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Dynamic Exchange in Communicating with College Athletic Coaches

By Tom Kovic

Whenever I lecture on college athletics recruiting, a primary area I focus on is using “deliberate” communication with college coaches in an effort to build sincere personal relationships. Although eligibility, financial aid and contacts and evaluations are all very important, I am convinced the area of communication is very important to the likelihood of success in the college search for athletes.

I choose the phrase “dynamic exchange” to help differentiate between normal communication and effective communication with college coaches. The aim is simple: Whenever you communicate with college coaches you want to create “impact” and with the aim of continuing the momentum you have developed in advancing your recruiting effort.

Dynamic and Exchange (Defined)

Dynamic: 1. adj. active, energetic, capable of giving a sense of power and transmitting energy.

Exchange: n. the giving or receiving of one thing in return for something else.

If we view the college recruiting process from its simplistic state, I think we can agree that in the end, both coaches and prospects are looking for the right match. That said, I strongly feel that the prospect and family that are willing to develop a “give and take” and an “ebb and flow” strategy in developing their recruiting tactics will have the best chance in carving out their college search…And with communication as the tool.

Preparation

Remember, college coaches have their sites set on recruiting and retaining the top prospects on their list, but as they move down the list they will be looking for “grey area components” that divide the best from the rest and they need your help.

Whether it is an on campus visit, phone conversation, or e-mail correspondence with the coaches…Make it count. The old adage is true: Measure twice, cut once. The better prepared we are before we communicate with college coaches, the more tangible the results will be. College coaches are grounded, common sense individuals who pick up on the little things that can make a big difference.

Practice

Practicing communication skills is the same as doing your homework or spending 4 hours working drills in the gym or on the playing field. The more diligent and sincere your effort, the better prepared you will be to communicate with confidence. Remember, the manner in which you express yourself, your interests and your intent can have a direct effect on the level of interest college coaches will offer.

Keep accurate contact logs of all phone calls, e-mails and face-to-face contacts you have with college coaches. This will help families organize information that will assist them in future planning. It will also help prepare follow-up communication that will generate fresh “action” items to be discussed in future contacts.

Cultivating relationships

If you want to separate yourself from the rest of the recruiting pack, then I strongly suggest you make it your goal to communicate with college coaches about your sincere interest in their program. If you give the coaches every reason to believe that you are attempting to cultivate a reciprocal relationship with them, it sends a positive signal that will, in most cases, cause Coach to take a second look at your recruiting file.

Remember, there are three key qualities college coaches are looking for in prospects: Quality students, strong athletes and kids that bring a high character component to the table. Never underestimate the character component in your recruiting effort. It could very well be your ace in the hole.

The “scratch your head” syndrome

If you are that “blue chip” kid that most college coaches are pursuing, your recruiting journey will probably be a little less bumpy. On the other hand, if you are grouped into the active recruiting file of prospects that need to compete more aggressively for athletic scholarship, an admissions component or walk-on opportunity, you need to go above and beyond and find a way to rise above the rest.

The “scratch your head syndrome” is a typical crossroads most college recruiters approach each year and with few exception. They are either stumped to how their recruiting list should be ranked, or, for some reason, they are giving a prospect a second and third look for intangible reasons. They are “scratching their head” in a worthy struggle to give a kid every opportunity to fit into the “team puzzle” and it typically happens with prospects and families who have pushed the envelope in their recruiting effort.

I encourage every family and athlete I work with to begin with the end game and work backwards to the beginning of the college search. Just like that magical season, win or lose, you can proudly look back and say you gave it your best shot. The same should hold true in the college search and using dynamic communication with college coaches that has “grip” will open up new and exciting parts of your character that coaches will pick up on and appreciate greatly.

Tom Kovic is a former Division I Head College Coach and President 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.

Copyright © 2010 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

By Tom Kovic

Organization is an important component in the college search for athletes and completing a college bound assessment for what you would like to achieve is a great way to start! Think of the assessment as the seed you want to plant to grow your recruiting effort. What grows will be determined by how you cultivate it from start to finish.

Looking at the “big picture” can be a tall task for most high school athletes, but if you can begin with the end game in mind and work backwards in developing your personal plan for success, you will most likely run into the college assessment near the beginning of the checklist.

Assessment Defined

I use a generic assessment with each of the prospects I advise and I have to tell you, it works beautifully. The questions may be the same, but the answers are very different for each athlete and exciting for me to read. Simply defined, the assessment is a tool that should provide prospects and families with a broad aim to the direction their college quest will take.

As an advisor for athletes, my assessment questions are equally loaded on the academic and athletic side, with additional emphasis on the social and cultural component. Basically, I’m trying to get a feel about the college experience my boys and girls are currently aiming for based on academic strength, athletic level, geographic location and undergraduate makeup.

Assessment Questions

My initial assessment goal is simple: Get the kids “thinking for themselves.” Not only is this a necessary skill to determine potential college choices for my families, college coaches pick up on kids that have a grasp on the recruiting process. Remember, there are 3 important qualities college coaches are looking for in a recruit…Good students, strong athletes and self aware individuals. Below are 10 questions I feel will “fuel the tank” and kick start the college search:

1. Describe in 2-3 sentences how you envision the college experience best unfolding for you?
2. Are you looking for a school environment that is Urban, Rural, or College Town?
3 How far are you willing to travel from home to attend college?
4 How important is the athletics “component” of the college experience? Are you looking for a true “student-athlete” experience?
5 Are you looking for a college environment that will “push you” or allow you to “explore” independent options?
6 Are you looking for a small, medium or large undergraduate population?
7 What area of educational studies are you leaning toward?
8 What excites you most about the college experience?
9 What worries you most?
10 Are you willing to take personal responsibility for every independent decision you make as part of the college experience?

Direction

The answers to the assessment questions should now provide the prospect and family with a general idea about the type of institution they are aiming toward. Now it’s time to draw up an initial list of colleges!

I use the Naviance network, which is an awesome tool that allows me, based on the assessment information the prospect filled in, to determine an initial grouping of schools that potentially match with the prospect. From here I simply plug pertinent college recruiting information (website, coaches contact information etc.) into an Excel spreadsheet for easy reference. Now the prospect is ready to accomplish 2 tasks: Investigate the college list and communicate directly with the college coaches.

Ebb and Flow

As families navigate the college recruiting process, it is natural to experience highs and lows, moments of exhilaration and frustration and everything in between. You learn to develop tough skin quickly!

As prospects become more familiar with the recruiting process; communicate more effectively with the college coaches and develop a resourceful educational base of information about the college search, the “ships heading” will naturally change. Slightly at first, but it will surely change! A simple “road trip” to a college on your “C” list can become an eye opening experience where you connected strongly with the Coach, with campus and grow a greater appreciation for the overall experience. I believe we need to be open to each new opportunity in the college search and meet that opportunity head on.

Defining a “starting point” in the college search for athletes will not only initiate direction to the project, it gives it purpose and the initial assessment is a great way to assist in creating “lift-off.”

Tom Kovic is a former Division I college coach and President 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 and “NCAA Rules Simplified.” For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com.

Copyright © 2010 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

The two long days of the Division III baseball championships are over — days in which the published schedule of games 3 hours, 15 minutes apart is completely unreasonable and is a joke. When you include 50 minutes for infield and field maintenance in between games, that doesn’t leave much time for the actual baseball.

But you wouldn’t know what long days these are by the looks of Fox Cities Stadium. And that’s a testament to the great work and long hours put in by the grounds crew here in Grand Chute. The D3baseball.com crew finally vacated the premises at 2 a.m. tonight, after uploading the nightly wrapup video. But the grounds crew remains hard at work. On Friday night, they were there until 3 a.m.

It’s not just the basics of dragging the infield and watering it down, chalking the foul lines. There’s reshaping of the mound every night, after a thousand pitches have been thrown. The home plate area is filled back in with clay, pounded down into the dirt and seemingly buffed to a shine. The first- and third-base lines are painstakingly raked into shape.

There’s a lot of hard work put in by the grounds crew, after the fans and teams are long gone. And it’s much appreciated.

It is great to see the support for all the teams and players here at Fox Cities Stadium. As game one got under way, I heard some excitement from the Cortland State crowd. Soon I was able to identify some of the supporters. Steve Assmann is here with his wife Nancy and his in-laws Pauline and Ron Tucker. They made the 14.5 hour trip from Auburn NY. Their son Mike was on the Cortland team two years ago, but did not make the trip to Appleton. This year, he is here at Appleton and the Assmanns and Tuckers could not be happier for Cortland and their son. I will follow-up with Steve and the group as they weekend progresses.

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has released its postselection regional poll. The committee has ranked the top 15 percent of eligible teams in each region. The following teams, with records through May 16, were included in this week’s regional poll.

Central Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Buena Vista 29-9 29-11
2. North Central (Ill.) 26-9 31-9
3. Carthage 23-13 28-16
4. North Park 24-12 28-15
5. Ripon 22-11 24-15
6. Webster 28-3 33-9

Mid-Atlantic Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Johns Hopkins 34-2 38-4
2. Kean 30-7 34-10
3. Widener 24-8 25-12
4. Alvernia 29-10 32-10
5. Keystone 27-6 29-7
6. Rowan 22-11-1 24-14-1
7. FDU-Florham 31-10 33-11
8. DeSales 22-13 25-17
9. Penn State-Behrend 28-13 29-15

Mideast Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Heidelberg 34-6 37-6
2. Wooster 30-6 34-7
3. Marietta 24-10 32-11
4. Washington and Jefferson 29-7 32-10
5. Adrian 26-11 29-11
6. Manchester 21-14 26-19
7. Thomas More 30-12 31-14

Midwest Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. UW-Whitewater 33-4 38-5
2. St. Thomas 32-6 33-7
3. St. Scholastica 31-5 38-6
4. UW-Stevens Point 25-13 29-15
5. Concordia (Ill.) 27-6 31-9
6. Bethany Lutheran 28-10 29-11

New England Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Tufts 22-3 31-5
2. Wheaton (Mass.) 30-7 32-8
3. Western New England 31-10 33-10
4. Eastern Connecticut State 25-12 30-13
5. Worcester State 30-9-1 31-9-1
6. Keene State 21-13-1 26-15-1
7. Westfield State 30-9 30-9
8. Bowdoin 22-13 25-15
9. Curry 28-12 29-13
10. WPI 23-11 23-11

New York Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. SUNY Cortland 27-4-1 32-8-1
2. St. John Fisher 27-12 28-12
3. Oneonta State 25-11 28-11
4. Plattsburgh State 18-9 30-10
5. Rochester 28-12 29-12
6. Staten Island 29-11 31-11

South Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Shenandoah 26-7 34-8
2. Salisbury 23-10 27-11
3. Mary Washington 19-11 26-12
4. York (Pa.) 28-14 28-14
5. Millsaps 23-12 25-15
6. Methodist 24-13 28-14

West Region In-Region Overall Record
1. Chapman 25-5 30-9
2. Linfield 28-7 30-10
3. Pomona-Pitzer 27-7 29-9
4. Texas-Tyler 31-9 35-10
5. Mississippi College 32-6 36-9
6. Trinity (Texas) 28-6 32-7

[Note: The above rankings do not guarantee a team’s selection into the national championship.]

The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has released its third 2010 regional poll. The committee has ranked the top 15 percent of eligible teams in each region. The first record is regional record, followed by overall record. Selection information, along with a postselection poll, will be posted Monday, May 17.

The first record is regional record, followed by overall record.

Central Region :
1. Buena Vista 26-9 26-11
2. North Central (Ill.) 26-7 31-7
3. St. Norbert 20-7 23-10
4. North Park 23-10 27-13
5. Carthage 21-11 26-14
6. Webster 25-3 30-9

Mid-Atlantic Region
1. Johns Hopkins 34-2 38-4
2. Kean 28-7 32-10
3. Widener 24-8 25-12
4. Alvernia 29-10 32-10
5. Rowan 22-11-1 24-14-1
6. FDU-Florham 29-9 31-10
7. DeSales 22-13 25-17
8. Keystone 24-6 26-7
9. Frostburg State 21-7 29-11

Mideast Region
1. Heidelberg 31-6 34-6
2. Marietta 22-8 30-9
3. Washington and Jefferson 27-5 30-8
4. Wooster 30-6 34-7
5. John Carroll 21-10 25-14
6. Adrian 26-11 29-11
7. Anderson 19-9 26-14

Midwest Region
1. UW-Whitewater 30-3 35-4
2. St. Thomas 28-5 29-6
3. St. Scholastica 27-4 34-5
4. UW-Stevens Point 23-11 27-13
5. Rockford 24-12-1 26-12-1
6. Concordia (Ill.) 27-6 31-9

New England Region
1. Tufts 22-3 31-5
2. Wheaton (Mass.) 30-7 32-8
3. Western New England 31-10 33-10
4. Eastern Connecticut State 24-10 29-11
5. Keene State 20-11-1 25-13-1
6. Worcester State 30-9-1 31-9-1
7. Westfield State 30-9 30-9
8. Bowdoin 22-13 25-15
9. Curry 26-12 27-13
10. WPI 23-11 23-11

New York Region
1. Cortland State 26-4-1 31-8-1
2. St. John Fisher 27-12 28-12
3. Rochester 27-10 28-10
4. Plattsburgh State 18-9 30-10
5. Oneonta State 25-11 28-11
6. Staten Island 29-10 31-10

South Region
1. Shenandoah 26-7 34-8
2. Salisbury 23-9 27-10
3. Mary Washington 19-11 26-12
4. York (Pa.) 28-14 28-14
5. Millsaps 23-12 25-15
6. Methodist 24-13 28-14

West Region
1. Chapman 25-5 30-9
2. Linfield 28-7 30-10
3. Pomona-Pitzer 27-7 29-9
4. Texas-Tyler 31-9 35-10
5. Mississippi College 32-6 36-9
6. Trinity (Texas) 28-6 32-7

The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has released its second 2010 regional poll. The committee has ranked the top 15 percent of eligible teams in each region. The following teams, with records through May 4, were included in this week’s regional poll. The next poll will be released May 13.

The first record is regional record, followed by overall record.

Central Region
1. Buena Vista 23-8 23-10
2. St. Norbert 14-7 17-10
3. North Central (Ill.) 23-5 28-5
4. Carthage 18-9 23-12
5. Webster 26-2 31-8
6. North Park 20-10 24-12

Mid-Atlantic Region
1. Johns Hopkins 32-1 36-3
2. Alvernia 29-8 32-8
3. Kean 25-7 29-10
4. Widener 20-6 21-10
5. Rowan 21-10-1 23-13-1
6. DeSales 21-11 24-15
7. FDU-Florham 27-7 29-8
8. Keystone 22-6 24-7
9. Frostburg State 21-7 29-11

Mideast Region
1. Heidelberg 27-6 30-6
2. Marietta 20-8 27-9
3. Washington and Jefferson 24-4 27-7
4. Wooster 30-6 34-7
5. Adrian 23-10 26-10
6. John Carroll 17-8 21-12
7. Franklin 14-6 22-10

Midwest Region
1. UW-Whitewater 28-3 33-4
2. St. Thomas 24-5 25-6
3. St. Scholastica 25-4 32-5
4. UW-Stevens Point 20-9 24-11
5. Concordia (Ill.) 25-6 29-9
6. Edgewood 20-11 24-12

New England Region
1. Tufts 19-3 27-5
2. Wheaton (Mass.) 27-7 29-8
3. Westfield State 28-7 28-7
4. Western New England 26-8 28-8
5. Eastern Connecticut State 22-9 27-10
6. Keene State 18-11-1 23-13-1
7. Bowdoin 20-9 23-11
8. Curry 25-12 26-13
9. WPI 21-10 21-10
10. Trinity (Conn.) 17-10 18-11

New York Region
1. Cortland State 25-3-1 30-7-1
2. Plattsburgh State 18-7 30-8
3. St. John Fisher 26-11 27-11
4. Rochester (New York) 27-9 28-9
5. Staten Island 27-10 30-10
6. Skidmore 20-9 25-11

South Region
1. Shenandoah 26-7 34-8
2. Mary Washington 19-9 26-10
3. York (Pa.) 28-12 28-12
4. Millsaps 23-12 25-15
5. LaGrange 24-16 26-17
6. Methodist 24-13 28-14

West Region
1. Chapman 23-4 26-8
2. Linfield 28-7 30-10
3. Pomona-Pitzer 27-7 29-9
4. Mississippi College 30-4 34-7
5. Trinity (Texas) 28-6 32-7
6. Texas Lutheran 28-11 31-11

Working the “Grey Areas” in the College Search for Athletes

By Tom Kovic

The college search for athletes is a very “individual” quest. A winning strategy for one prospect could be a losing strategy for another. I think we can all agree that when it comes to recruiting, the “blue chip” kids are going to be found…It’s just a matter of when.

That being said, the majority of the prospects looking for a home on a college campus and as part of a varsity team are NOT the blue chip kids. Firstly, this needs to be understood and realized. Secondly, these prospects need to develop and execute a separate plan of attack and begin to tackle what I call the “grey areas” of recruiting.

When I speak of grey areas, I am alluding to alternative tactics that could strongly assist families and their children reach a little higher and with a better chance of success in the college search.

Self Realization
A great way to start the process is to do an objective evaluation as a prospective student-athlete. Based on your current core courses, GPA and standardized testing, take the time to realistically define yourself “in the moment” from an academic standpoint

Use the same exercise and do a critical athletics evaluation. Are you that star on the horizon? That hard working, dedicated athlete who contributes on occasion to the team? Or are you somewhere in between?

Target your schools
Based on this evaluation, it’s time to develop your “rough list” of potential college institutions that match. I suggest sitting down with your guidance counselor, who most likely has access to the Naviance network that allows you to plug specific information (potential major, geographic location, size of undergraduate population, sport information) into the system. In a matter of seconds, up comes a listing of schools that potentially meets your criteria.

Next, begin to develop a listing of college websites (list both the academic and athletic websites) in an effort to “take a look under the hood” and explore a variety of colleges and universities that potentially match.

Gather Specific Information
OK. You have poked around on a number of college websites and have gotten a “feel” for each institution. Now it’s time to divide and conquer! I suggest creating two lists for the schools that have peaked your interest (A file) and for the schools that are still “in the running” (B file) and develop a specific contact list (Coach’s name, e-mail, phone number) for each school.

Communicate
If there is one area of college recruiting that, in my mind, stands above the rest in importance, its effective communication with college coaches. This is a critical “grey area” component that you need to practice and develop over time. Whether it is initiating phone contact with the recruiting coordinator, grammar checks on written or electronic correspondence, or face to face meetings, the prospect that makes a sincere commitment to be at the top of his game will have a better chance in remaining on Coach’s radar.

Organize
A knowledgeable consumer will have a clear edge in the pursuit and the attainment of important goals. I believe that the same holds true in the college search and I encourage families to make every effort and commitment to organize information regarding this process and 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 tournaments) and continue to move forward with more specific events (compiling a video and player profile, communicating with coaches, and making official visits, etc.) as your search progresses. This will increase the chances of “hitting targets” throughout the process.

Persistence
The one common thread that helps weave my college quest plans for the families I work with is the necessity to embrace persistence as a critical tool in the recruiting arsenal from start to finish. Some believe a persistent approach in college recruiting will be viewed by college coaches as a “pushy” attempt to get on the radar and it could come across this way if your approach is not well planned and carefully executed.

The rule of thumb here is simple: Coaches want to hear from prospects and considering the tight latitude they have in communicating with our kids, coaches’ welcome and encourage them to drop an e-mail or pick up the phone and call. That said, it is equally important for prospects to have a realistic view of their potential athletic contribution to a particular program.

You have the drive and the desire to take your athletic talent to the next level. You are confident and dedicated to participate as part of a college program and making your athletic pursuit an important compliment to your overall college experience. You are half way there!

Remember, your college search is a personal quest, where maintaining “momentum” will make the difference between a fair and great college recruiting experience. Don’t be afraid to work the “grey areas” of the recruiting process and leave nothing to chance. Make the commitment to treat the college search as you would treat your goal to experience a championship season and you will give yourself the best chance in grabbing the brass ring.

Tom Kovic is a former Division I college coach and President 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 and “NCAA Rules Simplified.” For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com.

Copyright © 2010 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has released its first 2010 regional poll. The committee has ranked the top 15 percent of eligible teams in each region. The following teams, with records through April 27, were included in this week’s regional poll. The next poll will be released May 6.

Central Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Buena Vista 18-10 18-10
2. St. Norbert 10-6 13-9
3. North Central (Ill.) 19-5 24-5
4. Carthage 12-8 17-11
5. Webster 21-1 26-7
6. North Park 18-9 22-11

Mid-Atlantic Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Johns Hopkins 29-1 33-3
2. Alvernia 25-8 28-8
3. Kean 20-6 24-9
4. Widener 16-5 17-9
5. Rowan 18-9 20-12
6. DeSales 19-9 22-13
7. FDU-Florham 24-5 26-6
8. Keystone 20-6 22-6
9. Lebanon Valley 19-9 21-11

Mideast Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Washington and Jefferson 21-3 24-6
2. Heidelberg 23-6 26-6
3. John Carroll 16-5 20-9
4. Wooster 27-6 31-7
5. Marietta 17-7 24-8
6. Adrian 19-7 23-9
7. Franklin 13-5 21-9

Midwest Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. UW-Whitewater 22-3 27-4
2. St. Thomas 20-4 21-5
3. St. Scholastica 22-2 29-3
4. UW-Stevens Point 18-7 22-9
5. Concordia (Ill.) 21-5 25-8
6. Edgewood 16-10 19-11

New England Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Tufts 13-2 21-4
2. Wheaton (Mass.) 23-6 25-7
3. Westfield State 24-7 24-7
4. Curry 24-10 25-11
5. Western New England 26-8 28-8
6. Eastern Connecticut 19-8 24-9
7. Trinity (Conn.) 14-9 15-10
8. Amherst 15-9-1 15-10-1
9. WPI 21-10 21-10
10. Keene State 13-11-1 18-13-1

New York Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Cortland State 22-3-1 27-7-1
2. Skidmore 17-6 22-8
3. Plattsburgh State 18-7 28-8
4. Rochester 25-7 26-9
5. St. John Fisher 20-10 21-10
6. Staten Island 24-9 26-9

South Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Shenandoah 26-7 34-8
2. Mary Washington 19-9 24-10
3. Millsaps 23-12 25-15
4. Methodist 23-10 27-11
5. LaGrange 24-16 26-17
6. York (Pa.) 23-12 23-12

West Region In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Chapman 20-4 25-8
2. Pomona-Pitzer 25-6 27-8
3. Linfield 25-7 27-10
4. Mississippi College 28-4 32-7
5. Trinity (Texas) 28-6 32-7
6. Pacific Lutheran 23-7 30-7

[Note: The above rankings do not guarantee a team's selection into the national championship.]

By Tom Kovic

Like it or not, we are a society of rapid change and the rate we effectively adapt to that change can make the difference between a good and great experience. The same holds true in college athletics recruiting. The question is: How do we come to grip with this rapidly mounting culture shock in the college quest for athletes?

Today’s college athletic climate is much different than it was 30 years ago. Coaches are under tremendous pressure to achieve two important goals: win and raise money. The one directly affects the other and successful recruitment is the college coach’s key that unlocks the door.

The college search for athletes has accelerated to new heights compared to 30 years ago when I was a 2 sport prospect. It has become a “force” that needs to be understood, accepted and embraced if families and young athletes plan to grab the brass ring and reach their goals.

This new culture has effected the majority of today’s prospects and families largely and simply because it is “new” and for the unprepared visitor, it can be a bewildering and frustrating journey. Gaining a working understanding, for instance, of the current NCAA rules is one thing…An altogether different skill to hone is to understand how each individual college coach “ticks” and where you, as a prospect, register on the radar. Remember, even the slightest “misread” while communicating with college coaches, could derail a prospects recruiting plan.

Is this an exaggeration? I do not think so. Am I trying to drive fear into recruits and their families? No…I am just trying to get your attention! That said, if we embrace the change around us, along with the acceleration that the college recruiting process has reached, we at least get a clearer idea of the “real” landscape and with that, we position ourselves better to develop more accurate plans of attack.

Education
Gathering information is critical to the successful organization and navigation 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.

Start by gathering information on potential colleges of choice including team and coach profiles, statistics, ranking, and academic offerings. Continue to update and maintain individual e-files on your favorite college programs. Learn the NCAA rules as it applies to recruiting and eligibility (you can access the NCAA college manuals at: www.ncaa.org). Remember, an informed and educated consumer will have the best chance at success.

Communication: The critical link
Effective communication between the family and college coaches is an important component in determining your final college choice. If your mission is clear, the manner in which you communicate becomes the vehicle that drives your plan forward 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 preferably by the prospect. Coaches are bound by very strict contact rules, but a prospect may call or e-mail a coach at any time, with rare exceptions. An initial letter of introduction is a great way to begin, but follow-up by e-mail and by phone is equally important. The point here is simply: Prospects who practices “persistence with respect” when communicating with coaches will have a better chance in grabbing their attention.

Proactive Contacts
I believe many prospects are under the assumption that the college coaches will routinely contact them by phone or by e-mail in an attempt to recruit them. This may be true for some prospects, but for the majority of athletes who are waiting for the phone to ring, it could be a long wait. Coaches are initially recruiting hundreds of prospects and need to utilize a filtering system to organize their list into a manageable and functional grouping.

Whether you communicate by phone, email or face to face, “preparation” is the operative word. When you are well prepared to communicate with the college coaches, your level of self confidence increases, your communication has “grip” and the coaches sense this. Remember, college coaches are certainly looking to attract the best student-athletes, but just as important, they are looking for self aware individuals who bring potential leadership skills to the table.

Getting inside the “Head” Coach’s Head
College coaches are under tremendous pressure to not only manage a successful athletics program, but to win consistently and often. In short, college athletics is big business and the head coach is seen by his AD as the CEO of an organization that must succeed.

That being said, I think it is important for folks to get a glimpse of the head coach from a mental and emotional standpoint and make an effort to get inside their heads!

Coaches and recruiting coordinators work tirelessly to prepare for each new recruiting cycle, sometimes years in advance. They have to. Competition for the top scholar-athletes is fierce. Simply put, the better prepared and persistent the coach is, the greater the chances of matriculating a winning class.

The volume of information that college coaches receive annually is overwhelming and growing. They not only need a system to filter all of this stuff, they need help from the prospects and families. Whether it is submitting your introductory e-mail with profile attachment of initiating phone contact with Coach about a pending tournament, the rule of thumb is simple: Keep it short, sweet and make sure your communication has value.

Gaining an understanding and appreciation of the ever changing college athletics climate is essential to a productive college quest. As daunting as this “culture shock” may appear, there are resources that surround us that will help us understand this accelerated change in college recruiting. By taking a grounded, educational and persistent position in building and executing a well designed plan of attack, we give our boys and girls the best chance at success.

Tom Kovic is a former Division I college coach and the current director of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he provides individual advisement for families in college recruiting. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com).

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