<p>I'm writing an article for my school newspaper about college recruitments in reference to various students at my school, and I wanted to get some background information on how exactly it works before I start writing/interviewing.</p>
<p>Would anybody mind telling me how athletic recruiting works? (ex. when it starts, how it affects college admissions, how early you know where you're going, how it's different than just general admissions, etc.)</p>
<p>Thanks :)</p>
<p>If you want to do some basic reading on the rules, here is a link to the NCAA page regarding recruiting. There are several documents with regards to rules for schools, players, etc.</p>
<p>All of the facts like when it starts, how it affects admissions (sliding scale of SAT/ACT scores vs GPA), National Letters of Intent are all covered in these documents.</p>
<p>How schools find athletes and vice-versa varies depending upon sport. I'd recommend posting in the college student areas (as opposed to the parent forum) for stories about how athletes and schools came together.</p>
<p>okay thanks, i'll do that :)</p>
<p>I don't know if the article cited will mention it, so I will:
Athletic recruiting is also employed (I personally know of a case recently) to reverse a rejection by a U. I think cases like those are abuses of the system. (This was a reach public & a top-tier & not URM.)</p>
<p>Also, what a lot of people don't realize is that the student athlete really has to start the recruitment process. Unless the athlete is a complete standout - and I mean complete - the colleges will not make the first move. There are just way too many above average athletes out there.</p>
<p>That means starting with e-mailing the coach - if it's a college they really want to go to, they need to keep e-mailing them so that the coach recognizes the name when they do read about them in the paper. </p>
<p>The worst thing a student athlete can do is sit back, do nothing and expect coaches to approach them (which happened to an outstanding athlete at my D's school a few years back). </p>
<p>The athletic director at my D's school recently asked me how all these colleges know about my D. He said he has never had so many colleges contacting them about an athlete. (And the coach is actually pretty useless and hasn't done anything for D, but that's another story.) I told the A.D. that my D started contacting the coaches in the spring by e-mail and then barraged them over the summer. She played in exhibition games over the summer, so a lot of the coaches went to them. When sending an e-mail, it should not look like something you are sending off to many coaches - you need to personalize each and every one of them. You can use a template, but personalize in certain areas. Use the coaches name - "Coach _____". Incorporate the college name throughout the e-mail - specify certain unique things about the colleges. And don't hit "send" until you have read and re-read the e-mail.</p>
<p>The A.D. would like her/us to write up an outline of our steps so that they can use it for future star athletes.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link, goaliedad - this is really good information.</p>
<p>It is true that many HS coaches have no clue how to get kids noticed by colleges. Our neighbor's S has gone for Jr. Olympic/Olympic trials as a goalie for several years but his school has no clue how to help him be noticed as an athlete. His club team coach has some ideas but says that the player & family have to do most of the work.
It IS important for the player to have films of him/her playing with the team & hopefully have the coaches watch him/her in action to see the teamwork rather than just how great the player is on his/her own.
Neither of our kids are in that caliber, but I've read some great things about kids who are & get some nice scholarship offers.</p>
<p>A new business has spawned; 'recruiting agents'. These are individuals/organizations that, for a flat fee ($2000 plus) counsel students, meke dvd's, target colleges, and contact coaches. Some of these agencies are OK; some are not.
In your article you should also note the differences between DIV I, II, and III colleges. Most are aware that DIV III schools do not give athletic scholarships. On the other hand, less known (and very positive) is the fact that many DIV III conferences disallow practices that exceed two hours. Many DIV III athletes practice less than they did in H.S. High schools could benefit from the self-inmposed restrictions many small colleges follow.</p>
<p>Oh thanks briansteffy, I'll definitely consider that.</p>
<p>I'm thinking that I'd like to write the article from a college (recruiter)'s point of view as to get students more informed about the admissions processes of athletes.</p>
<p>Would college coaches be willing to talk about how they recruit/are contacted by athletes? Would they be more willing if they already accepted one of our school's athletes (I've been talking to a few of our athletes going to NW, Upenn, etc)</p>
<p>I realize that the only way to contact most coaches are by email...would it be rude to ask for phone numbers? Or should I just ask questions by email...</p>
<p>Thanks, I'm kind of new to the whole newspaper system :P</p>
<p>There is a lot of information on the high school baseball website. Some of it is very general, some of it is specific to baseball. Here is one link:</p>
<p><a href="http://hsbaseballweb.com/college_choice.htm%5B/url%5D">http://hsbaseballweb.com/college_choice.htm</a></p>
<p>Also when you get the home page, on the left you'll see a list of topics--go to "recruiting tips" for other links and information.</p>
<p>Oh wow that was really helpful, patient, thanks!</p>
<p>Can anybody answer my question?</p>
<p>Would college coaches be willing to talk to me about how they recruit/check out athletes? And should I do phone interviews or just ask questions over email?</p>
<p>The only way to find out if they will talk to you is to call and ask! </p>
<p>I would suggest calling <em>out of season</em> -- so right now, maybe baseball, lacrosse, and other spring sports.</p>
<p>Also, you might have more success with the Athletic Information Office or some such thing. Big schools have them to deal with the press, and if you catch someone nice on a slow day they can probably help you a lot, including setting up interviews with (probably assistant) coaches.</p>
<p>Tako-
Check with your guidance office. I remeber my S's guidance department had some college guides for athletes. There was one, in particular (I wish I could remember the title), that had a section at the beginning which had coaches discuss what they look for in recruited student-athletes. They also commented on what type of information they like to receive from students wishing to be recruited. It was quite a helpful resource. </p>
<p>So sorry I can't remember the title. If your guidance office doesn't have any of these guides you might want to check one of the larger bookstores that might have some on their shelves.</p>
<p>I am the faculty football coach at a DIV III college. I suspect that you may not get much feedback from coaches, even at the small colleges. In the big-time sports schools, athletes are identified usually by their junior year. A neighbor of mine has been contacted by as many as 50 universities. They do so by inviting him to their summer camp. Go to any university website and you will see all the camps offered. Many use these camps to recruit and evaluate. At this point students are encouraged to submit film and information about their academic record. If the school is interested you then will be invited to visit at a time that other similar athletes are visiting. This is done at large and small colleges. Key factors are: do you require financial aid (there are only so many scholarships); what positions does the team need to fill. Except for the top-ranked colleges, grades just have to be OK. For example, if you are an excellent football player and you are rich and you are a 'B' student and your SAT's are not great, do not let that deter you. You can get into many of the top LAC's, certainly the top publics, and mabe some others. My neice was a stellar field hockey player with probably a 3.80 GPA but only a 1200 on the (old) SAT. She was accepted by all the Ivies she applied to. She realized that they were not for her, went to Michigan and won the national title. Its a game and if you are a stellar athlete, leverage it. Let everone else debate whether it is a good or bad thing, go for it.</p>
<p>There was a series of articles in the New York Times last fall/spring (?) that you might want to read. Related mostly to Haverford.</p>
<p>briansteffy, just want you to know that I am enjoying your posts, and I like the comment that you weren't a good enough student to get into the school where you teach.</p>
<p>thanks; more faculty should post here, but I understand why many would not. Perhaps I should not have used my name. Does anyone know how I can change it? It looks like all that I can do is change my password.</p>
<p>Well, it's a little late now. :)</p>
<p>Do walk-ons have a chance to make the football team at your school? How often does that occur?</p>
<p>Do you know anything about men's soccer at your school? Do walk-ons ever make the team?</p>
<p>I'm sure there are ways to change your screen name. Others have done it. I don't know how, but maybe somebody will see this and help you.</p>
<p>Tako, read up on the story of how Tiger Woods was recruited to Stanford (at age 11). That is a great story--especially their letter to him and his letter in reply.</p>
<p>I know an overseas athlete who was spotted at an International competition in Europe. On the spot, the athlete was offered two five years scholarships (one year to complete the degree) plus intl airfare from two top 25 schools--providing she did well ont the SATs. In other words, she was offered the scholarships (+$200K) BEFORE she applied or even THOUGHT about attending a US school. The schools flew her to the US for visits. When she returned, she decided to take the SAT, did very well (+700 on both) and accepted one offer. She's a current junior.</p>
<p>David Eckstein, the World Series MVP, was a walk on for the UF baseball team even though he had been an outstanding player in high school (too short?). UF subsequently granted him an athletic scholarship.</p>
<p>Rodman is another good recruiting story--so many basketball players come up through the community college system.
[quote]
Rodman is one of the few players in basketball who can change the course of a game without taking a shot. Rodman, whose two sisters were All-American basketball players, didn't play high school basketball and stood only 5-11 when he graduated. At age 20 he was working the graveyard shift at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport when he decided, after having grown eight inches since high school, that he would pursue basketball. He enrolled in Cooke County Junior College in Texas and later transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State. In three seasons there, 1983-84 through 1985-86, he averaged 25.7 points and 15.7 rebounds, led the NAIA in rebounding twice and registered a .637 field goal percentage. Still relatively obscure, Rodman lasted into the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft before being selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 27th overall pick. After an unremarkable rookie season, Rodman began making his presence felt. On the 1987-88 Pistons he averaged a career-best 11.6 points along with 8.7 rebounds. The team lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Detroit won the NBA Championship the next two seasons, and Rodman was a prime reason for the club's success.
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