What the Olympics can teach us about the football recruiting process
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For that have been watching television over the last week plus, there is little doubt that you have stumbled upon the 2008 Bejing Olympics. This version of the games is once again extremely exciting and fun for those watching from home. But there is more than just the enjoyment of watching the games.
If anything, people out there can use the success of those in basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, swimming, and any number of other countless sports and apply it to the football recruiting process. It may at times seem like a stretch but these Olympics can be used as motivation to work hard when immersing yourself in this recruiting process. Here are some of the areas that these games can teach us about:
Five areas parents can help their children with during the athletic recruiting process
When writing articles for this site, it really seems to vary on which are made in the perspective of an athlete and from the perspective of a parent. Because both parents and athletes do visit the site, I try to help from both sides. But with this article, I will be strictly talking about what a parent can do to help their son or daughter during the athletic recruiting process.
I have come up with five different areas that will be vital throughout the recruiting process. If you are a parent who has the time to do these, there is no doubt that you don’t need to hire an organization to run the recruiting process. Plus it will mean much more to you with your child’s college education being the eventual result. The five that I will be discussing include support, organization, money, advice, and experience. Onto why I believe these five are important:
I’m a junior with football recruiting interest but no offers. What do I do?
For those football athletes about to enter their junior year, now is a great time to get started on the recruiting process. I have always stressed that the earlier you start, the better it will be for you in the long run. So if you haven’t already immersed yourself in the process, now is a great time to at least get the ball rolling.
The first question that needs to be answered is have you already played varsity? That is a key question because the answer you give will take you one of two directions. If you have played an extensive amount of time at the varsity level, then now would be a fantastic time to put together a recruiting profile. I may sound like a broken record but this first step to a scholarship offer is crucial during the recruiting process (Click here for the five steps to a scholarship offer).
Football Recruiting Notes from a Four Star Recruit
Over the last year, I have had a chance to speak with an outstanding athlete and his father throughout the football recruiting process. With his decision coming in the near future, I thought I might post some of the notes that I have talked about and learned with regards to their recruiting process. In every situation, things are going to be unique but it is very interesting to see what a four star recruit has been through.
The first, as I have talked about before, is that because he is such a sought after recruit, he has cut himself off from the media. This athlete currently boasts scholarship offers from schools in the Big 12, SEC, Pac 10, Big 10, ACC, and a number of other smaller conferences as well. Because he holds double digit offers, reporters from each of the major recruiting sites (Rivals and Scout) would both want to speak with him about the newest scholarship offer. And with so many on the table, it took a toll and he ended up going into seclusion from the media.
Are there ethics in football recruiting or basketball recruiting?
I recently had a chance to speak with a Division I basketball coach about the on going recruiting process. With a player that he hopes to land with a scholarship in the Class of 2009, the coach would do a lot to land this player. He even told me one of the wildest and most questionably ethical thing that he recently had seen another coach do during the recruiting process.
As with any field, it is important for coaches to network to be able to get another job in the future. Many of these coaches become friends and later on down the line help one another out. And because of those connections, this is where the ethics get blurry. It all starts with an athlete going on an official visit during the fall.
Recruiting-101 Links of the Month
With it already being past the halfway point of August, Recruiting-101 wanted to take a look back at some of our favorite stories from the month already. For those that missed some of the articles, these are what I feel are among the best content produced on the site during August thus far:
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The realism of the football recruiting process in NCAA Football 2009
For those college football and video game fans out there, I can assume that you have gotten your hands on NCAA Football for the Playstation, X-Box, or Wii over the past few years. This series has continued to take college football on video games to a whole new level. And while they have expanded their game play and improved the graphics, another area that continues to take a step forward is the recruiting process.
If you are playing in dynasty mode, the most important way to help your team win games is by recruiting top players. What this video game allows users to do is recruit athletes just like they are doing at your favorite college. And while I have not played NCAA Football 2009 just yet, the work that they have done with the recruiting process is second to none. If you are a dynasty player, you will have to put a great deal of time into the game to be successful with recruiting.
Are basketball recruiting/exposure camps worth the money?
I have long talked about how strongly I am against football recruiting camps and combines that charge money. The only thing that happens from these camps is that you are filling up the pockets of those that are behind the whole scheme. While they may claim that the results are sent to every school in the country, that doesn’t mean the coaches are not going to delete the email or never look at it. And really, that is a major selling point of what these camps do.
But those that run the football camps are not the only ones who are seeing a great deal of profit from holding camps. There are a number of other programs throughout the country who do something similar on the basketball court. And if anything, these camps can be run cheaper and easier just because it is easier to play 5-on-5 basketball than to organize football drills. With most of these camps coming during the fall months, is it really worth it?
Being recruited in athletics by a service academy
When looking for a college, some athletes are intrigued by the option of attending a service academy. These programs, like Air Force, Navy, and Army, give you an amazing experience that is offered at few other locations throughout the world. And if you are going to excel at sports there, it takes an even more mature individual.
What sets these programs apart is the type of unique athletes that they are looking for. While I have said character is important in recruiting, it is even more so for these service academies. They need to be able to land top flight athletes but also ones that can sustain the difficult training that is required at the school.
Five things to get out of an official visit for football
With a rush of football official visits being able to legally happen during the month of September per NCAA rules, I thought it may now be a great time to talk about the main things you should be looking to get out of this official visit. As an athlete, you should also try to get some of these things out of unofficial visits as well. Here are some of the main ones:
Game Day
If you are going during the fall months, you need to make sure you get a great feel for the game day atmosphere. This a perfect time to see what it is like from the eyes of the coaches, the players, and the fans. It may be the first time you have been at the stadium or the tenth. Regardless, getting to see the game day atmosphere on an official visit is an in-depth look at the program that you will only get once. Could you see yourself playing at that stadium? Is the crowd supporting the team or complaining when they do something bad? Think about the little things when learning more about the atmosphere on the visit.