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.

Whether it happens to be that long awaited home improvement project, saving for a summer vacation or preparing for retirement, I think we can agree that any worthy project will go through a “launch phase.” This phase consists of a time of dreaming, planning and targeting specific time-lines to hit as you begin to “execute” your plan. The same holds true in the college search for athletes and below are snapshots of general suggestions that might just help you along the way.

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.

Develop your initial college list
This is where the fun begins! You have built an initial knowledge foundation about the college search and you have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for in a college experience. Now it’s time to develop a grouping of institutions that potentially meet that end.

Peterson’s College Search (www.petersons.com/collegesearch) is a great resource where you can input specific information about what you are looking for in a 4 year college experience and up comes a listing of colleges and universities that initially “match.” Investigate both the general and athletic college websites. From there you can begin to put together a more detailed list of coaches and their contact information.

Build your Team
Parents, prospect, high school/club coach, college advisor, guidance counselor and a personal mentor could 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 in navigating the college search with confidence. Advance goals should be set with clarity and purpose that compliment the organizational structure of the recruiting process.

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.

Define Yourself: The Profile
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

Show your Stuff: The Video
A videotape, DVD or web stream are 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 a video. They need to! Along with the hundreds of profiles, they are also being bombarded with hundreds of videos!

Make your video succinct, professional, and yet attention grabbing. Keep in mind that as individual collegiate sports differ, it is important to communicate with the individual college coaches about their requirements for DVD footage.

Develop 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 with 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 recruiting process.

Similar to a NASA Space Shuttle launch, the beginning phase of any college recruiting plan will be time consuming, demanding and require the greatest effort. That said, once you break free of that “gravity” and you remain persistent with your plan, you will give yourself the best chance in building and maintaining momentum toward your ultimate goal.

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. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com.

Copyright © 2010 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Copyright © 2009 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

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.

Over the past six months, I have had the privilege to work with a fine young man from Foxboro, Massachusetts as he prepares for the college quest. Greg Stamatov is a sophomore at Foxboro High School where he is a multi-sport athlete excelling at football, ice hockey and lacrosse. As a sophomore, Greg is at a crossroad in his high school athletic career and he feels the need to focus more energy into one sport in an effort to strongly develop the skill needed to play at the division 1 NCAA level.

As a highly touted goal tender (Greg was recently named to the 2009 Inside Lacrosse Rising Sophomore Watch list) with a keen eye in pursuing a true “student-athlete” experience, Greg is beginning to organize his personal college search plan. And with the help of his mom and dad, along with his lacrosse coaches, Greg is aiming high in an effort to attract attention from a number of the top college lacrosse programs.

Considering the level of competitiveness in the college recruiting arena, Greg shows great maturity and keen foresight for a young man. He realizes and accepts the fact that college coaches are looking to recruit strong student-athletes, but what Greg is beginning to equally embrace and appreciate is the fact that he offers even more to lacrosse programs and college coaches and “ups the ante” by just being the young man he is.

Greg recently launched a not for profit organization named LAX General that focuses on providing used and donated lacrosse equipment to communities and potential players who would normally not have the funds or budget to purchase equipment outright, or have the resources to begin a lacrosse program.

Greg’s mission statement is simple but compelling:
“The aim of Lax General will be to entitle anyone to obtain equipment to play lacrosse. Lacrosse is a very expensive sport and it can be difficult to purchase all the necessary equipment to play. Although not everyone can meet the expenses to participate in lacrosse, everyone should have the opportunity to play.

Lax General will collect used and unwanted/unneeded lacrosse equipment for redistribution to those who can’t afford new equipment. This will provide young athletes that want to participate, but can’t afford it, a chance to play a great sport.”

“I have played lacrosse for nine years now and I have received help, advice, and great coaching thanks to the fast growing lacrosse nation. There is an endless list to people I have to thank, but now, it’s time to give back to the lacrosse nation.” Greg continues: “Lax General is a non-profit organization that puts equipment in the hands of those in need of it. Lax General is also how I’m going to “give back” to the lacrosse nation I love the sport and I think that everyone that wants a shot at it deserves one. I can see Lax General being a productive and constructive program reaching out to multiple communities.”

With the help of John Stamatov, Greg’s dad, Greg hopes to plant the seed of his newly formed organization in the surrounding Boston area. Through these contacts, Greg hopes that LAX General will find a greater number of young boys and girls who want to explore the sport of lacrosse and at no additional cost to the families or the community.

“I’m thrilled Greg has found a way to give back to the community and link it to something he is passionate about.” John says. “I believe too many kids get involved in community service projects simply to check a box on a college application. With Lax General, Greg is doing something that he really believes in – he’s already helped several families in town – and he can see how that has made a big difference in their lives!”

The next step may be daunting, but like any other meaningful goal, building momentum is a key component. Greg and his dad will begin soliciting local and regional lacrosse programs to determine their interest in donating used and unwanted equipment to Lax General. Once the foundational inventory is developed, Greg looks forward to begin searching the Boston area for kids who might want to take a whack at lacrosse.

With the anticipated equipment inventory driving upward and the popularity of the program growing, Greg and his dad will also begin to identify inner city high school athletic directors and recreation officials who would be interested in starting community lacrosse programs that will benefit from the generosity of Lax General.

No doubt this project will be a labor of love for Greg Stamatov, but one that will potentially impact many boys and girls who would normally not have the opportunity to play. As daunting a task as it may seem, Greg knows in his heart it’s just plain “right” and he has the courage and determination to add one more building block to the great sport of lacrosse.

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 the area of college recruiting. Tom is the author of Reaching for Excellence: An educational guide for college athletics recruiting. In addition, Kovic was recently invited to speak at the 2010 US Lacrosse National Convention in Baltimore. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com.

By Tom Kovic

The college search for athletes has grown more complicated and increasingly competitive, especially during the past 10 years. There are countless components that require attention in developing and executing a successful plan of action, along with several key “players” who make-up the team that run the offense.

Parents can play a significant role in the recruiting process and in my opinion; they should make an active commitment to enthusiastically assist their children from start to finish in what will be a very important life decision.

What follows is my take on how parents can effectively participate in helping their kids confidently navigate a potentially daunting process, while avoiding red flags along the way.

Clarity
The best starting point for any dream or goal is to firstly establish clear objectives and time-lines. Begin with the end game in mind and work backwards to the starting point of your plan. As you move backwards through the recruiting process, you will notice “checkpoints” along the way that you will eventually encounter. Whether it is the signing of the national letter of intent, the official visit, or the first phone call placed to the coach, you will begin to develop a checklist of “things to do.”

Parents have the opportunity to not only encourage their children to envision the process, but to take an active role in creating it. Half the battle in reaching any goal is to understand the mission and create an educational, yet fun approach! The more we encourage our kids to take an active role in controlling their destiny, the greater the chance that they will appreciate the level of confidence mom and dad has in them.

Team
I am a big believer in the team approach to college recruiting and in developing a group of key members who each play a significant role in moving the process forward. Not only can this approach be effective, it will be welcomed by our kids. Student-athletes have a tremendous amount on their “personal plates” and developing a plan that spreads the recruiting assignments out will create a much happy camper!

Parents who have cultivated strong relationships with “typical” team members (guidance counselors, high school and club coach etc.) can begin to lay the groundwork to suggest specific roles that will be played out by each team member. Moms and dads can organize occasional team meetings at the house where the group can review regular progress in the college search and offer suggestions to keep the momentum moving forward.

Encourage Independence
College coaches will turn to high school and club coaches, guidance counselors and colleagues in an effort to gather information about the prospects they recruit, but they need to act as a resource for families as well. They want to be able to field questions from mom and dad, but when you break it down; college coaches want to see the prospect for who she truly is.

One of the best choices parents can make is to encourage their children to be an active and independent player in the college quest. It encourages proactive preparation, the development of communication skills and it fosters the courage to stand alone in a worthy attempt to take the leap of faith into the recruiting arena.

What might seem nearly impossible for some prospects in the beginning, will grow to a more confident approach with more practice and experience. Remember, college coaches are looking for 3 key ingredients in a prospect: Strong athletic ability, sound academic progress and a personal character that rises above the rest. Let’s give our kids the opportunity to stand alone and with confidence.

Communication with College Coaches
Personally, I encourage parents to play a very active role in communicating with the college coaches. The final college choice our kids make will be an important one and parents should be there every step of the way.

Certain areas of the college search immediately come to mind as “important” for parents to be actively involved. Whether it is negotiating financial aid, requesting a preliminary read in admissions or asking questions concerning on campus safety, parents should not hesitate to respectfully inquire on behalf of their children.

Equally important for parents to develop is the patience to “yield” in certain areas of the recruiting process, especially when our kids appear to be “stumbling.” Making mistakes, or feeling a level of uncertainty is commonplace for prospects as they navigate the nuances of recruiting, but when the dust settles, our kids will appreciate us more for allowing them to experience the “good struggle.” Remember, college coaches want to see our children “shine,” but they also want to see how they respond when their backs are in the corner.

Red Flags
There are several “red flags” that could go up in the minds of college coaches and below are just a few tips:

• In face to face interviews with college coaches where parents are present, avoid answering questions that are directed to your children.
• Avoid responding to phone and e-mail messages left by college coaches that are specifically directed to the prospect.
• E-mail is used more than any form of communication in recruiting and although we want our kids to express themselves “grammatically correct,” parents should encourage the final draft to come from the prospect and in their words.
• The “tough” questions should be timed appropriately. You do not want to go into the first meeting with a college coach asking for a scholarship for your son! Remember, this is about developing sincere relationships with the coaches: Plant; cultivate; grow.

The rule of thumb in avoiding red flags is simple. First, develop a positive relationship built on trust, honesty and respect and keep the door of communication clear and always open. Secondly, parents will serve their children best by maintaining their position on the field and allowing their children the opportunity to make the play in the recruiting effort.

Conclusion
Simply stated, we desperately want out children to succeed and make “right” and well thought out choices and the college search should be no different. Many of us though, can’t help ourselves from controlling situations, especially when it appears our kids are struggling. College coaches recruit families as much as they recruit prospects and the old adage is true: “The nut doesn’t fall too far from the tree!”

Parents can play an impactful role in college recruiting and the best gift we can offer our kids is the freedom to spread their wings and fly. Focus on everything that is positive and fun in the college search and even when it appears our kids seem doubtful and frustrated, have the faith in their resiliency to rebound and to advance the quest with confidence and self reliance.

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. Tom is the author of “Reaching for Excellence” An educational guide for college athletics recruiting. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com.