Developing an Effective Organizing System for College Athletics Recruiting

Developing an Effective Organizing System for College Athletics Recruiting
By Tom Kovic

Creating a user friendly organizing system for the college recruiting process will serve as a helpful tool, especially when information begins to pile in from different college coaches. Not only will this system assist you in keeping track of the steady stream of paper and e-traffic, it will act as a great resource for future contacts and important coach-prospect communications. Trust me, coaches will be requesting information (transcripts, high school profile, standardize test results, tax information for financial pre-reads etc.) at about the same time, and the family who develops an efficient access system to this information will navigate the process successfully and with great confidence.
Below are some organizing points that I think will be very helpful:
1. The following information should be stored in individual college program folders:
• Updated contact information for coach, assistant coach, financial aid representative etc. Include name, address, e-mail, phone number etc.).• Materials the coach has sent (brochures, articles, etc.).• Team competition schedule. You should add important events to your calendar and stay updated on the team’s accomplishments, especially before any correspondence with the coach.• College catalogs, applications and/or other marketing materials.• Updated notes from your phone conversations and meetings with representatives from the school.• A list of pertinent questions or follow-up items you need to address for the program. Set aside regular time to review outstanding tasks you have for each college program and list these items on your calendar.• Copies of all the information you have provided to the school – your application, the data sheet you may have to fill out for the coach, the last resume you provided etc. By keeping these copies handy, you can easily reproduce them if they are misplaced.
2. Keep extra copies of your resume, video, transcripts and test scores ready in case a coach misplaces this information.
3. Just as you organize your paper files, your e-files on your computer should be saved in a way that will allow you to easily refer back to all the documents. Most likely you will want folders for each college so that you can readily access the files for any letters, essays or resumes you have sent out.
4. You will likely be corresponding regularly with coaches via e-mail, and saving all the important e-mails that you receive and keep electronic copies of the important e-mails you send out will assist you greatly. Again it may be helpful to create folders in your e-mail account for each college, where you can file correspondences that you may need to reference at a later time. Consider creating a master date file for all educational information, medical data, references, sports achievements and family information. You will need this information at your fingertip to fill out the many different forms over and over again.
5. Maintain your personal calendar to be sure that you have added new events and that you are aware of upcoming deadlines. Also have your calendar in front of you when you are speaking with a coach on the phone or when you are in a meeting. This will help you to answer questions about your availability for campus visits and evaluations.
It is essential that you respond to correspondence in a timely manner. You should set regular times where you reply to e-mails, phone calls and/or mail. If for some reason you anticipate a delay in your response, you should notify the coaches by e-mail to let them know that you are working on the response, and provide a time when they can expect to hear from you. You want to show coaches you are organized and responsible about deadlines and that you respect their time. College coaches remember the “little things.”
Maintaining an organized approach can become very time-consuming and frustrating, especially in the beginning phases of recruiting. Once the system is in place and the process is understood and practiced to perfection, it becomes a tremendous tool for the prospect and the family to use in accurate planning, while increasing the chances of strong success in the college quest.

Tom Kovic is the director of Victory Collegiate Consulting where he provides educational seminars and individual advisement on preparing for the college athletics recruiting process. Visit: http://www.victoryrecruiting.com/

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Tournaments, Camps and Showcases: An Important Recruiting Tool for the Prospective Student-Athlete

Tournaments, Camps and Showcases: An Important Recruiting Tool for the Prospective Student-Athlete
By Tom Kovic

A critical component of an effective college athletics recruiting strategy is found in developing strong awareness for the prospective student-athlete. This can be accomplished through direct communication, the provision of a personal profile and skills DVD and the development of a personal website to name a few. Another effective way to get on the “radar screen” of the college coach is through participation in sport-specific camps, showcases and tournaments.
While providing coaches with general information (profiles, videos) can assist them with an initial evaluation of the prospect, participating in tournaments and camps will give the college coach a first hand look at the prospect and offer a more genuine evaluation. There are several events during the year and throughout the country that offer athletes the opportunity to “strut their stuff” against competition they would normally not see, and choosing the most “strategic” venues is important, especially if the athlete is trying to get some “good looks” from the college coaches.
One of the many recruiting areas that college coaches focus on is the evaluation of raw talent of prospects that are listed in their active file. Initially, they will begin with hard data that will include both academic and athletic credentials and build their information base further with onsite evaluations. Therefore, a prospect might choose a popular tournament that can result in a weekend of success and enjoyment, but if the further intent to participate in the event is to develop “visibility” and the college coaches are not in attendance, it may not have been worth the effort.
Determining the events to participate
This is a very important area that requires research, along with a team approach with your club and or high school coach. Firstly, you want to determine which events are most popular and attract a higher volume of athletes from a diverse geographic region. Secondly, you want to get an historical perspective of the event and determine past attendance by college coaches and more specifically who attended?
College coaches will make every effort to attend off campus tournaments, but they cannot attend them all! Obviously, if coach is recruiting 50 prospects and has the opportunity to view 15 PSA’s at 1 tournament, you can almost bet he or she will be there. College coaches strongly value “economy of time and effort” and will look to attend tournaments where their “active prospects” will be in attendance. Since college coaches are bound by strict contact rules, I suggest the prospect or parent call the college coach directly and determine which future events he/she plan to attend.
College Camps
On-campus sports camps are becoming more popular each year and for good reason. Not only do coaches who sponsors summer camp reap the benefit of bringing talented student-athletes to the university, they also have the opportunity to evaluate talent in the comfort of their home base, while offering prospects a first hand look at campus through a “pseudo” unofficial visit.
The prospect can benefit from this on campus experience as well. Since the event is held on the college coach’s campus, it provides the prospect with direct access to the coach and with very few restrictions according to NCAA unofficial visit rules. Not only will the athlete have the ability to take part in an exciting camp experience, he also has the opportunity to form the foundation of what can potentially become a mutually beneficial relationship. It gives the prospect a chance to “probe” the coach about his program, philosophy and where he possibly sees the prospect as a future member of his team, while creating a strong base of information that will only assist the prospect and his family as they navigate the college quest further.
Communicating with the coaches
Attending camps, showcases and tournaments is one thing, but if your sincere intention in attending these events is to get an initial evaluation from the college coaches, I suggest letting them know you will be there!
Remember, college coaches are bound by very strict contact rules, especially with 9th-11th grade prospects, but athletes and families are permitted to contact college coaches by phone, with little restriction. If you have begun developing a relationship with a number of college coaches, I suggest contacting them well before the scheduled event and determine which events they attend more often and utilize as their recruiting tools to evaluate future talent. Additionally, let them know that you have strong interest in their institution and would strongly value their personal evaluation.
Attending tournaments, showcases and camps will offer young athletes the chance to enhance their personal skill level and in new and exciting environments. Potentially, it also provides an additional benefit in providing prospective student-athlete’s with a chance at gaining strong visibility in the eyes of college coaches and further strengthen their position as they navigate the college search.
Tom Kovic is a former Division I college coach and the current director of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he provides individual advisement for families on college recruiting. Tom is the author of “Reaching for Excellence, an educational guide for college athletics recruiting. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com.

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Victory Webinar Series

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This webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to attend weekly interactive presentations on college recruiting and in the comfort of their own home

Victory Webinar Series

On January 13, 2008 VCC will be launching the Victory Webinar Series in an effort to offer online, interactive seminars on college athletics recruiting. Seating will be limited to 12 families and offered on a first come, first served basis.

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NCAA Baseball : New Recruiting Rules

The new rule making the biggest impact seems to be the 35 man cap on NCAA rosters. Apparently this is making it harder for the big schools to recruit top talent. In the past a powerhouse program could sign an unlimited number of top players knowing that many of them would opt out and sign minor league contracts and, even if more players reported then were expected to, the team could still carry all of them on their roster and just give out smaller scholarship awards. However, now that teams can only have 35 players on their roster it will be much harder for schools to extend dozens of offers. The schools must have some plan to accommodate the players on their roster and with a minimum 25% scholarship if they do come to campus. Taking this situation one step further than Fit, I think these new rules may lead college baseball recruiting in one of two directions.
The top few hundred recruits will always be fine. The group that will most be affected are those good but not great recruits. High school grads who are choosing between playing at the NCAA level, signing a minimum bonus minor league deal or deciding to focus on life after baseball. The new rule will presumably mean that more of these good players will sign professional contracts out of high school. If a good player wants to go to a top school that will groom him for the pros and that school cannot promise him support the uncertainty factor will make the professional contract appear more attractive. Or an alternative way this could play out....
If the top programs start telling recruits that they are not guaranteed a scholarship, or even a roster spot, these players might then find other colleges, presumably smaller programs, to sign on to.
The second option is the one the NCAA likes. We'll just have to see how this plays out. I am not sure that a good player with his heart set on playing for a Big-12 team who instead finds his only secure option is to instead go to a regional school will not just decide to by-pass college ball and take his chances in the minors.

College Athletics Recruiting Process Presentation

College Athletics Recruiting Process Presentation

Please join Tom Kovic, Director of Victory Collegiate Consulting on Sunday, December 9th at 7:00 PM (Eastern) for a complimentary 1 hour web presentation on the College Athletics Recruiting Process.

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Tom will give you a look into the myriad of college athletics and how organizing for the recruiting process can dramatically improve your chances in reaching your goals.

To register, simply e-mail Tom Kovic at: kovic@victoryrecruiting.com and he will forward you the free seminar invitation.

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