scholarship offers to prospects during the recruiting process, that is grants-in-aid to attend said institution. What are some examples of prohibited financial offers? A: Cash, the cosigning of loans, loans to a prospect’s friends or relatives, and employment arrangements for a prospect’s relatives. Q: What types of benefits can colleges offer to prospects? A: Job arrangements, assistance in obtaining educational loans, summer housing, and admission to athletic and alumni events. Note: Summer jobs may not begin prior to the end of the prospect’s senior year.
COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: Given that SAT testing now consists of 3 components (critical reading, math and writing), does the NCAA include the writing component in the standards used to determine initial-eligibility? A: No. The combined reading and math sections of the SAT, both of which are scored on a 200 -800 scale, will continue to comprise the score used on the sliding scale determining initial-eligibility. At this time, the writing component is not being included in making this determination. • The ACT optional writing component will not be used in determining academic eligibility.
COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: What is the function of the “Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse”? A: It determines the initial eligibility of student-athletes by reviewing a combination of their completed high school curriculum and college entrance examination scores. Q: Which divisions of NCAA competition require clearance from the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse prior to participation? A: Divisions I & II.
WHAT ARE COLLEGE COACHES LOOKING FOR? ACADEMICS ATHLETICS
THE IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMICS Too many student-athletes think that they don’t need to challenge themselves academically in high school. Academics and good citizenship are far more important than most people think. ACADEMICS -will determine the schools into which the student-athlete will be admitted. - will determine the schools at which the student-athlete can succeed. -will determine eligibility through the “NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse”. -will determine whether the student-athlete will remain in school as well as his/her future success.
ATHLETIC TRAITS • • College Coaches Look For: Players who fill team needs. Athletic ability (i. e. skills, size, strength, speed, quickness, agility). Sport-specific skills. Potential to grow and mature (not potential to grow up and be mature). Team players, not players whose personal goals supercede team goals. Competitiveness and physical/mental toughness. Personal traits.
THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISIONS I & II Phase I Recruiting letters begin the recruiting process. Colleges can send out recruiting letters after the prospect has started his/her junior year. Hand written notes are a sign of genuine interest. After July 1, following your junior year, coaches can begin making phone calls. Division I & II schools are allowed one phone call / week. Division III schools are unrestricted in this area. Note: Any prearranged electronically transmitted correspondence between an authorized institutional staff member and one or more prospects, or the use of a pager to contact a prospect (and leave a message longer than a greeting) is considered a telephone call.
THE NCAA INITIAL-ELIGIBILITY CLEARINGHOUSE All student-athletes who have aspirations to play at the NCAA Division I or Division II levels must register with the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. This will determine whether the prospective student-athlete has taken the appropriate high school courses in order to be eligible as a college freshman. -The Division I and Division II initial-eligibility requirements have changed: Student-athletes entering Division I and II NCAA institutions in 2005, 2006 and 2007 must have 14 core courses (instead of the 13 previously required) to be eligible to practice, play and receive financial aid. For the class of 2008, 16 core courses will be required when entering a Division I institution. Note that Initial Eligibility is based on a sliding scale of Grade Point Average and SAT (or ACT) scores. (Additional information can be found in the “Guide for the College- Bound Student. Athlete” @ www. ncaa. org under the "Helpful Links” portion of the Academics and Athletes - “Eligibility & Conduct” section. )
NCAA AMATEURISM CERTIFICATION CLEARINGHOUSE Incoming freshmen (both domestic and international) as well as transfer students seeking initial eligibility at an NCAA Division I or II institution must register with the NCAA Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse in order to determine/verify their amateur status. Registration may be made via the internet. Final certification will occur 2 or 3 months prior to attending their chosen institution of higher learning.
THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISIONS I & II Phase II Coaches come to evaluate. In-person, off-campus recruiting “contacts” are not permitted during an evaluation period. (Recruiting calendars and terminology can be found at www. ncaa. org under the heading “Recruiting” in the Academics and Athletes - “Eligibility & Conduct” section. ) Phase III The home visit. (Most often used by Division I coaches. ) Should you get to this point, it is an indication of very serious interest.
THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISIONS I & II Phase IV Official campus visit. Schools are limited by association affiliation (NCAA, NAIA, etc. ) or money allotted to that sport by the institution. Prospective student-athletes are allowed 5 official campus visits. Phase V Decision on whether or not to offer a scholarship.
NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution. The student-athlete agrees to attend the institution for at least one academic year. The institution agrees to provide the student-athlete with financial aid for one academic year. All colleges and universities which participate in the National Letter of Intent program agree to cease recruiting any prospective studentathlete once they have signed a Letter of Intent with another institution. http: //www. national-letter. org
BREACH OF THE NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT Should the student-athlete fail to attend the signing institution (or attend that institution for less than one academic year) and then enroll in another college that participates in the National Letter of Intent program, a loss of eligibility may result. The penalty for not adhering to the terms of a signed NLI may result in as much as a two years of athletic ineligibility (in all sports) at the latter institution. ------------------------------------Special Note: Most Division I & II institutions employ one or more “Compliance Officers”. These professionals are experts who deal with NCAA regulations on a daily basis. In the event you have questions concerning the recruiting practices of a given institution, need to inquire about the appropriateness of a given practice, or NCAA rules in general, contact the Compliance Office at the institution with which you are involved.
FINANCIAL AID (SCHOLARSHIPS) Financial Aid (Scholarships) at Division I and II Institutions, which is based in some degree on athletic ability, can be awarded on a term-by-term or year-by-year basis, but not for more than one academic year. It may be either reduced or canceled prior to the end of the period for which it has been awarded under certain circumstances (such as the misrepresentation of information, serious misconduct, failure to participate, etc. ). It may not be reduced or canceled based on athletic performance, failure to participate due to injury, or for any other athletic reason. Each year the financial aid authority of the institution must inform the student-athlete in writing on or before July 1 as to whether financial aid has been awarded for the upcoming academic year.
PRIORITY LISTS: RECRUITING “BEHIND A PLAYER” Valley State Bob James / Family 1. UNCC 1. Adam Miller 2. ASU 2. Jesse Smith 3. WCU 3. Bill Sampson 4. ECU 4. Bob James 5. UNCA 5. Walt Johnson It is extremely important to know where you stand on the college coach’s list of preferred players. As we can see in the example, Bob James has narrowed down and ranked his list of preferred institutions. He’s quite aware that HE would like to attend and run for UNCC. However, he hasn’t given any consideration as to where he stands on UNCC’s list of preferred players. (Probably because he thinks he’s the best and can play there for sure!) Well, it happens. UNCC offers Bob James a scholarship and Bob accepts. However, Bob fails to realize that he was actually fourth on UNCC’s list of preferred players. One of two things now happens: 1) He only runs at UNCC for one year. He keeps his scholarship and remains on the team for all 4 years, primarily as a back-up runner. Next year coach recruits and gets a player of the quality he really wanted when he recruited Bob. The coach recruited “Behind Him”. 2) The coach decides not to renew his scholarship and recruit a runner “Behind Him” because he needs a top notch runner in order to be competitive. Bob wasn’t it. He allowed Bob to think what he wanted, used him for a year and recruited “Behind Him”. KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON THE COACH’S PREFERRED LIST! DON’T HESITATE TO ASK! WHERE AND HOW DO YOU FIT IN? IT’S YOUR CAREER!
EVALUATING OPPORTUNITIES: IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO KNOW • How well you fill their needs. • How badly they need someone with more skill. • Whether you are the runner they really want. • The coaches history of bringing in runners as a necessity and then recruiting behind them. • How you fit into the program, into their future plans. How their needs may change over time. • The coach’s history of reneging on scholarships.
THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISION III The NCAA does not regulate the recruiting practices of Division III Institutions to the degree that it regulates those of Division I & II Institutions. In spite of this, the phases of the recruiting process remain very similar, but with variations with respect to their order of occurrence. Student-athletes aspiring to participate at this level are not required to submit applications to the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse or the Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse, and they are not bound by the National Letter of Intent. However, these institutions set very high standards for their students and determine amateur status at the institutional level. The biggest difference between scholarship and non-scholarship institutions is: Division I & II Institutions try to sell their programs, with the climax being the decision to offer a scholarship. Given that Division III schools are not working with scholarship money (everyone who qualifies gets a financial aid package), the process is driven by alternating demonstrations of interest. (Hopefully, this statement will become more easily understood as we proceed through the phases. ) Note: Greater explanation is given to this level of college athletics because a greater number of high school athletes are recruited to play at this level than at any other!
THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISION III PHASE I Initial Contact: This typically comes in the form of a questionnaire. PHASE II Evaluation: If the student-athlete returns the initial questionnaire, many coaches will make telephone contact and (if the prospect appears to be interested) attend a regular-season game in order to evaluate whether this level of play is appropriate for the student-athlete’s abilities. Head coaches tend to see players who are known quantities, or top priority recruits first. Assistant coaches tend to see lesser known quantities first. PHASE III Campus Visit / Application: Once the coaching staff has attend a couple of games (The more they want you, the more they’ll see you. ), they will make a serious attempt to get the student-athlete onto campus for a visit. The visit typically consists of a tour, lunch and a meeting with the head coach. Coaches will often invite higher profile recruits for overnight visits. Coaches hope that by this point, application for admission has already occurred. PHASE IV
THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISION III PHASE IV Financial Aid Package: Packages typically consist of grant, loan and work study monies. THIS IS WHERE ACADEMICS REALLY MATTER! The attractiveness of the package which a student receives is pretty much dependent upon how well the student fits the profile of the school. (Notice that I did not use the term “studentathlete” in this section. By NCAA rules, students at the Division III level are not to even be designated as “prospective student-athletes” because financial aid is not to any degree based on athletics. ) The better the student, the more grant money, and less loan and work study money received. The lesser the student, the less grant money and more loan and work study money received. Nobody likes to pay money back, so students who don’t meet the profile/standards of the school (although they could or probably would be admitted, if there were no one better qualified) are actually discouraged from attending by the nature of the financial aid package. Conversely, everybody likes free money. Thus, those students who are academically attractive to the institution receive the most grant money, thus are most encouraged to enroll. PHASE V If the coaching staff regards you as a top recruit and believes you are “on the fence” in terms of enrolling, the head coach (and possibly a top assistant) will conduct a home visit in an effort to show the prospective student-athlete the high degree to which they are interested.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE • Colleges control the recruiting process, not the high school students and their families. • College recruiters are professional recruiters. Parents are often going through the process for the first time. This is part of the reason the recruiters control the process. • Parents are often in awe of the process, confused by what is going on, and naïve about the business of college athletics. (The more you can learn, the better off you’ll be!) • Be objective about your son’s/daughter’s abilities. Although this is often difficult, failure to do so can be extremely detrimental to your son/daughter in the long run. If the appropriate level of play is not accurately determined, they will be much less likely to choose the program which will best satisfy their educational and athletic needs. The issue here is to find the right fit, to help your son / daughter meet their goals and prepare them for adult life.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE • Marketing high school players is to no avail, if the appropriate level of collegiate competition is not correctly determined. • Recruiters like effort. You never know who’s watching. • It’s downright stupid for a player (or the parents for that matter) to be at odds with the high school coach. A college coach’s first contact is the high school coach. • Ask the high school coach what level of college athletics will be most appropriate. • Ask the college recruiter how they see you fitting into their program. • The 3 rd or 4 th question recruiters ask is: “What kind of a student is he/she? ” IT’S A MAJOR CONCERN! Coaches don’t want players who will be academically ineligible. They need players who are going to play.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE • Character is also an issue. Coaches don’t want players who will either be a disruption/problem to the team/coaching staff because he/she is incapable of behaving outside of athletics. Remember, the definition of “character” is “who you are when no one’s around”. • The more prepared you are for college, both academically and athletically, the better off you’ll be. • College athletics is much more demanding in terms of both physical and time commitments. If you’re not prepared, be prepared to struggle in both areas. • THERE IS LIFE AFTER ATHLETICS! BE PREPARED!
GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS • NCAA – The National Collegiate Athletic Association 6201 College Blvd. Overland Park, Kansas 66211 -2422 phone: 913 -339 -1906 NCAA HOTLINE: 1 -800 -638 -3731 General Information / Publications website: www. ncaa. org Graduation Rates: www. ncaa. org in the Academics and Athletes - “Eligibility & Conduct” section under “Helpful Links” Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse: www. ncaaclearinghouse. net Academic Question, e-mail address: academics@ncaa. org • NAIA – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics 6120 South Yale Suite 1450 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 phone: 918 -494 -8828 Information website: www. naia. org
GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS • NJCAA - National Junior College Athletic Association P. O. Box 7305 Colorado Springs, Colorado 80933 phone: 719 -590 -9788 Information website: www. njcaa. org • The National Directory of College Athletics c/o Collegiate Directories, Inc. P. O. Box 450640 Cleveland, Ohio 44145 phone: 1 -800 -426 -2232 Information website: www. collegiatedirectories. com • College Recruiting Service: www. College. Recruiting. com
ACADEMIC & FINANCIAL WEBSITES • • www. collegeboard. com – General information and CSS/Profile financial aid online application and registration. www. collegeispossible. org – Preparing for college, both academically and financially. www. ed. gov – General information on federal student aid from U. S. Department of Education. www. fafsa. ed. gov – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Apply and submit online. www. fastweb. com – Free scholarship search from extensive database of scholarship information. www. finaid. org – The Financial Aid Information Page providing free, comprehensive, independent, and objective information to student financial aid. www. nasfaa. org – The National Association of Financial Aid Administrators includes a wealth of information to help with planning to invest in a college education.
RELATED NCAA PUBLICATIONS @ www. ncaa. org • NCAA General Information Brochure One copy free by calling 800/638 -3731 View/Download • Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete One copy free by calling 800/638 -3731 View/Download • NCAA Transfer Guide One copy free by calling 800/638 -3731 View/Download • CHAMPS/Life Skills Program View/Download
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