college athletes – Page 2 – Elite Athletes Recruiting

How to Enjoy the Recruiting Experience Your Senior Year

Posted on December 27, 2014December 27, 2014 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Almost every athletic competition has time constraints. For example, soccer has two 45 minute halves, basketball four 8 minute quarters, even track and swimming measure placements by time. Baseball and softball limits games by a specified number of innings. Clearly, time management is vital to every game. Usually, the winning team at the end of the game is the team that managed the clock best. In contrast, the team that does not always relies on last second miracles to pull out the victory.

Last Minute Miracles

Athletes in the midst of their senior year should not rely on last minute miracles to land a scholarship. Now don’t get me wrong, I believe that miracles happen, but I’d much rather be confident that everything has been done to assure that victory is certain. Think of it like this. Would you rather hurry and scurry around as the clock winds down hoping to score at the last second or would you prefer to know that victory is eminent as you take a knee allowing time expire and relish the moment of celebration?

Senior year should be one of recruiting celebration not recruiting anxiety.

Often, I speak with parents and athletes who didn’t take the time earlier in high school to design a recruiting plan. For many reasons these folks are in a panic. Each day anxiety builds up more and more because they are aware that the clock is winding down; the phone’s not ringing, no letters are in the mailbox, and no coach’s emails in the inbox. Truly, I feel for these folks because a miracle is the only hope they have for a scholarship offer.

Tips to Enjoy the Recruiting Process Senior Year.

Senior year is supposed to be an enjoyable year, not one of anxiety. Follow these few tips to be certain that you’ve met your goals and victory belongs to you!

Stay true to your recruiting plan. Start working the plan early and stay the course. This is where years of recruiting exposure will pay off.
Keep focused in the classroom and on the field. This is not the time to let your performance slip.
Be familiar with the recruiting timeline. Depending on the sport, calls from college coaches for recruiting can begin in June, July and September.
Know that you can contact college coaches. If they haven’t called you, then you call them. Communicate with as many coaches as possible. Show them that you are interested.
Take official visits to colleges recruiting you. Five official visits are permitted, use them wisely. Make sure you know the academic and athletic expectations for athletes at each school.

NIL Signing Day

When its all over, the goal is to sign your letter of intent in February. Circle this date on your calendar. National Letter of Intent signing day is always the first Wednesday in February. Also note that the NCAA has 346 D1 member schools, 291 D2 and 439 D3 schools all with athletic programs! Many of these programs will not complete recruiting athletes until well into the Spring. Some Spring sports however have extensions, such as softball and baseball. Due to later season play, regular signing period for these sports are typically April 16 through May 21 for Division I athletes. For Division II athletes the regular signing period is April 16 through August 1^st.

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Readers are welcome to leave comments to this week’s post or ask questions to be answered in next week’s post. As always, I can be reached around the clock on twitter @michaelwoosley.

Useful tools to simplify the recruiting process

Posted on November 21, 2014November 21, 2014 by eliteathletesrecruiting

People often ask me what they get if they unlock their PrepStar profile. My response, when you unlock your profile you get amazing tools to help you take control of the recruiting process. Tools make thing easier today. The tools you get by unlocking your PrepStar profile take away the guesswork and help you monitor progress, interest and offers.

Plus, with the PrepStar profile, the headache of keeping track of all paperwork is gone. Say goodbye to trying to stacks of folders and pages of notes to try to track your recruiting contacts. Prepstar makes it simple to keep track of all your college contact in one place. The instructional video below shows you how to use your Prepstar profile to its fullest potential.

Helpful tips this video covers:
1. Building your profile – update your profile in real time.
2. Editing your profile – catch the attention of coaches by adding new information, videos, accomplishments, and transcripts
3. College view– see coaches that are looking at your profile
4. Contacting college coaches– emails of every college coach is preloaded for you! Plus you can email them directly from your profile!
5. Recruiting calendars– contact periods, non-contact periods, signing dates.

Why wait until the last minute to start getting nationwide recruiting exposure? Get started by unlocking your profile today! Don’t know how? Message me so I can tell you how.

PrepStar is an exclusive collegiate sports recruiting organization that qualifies student athletes for college athletic and academic scholarships.

Here’s how you can contact me. Email me at mwoosley@csaprepstar.com, call or text me at 805-622-7827, Tweet me @michaelwoosley on Twitter.

Your Future Isn’t Just in Your Hands….

Posted on November 8, 2014 by eliteathletesrecruiting

The average debt of 2013 college graduates was over $35000. Its essential that whoever helps you get recruiting exposure helps you find the right college fit, otherwise you'll be paying to play. — The average debt of 2013 college graduates was over $35000. Its essential that whoever helps you get recruiting exposure helps you find the right college fit, otherwise you’ll be paying to play.

Fact is, who you choose to help you get to the next level can make a substantial difference. Please don’t take this consideration lightly. Afterall, its your future that you place in the hands of whomever you choose to help you get noticed by college coaches.

Let’s be honest, there are only a select few athletes who don’t need help to get to the next level. Truth is most athletes rely on help from an outside source such as a coach, family friend, or recruiting organization to help them get noticed by college coaches.

Not to sound too overly dramatic, but you must choose carefully because your future depends on it! Take some time to ask yourself two simple questions. ‘Does this person has your best interest in mind?’ “Do they want to see me succeed not just in sports but in life?”

Again, the person or organization you choose to guide you through the recruiting process will make a world of difference. Here are three reasons why you need to put some thought as you to choose the right person to help you get to the next level. The right person handling your recruiting can help you get maximum exposure, financial assistance and the right fit. Here’s a brief explanation of each.

Exposure– who you choose to help you needs to have reach. What I mean by reach is relationships and connections with colleges nationwide to help you get the exposure you need to get noticed. A person with reach should know coaches from coast to coast. More reach equals more exposure and more exposure equals more opportunity for collegiate athletic scholarships.

Financial assistance– who you choose to help you will impact the amount of scholarship money offered to you. There is a huge difference between playing for a school and getting a scholarship to play for a college. The difference is not just the financial assistance you will receive, it also means the amount of money you will have to finance to pay back after you graduate.

Fit– who you to help you will have an affect on fit. By this I mean whether or not you fit in athletically and academically at your new college. Fit is more than going to a school you “like”. Fit is knowing the answers to questions like these. Does the college you want to play at have a the major you want to study? Is that program top notch? What are the values of the college? Do you like the community where the college is located? Will going to that college prepare you for a career after you graduate? What kind of athletic program are you going to be a part of? Do you have a good repore with the coaches? Do you like the offensive or defensive schemes? Is your position already filled or will you have a fair shot a earning a spot on the depth chart and seeing playing time as an underclassman?

So, what’s your recruiting strategy? Who are you relying on to get you noticed by college coaches?

Need help? Want some advice? Use the comment section to ask me questions.

3 Tips to Defeat to the Fear of Not Being Recruited

Posted on October 31, 2014 by eliteathletesrecruiting

The scariest thing about recruiting is not being recruited. Beware, waiting for some coach to come knocking on your door is not the way to get recruited. If this is your plan, then I’m afraid that your chances of signing that letter of intent on National Signing Day are pretty grim!

But you’re not afraid. You’re an elite athlete determined to succeed! You’ve put in the hard work, extra reps, aches and pains…sweat…blood…tears. Now its time to get your reward in full.

Here are three tips to keep away that scary thought of not playing at the next level.

1. Start early
The sooner you begin the recruiting process the better. Most D1 caliper athletes are identified by the end of their sophomore year! That means recruiting starts in 8th or 9th grade. Get noticed by starting early.

2. Be proactive
Don’t be afraid to take control of your recruiting process. Do your homework. Learn the recruiting timelines. Find out about contact dates. Keep good stats and up to date film. Don’t fret, instead make something happen but taking control.

3. Get help
College recruiting can be confusing so you’ll want help to help you navigate safety through the process. There are a number of different avenues to explore to get assistance, advice and increase exposure. Use coaches, and contacts as well as websites and recruiting organizations to help you get noticed.

So, don’t be scared by the recruiting process. Get in there and get going! Start a plan towards success today!

Have questions? Need help. Contact me to set up a time to talk or use the comment section below.

Coach Mike – Email: mwoosley@csaprepstar.com Phone: 805-622-STAR

Top 10 Recruiting Myths & Mistakes

Posted on October 27, 2014 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Collegiate sports recruiting has changed significantly over the years. Things are done differently than they used to be…don’t believe me? If you have a parent who was lucky enough to play college sports, ask them how they got recruited. I’m certain that every one of them will admit that the way they were recruited then was much different than how recruiting is done now.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of out- dated ideas about recruiting. They may have worked 20 or more years ago, but they are not as effective today. Here are 10 of the most common recruiting myths and mistakes. Consequently, placing all your hope in these myths and making mistakes can be the difference between earning a scholarship and paying for your scholar-ship.

1. I am being recruited because I am receiving letters from colleges

Hate to break it to you but thousands of other kids are getting the same exact letter as you are. You are in their database which is cool, but that does not qualify as being recruited. When you get a real recruiting letter (not just an invite to their camp) you will know the difference.

2. I am the best player on my team so coaches will find me

As recruiting budgets continually get cut, college coaches have fewer staff and financial resources to find you, even more so if you are a little off of the beaten path. You need a way to stand out among the hundreds of thousands of best players!

3. I have got until my senior year to get the recruiting process started

False! Recruiting needs to start early! Colleges can start making offers day 1 of your Freshman year.

Wake up, look around! How many kids on your team the past three seasons that did not start the recruiting process early in their Freshman, Sophomoric, or early in their Junior year are now playing at the next level?

4. If I am not a top player, I can not get recruited

Not true. Lots of great players are affected by parent politics and pressure put on coaches to play upperclassman.

The key to getting recruited is setting realistic expectations on what level you can actually compete at athletically and academically then getting and staying on the staff radar by consistently providing them relevant information like highlights, grades, test scores and stats so they can keep evaluating your progress.

5. My coach has a bunch of connections so I am all set

That is great. You should leverage every opportunity you can to get additional exposure. That said, it would not be wise to put all of your eggs in this basket, or any basket for that matter. Ultimately, coaches are charged by schools and organizations to win ballgames and keep the program running smoothly. Truth is, your recruiting future is not necessarily one of their top priorities.

6. I am an awesome player so my bad grades are no big deal

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! The first thing any college coach at any level looks at is your grades to see if you qualify academically before they invest time any amount of time evaluating your athletic ability. You would never invest in a car that couldn’t get you from point A to point B. It would only be a waste of money! Simply put, schools want to invest in students who will finish their degrees, not finish games.

7. I do not need a highlight video, my stats are enough

After coaches look at your grades and test scores to see if you qualify academically, your highlight video is the single most important thing a coach needs to see in order to evaluate whether or not you are a potential fit for their program – and the highlight film needs to be short and sweet and create instant WOWs – or they are off to the next kid.

8. Coaches look at the highlight CDs my dad mails out

Back in the pre-Internet days this was absolutely true because there was no other way, besides going to a game, to get a look at an athlete. Sorry dad but time and convenience are the niche now. The Internet has changed the recruiting playing field forever and technology has made it so simple (a click of a mouse) to evaluate 10 times the number of kids in the same amount of time it took to view one.

9. I am doing combines, camps and showcases which is getting me plenty of exposure

This is in fact true if you are placing in the 95th percentile. You will absolutely get additional exposure which will help you get on the radar of more schools. These special opportunities also cost lots of cash $.

That said, the truth is that the majority of student athletes competing at these types of events gain little to no benefit in the recruiting process, in fact, if you do poorly, your times and performance are non-erasable from the Internet.

10. My team plays in a tough division so scouts will discover me

This does not exactly sound like a recruiting plan. Yes, you may in fact get lucky, but the law of averages is not on your side. Too many athletes from top teams in their STATE fall under the radar so why would you wait and hope to happen to be the lucky one who gets discovered and lands the scholarship?

If you’re serious about playing the sport you love in college you will need a recruiting strategy with a number of ways to maximize exposure and get you noticed by colleges. I can help you put together that strategy! Contact me to get started!

Finally, let’s help one another out by keeping the conversation going. Use the comments section to share other recruiting myths or mistakes.

5 Key Stats that first generation student athletes must know

Posted on October 17, 2014October 18, 2014 by eliteathletesrecruiting

Nearly one out of five college athletes taking the field, court, pool, or pitch are the first from their family to attend college. According to a recent study published by the NCAA

1. 18% of NCAA student- athletes are first in their family to go to college
2. Over 80% of students whose parents attended college receive financial help from their family to pay for college tuition.
3. Needs based aids and government loans are required for 64% of first generation students to fund college tuition.
4. Of first generation college student athletes 53% would not have attended college if it weren’t for athletic scholarships.
5. 55% of first generation students are concerned that high tuition cost will keep them from completing their bachelor’s degree.

Athletics are an excellent way to supplement college tuition. That is, if an athlete is good enough to compete at the next level.

Every year more than 7,000,000 young men and women compete in high school and club team sports.
Less than 6% of high school athletes will ever compete in sports on the collegiate level.

Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, many good athletes go unnoticed. And each year hundreds of college scholarships go unfilled. Recruiting assistance is available for high school student- athletes dreaming of playing the sport they love at the next level. Find out how PrepStar can help student athletes get both athletic and academic scholarship money for college.

Contact Coach Mike with recruiting questions at mwoosley@csaprepstar.com