RECRUITING
http://www.recruit757.com/recruits-social-media-youre-spotlight-now/
Rules for the Student-AthleteThe Initial Eligibility ClearinghouseWhat is the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse?
If you intend to participate in Division I athletics as a freshman, you must register with and be certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Your high school counselor should provide you with the student-release form and a red brochure titled, "Making Sure You Are Eligible to Participate in College Sports."
Where can my counselor get registration materials?
Free registration materials are available by calling the Clearinghouse at (319) 337-1942.
How do I register with the Clearinghouse?
Complete the student-release form and mail the top (white) copy of the form to the Clearinghouse along with the $18 registration fee.
What else does the clearinghouse need to certify me?
After graduation and before school closes for the summer, your high school must send the Clearinghouse a copy of your final transcript that confirms graduation.
You must also have your ACT or SAT scores sent to the Clearinghouse directly from the testing agency. Either mark code 9999 as one of the institutions to receive your scores, or submit a request for an "Additional Score Report" to the appropriate testing agency.
Recruiting Regulations When do I become a prospective student-athlete?
When you start ninth grade classes. Before the ninth grade, you become a prospective student-athlete (or PSA) if a college gives you (or your relatives or friends) any financial aid or other benefits that the college generally does not provide to all prospective students.
When is a college considered to be recruiting me?
If any coach or representative of the college's athletics interests approaches you (or any member of your family) about enrolling and participating in athletics at that college.
Who can recruit me?
Only university staff and coaches can recruit you. Alumni and friends of the institution are NOT permitted to contact prospective student-athletes in any way.
What does a coach or athletics representative do to cause me to become a recruited prospective student-athlete?
Any one of the following activities:
Provide you with an official visit;
Place more than one telephone call to you or any member of your family;
Visit you or any member of your family anywhere other than the institution's campus.
Official VisitsHow many official visits am I allowed to take? Beginning when?
Each prospective student athlete is limited to five official visits (one per institution), which may be taken following the opening day of classes of your senior year in high school.
What must the school have from me before I can take an official visit?
The recruiting institution must already have a high school or college transcript and ACT or SAT scores on file.
Unofficial VisitsCan I pay my own way to visit a college campus? Starting when? You may visit an institution's campus at your own expense an unlimited number of times beginning before your senior year of high school and continuing in your senior year. This is considered an unofficial visit.
What can the school give me when I go on an unofficial visit?
A maximum of three (3) complimentary admissions to a campus athletic event which that institution's team is competing in, provided it is done through a gate pass list. Such complimentary admissons can only be used by the prospective student-athlete and those persons accompanying the prospective student-athlete. They can only be issued on an individual game basis.
Phone CallsWho can call me on the phone? When and how often?
On or after July 1st after the completion of your junior year in high school, faculty members and coaches are permitted to call you or your parents / legal guardians once per week. The exception to this is that a Division I-AA football coach may not call you until August 15. Boosters are NOT permitted to call you.
When are coaches or faculty members allowed unlimited calls to me?
At the following times:
During the five (5) days prior to your official visit to that university;
On the day of the coach's off-campus contact with you;
During the time beginning with the National Letter of Intent (NLI) signing date in your sport through two days after the signing date and subsequent to the date on which you sign.
Can I call coaches collect or toll free? When?
Yes, as long as the call is on or after July 1 after you complete your junior year of high school.
Correspondence and Recruiting MaterialsFrom whom can I receive letters? Beginning when?
Coaches, faculty members and students (but NOT boosters) can send you letters starting Sept. 1 of your junior year in high school.
What can an institution send me?
After Sept. 1 of your junior year, a Division I institution may provide you with the following materials:
General correspondence, including e-mail messages, business cards, letters, U.S. Postal Service post cards, institutional note cards, and materials printed on plain white paper with black ink.
NCAA educational information
Pre-enrollment information subsequent to signing a National Letter of Intent with the institution
One athletic publication for each sport it sponsors (media guide or recruiting guide) printed in only one color (inside the covers)
Official academic, admissions and student services publications or video tapes produced by the institution and available to all students
Questionnaires
One (1) wallet-size playing schedule card
One (1) student handbook, provided a National Letter of Intent has already been signed.
Can an institution send me anything prior to my junior year?
Only questionnaires and summer camp brochures.
Can any other material be mailed to me?
No, spare game programs, which may not include posters, can be provided only during official or unofficial visits to the institution's campus.
And we get asked this question often:
How do I get a profile on Scout?
Be sure you fill out the Scout recruiting questionnaire. If you did it before, do it again.
Here is the link.
http://recruiting.scout.com/3/questionnaire.html
At the end of the questionnaire, it will give you instructions on how and where to send a highlight tape.
DO be patient. There are thousands of players submitting profiles, it may take a while to get yours up. And if you haven't done much of interest, it will take longer still. (If you are a water polo player just thinking about taking up football, you won't get a profile, if you get my drift. They would like to profile guys who are legitimate football prospects, so be as complete as you can.)
You can click on this map below (Scout Media Contacts) to send information to your local/regional guy. Click on YOUR home state, and get in contact with the person who covers it (after you've done the profile.)
If you are interested in a particular school, hearing from certain schools, or planning to attend a camp, has camped there, you can let the publisher (the writer for that school's site) for that specific site know any updates or offers. Tell them if you got any awards,set a record, made your all-district, all-state team, etc.
Map of US contacts:
http://recruiting.scout.com/3/bios.html
If you can give them a good email (one that you check frequently) and a phone number, do it, so they can contact you if there is a question or an interview is desired.
The question is, what do you think a recruiting service can do for you that you can't do for yourself?
You'll need a highlight tape (ideally junior year highlights, followed by one or two senior tapes) -- does the recruiting service provide this as part of the cost, or do they assume you'll get the tapes and provide the highlights yourself?
We have HUDL you can make your own highlight and send film to any College Coach (See Andrae for more info)
You'll need a bio sheet -- your photo, your name and contact info, your school, your graduation year, your stats, awards and accomplishments ... Can you do that yourself? (Probably, since you'd have to collect all of it to give to the service for them to put a bio sheet together.)
You'll need a mailing or email list of colleges. You can look this up on the NCAA website:
NCAA by Division schools http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir...divisionListing
click on the name of any school, go to its website
go to athletics, football, and look at their roster.
Do they need someone in your position? Are the guys there seniors or juniors?
Dig around on their site and look for "prospective athlete" or "recruiting questionnaire" for each school.
Fill it out on line, so the school starts a profile on you. Yes, EVERY school has one, you just have to keep looking as they can be buried sometime.
Now, either mail (US mail) or email (to position coach and/or recruiting coordinator) your bio sheet and either CD/DVD of your highlights or if emailing, a link to your youtube clips. You can even include copies of any positive press coverage you have (or links to the articles if online.)
The recruiting services have those lists of schools already in a database and for a fee, they press a button and get your info to hundreds of schools. However, that doesn't mean that schools are more interested in getting your info from a recruiting service (no matter what they tell you) than from hearing from the athlete directly.
What they do provide is a professional approach and they know what has worked in the past. However, if you have the time, you can duplicate almost anything they do on your own. You have to be realistic about where you would fit in as a player (if you are playing backup on junior varsity, University of Texas probably won't be interested, no matter how professional your bio sheet looks.)
Visiting a campus unofficially, attending camps and getting to know coaches will be big pluses for most recruits. And those are all things you do yourself, a recruiting service can't do it for you. Start with 10 or 15 schools that you think you would like to attend, and that fit your ability. Write them and start a dialogue. Visit when you can (and if you are local, you can probably attend fall games as a recruit with advance notice.)
How-To Guide: Recruiting video
Thousands of high school players produce football recruiting highlight videos in an effort to get a scholarship.
We're here to tell you how to do it right.
Rivals recruiting analyst Barry Every worked in the recruiting offices at Georgia, Florida State and North Carolina for more than a decade. He's seen thousands of video highlights and knows what is - and isn't - wanted.
Here is a quick list of his dos and don'ts:
DO: Get to your best clips ASAP
College coaches know what they're looking for. Show it to them. Your first clips should be your best - and have the biggest 'wow' factor.
DON'T: Have a long introduction screen
The coach will know who you are when he sees your introduction letter. Don't waste his time by telling him again when he pops in your DVD. He wants to see you in action from the moment he presses play.
DO: Pick only your best plays
Coaches may only watch 4-5, so make sure they are seeing your best. You don't need to build up to anything or put them in chronological order.
DON'T: Use slow-motion or fast-motion or show plays twice
No one looks better either way. More so, coaches watch thousands of hours of tape at game speed - don't make them view you in another mode. And remember, coaches can (and will) rewind your plays if they want to take a second look.
DO: Pad the beginning of each clip - and let the play run
Start the clip a few seconds before the snap. Give the coach a few seconds to scan the field, locate where you are, and get a feel for the alignment of the play. And let the play go to the end - that is, don't leave coaches wondering if you fumbled the ball when you were tackled.
DON'T: Add anything to the highlights
Forget about transition effects (clips that dissolve or fade out). They're annoying and can cut out things coaches want to see. Worse are comments on the screen. There's no need to say 'amazing move' or 'big hit' - the coaches will see that for themselves.
DO: Include a full game film, too
Highlights are nice; giving a recruiter the ability to see how you perform on each play is even better. Remember to include game date and opponent.
DON'T: Put your stats/honors at beginning of the reel
No player has ever earned a scholarship offer based on all-star selections. It is fine to list stats and awards at the end of your reel. But again, coaches want to see your clips when they hit "play."
DO: Include your name, school, uniform number and, most importantly, contact information
Home address, phone numbers and e-mails for you, your parents and your coaches is essential. All of this should be included in writing in the packet you send out, but it also should be included on the screen - but at end of the highlights.
"College coaches have very little patience because of numerous time constraints," he says. "You need to catch their attention right away, otherwise your video gets turned off after four plays."
And remember, keep it simple.
"There is no doubt that college coaches strictly want video of the plays exactly how they happened in a game," Every said. "Nothing else is needed."
GLOSSARY
Clearinghouse: The NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse is an organization that works with the NCAA to determine students' eligibility for athletics participation in their first year of college enrollment. Students who want to participate in college sports during their first year of enrollment in college must register with the Clearinghouse. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, the Clearinghouse staff follows NCAA bylaws and regulations in analyzing and processing a student's high school academic records, ACT or SAT scores, and key information about amateurism participation. It is up to the Clearinghouse to determine the student's initial eligibility.
Commitment: Also known as an oral commitment or verbal commitment. A recruit's pledge to the coaching staff that he intends to accept their scholarship offer and attend a specific institution. The pledge is non-binding until a National Letter-of-Intent is signed. If a prospect breaks off a commitment with one school to commit to another, it is called a de-commitment.
Remember, pick only your best plays - and get right to the action on your DVD.
Silent commitment: A commitment made to the coaching staff of a specific school but not made public.
Soft commitment: A commitment in which the recruit will continue to take official visits to other schools.
Eligibility: Student-athletes receiving an athletic scholarship must graduate from high school, complete 14 core courses (ex. English, math, science), earn a minimum required grade-point average in core courses, and earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches his core-course grade-point average and test score sliding scale (for example, a 2.4 core-course grade-point average needs a 860 SAT); click here for more on the sliding scale.
Qualifier: A student-athlete who meets the academic requirements listed above. A qualifier can practice or compete for a college or university during his first year of college, can receive an athletics scholarship during his first year of college, and can play four seasons in his sport if he maintains eligibility from year to year.
Non-qualifier: Non-qualifiers do not meet the academic requirements listed above. Non-qualifiers cannot practice or compete for their college or university during their first year of college. They cannot receive an athletics scholarship during their first year of college, but they may receive need-based financial aid. They can play only three seasons in their sport if they maintain eligibility from year to year (to earn a fourth season they must complete at least 80 percent of their degree before beginning their fifth year of college).
Grayshirt: A term used in the recruiting process to describe situations in which a student-athlete delays initial enrollment in a collegiate institution to the winter or spring term after the traditional academic year begins. Students who grayshirt often use the fall to take classes part time or choose not to enroll in college at all.
National Signing Day: The first day prospective student-athletes can sign a national letter of intent (see below). For high school football athletes, Signing Day falls on the first Wednesday of February. There is a separate signing day for midseason transfers (junior college transfers) in December.
National Letter of Intent: (Sometimes abbreviated as NLI or LOI) A binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution in which the institution agrees to provide a prospective student-athlete who is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules athletics aid for one academic year in exchange for the prospect's agreement to attend the institution for one academic year. All colleges and universities that participate in the NLI program agree not to recruit a prospective student-athlete once he/she signs an NLI with another college or university. Therefore, a prospective student-athlete who signs an NLI should no longer receive recruiting contacts and calls and is ensured an athletic scholarship for one academic year. The NLI must be accompanied by an institutional financial aid agreement. College coaches are not permitted to comment publicly about prospects until they sign a letter of intent.
Click here for more on the Letter of Intent.
Prep school/Military academy: If a prospect does not graduate from high school in four years he can enroll in a fifth year of high school at a preparatory school or military academy. The prospect's high school GPA is locked and can only be improved by retaking courses. A prospect does not lose college eligibility while competing for a prep school or military academy but will be considered a non- or partial-qualifier when enrolling at an NCAA institution.
Prospective student-athlete: A student-athlete becomes a prospective student-athlete when he starts ninth-grade classes; or if before the student-athlete's ninth-grade year, a college gives the athlete, his relatives or his friends any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to students generally.
Recruit: A prospective student-athlete is considered a recruit when he is provided with an official visit, having arranged, in-person, off-campus contact with a coach, receiving telephone contact from a coach more than once, or is issued a National Letter of Intent from the institution.
Recruiting calendar: College coaches are limited at times during the year in how often and in what way they may contact or evaluate prospects.
Contact period: During this time, a college coach may have in-person contact with prospects and/or their parents on or off the college's campus. The coach may also visit the prospect's high school or watch the prospect compete. Prospects and their parents may visit a college campus, and the coach may write and telephone the prospect during this period.
Dead period: The college coach may not have any in-person contact with the prospects or his parents at any time in the dead period.
Evaluation period: The college coach may watch the prospect play or visit his high school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with the prospect or his parents off the college's campus. Prospects can visit a college campus during this period. Coaches are limited to three evaluations per prospect during the academic year. Evaluations include games and practices.
Quiet period: The college coach may not have any in-person contact with the prospect or his parents off the college's campus. The coach may not watch him play or visit his high school during this period.
Visits: Prospects' visits to a college campus are divided into official and unofficial visits.
Official visit: Any visit to a college campus by a prospect and his parents paid for by the college. The college may pay for transportation to the campus, a room and three meals per day, "reasonable" entertainment expenses. Prospects can make up to five official visits to different campuses.
Unofficial visit: Any visit by a prospect and his parents to a college campus paid for by the prospect or his family. The only expense a prospect may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. Prospects can take an unlimited amount of unofficial visits at any time. The only time prospects cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.
Scholarship offer: A four-year institution can offer financial aid to a prospective student-athlete. These offers can be either verbal or written, however, only prospects receiving written offers can sign a National Letter of Intent or commit to an institution. An institution can offer an unlimited amount of scholarships but can provide only 85 full scholarships during a given academic year.
Walk-on: Any athlete who participates on an athletic team without an athletic scholarship is considered a walk-on. Walk-ons are not permitted to sign a National Letter of Intent. A "preferred walk-on" is assured a spot on the team, but the athlete is not offered a scholarship.