Coach Mike-
National Scouting Director with CSA PrepStar
Professional collegiate sports scout working with qualified next level student-athletes to find the right college athletic and academic fit.
When it comes to workout recovery for athletes, the difference between EAAs and BCAAs is significant. BCAAs—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—play an important role in triggering muscle protein synthesis and can reduce soreness and provide energy during training. However, because they make up only three of the nine essential amino acids, they are incomplete for rebuilding and repairing muscle tissue.
EAAs, on the other hand, include all nine essential amino acids your body cannot produce on its own. This complete profile not only stimulates muscle protein synthesis but also supports hormone production, energy balance, and prevents muscle breakdown. EAAs provide the full building blocks required for muscle repair, making them the gold standard for post-workout recovery.
Bottom line: BCAAs are helpful during training for energy and soreness management, but EAAs are superior for full recovery, growth, and long-term performance gains.
September 1 of a student-athlete’s junior year in high school is one of the most important dates in the recruiting calendar, especially for Division I and II prospects. On this date, college coaches are officially permitted to begin direct communication with prospective student-athletes. This includes phone calls, emails, text messages, direct messages on social media, and other personal recruiting correspondence. Before this date, coaches are limited in how they can interact with underclassmen, typically only able to send camp invites, questionnaires, or general recruiting materials.
In addition to communication, September 1 also marks the point when athletes may begin receiving recruiting materials and more personalized information from programs. Coaches can start scheduling unofficial and official visits, although the actual timing for when official visits can take place may vary by sport. Prospects may also begin discussing scholarships, roster opportunities, and other program details directly with coaches.
This date is especially significant because it is the first opportunity athletes have to see which programs have genuine interest. For many sports, September 1 serves as the “starting line” for meaningful recruiting conversations and can accelerate the process of narrowing down college options.
Athletes preparing for this milestone should have their highlight film, academic information, and athletic resume updated and ready to share. Being proactive on or before September 1 can make a major difference in attracting coach attention and building early momentum in the recruiting journey.
For optimal athletic performance and health, start by understanding your daily calorie intake to meet your body’s energy needs. Boost your meal frequency to maintain energy and support muscle growth by eating smaller, balanced meals every 3-4 hours. Choose whole, nutrient-dense foods over processed options, focusing on lean proteins, clean carbs, and healthy fats. Stay well-hydrated with at least 8-10 glasses of water daily, especially during intense activities, to maintain performance and reduce injury risk.
It is also important to ensure your body has ample time to recover by incorporating rest days into your routine. Finally, aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night to optimize recovery, enhance mental focus, and support muscle growth. By integrating these practices, you’ll improve your overall health and athletic performance.
The PrepStar featured athlete for this week is Riley Carson. Riley is a versatile, high-impact player who excels in multiple phases of the game. Carson contributes as a wide receiver and strong safety, demonstrating his athleticism and football IQ. His presence on special teams is elite, where he serves as a punter, kickoff specialist, and punt returner. A key contributor to Mica Mountain’s 2024 4A State Championship team, Riley was also selected All Conference First Team Punter, All Conference Second Team Punt Return, All Conference Honorable Mention Wide Receiver and Strong Safety.
This summer he also picked up offers from Lake Forest, Western New Mexico, Wabash, Minot State and Pacific and was selected for the 2025 Fiesta Bowl All State Selection (Punter). Recently, I caught up with the rising Senior about preparation for the coming season and some memorable moments.
The PrepStar featured athlete for this week is Kaleb Layton. Kaleb is a dynamic quarterback with a strong arm, impressive athleticism, and the ability to make plays both in the air and on the ground. The recent transfer to Buena High School (AZ) Kaleb had a stellar 2024 season, throwing for 1,943 yards, 19 touchdowns, and maintaining a 101.0 QB rating while also rushing for 210 yards and 8 touchdowns. His performance throughout the season earned him multiple Player of the Week honors, including recognition from Tucson ESPN Radio, KVOA News 4 Tucson, the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, and more. Recently, I caught up with the rising Senior about preparation for the coming season and some memorable moments.
What are your goals after high school? To go college and study business and continue my football dream and goals.
Are you looking to play in college? Yes, it’s always been my dream since I was little to play at the next level in college.
What’s your dream school or team? My dream college has been LSU ever since I was a kid. I’ve been watching them from the ups and downs.
What has been your favorite moment in competition? The opportunity to get better, with good competition means that I’m pushing myself to be my best every rep.
What part of the game do you love most? The family that it creates around a group of boys and creating memories with a team that is a part of something special.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? There is always something you can work on or get better at and your biggest competition is always the guy that looks back at you in the mirror.
What’s your pre-game routine / or pre-game superstition? Locker room getting hyped up with my brothers.
If a movie was made about you, who would play you? It would have to be my closest friend because he knows everything about me.
If you could try another sport, what would it be? Yea, I wanna play baseball this year.
What’s your favorite game-day food? Canes. Me and my teammates have always eaten canes before games. It helps us through the game
Many athletes talk with me about how to gain weight and add muscle to their frame, especially during the busy summer activities of camps, practices and workouts. My reply is always to ask if they know how many calories they eat every day compared to the amount of calories they burn every day. Most athletes do not know they answer to either question.
For example, say you have car and enough gas in your tank to get 100 miles. But the trip you are about to take is 200 miles. Obviously, if you don’t add more gas to your take you’ll surely end up stalled out on the side of the road. So, simply, you need more gas to get where you want to go. Likewise, to continue to gain weight and add muscle to their frame athletes should be in a calorie surplus.
I’ve mentioned in articles from previous newsletters that to grow muscle and add weight the body needs surplus calories. Which means that at the end of the day you have consumed more calories than you have burned during an active day. Also, unless you have the time to weigh food and do complicated math to figure out your daily caloric intake I suggest using an calorie counting app, to help you track how many calories you burn daily and how many you need to consume to build muscle effectively.
During the high school sports season, it’s easy for athletes to lose strength, muscle, and speed if training takes a back seat to games and practices. An effective in-season training plan doesn’t need to be intense—it just needs to be consistent, efficient, and focused on maintenance rather than growth. The goal is to preserve the strength and explosiveness built during the off-season while staying fresh and injury-free for competition. Here’s a simple, outline designed to help high school athletes maintain their performance edge all season long.
Mobility & Recovery Dynamic warmups before games/training Post-session stretching, foam rolling Light yoga or mobility circuits 1–2x/week
Supportive Elements Nutrition: Stay consistent with protein intake (1g per lb of body weight) and fuel pre/post practice. Sleep: Prioritize 8+ hours of sleep for recovery. Hydration: Maintain high water intake throughout the day.
Take the Initiative — Reach Out to Coaches via Email or Social Media Even though in-person contact is restricted, coaches can still respond to emails, messages, and letters.
Send personalized emails with your highlights, GPA, test scores, and a short message expressing interest.
Follow and interact (appropriately) with college programs on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
Tip: Include a link to your recruiting profile or highlight video in your message.
Update Your Recruiting Profile and Highlight Video Make sure your Hudl, YouTube, or PrepStar profile is current and polished.
Include your latest stats, updated film, and academic info.
Coaches will often evaluate from afar during quiet periods, so your online presence is critical.
Tip: Pin your best clips first—coaches often only watch the first 30–60 seconds.
Schedule Unofficial Visits and Campus Tours You can visit campuses at your own expense, but coaches can’t meet you in person during the quiet period.
Take a self-guided tour and get a feel for the campus environment.
Snap a picture in school gear and tag the program to show your interest (it keeps you on their radar).
Tip: Check each school’s recruiting calendar to ensure your visit aligns with NCAA rules.
The PrepStar featured athlete for this week is Caden VanWinkle. Caden is a dual-position, dual-sport athlete from Mica Mountain High School in Tucson, AZ. He is considered among the top snappers in the state of Arizona and ranked as a 4.5 Star by Rubio Kicking. When he is not snapping for the special teams unit, Caden is getting dirty in the trenches as an offensive linemen. After the 2024 season VanWinkle was selected 2nd Team All Region. He is also an Honor Roll student and a member of the wrestling team. This summer he picked up his first D1 offer from UTEP (University of Texas El Paso). Recently, I caught up with the rising Senior about preparation for the coming season and some memorable moments.
The PrepStar featured athlete for this week is Damir Ilicic. Ilicic is a read option dual threat quarterback with good size, speed, and a big arm. In 2024, as a Junior, Damir threw for 2,237 yards with 21TDs! Additionally, he was selected 1st Team All Region. Recently, I caught up with the rising Senior about preparation for the coming season and some memorable moments.
Metrics: 6’2”, 180 Academics: GPA 4.0
Link to recruit profile: PrepStar 360 Athlete Link to Hudl: 2024 Season Highlights Twitter/X: @damirtilicic
What made you fall in love with your sport? After I came to the United States I thought football looked so fun and entertaining, so I started playing and fell in love with it!
What motivates you to keep pushing yourself? To be a better player and person everyday!
What’s your dream school to play for? I would love to play at an Ivy League school like Dartmouth or Cornell. I believe that’s truly where I belong to play!
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from a coach? The game is 20 percent physically and 80 percent mentally, it really changed my perspective on the fact that my mental game will take me further than my physical attributes.
What part of the game do you enjoy the most? The team is my favorite part of the game.
What do you want to be remembered for as a teammate? I would like to be remembered as someone who truly cared about everyone and that changed the program for the better.
How do you prepare before a game? I usually prepare for the game by eating a lot of carbs the night before. I also watch a whole lot of film on the opponent throughout the game week.
What has been your favorite in-game moment? My favorite in game moment had to be this past homecoming game, the throw to end the first half of the game really sealed the deal.
If a movie was made about you, who would star? Leonardo DiCaprio, I just think he resembles me a whole lot.
If you could play another sport, what would it be? I would like to play soccer, I used to play and it was fun when I did play.
Elite Athletes Recruiting 