The Prospective Student-Athlete: Maintaining a Professional Image

The Prospective Student-Athlete: Maintaining a Professional Image


By Tom Kovic


“First impressions are remembered best” and I think this holds true for prospective student-athletes and how they present themselves to coaches as they navigate the contact phase of the college recruiting process. Below are some simple tips to consider that will help prospects as they begin cultivating relationships with college coaches.

Dress for the Occasion


Projecting a positive personal image in the eyes of the college coaches is very important and your outward appearance is a great starting point. The first thing a coach sees before he shakes your hand is you and your outward appearance. I am not saying you need to “dress for the prom,” but you should make every effort to dress in a casual, but clean and professional manner. Torn jeans and a dirty t-shirt with sneakers just won’t cut it in the competitive world of college recruiting and you are only decreasing your chances of remaining high in the active recruiting file by exhibiting a poor appearance. In preparation for the initial meeting with the coach, wear a nice pair of Khakis or shorts, polo shirt and a pair of casual shoes. You will remain comfortable and the coach will be impressed with your outward style.


Know your Stuff

You will be meeting the man or woman who may very well have a direct impact on your life over a 4 year period and I strongly suggest you make every effort to enter the first meeting as an educated and knowledgeable consumer. The college search is a comparative analysis of several institutions and the more you know about your “product” the better prepared you will be to communicate effectively with the coaches. I suggest a balanced approach, whereby the information you gather is an equal mix of the academic and athletic data, combined with information about the general social environment of the institution. Accumulating a basic, but confident appreciation about what your schools of choice potentially offer will not only grow your knowledge about different programs, it will help differentiate you from the rest of the pack. College coaches will immediately pick up on this and appreciate the effort you have made in learning about their program. In addition, by taking time to research different programs, you will begin to develop a solid “information foundation” to build your short list of personal questions for the coaches.


Ask Pertinent Questions


Equate the time you spend with a particular college coach with preparation for a championship game. You do not have a lot of time and every minute counts! Based on the information you have gathered and your preparation for the meeting with the coach, I think it makes sense to limit your questions to specific areas of recruiting and narrow them down to half a dozen or so. This may not seem like a lot, but trust me… The coach will be probing you and your family and additional questions will naturally surface during the course of the conversation.


Begin by creating general question areas that are important to you (academic requirements, athletic opportunities, on campus support, safety, financial aid etc.) and build your specific questions within these general areas. This is a great exercise and you will soon find yourself with a bunch of questions that will need to be narrowed down to a manageable list that covers important areas of the college search.


Listen Intently


Obviously, the family wants to probe the coach, but remember that communication is a two way street and “hearing” what the coach has to say is very important. Coaches tend to communicate in a “non committal” language, especially during the early phases of recruiting, and for good reason. They do not want to raise the hopes of the family and prospect too high, too soon, especially when it comes to the possible offer of athletics scholarships, admissions assistance and the availability of squad spots. Recruiting for the college coach is an art, and the best recruiters will provide prospects and families with a solid foundation of information about their program, but without making any early promises. They will work with the family slowly, patiently and with care, but with an “eagles eye” for hints and comments that will provide them with the information they need to determine the level of sincere interest the prospect has in their program.


Show Confidence


There is a fine line between confidence and cockiness and knowing the difference between the two will serve the prospect well. As a college coach, I saw many different personalities in prospects, but nothing frustrated me more than an athlete who came into my office with an “attitude.” Coaches are looking beyond the level of athletic and academic talent prospects bring to the table and in many cases, look strongly at personalities and attitudes when evaluating future members of the team. College coaches are looking to add “strong links” to the team chain they have built over the years and prospects that project a sincere and winning personality that displays a high level of confidence, will separate themselves from the rest of the pack, impress the coach, and create a possible “tie breaking” criteria that will assist the coach in formulating his recruiting rankings.


Maintain Eye Contact


As insignificant as it may sound, maintaining eye contact with the college coach during a face to face meeting is very important and it projects an indirect level of self confidence in the prospect. Some athletes have a natural tendency to maintain eye contact with people they interact with, while others tend to look away. This may require some practice and if the prospect is a little weak in this area, I suggest using “mock interviews” as a tool to add some “polish” to this area of communication. Coaches have an uncanny skill of “reading” prospects and typically “go with their gut” when making initial evaluations. The eyes are the “gateway to the soul” and can be a very effective tool of communication for the prospect.


Cultivating a “shining” personality takes skill. Not only does it need to be developed, it can become a tool that the prospect can use strategically to leap frog over a portion of the recruiting pool… But it takes practice. That being said, developing strong communication skills and projecting a positive and professional self image will serve the prospect well and help him or her gain greater respect in the eyes of the college coaches.


Tom Kovic is a former Division I college coach and the current director of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he provides individual advisement for prospects and families as they navigate the college recruiting process. 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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Summer Checklist for the Junior Prospective Student-Athlete

Summer Checklist for the Junior Prospective Student-Athlete

By Tom Kovic


There is no better time for junior prospects and their families to execute the college recruiting plan than during the summer months. It is an important time to get your “ducks in a row” as you continue to navigate a very important life process.


Think about it for a second… School is out for the summer and prospective student-athletes should have a tremendous amount of available time that can be effectively used in performing much of the “grunt work” that is necessary to remain on the radar screen of the college coaches and move up the recruit priority list. Developing a simple checklist of “things to do” will not only keep you on task, it will strongly develop your information base about college recruiting and thereby increase self confidence in moving forward.


Below is a snapshot of necessary targets I feel are necessary to “hit” during the summer months. The level that one chooses to execute their plan could make the difference between a mediocre recruiting experience and a productive effort that could help catapult the prospect to exciting levels of self-awareness and success.


Register with the Eligibility Center


The NCAA Eligibility Center is an organization that collaborates with the NCAA in determining initial eligibility for incoming freshmen athletes. If you are seriously considering Division 1 or 2 institutions and you plan to practice and play as part of a college team, you must register with the eligibility center. This is a simple, 2 step process that requires teamwork with your guidance counselor. First, register online at: www.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter. The website is very user friendly and will walk you easily through the registration process. Second, schedule a meeting with your guidance counselor and determine your “core course” progress. Your counselor will be the point person in getting this information to the Eligibility Center. And don’t forget to bring her an apple!


Campus Visits


Taking unofficial visits to as many of your top schools of interest is a great way to get a “look under the hood” to determine if the institution is a potential “match.” Don’t just hop in the car and take a road trip. The campus visit is extremely important and requires careful planning. Coaches are like hot potatoes during the summer and it can be very difficult to track them down without proactive communication. You certainly want to call the office of admissions and determine when campus tours and information sessions are offered, but you also want to make every attempt to meet with the coach as well. Contact the coaches 6-8 weeks prior to your planned trip and determine their schedule and availability to meet with you. You should be pleasantly surprised at how these campus visits will jump start your recruiting quest!



Update your Profile and Video


Updates to the player profile and skills DVD/web streams are critical components in the evaluation process and you can get a lot done during the summer. Collect any standout performances, high level games and peak moments of your past season and begin the editing process. Once you have these changes where you want them, forward your updated recruiting portfolio to the college coaches.



Tournaments and Camps


Playing and participating in summer camps, tournaments and showcases are becoming very popular and they provide the prospect with additional resources to improve individual skill levels and build further confidence. Additionally, these events can be used as an effective evaluation tool for college coaches and the prospect who takes the “bull by the horns” and alerts the coaches about the events he/she plans to attend, the better the chances they have in getting evaluated. Providing college coaches with initial evaluating tools (personal profile, DVD etc.) early on and following up with regular communication by phone and e-mail is essential. Remember: Developing sincere relationships with the coaches should be a high priority for the prospect before requesting an evaluation.



Admissions and Financial Aid Pre-Reads


Admissions and Financial Aid pre-reads are available to prospects, especially those who are looking at D-3 and non-scholarship opportunities. This was a tool I used quite effectively as a coach at Penn and I strongly suggest prospects and families take full advantage of these options if they are offered at their schools of interest. Having a strong indication to weather you have the academic “goods” to be admitted and getting a ballpark figure to what college costs will be, are critical components that factor strongly into your decision to move forward. Continue to develop a solid relationship with the college coach, don’t be afraid to broach the topic and ask the coach if his institution offers these services. If pre-reads are indeed available, the coach can walk you through the process and assist you in gathering the information you are looking for.


Schedule Official Visits


By the end of the summer, if the prospect has practiced persistence in communicating with the college coaches and he/she is strongly considering signing early, or applying early decision/action, official visits should be considered in the fall. Speak earnestly with the coaches and let them know you are interested in taking an official campus visit. Remember, these trips are permission based and the college coaches will be the point person in assisting the prospect (forwarding high school transcripts, test scores to the coaches etc.) in taking the necessary steps to line up the visits.


Summer vacation provides the prospective student-athlete with a great break from the school year and a wonderful time to “lighten the schedule.” The prospect and family who are willing to take proactive efforts to utilize this time in executing several key areas of their recruiting plan will position themselves best for great success in 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.

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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