Vintage Sports Memorabilia

One of the most significant parts of the season for collegiate coaches is the recruiting season.  Recruiting season is  where they set out and search as many schools as possible for future players.  College coaches devolve uncounted hours on the road, on the phone and in recruit’s homes in an attempt to convince athletes to attend their school.  At the Division I level recruiting is an intense, cut-throat business.  The coach’s job is practically on the line based on who they can bring in to their program to increase wins.  As athletes pursue lower NCAA levels it is slightly less cut-throat, yet still very important.  Most of the time coaches at the lower levels (Division I FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA) are waiting for players to sign at a higher level.  This means that a Division II’s top recruits are ordinarily trying to decide if they are going to be offered a scholarship at a higher level school.  Although recruiting is important, it is equally important for athletes to market themselves.

Early this summer I had the opportunity to speak in front of about 150 high school athletes that attended one of our summer camps.  I asked them who had goals of playing football in college.  Of the 150 or so campers almost every hand in the room went up.  I then asked them what was the likely hood of them playing college football.  One kid raised his hand and said “slim to none”.  To his surprise I told him that he was wrong.  The entire room looked at me like I was insane .  This fact is commonly misunderstood among athletes and parents.  Pay close attention to what I am about to tell you because it could change the way you think and go about pursuing a dream of playing college football . 

Statistics are repeated about the 1% of student athletes that receive college scholarships and then the 1% of 1% of athletes that are able to play professionally.  These stats are accurate, especially the stat of playing professionally .  It is extremely difficult to break into the NFL or any of the professional sports.  However, when discussing about playing college sports that stat is based on playing at a high level Division I program.  Going back to the camper who said their chances were “slim to none”.  Yes, the chances of most players playing on scholarship at the University of Florida, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, USC, UCLA, Colorado, etc. are very small .  However, there are thousands of colleges in the United States that offer football.  The key is to honestly estimate what level the athlete will succeed at.  It doesn’t always mean that the athlete is on a full scholarship either.  Maybe they walk-on to a team or many of the lower level schools are able to split scholarships up to give some money to more athletes.  If your goal is to play college football then go do it.  There is a school that would love to have you on their team.

As your final season wraps up you now begin to look to where you will contribute your skills next season, follow these tips.  First, if you have not been visited and contacted in person by a major program then you are not going to play at a major program, unless you pursue that as a walk-on.  Just because you receive one or two pieces of mail does not mean they are recruiting you.  After your senior year you must begin to look at schools that are interested in you .  This means that you have sat down with one of the coaches or talked to them on the phone.  Easy rule of thumb to follow is the more contact you have with a school; the more interested they are in you.  Second, discuss with your high school coach and give him a list of schools that you are interested in, be realistic in your list.  You should always research the school on your own to be sure they are in a location you like and that they carry your major.  DO NOT expect your coach do your P.R. work.  It is critical that you market yourself.  Your coach has 10-20 or more athletes trying to play college football as well.  He or she doesn’t have time to make phone calls and highlight films for every athlete .  If you want a special highlight film then you should make one yourself.  A couple of ways to do this is by getting clips and making a highlight video on Microsoft Movie Maker or another editing program.  Hire a company to make a highlight film for you, there are plenty recruiting agencies that do that full time.  You must consider that your head coach is limited by time and making sure that his best athletes are getting suitable attention.  Although it seems unfair you must put it in perspective .  If you receive two phone calls at the same time and one is your Aunt Gertrude and one is the President of the United States, which call will you answer?  The choice is simple, and is the same way with coaches.  If 1% of athletes play major Division I, isn’t it logical that your coach is going to take the time to get that player attention.  The point is, don’t sit around waiting for other people to hand something to you.  You would never expect your coach handing you a starting position without working your tail end off for it.  If it is your dream to play college football then market yourself, send tapes and call the coach at the school you are interested in.  If this is your goal then chase it!

Finally, be realistic what level you would fit best.  Talk to your coach about what level he thinks you would fit into to.  Your coaches have seen and evaluated many more players than your uncle or mom and dad.  Keep in mind that you are going to college to play not sit the bench.  You must also keep in mind that regardless of where you play, it is college athletics and it is much tougher to make it on the field .  I see this every year at the school that I coach at.  Freshman will come in and not play, usually ending up on the scout team .  Having been a starter the year before and been recruited they feel as though it must mean they are good enough to play.  Keep this in mind when you make it to the campus for practice.  You are 17 or 18 years old competing against guys who are 20, 21 or 22.  When you first entered your high school it never crossed your mind to play varsity as a freshman, hardly anyone did that.  It is the same in college, work hard and be patient.  If you do that and give yourself time to develop from a high school player, into a college player then your college experience will be one you will never forget.    

Tags: Campers, College Coaches, College Football, College Scholarships, Collegiate Coaches, Cut Throat, Division Iii, Entire Room, Naia, Nbsp, Ncaa, Parents, Recruit, Rsquo, Scholarship, School Athletes, Slim To None, Student Athletes, Summer Camps, Surprise