Informed Athlete | The Allen Group, Inc. | » Transfer Issues

How to approach an exit meeting with your coach

Ryan Allen — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:50:36 +0000

With the end of the season approaching, and having already arrived for some teams, a hot topic among all players and parents will be exit meetings with the coaching staff.

This is the time where each player will meet with the coaching staff (in my experience, the head coach, but may differ for other teams) to summarize the year as well as give an overall outlook at the individual’s future with the program moving forward.

For some players, the exit meetings may be nothing but a mere formality, a simple goodbye to the coach and see you next fall. But for others, the exit meeting may be a major factor in what a young player, and his/her family wants to do for the upcoming school year.

In approaching these meetings, there are many different questions that may be asked depending on the situation that a particular student-athlete is in (freshman vs. junior, pitcher vs. position player, and starter vs. bench player).

However, I believe that one simple rule that each athlete should live by is to make sure that at the conclusion of each meeting, there are no unknowns left on the table.

Speaking as an athlete who did not get all questions clarified, and paid for it later, I believe this is the overall priority with each exit meeting. As a former student-athlete, I know that all of us have many questions with what our future holds at a particular university.

Do I still have a chance to contribute?

Is there any chance I could be cut at fall semester?

Will my scholarship be renewed?

At the end of the day, there are many uncertainties that each player has. And to an extent, there are even some uncertainties within the coaching staff that may keep them from answering them to a player or parent’s satisfaction.

But bottom line, each athlete wants to receive an honest and thorough evaluation to give his/herself the best opportunity at success. By getting as many questions answered as possible, the student-athlete puts him/herself in a better position to make an educated decision about their future.

Walk-on Transfer Rules

Rick Allen — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:54:28 +0000

Can a preferred walk-on transfer from one D-I baseball program to another D-I without sitting out a year?

As most of you know, the NCAA transfer rule for baseball was changed a few years ago.

The change required athletes transferring from one D-I baseball program to another D-I to attend the second school for one academic year before they would be eligible for competition. They can be immediately eligible to practice with the team, but can’t play for one year.

However, there is an exception that allows a baseball player to be immediately eligible upon transfer to another D-I program.

A walk-on may use the one-time transfer exception as long as the school he is leaving did not recruit him to their baseball program.

The NCAA uses four criteria to determine if an athlete is a “recruited athlete.” To view the four criteria, click NCAA rules – Definition of a Recruited Athlete.

NCAA Rules – Definition of a Recruited Athlete

Rick Allen — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:38:04 +0000

How does the NCAA define whether a prospect is considered a recruited athlete?

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.

Mid-year Transfer Reminders

Rick Allen — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:29:49 +0000

It is common for athletes to transfer from one school to another in the middle of the academic year. Here are some general reminders about midyear transfer situations.

1. Baseball players transferring TO an NCAA Division I program at midyear cannot be eligible until the following academic year. This is true regardless of whether the athlete is transferring from a two-year or four-year school.

2. The above is also true for Division I basketball.

3. 4-4 transfers in bowl subdivision football and men’s ice hockey, as well as in baseball and basketball, are ineligible to compete during their first year in residency.

4. Athletes in baseball or basketball looking for immediate eligibility upon transfer need to look at NCAA Div. II, Div. III, NAIA, or a two-year college.

5. Find out when your grades from this term will be posted to your transcript. Request a copy of your transcript ASAP.

6. You must have written permission from your present NCAA Division I or II school before speaking to another Division I or II school about the possibility of a transfer. Request this “permission to contact” before the athletic offices are closed for the holiday break if possible.

For more detailed information, you can search the blogs on our website, or contact us for assistance at 918-994-7272.

Athletic Scholarships & Transfer Issues

Rick Allen — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:28:43 +0000

“You need to transfer if you want to get more playing time.”

That’s the last thing that a college athlete wants to hear from his or her coach. Sometimes transfers are initiated by the athlete, but many times they are initiated by the coach.

Throughout the years, I have encountered many different reasons for athlete transfers including coaches moving to another school, athletes’ wanting to move closer to home, athletes’ desire to switch schools, or because their scholarship has been reduced or cancelled.

You may be wondering why I am writing about the topic of NCAA transfers when most athletes and parents are just thinking about the NCAA recruiting process. The transfer rules may be the last thing on your mind. I understand that – I’ve been there. However, I believe that you should at least be aware of some of the basic transfer rules.

The sport of baseball is a bit unique in that it is the only sport in which most athletes receive partial scholarships, yet they cannot transfer directly from one NCAA Division I school to another and be immediately eligible, even if their athletic scholarship is reduced or cancelled.

Of special note is the fact that in many transfer situations the first college can still control whether a player will play at another Division I or II school.

An NCAA Division I or II college must receive the written permission of the four-year school that a player is currently attending before they are permitted to speak with that player about the possibility of a transfer. This can become an issue of conflict between athletes and coaches, and we have worked with a number of athletes and their families to help reduce this conflict and accomplish the transfer in a positive manner.

Players also need to remember that academic eligibility will be a very important factor in order to be immediately eligible at the next college, whether transferring from a four-year college or from a junior college. Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center and being classified as a Qualifier – even if you know you will be starting out at the junior college level – is an important factor and will make the transfer process much easier and less stressful when that time comes.

Contact us for further information if you need help with transferring. Through the years, we have assisted many athletes through tough transfer situations. To schedule an appointment with Rick Allen, please call us at 918-994-7272 or email rick@informedathlete.com

Does your nutritional supplement contain banned substances?

Rick Allen — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:10:41 +0000

It was recently reported by the New York Times that two dietary supplements that are popular with high school football players, Mass Xtreme and Tren Xtreme, contain steroids, according to court documents filed by federal authorities. Search warrants executed by authorities on July 23 allege that the products, manufactured by American Cellular Labs, contain illegal man-made steroids.

This news should serve as a reminder to high school athletes, parents, and coaches to be careful about nutritional supplements that are purchased over-the-counter.

In addition, high school athletes who will be starting their college careers at NCAA colleges and universities within the next month are reminded that they will be subject to NCAA drug tests, and in many cases, additional drug tests administered by their school or conference. These athletes should have received a list of the NCAA’s banned substances from their college or university. If you did not receive such a list, be sure to contact your coaches and request a copy of the list.

Many universities, especially at the Division I level, have their own drug-testing policies, which in most cases are “help-based” programs. This means that if an athlete tests positive in a university drug test, they will be referred for counseling and/or drug education classes, and may serve a penalty determined by the coach or school, but will not necessarily be subject to restrictions by the NCAA.

NCAA athletes will also be subject to drug tests administered by the NCAA. The NCAA drug-testing program is a “punitive” program. Student-athletes who test positive for NCAA banned substances will be ineligible for one calendar year from the date of a positive drug test. There have been cases in which freshmen athletes tested positive for a substance that they began taking while involved in high school sports because they were not aware that the product contained an NCAA banned substance.

Athletes and parents are reminded that a product as common as caffeine is on the list of NCAA banned substances. Most athletes would have to drink a large quantity of caffeine to test positive in a NCAA drug test, but due to different body compositions and metabolic rates, there is no sure way to know how much caffeine may be consumed before being in danger of a positive NCAA test.

For more information about matters regarding NCAA rules, or any other issues that athletes and parents have questions about, go to www.informedathlete.com to sign up for our free newsletter, or contact Rick Allen at 918-994-7272 or rick@informedathlete.com.

Transfer Issues Related to "Walk-ons" in College Athletics

Rick Allen — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:56:00 +0000

Question: My daughter is participating on the volleyball team at a Division II college as a walk-on. The coaching staff did not recruit her. She now desires to transfer to a college closer to home that is in the same conference as her first college and join their volleyball team. Her current coach won’t give her permission to contact any school in the same conference. Does the coach have the right to do this? The coaches didn’t even recruit my daughter.

Answer: In many cases the coach does have the right to do this. If a student-athlete at one four-year college contacts another four-year college about the possibility of a transfer, the coach at the second college is not permitted to speak with the student-athlete until he/she has received written permission from an athletic administrator at the first college. In this case, however, the first college must provide your daughter with the opportunity for an appeal hearing with a campus committee. We provide assistance to athletes that find themselves in this situation. For more information, call 918-994-7272 or email rick@informedathlete.com.

Advice for College Athletes Regarding Transfer Situations

Rick Allen — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:04:52 +0000

It’s the time of year when some college athletes are considering, or have already decided, to transfer to another school for the spring semester. Sometimes it is their choice, and sometimes they are encouraged to leave. (Some baseball athletes are being affected by the latter, as NCAA Division I coaches must cap their baseball roster at 35 players by the start of the season.)

If an athlete is planning to transfer to an NCAA Division I or II school, coaches cannot speak to the athlete about a transfer until they receive written permission from the athlete’s current institution. So, the first thing the athlete should do is talk to their coach and explain that they would like to request permission to speak with other schools. One of the things that upsets many coaches is when they receive a “permission to contact” form from another school and the student-athlete has not given them any indication that they are considering a transfer. The key to remember – coaches don’t like surprises.

It also can be helpful if the athlete and his/her parents are on the same page. A father once contacted school B to say that his son wanted to transfer from school A, and asked school B how to accomplish the transfer. B assumed that the athlete was interested in their school and sent a “permission to contact” form to school A. The compliance person at A contacted his counterpart at B and said that the athlete wanted to know why the form was sent because he had no interest in transferring. I told my counterpart at A that the athlete should talk to his Dad.

For more information on this and other relevant topics, please call 918-994-7272 or email rick@informedathlete.com.