A prospect is considered a recruited athlete if the college takes one of the following actions:

• If they provide the prospect with an official visit.
• If they have an off-campus contact with the prospect or the prospect’s parents or legal guardians.
• If they offer the prospect a National Letter of Intent or an athletic scholarship agreement.
• If they initiate a telephone conversation with the prospect or his parents or legal guardians more than one time.

Ironically, a coach can have frequent e-mail conversations with a prospect but that athlete will still not be defined as a recruited athlete if the coach does not use any of the four actions above to encourage the prospect to attend the college and join their athletic program.

Rick Allen, Founder of Informed Athlete and former DI Compliance Director, shares insight into the Transfer Process including the types of transfers and the NCAA rules that an athlete must follow in order to successfully move to another school and be eligible to play.   

When an athlete is being recruited, the last thing he/she wants to think about is transferring.  However, it’s important to be aware of the NCAA rules before you sign with or walk-on at a school because decisions made can have a huge impact on what happens should you later have to go through the transfer process. 

Please note:  This product bundle includes the actual audio file plus a PDF transcript.  After payment is processed, you’ll receive an email with the download link for both items.  If you have any questions, please call Informed Athlete at 913-766-1235.

Each year, parents spend thousands of dollars on lessons, equipment, competitive sports teams, and travel in the hopes that their child will be noticed by college athletic recruiters and offered a scholarship. 

Their journey is often complicated by making costly mistakes due, in many cases, to not knowing or understanding the NCAA rules. 

If you are going through the recruiting process or plan to be soon, this book could save you hours of time and THOUSANDS of dollars. 

Decisions made during the recruiting process can have HUGE and lasting impact both emotionally and financially later on. This book provides real-life advice and experiences that are typical of the many situations you will encounter if you are actively pursuing an athletic scholarship. 

In this book, you will learn how soon you should get started in the recruiting process, what you should do if you’re not getting recruiting interest, what to look for and questions to ask on your campus visits, what academic requirements are needed to be eligible for an athletic scholarship, what to do if things don’t work out and you need to transfer to another school, and what you should know BEFORE you go through the recruiting process.

For over 20 years, I was Director of NCAA Compliance at 2 major universities: The University of Illinois and Oklahoma State University. In addition, I have walked in parents’ shoes when our son was recruited and accepted a college baseball scholarship at a Division I school. 

Some of the stories I share are based on situations I’ve encountered throughout my years on campus. Some of these stories include mistakes that were made in our own son’s recruitment process despite my years of NCAA experience and expertise.

Note:  Price includes shipping.

Congratulations to those prospects who have committed to a school and will have the opportunity to sign a National Letter of Intent with their NCAA Division I or II future school starting November 9. 

Here are some NLI general reminders and points to keep in mind:

Signing the National Letter of Intent commits the athlete to attend the school they sign with for one full academic year in exchange for receiving an athletic scholarship.  If an athlete withdraws from school before completing one academic year, they might incur penalties upon transfer to another school, unless the school they signed with releases them.  (This release is different than a release to speak with other schools about a transfer – two separate processes.)

The NLI must be accompanied by a financial aid agreement from the school the prospect will sign with. If both documents are not signed, the NLI will not be valid.  Be sure to confirm that the financial aid agreement reflects the same amount of athletic scholarship that was offered during the recruiting process.

Coaches are not permitted to deliver the National Letter of Intent in person.  Also, coaches are not permitted to be present when the prospect signs the NLI.  The family of a prospect will sometimes ask if the coach can be present so they can get a picture together when their son or daughter signs the NLI.  This is ok for Junior Colleges or NAIA schools, but not for NCAA coaches.

The financial aid agreement commits the school to provide an athletic scholarship to the athlete for one academic year.  Athletes must be notified by July 1st each year whether their athletic scholarship will be renewed for the same amount, increased, decreased, or cancelled for the upcoming academic year.  If an athlete’s scholarship is reduced or cancelled, the athlete must be notified by the school that a hearing opportunity is available to them.

Prospects who are planning to play both football and another sport at the college level (applies to both Division I and II) should not sign with their school until the football signing period in February.  A number of years ago, some schools tried to get an advantage by having football recruits sign in other sports during the November signing period.  That loophole was closed, and now football players or true dual-sport athletes who sign in November will be ineligible for practice and competition in football during their freshman year, and will forfeit a season of competition.

It’s permissible to “double sign” with an NCAA school and a Junior College.  That’s somewhat common since some players want to “lock in” with an NCAA program, but also may want to attend Junior College to have an opportunity to be drafted after freshman year.  (The Junior College signing date for baseball is January 15.)

Players who sign with an NCAA school, but start out at a junior college, need to keep in mind that the National Letter of Intent that they signed with the NCAA school remains binding on them until they graduate from the Junior College.  Athletes who sign with NCAA school A, but change their mind and want to attend NCAA school B after junior college, will still be bound to NCAA school A if they want to transfer before completing their Associates degree.  The other option is to obtain a complete release from the National Letter of Intent.

If you’re interested in individual assistance with questions about recruiting, eligibility, financial aid, or transfer rules, contact us at rick@informedathlete.com or 913-766-1235.

“Hi Rick,  I can testify to the fact that the recruiting process was a path with unexpected twists and turns and it was comforting to have you alongside to help navigate.  I can’t imagine any parent trying to go it alone.”

                                                                                  Parent of a Division I Volleyball Player

                                                                                                            Parent of a 4-4 baseball transfer

I am the parent of a Division 1 college baseball player and have had the pleasure of talking to Ryan in person, by phone and by email. Ryan Allen is the real deal who has been a Division 1 baseball player and knows the questions to ask and is a tremendous mentor to both athletes and their parents.  Through his college baseball career Ryan learned so much and has no problem conversing with adults by telling them the truth and not candy coating it.  My wife and I only wish we knew Ryan before our journey began because it would have helped us tremendously.  Since he is only a few years older than your son a bond can form between them and they can experience the process with someone that has been there – from falling in love with your first school and not pursuing other avenues (which our son did and regrets) to moving to a Division II for his senior year. 

                                                                                                 Parent of a 4-2-4 transfer baseball player.

In addition, September 1 is the date when high school football seniors can begin to receive recruiting phone calls from Division I coaches.  The coaches are limited to one call per week until the contact period in late November, and then there is no limit on how often coaches can call football prospects during a contact period.  During other recruiting periods, football coaches are restricted to one call per week.

Prospects are permitted to send e-mails to coaches prior to September 1 of the junior year, and we encourage you to do so, to let the coaches know of your interest in their program, and to provide them with information such as your team’s schedule and to provide updates on your academic and athletic performance.  Just be aware that the coaches are not allowed to respond to your e-mails until September 1 of your junior year.

Similarly, it’s fine for prospects to call NCAA coaches prior to the date when it is permissible for the coaches to initiate recruiting calls to prospects.  The coaches can talk to you if they answer the phone when you have placed the call.  However, if you don’t reach them directly, they will not be able to return your call, so you may want to continue trying to reach them on a regular basis until you are able to reach them directly.

Don’t be shy about contacting coaches to let them know of your interest, especially if you’re going to be playing in a game, combine, or showcase event near their campus.  If you let them know of your interest, they may be able to set aside an hour or so to come evaluate you while you’re in their area.

For more on the permissible dates for phone calls and other recruiting information, sign up to receive our monthly newsletter and a monthly recruiting calendar with important dates including ACT/SAT test dates.

For more information on Informed Athlete’s services, please call us at 918-994-7272.

In this discussion with Rick Allen, Donnie talks about how he handled multiple obstacles from not being chosen for his high school team to being cut from the travel squad the day his college team was leaving for the NCAA Regionals – to ultimately end up drafted in the 10th Round of the MLB draft. 

Donnie is currently playing at the Triple AAA level for the Cleveland Indians.

We guarantee that this is a story that will inspire you no matter what your dreams…

Please note:  This product is a PDF transcript.  After payment is processed, you’ll receive an email with the download link .  If you have any questions, please call Informed Athlete at 913-766-1235 

Josh is a nationally recognized assistant coach, one of the most sought-after recruiters in college baseball, and he’s been to the College World Series multiple times as both a player and a coach.  

During this discussion, he shares valuable insights into the recruiting process from a coaches’ perspective including what they look for in an athlete and how they make their decisions. 

Josh also talks about what an athlete needs to do to be seen, which events the coaches & scouts attend, and what an athlete should look for in a college. 

If you are currently being recruited or hope to be, the information in this transcript will be very helpful to understanding the process.

Please note:  This product bundle includes the actual audio file plus a PDF transcript.  After payment is processed, you’ll receive an email with the download link for both items.  If you have any questions, please call Informed Athlete at 913-766-1235.

In this discussion with Rick Allen, Billy Gasparino, National Cross-Checker for the Toronto Blue Jays, talks about what a cross-checker is, how the pro scouts evaluate talent, what it takes to play baseball at the professional level, and what it’s like for the athletes during the season and the off-season.

Several questions submitted by parents were also answered.

Please note:  This product includes a PDF transcript.  After payment is processed, you’ll receive an email with the download link for this item.  If you have any questions, please call Informed Athlete at 913-766-1235. 

Rick Allen talks to Dr. Chris White, Director of Coaching & Development of The Flippen Group, about their work with professional, college, and high school athletes. 

Chris shares the top 5 traits that athletes need to excel in their sport and gives advice on how to develop the mental skills to be successful both on and off the field. 

The Flippen Group are proven leaders in the sports psychology arena and work with athletes  to help them develop to their full potential.  They focus on increasing performance not just by identifying strengths, but more importantly, by eliminating the constraints that hinder performance.

Chris White, Ph.D. developed the statistical model that is the basis for the coaching program and is the co-author of the book The Flip Side:  Break Through the Behaviors that Hold you Back.

While the discussion specifically mentions baseball, this information is pertinent to an athlete in any sport.  

Please note:  This product bundle includes the actual audio file plus a PDF transcript.  After payment is processed, you’ll receive an email with the download link for both items.  If you have any questions, please call Informed Athlete at 913-766-1235.

Because of Rick’s background as a compliance officer with a major university, Rick was able to help guide us through the issues involved of moving from a D1 to a Junior College and back to a D1 university to ensure NCAA rules were not violated. He also gave us good information on the various options available to our son.

Through our experiences, we have come to learn to value Rick’s opinion and have realized that it is difficult, if not impossible, to try and interpret the many rules and regulations that govern NCAA athletes unless you have a helping hand”                                                                                                                   

Parent of a Big 12 baseball player