D3baseball.com Daily Dose

New England Regional, hosted by the ECAC will return to Whitehouse Field in Harwich, Mass. Likewise in New York as host Ithaca will likely be in attendance at another regional at Falcon Field/Auburn Double Days, Auburn, New York. The Mid-Atlantic regional will be at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, New Jersey

Roger Williams and Curry are the favorites in the tournament that starts today. Roger Williams takes on Gordon in the first round and Curry gets Colby-Sawyer. A surprising team near the top of the standings is Wentworth who is enjoying their finest season. Roger Williams and Curry are both ranked in the regional rankings and need to win to keep their spots. The CCC might get two teams in the playoffs but the automatic bid being awarded this weekend is by far the easiest route.

In the GNAC tournament last weekend St Joseph (Maine) defeated Suffolk to take the automatic bid. Suffolk remains in the running for a Pool C bid with six more contest s to rack up in-region wins. Johnson and Wales is out of the playoffs.

Keene State leads Southern Maine and Eastern Connecticut by a game in the Little East standings followed by Rhode Island. When the conference tournament starts, any one of these teams will come out on top. Keene State and Eastern Connecticut are top four in the regional rankings and like for many teams the goal is in sight. Win, win, win is the theme to keep above the competition. Unless Keene State stumbles, they will make the playoffs and it is likely that another Little East team will be invited. The question will be decided in the next weeks.

In the MASCAC there is a log jam in the standings where five teams are within a game of each other. In the tournament starting tomorrow, Mass-Maritime was left out having lost the tie breakers. Westfield, the number one seed, plays Bridgewater State and Wocester State plays Salem State. The rules to advance are simple in the MASCAC. You must win this weekend’s tournament to advance to the playoffs.

The story in the NESCAC is Trinity’s undefeated run. They are a lock in the playoffs and have nothing to lose in the tournament. They continue to play each game one at a time as they try to be the first team to finish the season undefeated. Amherst and Williams are tied in the west division with the rest of the teams in the NESCAC .500 or lower. Amherst and Williams need the tournament win to get into the playoffs, although both have records that might get them a Pool C bid, especially Amherst who is raked in the regional rankings released last week.

Wheaton (Mass.) captured the automatic bid. Good news to those on the Pool C bubble since they probably would have received a Pool C bid if they did not earn the automatic bid. Babson, one of the best teams left out last year, might get that same treatment this year. The Beavers need for the favorites to capture their conference championships to allow a Pool C bid to be there for Babson on May 11.

Castleton is the only team without a losing record. Just like the MASCAC, win or go home as the only chance for a playoff bid is to capture the conference tournament and we expect Castleton to do just that.

Cortland State, undefeated in the SUNYAC, is the #1 seed in the SUNYAC tournament. They play Plattsburgh who has secured a fourth seed in the tournament. Second-seeded Oneonta will play third-seeded Brockport. Cortland is the favorite, but it is not a given that they will emerge with the title. For everyone but Cortland, it is win or go home as Cortland will end up in the playoffs by virtue of either a Poll A or C bid.

There is no Empire 8 tournament, and if there was it would be a large after-thought as Ithaca and its 15-1 conference record has run away from the field. The Bombers should have their bags packed for the playoffs as they have rebounded from a tough non-conference schedule to start the season and on May 11 is expected to be rewarded with a Pool B bid. Second place will be determined on the last weekend of conference play when St. John Fisher (regionally ranked in fifth place) visits RIT for a 4 game series. The Cardinals need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive as they are ninth in regional game winning percentage of the Pool B teams ranked regionally.

The site of the Liberty League tournament was determined last weekend when RPI visits Rochester won 3 of 4 from RPI. This conference tournament has been a real toss up in the last few years as the No. 1 seed has only won the title once in the last 4 years. It looks like RPI and Rochester will end up fighting it out for the title, but Skidmore and St. Lawrence will have something to say about it. Rochester and RPI might find themselves looking for a pool C bid that is not not there if either does not take the tournament championship and the automatic bid that comes with it.

Three of the teams for the Skyline tournament are set with St Joseph’s, Farmingdale and Mount St. Vincent’s having secured spots. That leaves Mount St. Mary and Old Westbury to battle for the final playoff spot. Once the field is set it looks like it will end up with St. Joseph’s playing against Farmingdale for the title. They split their two games during the regular season so it is a toss up as to who will win. To advance to the playoffs, any Skyline team needed the automatic bid. Only St Joseph’s has the outside chance of a pool C bid if they fail in the conference tournament.

The field is set for the CUNY AC tournament on 8-10 May with The College of Staten Island hosting Lehman, Mitchell and John Jay. With one more conference game on the schedule (Baruch at Mitchell) the field is set. With no automatic bid the conference championship is all there is left to play for.

In the AMCC tournament this weekend Penn St. Behrend has the edge. With just one conference loss, they are the favorites and with a No. 4 regional ranking, they might make the playoffs without winning the automatic bid but there will be a lot of competition from the NJAC for Pool C bids in this region. Frostburg State has surged into second place and might be getting hot at just the right time as they need the tournament win to advance to the playoffs.

Johns Hopkins, win or lose the CC tournament should be preparing for the playoffs. Ursinus was contending with Johns Hopkins earlier in the season and fell out of a tournament spot. If another CC team other than the Blue Jays expects to be playing after May 11th, they will need an upset win in the CC tournament this weekend.

In the sister conferences Mid-Atlantic Commonwealth and Freedom, the story is the same. The number one seeds in each, Elizabethtown and Manhattanville are at the bottom of the regional rankings. With four NJAC teams ahead of them, it means win or go home since it will be difficult to make up enough ground in the regional rankings to overcome three NJAC teams that are looking for Pool C bids.

Does the NJAC get four teams in the playoffs? Not out of the question but the teams on the bubble (Kean and Montclair State) have to hope for few tournament upsets. Richard Stockton or William Paterson need to win to advance but the top four in the conference (Kean, Rowan, New Jersey, and Montclair State) need to have a good showing to improve their chances. Expect at least two NJAC teams in the playoffs with a third possibly making the grade.

In the NEAC Cazenovia, Keystone, and Penn State-Berks will vie for the championship. PS-Berks has come on lately and will their late season surge get them a playoff berth? Probably not since Keystone and Cazenovia know they need to win the conference to advance to the playoffs. Keystone has the incentive after being shut out last year in their final year of provisional status. This year they can play in the playoffs and those players from last year’s team will want the chance. They will have to get past the conference leader Cazenovia who lost only one game in conference this year.

Alvernia is the only Penn AC team to have clinched a tournament spot this season and ifsthe favorite to take the tournament. They are ranked regionally but like Elizabethtown and Manhattanville, they have the NJAC teams blocking them from a possible Pool C bid. To advance, Alvernia must win the conference tournament.

Regional Rankings have been released today. The highest ranking team in each conference with a Pool A bid is indicated by an “*”. There are 26 conferences with a Pool A bid represented in the regional rankings.

Division III Regional Rankings

Central Region
Rank Team (Overall; In-Region)
1 Carthage* (26-1; 20-1)
2 Illinois Wesleyan (21-6; 20-2)
3 Augustana (23-7; 16-5)
4 Rockford (19-10; 17-5)
5 Simpson* (20-12; 17-7)
6 Concordia (Ill.) (23-8; 19-7)

Mid-Atlantic Region
Rank Team (Overall; In-Region)
1 TCNJ* (25-6; 23-6)
2 Johns Hopkins* (27-4; 24-3)
3 Rowan (25-8; 21-6)
4 Montclair State (19-11; 17-6)
5 Penn State-Behrend* (23-7; 21-4)
6 Kean (27-8; 21-6)
7 Alvernia* (28-8; 24-5)
8 Manhattanville* (21-10; 17-9)
9 Elizabethtown* (19-9; 15-8

Mideast Region
Rank Team (Overall; In-Region)
1 Wooster* ( 29-5; 23-4)
2 Thomas More* ( 18-8; 12-2)
3 Mount St. Joseph* ( 18-13; 14-4)
4 Adrian * (21-6; 16-6)
5 Calvin (19-6; 12-4)
6 Franklin (20-10; 19-8)
7 Heidelberg* (25-7; 19-7)

Midwest Region
Rank Team (Overall; In-Region)
1 UW-Oshkosh* (20-5; 20-5)
2 St. Thomas* (19-5; 11-3)
3 UW-Whitewater (23-4; 20-4)
4 UW-Stevens Point (19-8; 16-4)
5 Ripon* (18-13; 10-0)

New England Region
Rank Team (Overall; In-Region)
1 Trinity (Conn.)* (27-0; 18-0)
2 Wheaton (Mass.)* (27-7; 24-5)
3 Keene State* (24-5; 21-4)
4 Eastern Conn. St. ( 20-10-1; 16-7-1)
5 Roger Williams* (26-9; 23-6)
6 Amherst (16-7-1; 13-4-1)
7 Curry (20-4-1; 19-4-1)
8 Babson (25-8; 24-7)
9 Suffolk* (23-8; 20-7)

New York Region
Rank Team (Overall; In-Region)
1 Cortland State* (27-3; 18-0)
2 Ithaca (23-8; 19-2)
3 RPI* (25-4; 19-3)
4 Rochester (24-7; 23-7)
5 St. John Fisher (15-8-1; 11-7-1)
6 St. Joseph’s, L.I. (21-9-1; 20-8-1)

South Region
Rank Team (Overall; In-Region)
1 Salisbury (36-2; 32-2)
2 Piedmont (29-9; 27-9)
3 Lynchburg* (28-9; 22-6)
4 Emory (24-10-1; 22-8-1)
5 Christopher Newport* (27-9; 20-8)
6 N.C. Wesleyan (27-13-1; 22-11-1)

West Region
Rank Team (Overall; In-Region)
1 Chapman (28-3; 22-3)
2 Texas-Tyler* (33-7; 30-7)
3 Linfield* (29-7; 27-6)
4 Pomona-Pitzer* (27-7; 18-6)
5 Redlands (26-11; 19-6)
6 Cal State East Bay (20-13; 14-9)

In the next two weeks my staff and I will be previewing the playoff implications that the tournament season will bring. This week we look at the West and South regions.

The West Regional will be coming to Abilene, TX and McMurry University’s Walt Driggers Field after a five-year stint at W. O. Hart Park in Orange CA. Chapman has enjoyed the friendly confines of its home field, but is not a stranger to Driggers Field. The South Regional moves around and is in a new location this year. Hosted by USA South Athletic Conference/ODAC the rtegiuonal will be played at American Legion Memorial Post 325 Stadium-Dan Daniel Park in Danville, Virginia.

Chapman has done well in the West Regionals over these last five years, having put back-to-back-to-back regional titles in its trophy box joining the 2003 National Championship Walnut and Bronze. The Panthers look to be a lock as a Pool B teams and probably the #1 seed. Key wins this season include taking two of three from McMurry, Redlands and Pomona-Pitzer and two wins over Kean to go 28-3. Coach Tom Tereschuk has seven games remaining including West Region games versus Cal State East Bay, Menlo and University of Dallas.

The SCIAC does not have a post-season tourney so the Pool A (Automatic Qualifier) bid is on the line going into the last two weekends. Pomona-Pitzer (26-5 overall/ 13-2 conference) has 3-game series with Cal Lutheran and La Verne and control their destiny. Redlands is currently in second place at 13-4 and 25-11 overall, but with two losses to Pomona-Pitzer. Redlands won the series with La Verne in early March and finish with the three game series with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The La Verne Leopards are still in contention for the SCIAC crown, but need help from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. La Verne is 10-4 on the season, plus a suspended game with Cal Lutheran from March. The Leopards need to sweep both Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer series.

The Northwest Conference also does not have a post-season tourney. Conference leaders Linfield (23-4 in conference) and George Fox (20-5 in conference) meet in Linfield for a 4-game series next weekend for the Pool A bid. The “national media story line” is watching former New York Yankee and Head Coach Scott Brosius to see if he can return Linfield to the throne room.

The American Southwest Conference is a gigantic mess. This 15-team conference determines it Pool a bid by a post-season tourney. Next weekend, the #1 and #2 seeds in the East (Texas-Tyler and Mississippi College) and the West (McMurry and Concordia-Texas in Austin) host the #3 and #4 teams in best 2-of-3 crossover play. Those winners will play at McMurry, the #1 West Seed, in a double elimination format. Texas-Tyler won the East with a 15-3 record, but the West saw a four-way tie among McMurry, Concordia-Texas, Hardin-Simmons and Mary Hardin-Baylor at 14-7.

The SCAC held their 8-team crossover tourney in Millington, TN this weekend. Only SCAC-East #1 DePauw survived from the East, taking 2 of 3 from SCAC-West #4 Austin. SCAC-West #1 Trinity and #2 Southwestern swept Oglethorpe and Centre, while #3 Millsaps beat Rhodes (East #2) 2 of 3. The SCAC tourney will be double elimination at Centre in Danville, KY next weekend.

The CAC will not get an automatic bid but Salisbury (36-2) is all but confirmed with a pool B bid with the CAC regular season and tournament title. Mary Washington (24-12) and Wesley (24-11) will have an outside shot at a bid. Mary Washington has the better conference record and a win against Salisbury than Wesley and if a second CAC team is in the playoffs, they should be it.

The USA South has completed their season and Christopher Newport in as the Captains won both the regular season and the tournament, Second place in both the regular season and the tournament is N.C. Wesleyan (27-13-1). They will be looking for a pool C bid. Greensboro and Methodist, with 25 win seasons could find themselves at home come playoff season.

The GSAC has not sent a team to the playoffs before and this seems to be the year if Piedmont (29-9) can make a statement and win their conference tournament. Starting Friday, the match-ups are: #4 Maryville vs. #1 Piedmont and #3 LaGrange vs. #2 Huntingdon.

In the ODAC, Lynchburg clinched the regular season title this week and with the tournament in Lynchburg, the Hornets should have the edge for the ODAC’s automatic bid. Starting Thursday, the schedule of this double elimination tournament will be: GAME 1: #1 Lynchburg vs. #6 Hampden-Sydney; GAME 2: #2 Virginia Wesleyan vs. #5 Washington and Lee ; GAME 3: #3 Randolph-Macon vs. #4 Bridgewater. To advance to the playoffs, a win is needed this weekend. Lynchburg might have a record good enough to get them in without with a Pol C bid, but for all the others is is win or stay home.

Will Emory (25-10-1) get a pool B bid? They have put themselves into position but remain on the bubble. They are probably the 6th best team in nation playing in a conference without an automatic bid. I expect to see the Eagle in the playoffs to see if they can better their second place finish last year.

The season is starting to come to a close as there is just a month until the playoffs. Yes it Tournament time and for the next four weeks, nearly all conferences will be determining who they will send to the playoff with their automatic bid.

By this weekend, we will have two playoff teams identified one from the SCAC and the other from the USA South as they have their tournament this weekend. The CAC have started their tournament but the CAC does not have an automatic bid. Salisbury has all but punched their ticket and a tournament win for either Mary Washington or Wesley will be useful in getting a second CAC team into the playoffs.

The USA South tournament kicks off on Thursday with four games in the double elimination tournament. Christopher Newport is the number one seed and will play in the late game against the winner of Methodist and Shenadoah game. The USA South has good teams from top to bottom so if your near Burlington, N.C. you should try to see some of the games this weekend.

On Friday, the SCAC tournament kicks off with Rhodes playing Millsaps. Depauw, seeded first in from the east, plays Austin. The top seed from the west, Trinity (Texas) will play Oglethorpe.

So far this season two teams are still undefeated (Trinity Bantams and Carthage Redmen) and don’t forget Salisbury on a remarkable run with 29 wins in a row. Add in RPI, Calvin and Curry, all with just one loss, and New Jersey and Chapman both with two losses. These are your teams with a winning percentage over .900. The season is just about over for some teams as the USA South will start the tournament season in less than two weeks.

While these teams kept winning, I was in Seattle and caught up with former UW-Oshkosh Titan, Jarrod Washburn. Washburn, with a D-III and MLB World Series ring, is currently a starting pitcher with the Seattle Mariners. Washburn is still the highest draft pick since Billy Wagner was chosen by the Houston Astros with the number 12 overall selection.

Q. What did [UW-Oshkosh Head Coach] Tom Lechnir mean for your career?
A. He meant a ton. He saw the talent I had in me before anyone else did. My high school coach saw I could play at the next level and told coach Lechnir about it. He [Lechnir] saw me throwing catch with my brother on tape. I don’t know how much you can tell with that and he said he would like me to come to school. When I got there, he molded me into the guy I am today. I still talk to him quite a bit. When I have a problem, I call him up and he always has the answer. He meant a tone to my whole career.

Q. Have you talked to him since his 600th win?
A. It is good to hear [about the 600th win]. I talked to him just after the games at the Metrodome. I don’t think he is too concerned with that [600th win]. He is trying to get back to the level the program is known for.

Q. Do you get together with the 1994 Championship team?
A. Every year we get the National Championship team from 94 together, not all but at least half. They come over to my house for a weekend of ice fishing, talk about old times and what is going on.

Q. How did it feel to win the 1994 D-III Championship?
A. At the time, the best feeling in the world. When you start the season you set out with the goal of winning the championship no matter the level. You want to be the last team standing at the end. We were able to accomplish the goal and win it all that year. It was the greatest feeling in the world.

Q. What about the 1995 Championship?
A. That was a disappointment. I still think we were the best team but we got beat and ended third. There was one lefty [Methodist's Brian Ford] that beat us twice and he had our number. It was a tough loss.

Q. Tim Jorgensen was player of the year in 1994 and 95. Do you know why you he never made it to the show?
A. You would have to ask Tim as I never saw him play after we left college. He had a ton of talent and was a great teammate. There are just a lot of obstacles along the way.

Q. Contract your D-III championship with your World Series Win with the Los Angeles Angels?
A.It is right up there. It is that same feeling [as in 94], your the last team standing and you achieved the ultimate goal – what you set out to do at the beginning of the season. The World Series is just a bigger stage as more people know about it by the millions. At D-III, not many people pat attention but at the time I could not be any happier. It is the ultimate achievement at the level I was playing at the time.

It is not surprising to see a cancellation or postponement in the early spring. The blog here at D3baseball.com is going to be experience some maintenance in the next few days and my weekly blog has been postponed. I’ll be back in a few days to report on stat leaders. A second reason for my postponement is that I had hoped to see the first national stats at ncaa.org today. Like everyone will have to wait a few more days for the NCAA to get the first D-III baseball stats online.

Now that I have a little more time, I will be traveling where I’ll be catching up with UW-Oshkosh alumnus Jarrod Washburn. Look forward to my interview in the weeks to come.

I hope everyone is getting out to the diamond. Baseball is best when viewed from the stands.

College Athletics Recruiting 101

By Tom Kovic

The college experience is, in many cases, the most important four years in our children’s lives, as it will shape their future personal and professional direction. That being said, securing admission to a college or university that best match students’ desires, strengths, and aspirations is essential. Today more than ever, high school athletes are strategically marketing themselves to college coaches not just for scholarships, but in hopes of gaining entry into their top college choices in a highly competitive arena. And it’s working. By realizing the potential leverage families of prospective student-athletes have in the college admissions process, especially as it pertains to non-scholarship schools and for student-athletes who may not qualify for athletics aid, should develop increased confidence and hope as families begin the college quest. Then, knowing how to close on this opportunity is, without question, essential.

Student-athletes bring a unique quality to the table when it comes to college admissions. They offer a special talent that can improve the institution’s visibility and raise the level of popularity among future attendees. College officials understand this and in many cases, offer strong support to student-athletes both in admissions and financial aid.

The college recruiting process can be a daunting effort if it is not well planned and executed with organization and enthusiasm from start to finish. As a coach of a Division I team for 19 years, I would say that roughly 75% of my former student-athletes gained entry to the university because, in part, they were viewed as “special interest.” I’ve learned, first hand, what works and what does not. What follows are insights on how to maximize the student athlete’s best chances in gaining admission to their top college choice.

Gather Information

Gathering information is critical to the successful organization of any worthy project. Building a college recruiting information base can begin as early as the ninth grade as a family hobby and increasingly grow into a highly organized, disciplined project by the end of the junior year.

Begin by gathering information on the student-athletes colleges of choice including team and coach profiles, statistics, ranking, and academic offerings. Continue to update and maintain individual e-files on these favorite college programs.

Build your Team

Parents, prospect, high school/club coach, college advisor, guidance counselor and a personal mentor should all be part of your team in the college recruiting process. Each team player will have a specific role to play in order to ensure the prospect’s best chances. Advance goals should be set with clarity and purpose that compliment the organizational structure of the recruiting process.

Team members will need to oversee the following:
• Financial aid/scholarships
• Admissions
• Development of target calendar
• Research (schools, majors, athletic programs, rankings)
• Video and profile development
• Planned communication and contact log
• Campus visits
• Scheduling standardized testing
• Organizing communication “role play”
• Researching college profiles and determining potential compatibility

By selecting the team approach, the responsibilities are equally distributed to the area experts. All assignments should be clearly spelled out and communication between the team members should be frequent and consistent. This will help streamline the college quest and assist in avoiding any confusion that could contribute to unclear thinking, misdirection and potentially poor choices.

Develop and Execute your Plan

A knowledgeable consumer will have a clear edge in the pursuit of the attainment of any worthy product. I believe that the same holds true in the college search and I encourage families to make every effort and commitment to organize pertinent information regarding this process and to execute well-designed plans.

Develop timelines that will target general events in the beginning of the college search (making unofficial visits, maintaining your data base, and attending competitions) and continue through more specific events (compiling a video and player profile, communicating with coaches, and making official visits, etc.) as time progresses. This will increase the chances of “hitting targets” throughout the process.

Communication

Effective communication between the family and the college coach can be critical to the decision made by the coach. It can make or break a coach’s decision to offer an athletic scholarship or to provide that extra “push” in the admission process.

If your mission is clear, communication becomes the vehicle to move with definite purpose in your chosen direction. On the other hand, ill-prepared communication can cause confusion and misdirection. Your ship moves, but with a weak rudder.

Communication should be initiated early on by the family and by the prospect. Although college coaches have clear restrictions as to when and where they may contact prospects, a prospect may call or e-mail a coach early, with few exceptions.

An initial letter of introduction accompanied by a profile is a great way to begin, but it is very important to follow this up by e-mail and by phone. The prospect that practices persistence with respect, will grab the college coach’s attention.

Provide the college coach with everything he or she requests (profile, DVD, transcripts etc.) in a timely manner. This will make the evaluation of athletic talent and academic credentials an easy task for the coach, and they will develop a level of appreciation that could be the “tie breaker” when it comes down to support for the prospect. Remember: cultivating a strong and genuine relationship with coaches, based on honesty and sincerity, is critical to building trusting relationships.

Player Profile

As one can imagine, college coaches receive hundreds of personal profiles annually from prospects, and they will begin to prioritize their recruiting file based on the initial cover letter and profile. These documents will usually be placed in one of three files of importance:

“A” file: blue chip, top-tier recruits
“B” file: second-tier recruits; still have excellent opportunity
“C” file: little chance of impact; admissions risks

It is important to streamline your portfolio into a comprehensive and efficient format that stands above the rest. Keep your profile simple, neat and professionally formatted. Make the job of initial evaluation easy for the college coach by highlighting pertinent information including:
Personal and school contact information
Academic standing, awards, and test results
Physical characteristics
Athletic clubs and level, showcase tournaments, and elite camps
Athletic Statistics, Records, and Awards
Mission Statement
Coach’s Comments

Maintain a copy of your generic player profile to send to the majority of schools and then personalize 5-10 profiles to be sent to your top schools with additional information that will help you gain admission and/or scholarship attention, such as family legacy or a connection to the coach indirectly through your club coach, for example. Commit to making a strong impression with a professional approach in all written correspondence. Remember, your goal is to move your profile to the “A” contact folder.

Videos

A video is another means of developing a first impression and trust me when I say that first impressions are remembered. Typically, a coach will roughly evaluate a recruit within the first 2 minutes of the video. They need to! Along with the hundreds of profiles, they are being bombarded with hundreds of videos.

Make your video succinct, professional, and yet attention grabbing. Follow these guidelines:

• Introduction: Tell coaches who you are, where you are from and what your specific goals are. Show confidence and project a mature image (20 seconds).
• Video footage: The coach will have a good indication of your talent within the first 2 minutes of your video. Highlight outstanding moments and technical mastery of your talent, which will grab the coach’s attention.
• Show 5-7 minutes of your finest game clips, along with training highlights.
• Finish your video with 15 seconds of direct contact information for you, your club and/or high school coach.

Keep in mind that as individual collegiate sports differ, it is important to communicate with the college coaches about their requirements for DVD footage.

The profile and video will initially define you in the eyes of the college coach. These tools should be crisp, clean and to the point. Give the coach every reason to filter your information into the active recruit file.

Be sure to continue with timely communications to the coaches. Inform them of new awards, accolades, records, or landmark achievements. Don’t call after every big competition; keep your communications succinct and focused. Remember: cultivating a strong and genuine relationship with coaches, based on honesty and sincerity is critical to building trusting relationships.

The college recruiting process is both exciting and potentially overwhelming. It requires a disciplined and yet flexible approach, especially when timelines get tight and situations become challenging. Developing and executing plans are crucial to the success, no different from preparation for a championship competition! Communication (both offering and receiving) is vital, and the working participants should build a mutually strong and respectful relationship in order to maximize results.

The bottom line is that through a systematic college recruiting process, you and your child can identify, work toward, and hopefully secure admission to the college of his or her choice – one that is an ideal academic and athletic “fit”. It will be well worth your efforts knowing that you were part of a team that guided your child as he or she embarks an important and meaningful process that will have great effect on their future careers and personal growth.

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.