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2	COLLEGE ATHLETIC RECRUITING: Terminology, Perspectives, Resources CREATED BY MR. DWIGHT REPSHER, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR PEN ARGYL AREA HIGH SCHOOL (updated 8/06)
3	MESSAGE FROM THE COLONIAL LEAGUE The information in this presentation has been accumulated and organized as a public service to the student-athletes and parents of our member institutions. College athletic recruiting is complex and ever-changing. In view of this, we encourage you to use this information in coordination with the resources cited in order to be the most informed consumer(s) possible. We hope that you find this helpful as you embark on your journey through the college athletic recruiting process.
4	TABLE OF CONTENTS COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS WHAT ARE COLLEGE COACHES LOOKING FOR RECRUITING ESSENTIALS: Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, Home-schooled Students And The Clearinghouse Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse, National Letter of Intent Breach of the National Letter of Intent, Financial Aid (Scholarships), Recruiting Behind-a-Player DIVISION I: OFFICIAL VISITS (rule changes) RECRUITING DEFINITIONS THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISIONS I & II THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISION III APPROACHING “THE PROCESS” EVALUATING OPPORTUNITIES POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE NAIA REGULATIONS GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS ACADEMIC & ATHLETIC WEBSITES RELATED NCAA PUBLICATIONS SLIDES / SECTIONS CAN BE BY-PASSED, OR THE VIEWER CAN PROCEED TO ANY PART OF THE PRESENTATION BY RIGHT-CLICKING AY ANY TIME, SELECTING “GO”, SELECTING “BY TITLE” AND FINALLY CLICKING ON THE DESIRED SLIDE.
5	COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: How many divisions does the NCAA sponsor? A: Three: Divisions I, II, III Q: Is the NCAA the only organization which governs collegiate athletics? A: No. The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and the NJCAA (The National Junior College Athletic Association) also act as governing bodies over their member institutions. CLICK TO REVEAL ANSWERS
6	COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: When can colleges send recruiting materials to prospects? A: Divisions I & II: On or after September 1 of the prospect’s junior year. A: Division III: Are not governed by these NCAA rules, but typically make contact during the spring of the prospect’s junior year. Notes: Division I football coaches are allowed one telephone call to potential prospects during the month of May of the prospect’s junior year, then not again until after September 1. Division I basketball coaches may make one telephone call per month on or after June 15 of the prospect’s sophomore year through July 31 of his/her junior year. Other Division I coaches may make one telephone call in March of the prospect’s junior year, then not again until July 1. (The rules for Division I women’s coaches are different yet.) AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PROCESS IS ACTUALLY QUITE COMPLICATED!
7	COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: How long can an official visit last? A: No longer than 48 hours. Q: When can a prospect begin making unofficial visits? A: They can be made at any time. Q: What can the institution pay for during an unofficial visit? A: Nothing. Q: What can a prospect do during an unofficial visit? A: Have a tour of the campus, meet with counselors, etc., but nothing can be paid for.
8	COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: How many times can a prospect visit a campus? A: An unlimited number of unofficial visits. Q: Institutions can make scholarship offers to prospects during the recruiting process, that is grants-in-aid to attend said institution. What are some examples of prohibited financial offers? A: Cash, the cosigning of loans, loans to a prospect’s friends or relatives, and employment arrangements for a prospect’s relatives. Q: What types of benefits can colleges offer to prospects? A: Job arrangements, assistance in obtaining educational loans, summer housing, and admission to athletic and alumni events. Note: Summer jobs may not begin prior to the end of the prospect’s senior year.
9	COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: Given that SAT testing now consists of 3 components (critical reading, math and writing), does the NCAA include the writing component in the standards used to determine initial-eligibility? A: No. The combined reading and math sections of the SAT, both of which are scored on a 200-800 scale, will continue to comprise the score used on the sliding scale determining initial-eligibility. At this time, the writing component is not being included in making this determination. Note: The ACT is also adding an optional writing component to its testing format. Since this component is optional, it will not be used in determining academic eligibility.
10	COLLEGE RECRUITING QUIZ Q: What is the function of the “Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse”? A: It determines the initial eligibility of student-athletes by reviewing a combination of their completed high school curriculum and college entrance examination scores. Q: Which divisions of NCAA competition require clearance from the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse prior to participation? A: Divisions I & II.
11	MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS Student-athletes don’t need to challenge themselves academically in high school. Academics and good citizenship are overrated when it comes to athletic recruiting. Parental involvement plays no role in whether or not an institution pursues a given student-athlete. The difference between Divisions I, II & III is skill. (It’s size and speed!) Division III is where players go who can’t play.
12	WHAT ARE COLLEGE COACHES LOOKING FOR? PERSONAL INTEGRITY Heightened publicity over student-athletes who disgrace their schools has made character assessment increasingly important. Trends in Character Assessment: Asking counselors about criminal behavioral, arrests, negative behavior in class, involvement in fights, anger problems, etc. Requesting counselors to assess a student’s motivations. Inquiring about the attitudes of the people in a student’s life towards education. Asking opposing coaches to assess a player’s character. Observing and assessing interactions and relationships with family members. Asking high school support personnel to assess a player’s character. Asking student-athlete hosts to assess character. How easily are recruits swayed? Requiring criminal background checks.
13	HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED ACADEMICS Academic reforms are making certain that student-athletes are ready for college level courses. ATHLETICS In the past, the ultimate question has been: “Can the student-athlete in question play for us?” Now the question is: “Can the student-athlete graduate on time and project a positive image for the college while playing for us?”
14	THE IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMICS Too many student-athletes think that they don’t need to challenge themselves academically in high school. Academics and good citizenship are far more important than most people think. ACADEMICS -will determine the schools into which the student-athlete will be admitted. - will determine the schools at which the student-athlete can succeed. -will determine eligibility through the “NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse”. -will determine whether the student-athlete will remain in school as well as his/her future success.
15	ATHLETIC TRAITS College Coaches Look For: Players who fill team needs. Athletic ability (i.e. skills, size, strength, speed, quickness, agility). Sport-specific skills. Potential to grow and mature (not potential to grow up and be mature). Team players, not players whose personal goals supercede team goals. Competitiveness and physical/mental toughness. Personal traits.
16	THE NCAA INITIAL-ELIGIBILITY CLEARINGHOUSE All student-athletes who have aspirations to play at the NCAA Division I or Division II levels must register with the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. This will determine whether the prospective student-athlete has taken the appropriate high school courses in order to be eligible as a college freshman. -The Division I and Division II initial-eligibility requirements have changed: Student-athletes entering Division I and II NCAA institutions in 2006 and 2007 must have 14 core courses (instead of the 13 required prior to 2005) to be eligible to practice, play and receive financial aid. For the class of 2008, 16 core courses will be required when entering a Division I institution. Note that Initial Eligibility is based on a sliding scale of Grade Point Average and SAT (or ACT) scores. (Additional information can be found @ www.ncaa.org under the “Useful Resources” portion of the Academics and Athletes - “Eligibility & Recruiting” section.) Note: The application fee has recently been raised from $30 to $50.
17	HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS AND THE CLEARINGHOUSE Home-schooled Students must also register with the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Students who were home-schooled for any part of high school (grades nine through 12) must now register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. The clearinghouse will determine whether they will be eligible for practice, competition and institutional financial aid at an NCAA Division I or Division II institution during their freshman year. Register with the clearinghouse by visiting the clearinghouse Web site at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. From there, click on "Prospective Student-Athletes," then "Domestic Student Release Form" and follow the prompts.
18	NCAA AMATEURISM CERTIFICATION CLEARINGHOUSE Incoming freshmen (both domestic and international) as well as transfer students seeking initial eligibility at an NCAA Division I or II institution must register with the NCAA Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse in order to determine/verify their amateur status. Registration may be made via the internet. Registration for prospective student-athletes seeking certification for the 2007-08 academic year and future classes may be made as of the beginning of their junior year in high school. Final certification will occur 2 or 3 months prior to attending their chosen institution of higher learning. Information and application @ www.ncaa.org under the “Useful Resources” portion of the Academics and Athletes - “Eligibility & Recruiting” section.)
19	NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution. The student-athlete agrees to attend the institution for at least one academic year. The institution agrees to provide the student-athlete with financial aid for one academic year. All colleges and universities which participate in the National Letter of Intent program agree to cease recruiting any prospective student-athlete once they have signed a Letter of Intent with another institution. http://www.national-letter.org
20	BREACH OF THE NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT Should the student-athlete fail to attend the signing institution (or attend that institution for less than one academic year) and then enroll in another college that participates in the National Letter of Intent program, a loss of eligibility may result. The penalty for not adhering to the terms of a signed NLI may result in as much as a two years of athletic ineligibility (in all sports) at the latter institution. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Special Note: Most Division I & II institutions employ one or more “Compliance Officers”. These professionals are experts who deal with NCAA regulations on a daily basis. In the event you have questions concerning the recruiting practices of a given institution, need to inquire about the appropriateness of a given practice, or NCAA rules in general, contact the Compliance Office at the institution(s) with which you are involved.
21	FINANCIAL AID (SCHOLARSHIPS) Financial Aid (Scholarships) at Division I and II Institutions, which is based in some degree on athletic ability, can be awarded on a term-by-term or year-by-year basis, but not for more than one academic year. It may be either reduced or canceled prior to the end of the period for which it has been awarded under certain circumstances (such as the misrepresentation of information, serious misconduct, failure to participate, etc.). It may not be reduced or canceled prior to the end of the period for which it has been awarded based on athletic performance, failure to participate due to injury, or for any other athletic reason. Each year the financial aid authority of the institution must inform the student-athlete in writing on or before July 1 as to whether financial aid has been awarded for the upcoming academic year.
22	PRIORITY LISTS: RECRUITING “BEHIND A PLAYER” Bob James / Family Valley State 1. Valley State 1. Adam Miller 2. College of Idaho 2. Jesse Smith 3. Belmont University 3. Bill Sampson 4. College of Montana 4. Bob James 5. Eastern College 5. Walt Johnson It is extremely important to know where you stand on the college coach’s list of preferred players. As we can see in the example, Bob James has narrowed down and ranked his list of preferred institutions. He’s quite aware that HE would like to attend and play for Valley State. However, he hasn’t given any consideration as to where he stands on Valley State’s list of preferred players. (Probably because he believes that he can certainly play there!). What happens to Bob James when the Valley State coach fails to successfully “land” any of his top 3 recruits? He offers Bob James a scholarship.
23	WHAT BECOMES OF BOB JAMES Of all the things that can happen to Bob James at Valley State, they are all negative. 1- He starts at point guard his freshman year. Although he keeps his scholarship for 4 years, he is a seldom used reserve for the remainder of his career. Why? Knowing that Bob is not the quality of player needed at that position in order to be competitive, the coach recruits a better player at that position the following year. (He recruits a player “Behind Him”.) 2- The coach reneges on Bob’s scholarship. Bob remains at the school, but his playing career is over. 3- The coach decides not to renew his scholarship and recruits a player “Behind Him” because he needs a higher quality player at that position in order to be competitive. 4- He transfers and makes the team at the new school. He loses a year of eligibility, but makes the team the following year as a walk-on (with no scholarship). He may or may not be offered a scholarship at a later time. 5- He transfers to a lower level school, can play right away and has a successful career at that level. However, it’s a school which either does not or can not give scholarships. Plus, some of his credits don’t transfer so he is forced to attend the school for an extra semester/year at his and his family’s expense. KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON THE COACH’S PREFERRED LIST! DON’T HESITATE TO ASK WHERE AND HOW YOU FIT INTO THE COACH’S PLANS!
24	DIVISION I: RULE CHANGES REGARDING OFFICIAL VISITS Air travel: Limited to commercial flights, coach class only. Ground transportation: No specialty or luxury vehicles. Meals: No extravagant meals. Lodging: No luxury hotels. Student Hosts: Must be student-athletes from the same sport. Recruiting Aids: Bans articles such as personalized jerseys, audio or visual scoreboard presentations. Institutional policies and procedures: Must be in writing. Must include the prohibition of drinking/drug use/gambling/strippers.
25	RECRUITING DEFINITIONS Contact period: Permissible for authorized athletic department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations. Dead period: Not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on- or off-campus or permit official or unofficial visits. Evaluation period: Permissible for authorized athletics department staff to be involved in off-campus activities to assess academic qualifications and playing abilities. No in- person, off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospect are permitted. Quiet period: Permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution's campus. Detailed information about recruiting is available in the online edition of the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete @ www.ncaa.org under the “Useful Resources” portion of the Academics and Athletes - “Eligibility & Recruiting” section.)
26	THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISIONS I & II
27	THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISIONS I & II
28	THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISIONS I & II
29	THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISION III The NCAA does not regulate the recruiting practices of Division III Institutions to the degree that it regulates those of Division I & II Institutions. In spite of this, the phases of the recruiting process remain very similar, but with variations with respect to their order of occurrence. Student-athletes aspiring to participate at this level are not required to submit applications to the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse or the Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse, and they are not bound by the National Letter of Intent. However, these institutions set very high standards for their students and determine amateur status at the institutional level. The biggest difference between scholarship and non-scholarship institutions is: Division I & II Institutions try to sell their programs, with the climax being the decision to offer a scholarship. Given that Division III schools are not working with scholarship money (everyone who qualifies is offered a financial aid package), the process is driven by alternating demonstrations of interest. (Hopefully, this statement will become more easily understood as we proceed through the phases.) Note: Greater explanation is given to this level of college athletics because a greater number of high school athletes are recruited to play at this level than at any other!
30	THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISION III PHASE I Initial Contact: This typically comes in the form of a questionnaire. Note: There are no restrictions as to when initial telephone calls can be made. Although in-person, off-campus contacts can’t be made with prospects, parents, legal guardians or relatives until the completion of the prospect’s junior year. PHASE II Evaluation: If the student-athlete returns the initial questionnaire, many coaches will make telephone contact and (if the prospect appears to be interested) attend a regular-season game in order to evaluate whether this level of play is appropriate given the student-athlete’s abilities. Head coaches tend to see players who are known quantities, or “top priority” recruits first. Assistant coaches tend to see lesser known players first. PHASE III Campus Visit / Application: Once the coaching staff has attended a couple of games, (The more they want you, the more they’ll see you.), they will make a serious attempt to get the student-athlete onto campus for a visit. The visit typically consists of a tour, lunch, a meeting with the head coach, and a meeting with a representative from admissions. Coaches will often invite higher profile recruits for overnight visits. Coaches hope that by this point, an application for admission has already been submitted. PHASE IV
31	THE RECRUITING PROCESS: DIVISION III PHASE IV Financial Aid Package: Packages typically consist of grant, loan and work study monies. THIS IS WHERE ACADEMICS REALLY MATTER! The attractiveness of the package which a student receives is pretty much dependent upon how well the student fits the profile of the school. (Notice that I did not use the term “student-athlete” in this section. By NCAA rules, students at the Division III level are not to even be designated as “prospective student-athletes” because financial aid is not to be based to any degree on athletics.) The better a student fits the profile of the school, the more grant money, and less loan and work study money is included in the package. The lesser degree to which the student fits the profile of the school, the less grant money and more loan and work study money is included. Nobody likes to pay money back, so students who don’t meet the profile/standards of the school (although they could or probably would be admitted if no other applicants were better qualified) are actually discouraged from enrolling by the configuration of the financial aid package. Conversely, everybody likes free money. Thus, those students who are academically attractive to the institution receive the most grant money, thus are most encouraged to enroll. PHASE V If the coaching staff regards you as a top recruit and believes you are “on the fence” in terms of enrolling, the head coach (and possibly a top assistant) will conduct a home visit in an effort to show the prospective student-athlete the high degree to which they are interested.
32	APPROACHING “THE PROCESS” 1- Determine the player’s ability and appropriate level of play. -Ask coaches of opponent schools in your area. (Your coach may be a bit too biased or unrealistic.) -Which level has shown the most interest? 2- Make unofficial visits. -Take unannounced trips and visit the campuses of schools which have made contact and in which you might have an interest. -Ask acquaintances or the high school guidance department whether they know of anyone who attends the institution. Talk to these students. Don’t be shy. They’ll be happy to talk to you about their schools. 3- Prioritize schools. -Contacts by coaches, your impressions of the schools based on visits/reputation, the interviewing of students from your area who attend the institution, etc. should give you adequate information for prioritizing purposes.
33	APPROACHING “THE PROCESS” 4- Make official visits. You get 5. Use them wisely. You won’t really know until you get on campus and talk to your host student-athlete, the coach, admissions, eat in the dining hall, etc. 5- Determine your role on the team in each program. -Play in pick-up games with team members to see how you stack up to players in the program, and returning players at your position in particular. -Ask the coach and student-athlete host the right questions: -Who is returning and at what positions? -What are your chances of playing right away? -What does the coach see your role on the team being? -Where are you on his list of recruits? -What is the coach’s reputation of recruiting behind players?
34	APPROACHING “THE PROCESS” 6- Determine the short-term vs. long-term advantages of being a part of each program. -What type of career (or level of success) is possible, if not likely, at each school? -What’s the school’s graduation rate? -What types of academic help are available? -What kind of placement record does the school have in a given major? -What is the school’s overall placement record in the event that you change majors? -What is the coaches reputation for helping players with employment opportunities? 7- Consider the financial aid package or scholarship offer. 8- Make your decision.
35	EVALUATING OPPORTUNITIES: IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO KNOW How well you fill their needs. How badly they need someone at your position. Whether you are the player they really want. The coaches history of bringing in players as a necessity and then recruiting behind them. How you fit into the program, into their future plans. How their needs may change over time. The coach’s history of reneging on scholarships.
36	POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE
37	POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE
38	POINTS OF EMPHASIS AND ADVICE
39	NAIA REGULATIONS NAIA recruiting rules and initial-eligibility requirements differ from those of the NCAA. The NAIA: 1- Has fewer recruiting restrictions. 2- Requires that student-athletes meet 2 of the following 3 requirements for initial-eligibility. -Minimum of 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SAT. -Minimum of a 2.0 GPA. -Graduate in the top half of his/her high school class. 3- Offers flexibility to transfer without penalty. 4- No Clearinghouse to establish initial eligibility.
40	GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS NCAA – The National Collegiate Athletic Association 6201 College Blvd. Overland Park, Kansas 66211-2422 phone: 913-339-1906 NCAA HOTLINE: 1-800-638-3731 General Information / Publications website: www.ncaa.org Graduation Rates: www.ncaa.org in the Academics and Athletes - “Eligibility & Recruiting” section under “Helpful Links”. Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse: www.ncaaclearinghouse.net Academic Question, e-mail address: academics@ncaa.org NAIA – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics 6120 South Yale Suite 1450 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 phone: 918-494-8828 Information website: www.naia.org
41	GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS NJCAA - National Junior College Athletic Association P.O. Box 7305 Colorado Springs, Colorado 80933 phone: 719-590-9788 Information website: www.njcaa.org www.national-letter.org – National Letter of Intent website.
42	ACADEMIC, FINANCIAL, RECRUITING WEBSITES The National Directory of College Athletics c/o Collegiate Directories, Inc. P.O. Box 450640 Cleveland, Ohio 44145 phone: 1-800-426-2232 Information website: www.collegiatedirectories.com College Recruiting Services: www.CollegeRecruiting.com www.collegeboundplayers.com www.collegeboard.com – General information and CSS/Profile financial aid online application and registration. www.dynamitesports.com – Educational programs, professional development seminars, recruiting highlight tapes, etc. www.varsityedge.com – Recruiting information and resources.
43	MORE WEBSITES www.collegeispossible.org – Preparing for college, both academically and financially. www.ed.gov – General information on federal student aid from U.S. Department of Education. www.fafsa.ed.gov – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Apply and submit online. www.pheaa.org – Information for parents and students from Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. www.fastweb.com – Free scholarship search from extensive database of scholarship information. www.finaid.org – The Financial Aid Information Page providing free, comprehensive, independent, and objective information to student financial aid. www.nasfaa.org – The National Association of Financial Aid Administrators includes a wealth of information to help with planning to invest in a college education.
44	MORE WEBSITES www.wiredscholar.com – Scholarship leads, loan information. www.patap.org – Pennsylvania Tuition Account Program (TAP) information on saving for college. www.savingforcollege.com – General information on college savings plans (IRS Section 529 plans). www.ustreas.gov – Information on U.S. Savings Bonds www.irs.ustreas.gov – Information on federal tax credits and deductions related to education. www.ifap.ed.gov – Explains U.S. Department of Education’s federal student aid programs, encourages “at risk” students to continue their education beyond high school, provides guidance in completing FAFSA, lists websites and publications about financial aid.
45	RELATED NCAA PUBLICATIONS @ www.ncaa.org NCAA General Information Brochure One copy free by calling 800/638-3731 View/Download 2005-06 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete One copy free by calling 800/638-3731 View/Download NCAA Transfer Guide One copy free by calling 800/638-3731 View/Download CHAMPS/Life Skills Program View/Download
46	MORE PUBLICATIONS @ www.ncaa.org. NCAA Bylaws: (Division I) View/Download (Division II) View/Download (Division III) View/Download