D3baseball.com Daily Dose

By Tom Kovic

Independent navigation in college recruiting can be a daunting effort. Whether it’s investigating NCAA rules and recruiting time-lines or developing and implementing tactics to “get on the radar” of the college coaches on your “A” list of schools, an organized and informed approach to the college quest will give prospects and families the best chance at success.

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 potential colleges of choice, including team and coach profiles, statistics, ranking, and academic options. Continue to update and maintain individual e-files on these favorite college programs.

Set Goals and Develop Your Plan
A knowledgeable consumer will have a clear edge in the pursuit of 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 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 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.

Run the Offense (Execute)
OK. Your plans are complete, well constructed and clearly spelled out in a language everyone understands. Your calendar is updated and you have listed everything from the next round of SAT’s to the fall homecoming dance! Now it’s time to take the plunge.

You can have the best organized and most highly detailed approach to the college quest, but it won’t amount to a hill of beans if you lack confidence, the desire, and the ability to “execute the plan.” If your strategy is to wait by the phone for the coach to call, in most cases, it’s going to be a long wait. Top prospects will get their fair share of attention, but the majority of athletes will increase their chances in getting on the radar screen of the college coaches by taking a proactive stance and initiating communication with college coaches.

College coaches are strictly bound by a myriad of NCAA contact and evaluation rules that limit them in initiating contact with prospective student-athletes and their families. What few families realize is that although college coaches may have their “hands tied” to some degree, prospects may initiate contact with the college coaches, early on and with very few exceptions

Persistence
The dictionary definition of persistence is: Continuing in spite of opposition; Enduring, lasting or recurrent. In a nutshell, I feel strongly that a persistent effort in every aspect of the college search for athletes will, in the end, give them and their families the greatest chance at success.
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. 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 prospects, coaches’ welcome and encourage kids to drop them 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.

Work as a Team
The team approach during the college athletics recruiting process is suggested to maximize efficiency and minimize individual pressure and stress as families navigate a potentially daunting effort. Forming a trustworthy group of individuals who play specific roles during the recruiting cycle will increase your chances of reaching pre-determined goals.
When working your recruiting plan within a team (prospect, parents, club/high school coach, and college advisor) dynamic, the responsibility in effectively executing your recruiting plan is equally distributed to the area experts. All assignments should be clearly spelled out, and communication between team members should be often and consistent. This will help streamline the complete operation of the project and assist the family in avoiding any confusion that could contribute to unclear thinking, misdirection and potentially poor choices.

You have the drive and the desire to take your athletic talent to the next level. You are confident and dedicated to participating as part of a college team 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. Leave nothing to chance and make the commitment to treat the college search as you would treat your goal to experience a championship season.

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 120 Q and A’s about College Athletics Recruiting. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com.

Copyright © 2010 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

By Dave Kisor with contributions by Jim Dixon

Not a lot is settled in the first three weeks of the season but getting to a good start helps when you are adding up those in-region wins to see is a Pool C bid is in the works. Four pitchers have gotten their teams to a good start and are looking as if they are already in mid-season form.

Senior Trey Watt of Pacific Lutheran is 2 – 0 with a 2.77 ERA. He currently leads the Lutes with 13 innings pitched, having struck out 16 batters. Watt had six K’s in his first start versus St. Martin’s and followed that up with 10 against Cal Lutheran. With a best ever 7 – 0 start, Pacific’s team ERA is 2.97. Watt appears to be on the same pace as last season when he went 6 – 2 and had 86 strikeouts.

Six-foot-three, 190 lb junior David Colvin (2-1) of Pomona-Pitzer has logged 18 innings in his first three starts and has recorded 25 strikeouts with an ERA of 1.0, allowing two earned runs. In his win against Cal Tech, he gave up just two hits, which was the same number of hits he gave up in six innings versus Westmont. Colvin has started right where he left off last season when he was 8 – 0 with a 3.17 ERA.

Right-hander Tyler Seaman of Mississippi College opened the season against Huntingdon College with six strong innings as he allowed just four hits and two earned runs while striking out six as MC won, 5-2. In his second start, the 6’4” senior recorded five strikeouts in 5.1 innings. His ERA currently stands at 3.18 and the opposition batting average is 0.250. MC is off to a off to a 5 – 1 start.

Last but not least, Texas Lutheran’s Brad Orosey is showing why he was a D3baseball.com preseason All-American. Three games into the season and he has the season’s first no-hitter (179th overall since 1974 in D-III). For his no-hitter against Southwestern, Orosey was named the ASC West Division Pitcher of the Week. With his victory this weekend, Orosey is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.71 and 23 strikeouts.

By Tom Kovic

Today’s college athletic climate is much different than it was 20 years ago and college coaches are under tremendous pressure to achieve two important goals: win and raise money. The one directly affects the other and alumni will enthusiastically support a winning team…and yes, the opposite is true. The cost of effectively managing a successful college athletics department has increased over the years, while support from university subvention has, in most cases, increased slightly if not at all.

This new landscape of college athletics did not just appear. It has evolved over time and it has been driven by a business philosophy that is becoming commonplace on college campuses throughout the country. In many cases, college coaches are seen as CEO’s of small organizations that are expected to produce high results…Regularly.

That said, successful recruitment is an essential skill for the college coaches to hone in order to maximize future team advancement and this is achieved through active cultivation of strong relationships with high school coaches, prospects and their families. College coaches use many tools at their disposal to accomplish their recruiting goals, but they must abide by strict NCAA rules and regulations.

Educate
Education and information are truly powerful tools for families to use in navigating the college search. By developing a foundational base of information related to a new and potentially daunting experience, families and prospects will only increase their awareness about an important life decision that will build confidence and bolster their personal plan for success.

A great way to stay informed about the college search for athletes is to remain updated on all the latest news in college recruiting. A very simple way to do this is to register on Google Alerts for articles pertaining to College Athletics Recruiting. Once registered, you will receive links to articles and information every morning when you fire up your laptop!

Be Proactive
Through the use of telephone, electronic communication, home visits and the offer of official college visits, the college coach will attempt to cultivate a relationship that will hopefully result in matching a prospect with his or her institution in a mutually beneficial recruiting experience.

I encourage each of the student-athletes I advise to do whatever they can to proactively assist college coaches in every area of communication. If prospects are content to sit by the phone for a call from Coach, it’s most likely going to be a long wait. Communication is definitely a two way street, but, at least during the beginning phases of this relationship, it may be a little one sided… And that’s OK!

College coaches are inundated with hundreds of recruiting inquiries and they just don’t have the time to respond “personally” to each e-mail, letter or portfolio they receive. The family who is willing to assist the coaches during the recruiting process and place a premium on initiating contact and following up with any communication from the coaches, will position themselves best for success.

Read the Coach
Successful recruiting takes a grounded approach and a keen understanding of each Coach you communicate with. Develop the ability to “read” the coaches and get a feel for who they are and what they are trying to accomplish in their recruiting effort. I suggest taking an informative approach where parents and prospects “bone up” on the coaches, their program and especially Coach’s philosophy in his/her approach to the college student-athlete experience.

I believe our kids should be looking at the college quest as a “total” opportunity from an academic, athletic and social standpoint, but with the clear understanding that the college Coach they choose will have a direct and significant impact on how their personal values and character will take shape over a 4 year period.

Probe
A productive family recruiting effort will be well planned and impeccably executed. It will involve a team approach that may consist of several “players” including parents, prospect, high school/club coach, college advisor, guidance counselor and personal mentor.

There is no doubt that college coaches want to hear most from the prospects they are recruiting, but the skilled recruiters will expect to field questions from mom and dad as well, who can assist their kids best by “carrying the load” when gathering information about what makes Coach “tick.”

My advice to moms and dads is to prepare well in advance any questions to Coach that may appear “probing” in nature. Don’t ever be anxious to ask the tough questions… But the rule of thumb here is simple: Keep your questions to the point and respectful. Trust me, the coaches will pick-up on your sincerity in a heartbeat.

The college athletic landscape has shifted toward a more “business approach” and so too has the recruiting process. It’s down right competitive out there and the family that grows a greater understanding of college athletics and that which is necessary in planning, launching and committing to a well executed recruiting experience will position themselves strongly. It requires a disciplined and yet flexible approach, where families should have the courage to experience “grey areas” in an effort to separate from the pack and make “impact impressions” on the college coaches they contact.

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.

Copyright © 2010 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

Boiling down Division III into a few bullet points isn’t easy, and it hasn’t gotten easier as the division has grown. But Division III has been attempting to define itself in a way that can be easily communicated to those on the outside. After a Division II identity statement process ended up with the fairly meaningless “I chose Division II” mantra and D-II wrapped itself in a lot of the things Division III holds dear, it became important to take control of the message.

To us here at D3sports.com, Division III is the highest form of purely amateur athletics in the U.S. It’s where students — note, not “student-athletes” — play for love of the game. Division III competitors get no special treatment, no scholarships, no special privileges, no separate dining halls, no dorms to themselves. They don’t get preferred treatment from their professors; in fact, it’s far more likely they get treated more harshly from teachers who believe they don’t belong in the school.

But distilling that opinion, plus the opinions of hundreds of other Division III true believers, down into a form that can be easily shared and understood, isn’t easy. Here’s how Division III is positioning itself:

“Follow your passions and discover your potential.

“The college experience is a time of learning and growth – a chance to follow passions and develop potential. For student-athletes in Division III, all of this happens most importantly in the classroom and through earning an academic degree. The Division III experience provides for passionate participation in a competitive athletic environment, where student-athletes push themselves to excellence and build upon their academic success with new challenges and life skills. And student-athletes are encouraged to pursue the full spectrum of opportunities available during their time in college. In this way, Division III provides an integrated environment for student-athletes to take responsibility for their own paths, follow their passions and find their potential through a comprehensive learning experience.”

What’s your take?

For more, here’s the NCAA News article on the unveiling.

By Tom Kovic

The dictionary definition of persistence is: Continuing in spite of opposition; Enduring, lasting or recurrent. In a nutshell, I feel strongly that a persistent effort in every aspect of the college search for athletes will, in the end, give prospects and their families the greatest chance at success.

I work with athletes throughout the country in assisting them in putting their plans together for the college search. From place kickers in Southern California to midfield lacrosse players from Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, 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.

Competition in the college quest for athletes has increased dramatically during the past 15 years. Whether you are looking for an athletic scholarship or attempting to gain assistance in admission to an academically select, non-scholarship institution, it is important to plan strategically and have the courage to approach this challenge in ways you might think are contrary to your current thinking.

As a former college coach, I valued greatly the importance of effective recruiting in an attempt to grow my program to the next level. I certainly desired a team that could win championships, but I grew to appreciate more, the importance of attracting athletes who brought a high level of personal integrity to the table. I was after potential “strong links” in an already worthy and dedicated team chain.

Some believe a persistent approach in college recruiting will be viewed by college coaches as a “pushy” attempt to get on the radar. 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 prospects, coaches’ welcome and encourage kids to drop them an e-mail or pick up the phone and call.

Prospects and families should avoid calling coaches just to say “hello.” I always encourage the students I advise to orchestrate their communication with coaches in a way that will advance the relationship and maintain momentum in the recruiting process. It needs to have “grip.”

Whether you are sharing information with Coach about a sensational game you had over the weekend, or your math score on the SAT that jumped 30 points, give Coach something that will grab his attention and make your personal profile shine a little brighter.
Maintaining a persistent approach in the college recruiting process is a very broad concept. Below are just a few examples where exercising a persistent approach will assist athletes navigate the college search with more confidence:

• Initiate primary contact with college coaches. For example: Develop a personal profile and attach it to a well constructed introductory e-mail.
• The recruiting process is a journey that requires constant effort where “follow-up” in every communication is essential.
• Coaches are bound to very strict contact rules as it applies to recruiting. Prospects and families on the other hand, have very little restrictions when it comes to initiating contact with coaches. Get the ball rolling.
• If you plan to initiate a phone call to a college coach, it may take you up to 10 try’s before you connect. Do not get frustrated!
• If you plan to attend a showcase or tournament where several coaches on your “A” list of schools will be in attendance, don’t “hope” they will be evaluating you… Let them know you will be there and encourage them to observe you.
• If you happen to be a senior and you are a bit behind in the college search, cultivate a relationship with the coaches and always be sincere in your interest in their institution. You will position yourself best when you reach the point in asking Coach if you can take take that overnight visit to campus and spend time with the team.

Maintaining a persistent and diligent approach in college recruiting can be both frustrating and daunting. In most cases, it takes courage, mental toughness and the ability to develop thick skin! What seems tremendously unfamiliar in the beginning stages of developing this habit will become more comfortable with practice and time and soon you will realize that coaches are educators, moms, dads and just plain, regular people. They “know the score” and only want the best for prospects as they move forward in the college search.

Tom Kovic is the current director of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he provides individual advisement for families on college recruiting. He is the author of “Reaching for Excellence” An educational guide for college athletics recruiting. Kovic delivers college recruiting presentations nationwide and he is a regular contributor to several online magazines and professional organizations. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com

Striking the Balance in Communication with College Coaches

By Tom Kovic

Effective communication between the family and college coaches can be a critical component to the final choice in the college search. If your mission is clear, the manner in which you communicate becomes the vehicle that will move 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. For example, 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 very important. The important point here is simply: Prospects who practices “persistence with respect” when communicating with coaches will have a better chance in grabbing their attention.

If there is a proverbial “red flag” when it comes to communication, I can say with confidence that “calling just for the sake of calling” will not carry much weight with college coaches. Coaches are looking for information that will drive your chances in remaining in the “A” recruiting file. Whether it is news about improved scores on your ACT exam, or an invitation to a select tournament, give the coaches something that has “grip” and you will improve your chances in boosting your ranking on Coach’s recruiting chart.

I use the term “striking a balance” in communicating with college coaches to develop awareness in prospects and families that effective communication with college coaches is important for two reasons. First, by developing well planned information that is pertinent to the college search, the prospect sends a clear message to college coaches that he is well prepared. Secondly, coaches are keen to the importance of time management, and considering the hundreds of potential prospects they work with at any given time; coaches appreciate and will remember the effort prospects make in using communication as an effective recruiting tool.

Communication is critical to cultivating relationships with college coaches, and the better prepared you are; the better you will clearly define yourself and your goals in the eyes of college coaches. This skill will especially help prospects who are in a “gray” area on the coach’s radar and depending on where you rank on the priority chart; well planned communication could make the defining difference between being “in” or “out.”

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 in effectively sending and receiving information. Remember, the manner in which you express yourself, your interests and your intent can have a direct effect on the level of interest the college coach will offer.

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

In addition, placing attention on the “little things” like sending personal, handwritten thank-you notes to coaches after a campus visit can make a difference. This personal touch can go a long way, especially if you are on the “bubble” of Coach’s priority list… Small efforts add up in the final analysis.

Remember, the college recruiting process is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It should be an effort that is tactical, well planned and with the aim of cultivating sincere relationships with the college coaches. Prospects who embrace this tool as an important part of their recruiting arsenal will give themselves the greatest chance at success.

Tom Kovic is the current director of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he provides individual advisement for families on college recruiting. He is the author of “Reaching for Excellence” An educational guide for college athletics recruiting. Kovic delivers college recruiting presentations nationwide and he is a regular contributor to several online magazines and professional organizations. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com

Winter baseball strength and conditioning: The Polar Bears objectives

by Dave Kisor, D3baseball.com

The fall baseball season ended on October 31st and players have now started their voluntary winter strength and conditioning programs in preparation for the spring competitive season. The NCAA regulations state that these programs cannot be mandatory, but this does not hinder the student-athlete as they typically have the drive and dedication needed to improve their personal attributes during the winter months. Schools support these voluntary programs in order to help the individual succeed and to prevent injuries due to incorrect strength training.

One such program exists at Ohio Northern University (ONU). “At ONU we have a voluntary program that we recommend to our guys.” states Justin Bergman, Head Baseball Coach of the ONU Polar Bears. This program is based on five goals/objectives: Improving explosive strength, overall strength, balancing body strength, learning your own body, and increasing confidence.

Bergman describes the objectives that define the voluntary program: 1) Improving explosive strength – “develop the quick twitch muscles needed to make explosive, athletic movements required to be successful at the highest level of athletics.” He states that “this is accomplished through lifts that encourage full range of motion and controlled bursts of exercise.” 2) Improving overall strength of the athlete. “The addition of bulk to the point of loss of flexibility is not the goal. But, strength is the deciding factor between many wins and losses in college athletics.” 3) Balance body strength – balance the relationship between upper and lower body, chest and back etc… Here Bergman explains “A top heavy frame is not a powerful frame, it is a body destined for injury. A body type with a powerful lower half and core is an athlete with true power and explosive potential.” “This is accomplished through lifting with balance and proportion in mind. Designing a full body workout and not just focusing on the major muscle groups.” 4) Learn your own body – every athlete is built differently, with different strengths and weaknesses. Bergman emphasizes that “No matter how individualized a workout is intended to be, it is the athlete who knows their body best. He encourages the players to “Take responsibility for knowing what [they] need to improve upon to help [their] personal gains. This he states is “Accomplished through assessing weaknesses and focusing lifts around certain body parts.” Finally 5) Increasing confidence – “This is perhaps the most important objective/goal. If the player sees an increase in their fitness level, they will obviously feel better about their ability and instincts as a baseball player. If they feel confident of their physical skills, greater success will be enjoyed between the white lines.”

Bergman adds “Our program at ONU is very position specific: Our pitchers and positional guys are not on the same program, however there is some crossover between the lifts. For example, our pitchers will complete pull ups and our positional players will complete the incline dumbbell bench. We really focus on functional training with our players. A lot of our lifts and exercises are focused on certain movements used during the game of baseball. Also a lot of our focus is on the core, back and butt. This is where the main source of power comes from with the swing, pitching mechanics and throwing a baseball from the outfield.”

Most programs recognize the importance of a proper nutrition component for winter voluntary training and realize that year-round proper nutrition can be beneficial. “At ONU we do not necessarily have our young men on diets. However there are a few guys in our program that we would like for them to transform their bodies. So we have a plan in place for them to eat/consume the proper diet. The value of a proper diet and good nutrition has become increasingly important in athletic performance. Good nutrition is essential for maximizing performance in athletics.”

“The primary goal for our baseball strength program is balance. This refers to the balanced development of the muscles that are used in baseball. The objective is not to develop weightlifters, but to understand how important a well conditioned human body is for successful performance.”

While voluntary, the ONU program, like others, is provided to support the student-athlete in their quest to maximize their efforts and translate personal improvement into team success.

By Tom Kovic

Have you ever found yourself scratching your head during an introspective moment, in an attempt to figure out how someone or some team grabbed the brass ring before you did? I have! It can be a low and frustrating inner debate, but in most cases the difference between success and failure can be a very fine line and the game changer was simply that… The other guy “found it” and you didn’t. This is a very simple statement to make and the probable solution to a challenge that haunts a lot of us in many areas of our lives, but by making a dedicated effort to “awaken the wizard” inside of us could be the first step in moving to new and exciting personal levels, including the college search.

Awakening the wizard is just a simple phrase and nothing more. What it means to me though, is the opportunity to tap tremendous personal potential that for many of us remains dormant. It is the ability to take risks, remain committed and do things that, from a normal perspective, might seem ridiculous at best. What follows is my take on how prospects and families can reach deep and find that inner “dormant wizard” and shake him up a bit in an effort to transform the college recruiting process into a “quest” rather than just another “chore.”

The college search for athletes may appear on the surface as a natural challenge, when in reality it is altogether another beast to tame! If you happen to be one of those blessed “blue chip” athletes that rank amongst the top 5-10% of athletes in the country, your college search will be a lot different and a bit more facilitated. College coaches are, for the most part, brilliant recruiters… They’re going to find you! But what about the majority of high school athletes who do not fall into the “A” file, but are looking to compliment their college experience with a strong athletic component and play and compete for a worthy college program? Their strategy is going to be slightly different. They will need to awaken the wizard and make every attempt to find it.

When July 1, 2009 came and passed and you were sitting by the phone for the coaches to call, was it a long wait? My guess is yes! Being proactive and making every effort to initiate contact with the coaches is not only a strongly suggested approach to “getting on the radar screen,” it is permissible and it will be, in most cases, much appreciated by the college coaches.

This suggestion may appear simple at first, but typically, the closer prospects get to picking up the phone and placing the call, the more the “butterflies in the stomach” seem to accumulate! Essentially, prospects have two choices here: Either they can continue to put off the initial contact with the coaches, or they can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, prepare for the contact and take a “leap of faith.” Remember, all of us have had our first date, first varsity game, or first whack at the SAT exam. “Firsts” will be with us throughout a lifetime. It takes courage to bridge gaps into the unknown, and navigating the college quest is no different.

Tournaments, showcases, combines and other college recruiting events are becoming more and more popular these days and they provide college coaches with the opportunity to evaluate talented prospects throughout the country. I strongly suggest that prospects take advantage of these events, but don’t just “show-up.” Research a manageable list of events and try to determine the consistent level of attendance that college coaches have shown over the past few years. Additionally, when you have lined up the events you plan to attend, do not hesitate to contact the college coaches on your current recruiting list to let them know you have sincere interest in their program and invite them to watch you play. It just takes a little time, organization and a willingness to “execute.” YOU have to make it happen.

Stirring up the wizard inside is a lot like developing and maintaining momentum in any given challenge. It’s not a sometime thing… It’s an all the time thing, and the moment you think you have it licked is the moment you will begin to lose ground. Remember, all the wizard represents is the personal potential each of us has to offer. Thinking about it is one thing… Committing to making it happen is altogether different.

If you believe in your heart that college entrance and the opportunity to play and compete as part of an NCAA program will simply “open up” and lie at your feet, you will most likely be disappointed with the results. That being said, the prospect and family who maintain a positive approach with a willingness to impeccably organize and manage their college search, while making a full and complete “active” commitment to the plan, will be giving themselves the best chances at success.

Several years ago and toward the end of my college coaching career I clearly recall a couple of lean years where my program was mediocre at best and we were not meeting the high standards I always set. I took personal responsibility, but I found myself focusing on just about everything “negative.” I was in a downward spiral and I knew I needed to get back on track.

Joel Fish, who heads The Center for Sport Psychology in Philadelphia (www.psychologyofsport.com), was instrumental in helping many of my teams and I enjoy championship success and I immediately turned to him for advice. Not surprisingly, Joel offered me the same advice he offered all of my athletes. “Your digging your own hole to hide in and paying more attention to everything that could go wrong, rather than remembering who you are and focusing on all you can accomplish.” He said.

Joel simply reminded me that I am the one in the driver’s seat and I have the ability to act and react to any situation… At anytime. I simply needed to take the advice I had given my athletes all along and remind myself that the true measure of a champion is not when things are going well, but when our backs are in the corner. I had to find it!

If we are determined to give ourselves every reason NOT to make a proactive effort in executing a worthy plan of action, then the best developed plans will remain in a state of potential and nothing more. Conversely, if we are willing to see each goal we present ourselves with as an opportunity to move to new and higher personal levels and with an unyielding willingness to commit, I truly believe we are half way there.

The college search for prospective student-athletes has evolved into a very competitive arena and one that will continue to be more challenging to navigate in years to come. You can choose to hope for the best, or you can choose to roll your sleeves up and get busy. The dream to participate in college sport is a passion shared by many of our son’s and daughters in an effort to compliment a tremendous 4 year experience and I suggest you “pick up the baton and run.” Just as our boy’s and girl’s have committed countless hours to grow their athletic skill that carried them to their current level of success, so can a meaningful and dedicated effort help our student-athletes find the right college match. I encourage you therefore to rise up, stay focused and swing for the seats.

Tom Kovic is a former Division I college coach and the current director of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he provides individual family advisement and guidance 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.

Summer is basically over here at D3sports.com, and we’re working hard to get the 2009-10 seasons ready to roll. Summer is the only time I really feel like I can sit down and do some of the back-end stuff on the site that is in my job description, specifically upgrading the message board software and the blogs.

This year’s upgrades didn’t change too much of what you folks as readers will see and what you’ll interact with, but in my non-techie reading of it, it looks like it will make the blog operate more efficiently. If so, that means one important thing for readers — we may not have to take it down so often on the busiest days on the site.

The rest of our summer has been spent trying to get the long-overdue redesign of D3hoops.com into shape. We have a lot of older pages that have information that we don’t want to lose. I actually found someone to put 11 years’ worth of the Team of the Week into a database so we could display those pages more easily, and we’re doing the same for football’s Team of the Week as well.

D3baseball.com has had some great content this summer, with Travis Cross, a Chapman student, joining Jim Dixon’s staff to provide some news stories and features. We are looking long and hard at getting all of the baseball scores on the site this year, not just for the 20-some conferences that use the PrestoSports system.

The folks at D3soccer.com are putting together a Top 25 poll for the first time and are getting their voter panels together. We’ll also have team pages on D3soccer.com this year for the first time, and hope to have those live within the next week or so.

Our jobs board, D3jobs.com, has had some great postings in the past year and we will continue with that. D3sports.com continues to be a work in progress. We’ve been strong into Twitter for the past six months or so, starting near the end of the basketball season. If you are on Twitter, I strongly recommend following @d3football, @d3hoops and @d3baseball — often the first word on breaking news will go out via Twitter, and in many cases, we’ll send out interesting stories or small news tidbits over that medium that may not make it elsewhere on the sites at all.

by Tom Kovic

I was a 2 sport athlete in high school and I was pretty good. Not that I was the blue chip kid all the coaches were drooling after, but I was a New York State Champion Gymnast and State runner up in Track and Field. I really did not know much of anything regarding skillful tactics in getting on the radar screen of the college coaches and quite honestly, did not begin the recruiting process until well into my senior year of high school. I’m thankful that both the Track and Field and Gymnastics coaches at Temple were paying attention late in the process and I was very fortunate to receive a full athletics scholarship.

My brief story is a valuable one and for only one reason. Don’t do what I did! What follows are suggested strategies for athletes and families who feel they might be a bit behind in the college quest.

What you shouldn’t do
If you happen to feel a little disoriented with the college search and that feeling of frustration is creeping in, don’t’ panic! When faced with any obstacle where time is a crucial factor, we tend to think firstly of everything that could go wrong in an attempt to size up the situation. This only complicates the matter further and creates a potentially negative approach to the issue.

Additionally, late starters typically react by flooding the college coaches with information and communication in an attempt to at least “connect with someone.” This will immediately be picked up by the college coaches as an act of desperation and I strongly discourage prospects from taking this approach.

Another reaction many families might feel compelled to execute is to take the first good offer that comes along. Whether it is an offer to tryout for a team or be invited as a walk-on, I will admit there is a feeling of comfort when a coach shows sincere interest in a prospect, especially late in the game.

What you should do
With every important decision we make, it is important to maintain clarity in thinking. No matter how overwhelming the current moment may appear, take the time to sit down as a family and adequately size up the situation. Do everything you can to keep negative thoughts at bay and maintain a positive approach to what may seem like a difficult journey. Remember the old saying: “Think you can, think you can’t, either way you’re right.”

Just like a good coach and a worthy team who is behind a goal or two with just a few minutes left in the game, approach your personal situation with the end game in mind and work yourself slowly back to present time. An organized and well thought out plan of action will give families and their children the best chance at success. Whether it is effective communication with coaches or planning that mid-August road trip to a half dozen schools, take a “team effort” in developing a step by step approach with targets and time-lines that will most likely be demanding, but doable.

The best laid plans are only as good as the manner in which they are executed and this is where your persistence and determination come into play. If your target for the day is to contact 5 college coaches by phone and communicate your family’s plans to make a visit to campus in 3 weeks, you have to do it. It might take 25 attempts to connect with each of the 5 college coaches, but you must remain diligent and stay the course. Like hurdles in a race, you want to clear one at a time with unyielding focus on each individual hurdle. Let the result of the race take care of itself!

Tips to jumpstart your late start
One of your first steps should be is to either create of edit your personal resume. By developing an easy to read, 1 page personal profile you not only inform the college coach to who you are and what you have accomplished; it will allow the coach in doing a quick and efficient initial evaluation. Keep this document to no longer than one page and include your academic and athletic highlights, along with any extracurricular leadership initiatives you have participated in.

On that note, you need to provide the coach with a simple, but effective way to evaluate your skill as a player. Round up your recent season game footage and pick out 5-6 minutes of your best stuff. Save it to your laptop and burn as many DVD’s necessary, to send to your consolidated list of schools… That’s next!

Streamline your list of colleges and universities that potentially fit your academic and athletic profile. I suggest a well balanced list of Division 1, 2 and 3 schools that meet your immediate needs (geographic region, size of undergraduate student body etc.). Develop a detailed contact list of the schools, coach’s names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses and save it to your recruiting folder. Add a separate list of “hard addresses” for the coaches in case they request a portfolio or when you are getting ready to ship your DVD.

Consolidate and communicate
Now that you are moving the boulder forward, it will be important to maintain the momentum you have created. Getting information in the hands of the college coaches is one thing… following up is another matter altogether! Remember, the college recruiting process is not about flooding the college coaches with information, it is about developing relationships and the best approach in this situation is to take a proactive effort in connecting with the coaches. Coaches are being bombarded with hundreds of inquiries of interest from high school prospects and do not have the time to personally respond to every athlete. YOU have to take hold of the baton and run the race and the best way to determine where you stand in the eyes of the coaches is to contact them directly.

Plan a road trip
If you reach this point in the recruiting process and I hope you do, there will be a lot of action happening and your recruiting plan will begin to get some legs. Taking a road trip should be a top priority for families and unofficial campus visits are a great way to take a look under the hood in an attempt to determine potential matches for their sons and daughters. Make every attempt not to just “show up.” Communicate with the coaches in an effort to coordinate a face to face meeting with your campus visit. Personal visits can make a big difference for certain prospects and I strongly suggest making the best of your road trip.

If you sense you are either late in executing your plans for the college recruiting process, or feel the need to jumpstart your plan of attack, avoid any negative energy that will contribute to a loss of focus in the process. Maintain a positive approach and use a team effort in reorganizing your quest with clarity and direction and you will give yourself the greatest 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 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.