Article By: Rip-It Sporting Goods

Are you the total package? You were serious in the classroom, and on the field, a
self-motivated, goal-driven athlete. Be careful what you share on Facebook!
Coaches use it too…In order to see who you are! What are you doing when
you think no one is watching!? Coaches want to know that the work ethic and
sportsmanship you showed in the game is truly how you are and not just an act. How do you handle failure on the field!? Handling failure on the field is just as important to
coaches as your performance. They want to know that you can shake it off and not let it
affect your future performances. Network, email, call, and sell yourself-do not rely on parents or services! Take your future into your own hands. A coach will be much more impressed if they hear from you instead of your parents.

TOTAL PACKAGE

Coaches want to know that they are getting the “total package,”
meaning you are focused on academics as much as athletics.
Coaches don’t want to recruit players who may become
ineligible because they can’t maintain their grades. If you are a
strong student, make sure they know it!

1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Do your homework and know academically what is required of you.
Do not limit yourself. No matter who comes recruiting, you want to
be eligible.

2. NCAA COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS

There are many rules and course requirements for high school
students planning to participate in college-level NCAA athletics
based on what Division they want to play in and the year that they
plan to enroll. The NCAA and NCAA Eligibility Center have put
together a useful guide for high school students. It is also a really
helpful tool for parents, counselors, and administrators to provide
proper guidance.

The NCAA’s goal when writing the guide was to make it a little easier
for you to achieve your goal of playing a college sport. For you, this
means one less headache when worrying about your academics
because all of it is now laid out in easy to understand terms. The
NCAA form (formerly 48-H) lists the titles and numbers of all
courses that meet NCAA core course requirements. The NCAA
guide should be your best friend while planning your course load and
choosing your top colleges.

For additional information, refer to the NCAA Guide for the
College-Bound Student-Athlete (www.ncaaclearinghouse.net) and
the college directories for information on Division I, II and III
colleges/universities.

To access the NCAA and NCAA eligibility guide, simply click on the
web address below or go to:

http://www.ncaastudent.org/NCAA_Guide.pdf

3. ARE YOU ALREADY IN THE NCAA CLEARING HOUSE?

Website: http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.html

FACEBOOK

Facebook may be a great way to connect and socialize with your
friends, but it can also be a major reason why a coach decides
you are not right for their program. What a coach sees on your
Facebook page will tell that coach what he can expect from you
over the next four years. Do not let one bad photo leave an
everlasting bad impression.

Quotes from college coaches about Facebook:

“I have literally this year dropped two of my blue chip athletes
from my list after seeing the pictures they had posted on
Facebook. It tells me a lot about them as people, and what I
will be dealing with while they are on my campus for four
years.”

“My athletes started patrolling recruits’ Facebook pages and I
didn’t even know, until they shared with me some of the
comments and foul language one of the recruits had put up
there about other schools and athletes.”

“I highly encourage my athletes to not use this, as it can only
do them damage on our campus, but more importantly from
a hiring standpoint. Once it is out there, it is there forever. I
hate it for them as, being a young person, all your mistakes
are being documented forever and it can and most likely will
be used against you at some point.”

WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING

Coaches give special attention to how a recruit acts when they
don’t think anyone is watching. They want to know if the work
ethic you showed during the game was the real deal, or just
showmanship. They also want to see how you interact with and
speak to people, particularly your parents.

Quotes:

”Most athletes do not realize after I have an interest in them
as an athlete, I spend 80% of my time watching them handle
a strike-out, how they warm up, what they are talking about
with their peers in the stands, how they speak to their
parents or coaches, the way they carry themselves around
the ballpark between games.”

“I have dropped several athletes when listening to them talk
to their peers in the stands about boyfriends, fights,
drinking, etc. If they are a wild hair now, how am I and the
team going to get them focused to do their share of work to
win a national championship?”

“I really like to see if the athlete is working or not when they
think no one is watching. That is why I always wear my
sunglasses when watching them. Do they always sprint on
and off the field, are they picking up their teammates, are
they a leader, if they are struggling at the plate do they go out
on their own between innings and swing off a tee. These are
the little things that separate the average from the elite.”

HANDLE THE FAILURE WELL

How you handle failure is just as important as how well you
perform. In a game where getting a hit 30% of the time is
considered successful, coaches know that players who handle
their failures well are the right fit for their organization. What
happened last inning, or last at bat, should never effect what is
happening NOW!

Quotes:

“Our sport is full of failure, especially in hitting. I love the
intensity of watching an athlete who has struggled the first
two at bats then comes to the plate for his third as if he is
two for two. This is the guy I will follow and do whatever it
takes to get him to my school.”

“Mental toughness is the single most important quality that
will get an athlete to the next level.”

“I love the recruit/athlete that I can never tell from offense to
defense; if they are succeeding or failing. They have learned
the art of separation-with this in hand I can assist them as an
athlete in getting them to a championship-they get it.”

“Failure is like art. It is all in the eyes of the beholder/athlete
from a recruiting point of view. After 15 years of college
coaching it is very easy for me to tell apart the athlete who
plays with passion and for the love of the game compared to
the athlete who is looking at the stands to see who is
watching and just wanting to sign that scholarship.”

NETWORKING

Get organized and make a genuine effort to contact coaches. Do
not rely on your parents to make contact with the coach at your
dream school! Coaches are far more impressed when they are
contacted by you instead of your parents. Make sure that the
coaches at your top schools know who you are because you
have taken the time to reach out to them yourself.

1. List your top 15 schools as a freshman and do your research. Try
to attend practices, visit campuses, etc. Your goal should be to add
and subtract schools until you can narrow your list to five choices by
the beginning of your junior year.

2. Go to camps on college campuses and surround yourself with the
coaching staff and athletes of that school. It is good exposure and
will give you a feel of that school and if the school’s culture is a good
fit for you.

3. Remember to network through your existing contacts. Your travel
team and high school coaches can help introduce you to coaches you
may not know or are unable to contact. Do all you can to make sure
that they understand what you are working towards. The coaching
world is much smaller than you think and you never know who will
give you your best lead on the school of your dreams.

4. Email your information to the coaches. Send them games, times,
locations, references, experiences, and clearinghouse information.
Make sure all of your information is conveniently right at their finger
tips. This refers back to the total package- you are organized, hungry,
and want to contribute. Sell yourself.

5. Make phone calls. Coaches are limited by NCAA rules, but you are
not. You want them to know you and know that you are the type of
player who takes initiative and wants to be a part of their team.

6. DO NOT rely on your parents to make contact with the coach. The
coach wants to communicate with you more than they want to
communicate with your parents.

SPECIAL THANKS

A special thanks to all of the helpful coaches who provided their
knowledge, wisdom, and quotes for this article.