<p>My son is a good, big football player. He played every down at offensive tackle as a junior. Will be a team captain next year. He'll also likely play D-line next year (his high school team only has seniors play every down on both sides of the ball--a policy I like). He may be all-county next year and likely will be all-conference. He attends a large suburban HS so he competes against other large schools. We live in a very large county pop-wise, but are much better known for lacrosse players than football players. Football here is at a pretty good level (although nothing like my wife's native south Florida). He's a good, solid player--nothing flashy, but hard-working, coordinated, smart, and strong.</p>
<p>Top 1% of his class and SAT's aren't a problem. He's got other very good ECs. At 6'2" 260 lbs. and not really quick enough for D-line, he's going to be an O-lineman. I think he's borderline size-wise for Ivies/Patriot League, kind of mid-range for NESCAC. He would like to play football in college at the highest level he could get playing time in, but the quality of the school is more important than the football. He'd love to play at an Ivy. I think he'd also be very happy playing in the NESCAC. We went to the Amherst one-day camp last summer and really enjoyed it--Coach Mills' recruiting talk is as good as others here on CC make it out to be. However, without pads on and no live contact, I'm wondering how linemen can be evaluated at these camps. </p>
<p>So, if you've stayed with me through this interminable introduction, here's what I'd like to know: what are good summer camps where he could get some exposure to the coaches at those schools? Especially bearing in mind that as a lineman, it's tough to really show what you can do when you're wearing a t-shirt and shorts.</p>
<p>My senior son is 6’ 1" and 250… started at LG as a Jr, and a 2 way starter this year at LG and ILB… and was also a captain. He is a very good player - extremely athletic and quick for a big guy, but too small for the OL in DI. He is a 2x ALl COnference player, ALl Scholastic, ESPN ALl Star, and a host of other accolades. He was actively recruited by a couple Ivies and most of the NESCAC’s…and got legitimate looks from several Patriot League schools. </p>
<p>Last summer he went to too many camps, IMO: Bates Big Man, Colby/Bates/Bowdoin Camp, Middlebury Jr. Prospect Day, Hamilton, Brown, BC, Trinity, and a local combine event. He was signed up for the Wesleyan Camp… but never wound up attending, since he wrote that school off after a group info sesssion and tour. It just wasn’t going to be a good fit for him, so he didn’t want to waste his time.</p>
<p>He generated a lot of interest in his abilities as a student athlete with all this exposure, but by far, the ONE camp that gave him the most bang for the buck was the New England Elite… held nightly in July at Bentley Univ in Waltham, MA. Recruiters from all the NESCAC schools and several of the Ivies were present… and it wasn’t run like a money maker…as many of the others are. Several of the camps require helmet & pads, and most all include one-on-one, blocking & defensive drills. The recruiters can easily determine an athlete’s skill set with the drills they run.</p>
<p>I would recommend that you limit your son’s camps to schools, in which, he is most interested (3-4)… AND where he is a good match academically. It is extremely stressful on the student athletes and families alike if you overbook. Also keep in mind that you don’t have to stay the full duration of nights at the sleep over camps - you can do just a night or two, since many of them overlap on the schedule… and he may want ot hop from one to another on consecutive days. </p>
<p>What held my guy back with the Ivies was his mediocre standardized test scores. He appplied ED and was accepted to play at Trinity next fall. Good luck - PM me if you want any more info.</p>
<p>Wanted to add… it sounds like your son would be a very good candidate for Ivy football. Coach Dave Caputi of Bowdoin, has a great recruiting guide posted on his Team’s website. Sound advice regarding requirements, timing, recommendations, etc. If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend you take a looksee:</p>
<p>I too think that NE elite is a great showcase for NESCAC and IVY’s. My son too is a D lineman and he got more interest that started out of NE Elite than any other source. Then it builds. Ultimately, he went to a NESCAc school that was not at NE but was the best fit. NE is shoulder pads and Helmets. But remember, these coaches know what they are looking for and can see it in how a kid moves and carries himself, even without pads. NE elite also allowed time for the coaches to speak to the kids.
and had coaches from Ohio schools and D2 there.<br>
I have heard the IVY camps are really overbooked, especially Princetons. Several boys from our school never signed in because there were so many schools. I would think with good showing on tape, any Nescac or IVY would be interested. Glad you liked the Amherst camp, we went 2 years ago and I was totally impressed with Coach Mills. Unfortunately, they were very strict with test scores and son didnt have them. Ultimately, he ended at a school that he didnt go to their camp, they weren’t at NE ELite. But they sought him out and it was a great fit.<br>
Making contact with the schools after test scores are available, and sending GAME tapes are what will catch and keep coaches interest. Also, listen to them… if they say apply ED that means apply ED. I really believe you cast a wide net and see what happens. DVD and postage is a small investment for a possible spot at a great school. PM me if you have any questions and good luck.</p>
I had to laugh at this statement, for bellybones’ intro is the opposite of interminable; I found it precise, interesting, and engaging, exactly the type of post that elicits helpful responses. I wish I were qualified to help here. All I can say is that I hope he is big enough, quick enough, and good enough to be recruited by an Ivy; he sure seems to have the academics he’ll need to get in.</p>
<p>@jerseygirl, thanks for the info. Takes a little shine off the the Princeton camp, which son was considering attending. Also, the Princeton sleepover camp conflicts with the NE Elite that MaryOC has already persuaded me is worthwhile. Still considering the Princeton day camps, though. I think I’ll see how NE goes and then decide whether to do any add’l. We just got son’s official class rank today and have PSAT’s. He’ll take SAT’s later this month. We’ve got game film and some highlights (such as you can do for a O-lineman–“here’s the one where he bangs into this guy…here’s another one where he bangs into another guy…here’s one where he bangs into a guy and the other guy falls down…”). Looking forward to the process for better or for worse.</p>
<p>A good strategy might be to consider a broad coverage camp like NE Elite, one Ivy - his first choice… and then maybe another couple of Nescac and/or Patriot League day camps…or Junior prospect days. Remember…if camps overlap or have conflicting dates… you can cut your stay short at one, to be able to attend another. We saw a lot of that last summer - especially at the sleepover camps like Brown and BC.</p>
<p>You have plenty of time to book (most don’t have their registrations available yet), and your list may well be determined by the interest your son generates in response to the transript and Jr. Hi-lite film he sends early this spring. God luck - and have fun!</p>
<p>My strategy was to send film to all schools of interest, ivy and nescac. The schools that showed the most interest in my film were the schools that I went to for their camps. My top choice happened to be the first camp I went to and they offered the day after the camp.</p>
<p>Congrats, Ivyfootball. Hope it’s that simple for us. I can think of a lot of worse places for my boy to be playing in fall of 2012 than New Haven!</p>
<p>Glad you liked the post, @ksp. It’s been a busy summer for us so far…
My son sent a highlight DVD/game film plus academic, athletic, and activities resume to about 20 colleges in February. We identified the most likely recipient from the football page of the college’s website. In virtually every case, you could infer who was the appropriate recruiting contact. Also followed up with email with Youtube link to the football videos and attached the resumes. Also filled out the recruiting questionnaire online. Also signed up with GoBigRecruiting because some of the schools said they liked to see videos there. GoBig costs $5/school if you send to 20 schools. Not a bad deal. Schools were 6 of the 8 Ivies, 5 of the 10 NESCACs, 3 Patriot League schools, U. Richmond, Wash U., Duke, Washington & Lee, MIT, Davidson, Villanova.
In April we paid unofficial visits to 3 Ivies and one NESCAC plus attended Junior Recruiting Days at Bucknell and Wash U. (via invitation based on our February “marketing” and not too exclusive–there were 100 boys at Bucknell and 30 at Wash U.)
We’ve done a couple of additional unofficial visits as the opportunity presents itself.
Then the camps–since June 11th my son’s been to one-day camps at Georgetown (no helmet or shoulderpads), 2 of the 4 days at Dartmouth (helmet and shoulderpads), 3 of the 4 days at New England Elite (helmet and shoulderpads), a one-day at Princeton (just helmet, no shoulderpads), is right now at a one-day at Cornell (no helmet or shoulderpads), next weekend a one-day at Williams (helmet, no shoulderpads), and a one-day at Amherst (no helmet or shoulderpads). We might do Hamilton the week after that, or maybe not since “we” (meaning my son) might be a little burnt out.
A couple of things that stand out for me are that the one-day Princeton Camp is probably way better than the full camp. A kind contributor here on CC advised me that the full camp was way crowded, and I can see that happening based on how many players were at Dartmouth, which probably isn’t as sexy a draw as Princeton but still had about 300 attendees. However, the one-day camp at Princeton had no more than 100 boys and you had the Princeton staff’s full attention. The drawback is that you didn’t get the exposure to D-3 coaches who attended the full camp, but if you went to NE Elite, you got to see all of them there.
NE Elite had coaches from 65 colleges. I can’t imagine a better place to establish yourself in the recruiting radar. There were 700 boys there, about 500 rising seniors and a couple of hundred underclassmen.
I have to say that the instruction at all these camps has been very good. Most, if not all, of the attendees are there to catch the eye of coaches. Most, if not all, of the coaches are there to get a first-hand look at prospects. However, there is the salutory effect of actually getting better at football as the result of working with guys who know the game and how to communicate it. You also are competing against good players virtually all the time. There are very few stiffs. It’s like every rep you take is against a current or future all-county or at least all-division player. That makes you better since the best way to get good is to play against better players.
My son is pretty toasted from all the camps, but it’s been a cool experience, too. Let me know if you have any more questions. I’d be happy to pay forward anything I’ve picked up. The only reason I know what I know is because of the wonderful players and parents posting here on CC.</p>
<p>bellybones - thanks for the update. we’ll check out the gobigrecruiting site. ds has a youtube link and has sent that to coaches and has had some good contact with d1, d2 and d3 coaches. as you commented, you can usually discern from the website which coach to send the film link to. in some cases, he has sent it to the head coach or to an assistant and then it was the coach who recruits our state who contacted him. ds just recently registered with the ncaa clearinghouse and so that task is nearly completed. next up on the list is to get going on applications and to make some visits. i would guess there will be some visits built around fall football home games. i have an older d that went through the recruiting process. we were told then that it’s not unusual for the d3 recruits to apply to a number of schools and then compare the f/a packages and they make their decision by April or May. older d didn’t visit her college until March or April of her senior year. there is a domino effect that we see coming into play in the coach contacts as they work through their list of recruits. ds has also had invites to the camps and recruiting days. plan is for him to retake the ACT one more time this fall and then probably call it good. he’s already in good shape but raising the score one or two points can really help.
best of luck to your son. thanks again for the tips. your son is very fortunate that there are opportunities for him to make the camps and visits.</p>
<p>No calls from Princeton. We are getting more attention from D3’s. He did contact the D-mouth coach who said they are still considering him, but to send senior tape. Sounds like they have other guys ahead of him and his chance comes if they need fill a slot with a top-bander.</p>
<p>Bellybones, from what you’ve shared about your son’s height/weight (very similar to my guy)… I suspect he is probably a better fit as a lineman for DIII play. </p>
<p>Having choices is a wonderful thing… Congrats to your son for all his hard work in the classroom and on the gridiron, and to you… for positioning him to have nothing, but great choices~</p>