If an athlete is planning to transfer to an NCAA Division I or II school, they need to remember that coaches cannot speak to them about a transfer until they receive written permission from their 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. School B assumed that the athlete was interested in their school and sent a “permission to contact” form to school A. The compliance person at school 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 913-766-1235 or email rick@informedathlete.com.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… CY: wait… I: wait… YCat: wait… I: wait… Top: wait… I: wait… L: wait… C: wait…

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.

Ryan Allen

Now is the time that is most crucial for players to become routine regimented, both on the field and in the classroom. 

Whether you are a high school or college athlete, your first priority is always your class work. 

Once the season starts, however, it becomes very difficult to put class work first. 

Time management is key - make sure you are completing assignments when they’re due and staying on top of things. 

It will only get more difficult to balance as the semester progresses, so put yourself in a good position for success at the start!

If you don’t understand something in a class, get help EARLY by talking to your professors or instructors or work with a tutor.   

Don’t be afraid to ask for help!  Better to do that than be standing on the sidewalk as the bus pulls away with the rest of the team for a weekend series!

It is also extremely important for all players at this time to become very aware of their bodies and the habits that will allow them to perform at optimal level, (e.g. getting plenty of rest, eating good meals, doing daily body maintenance work). 

Taking care of business now will put you in good position to start the season and continuing to be disciplined and focused will help you through the ups & downs during the season.

Good luck to you!

With the early signing period having passed

Now, with that being said, this article is for those of you, who like me, were not able to sign with a school in November and are still looking for that right opportunity. 

I remember the feeling that I had when the early signing period of my senior year had passed and I had not received many calls or offers from schools that I had hoped to hear from. 

I found it extremely frustrating to see kids that I was convinced I was better than – signing with Division I schools – while I was left wondering and waiting.   

For whatever reason they got called and you did not – it’s happened and now nothing will be able to change that. 

I know it’s hard not to, but I can tell you that continuing to wonder why they got calls and you didn’t will not help your frustration.

But, what you can do is focus on YOU and put YOURSELF in the best position possible to continue participating in your sport after high school graduation.   

Reach out to schools to gauge their interest in you as an athlete and as a student.

If they won’t knock down your door, then you go knock down theirs. 

Don’t be afraid of a little rejection, most schools will do it in a very respectful (and even helpful) manner. 

For those of you finding yourself still looking for a place to play, I want to wish you the best of luck. 

Don’t let one little bump in the road derail your entire path - Keep pushing and finding ways to make it happen!

Ryan Allen

If you are a high school baseball player (or any athlete) who hopes to receive a college athletic scholarship, the most important thing you can do is get your name out there.  Playing in front of coaches gives yourself a better shot to put your name in that coach’s head. 

Some kids are fortunate enough to have coaches find them, but there are many out there who need to be proactive and take the initiative.  It is important for a young player to put forth the effort not only on the ball field, but in selling himself to college coaches. Even though baseball is not in season, the fall and winter months are crucial periods for high school baseball players who want to play at the next level.  This is when many colleges have “showcase camps” to evaluate high school players. 

In my opinion, Perfect Game USA has great showcase events that are highly organized.   They usually have good attendance from many coaches across the US, as well as pro scouts, if that’s your goal. 

These showcases are very helpful and beneficial to any young baseball player in search of a college scholarship, as they give you a chance to display your abilities in front of a number of college coaches (coaches at D-1 schools, many junior colleges and schools from other divisions will attend). 

While these showcases are not guaranteed to get you a scholarship offer to a high Division 1 school (although it does happen), there are many other doors that can be opened by attending one of these camps. 

When should you start attending these showcase camps?  The earlier the better!

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.

It can be when a baseball player desires to transfer from one Division I program to another! 

As many of you know, in Division I baseball, a transfer directly from one program to another is required to “sit out” (can practice but not play) a year at the second school before he can be eligible for competition. 

There is an exception, however, for a player who was not on scholarship and was not recruited by the first school.  A player in that situation MAY transfer from one Division I program to another and be immediately eligible to play upon transfer (as long as they meet appropriate academic requirements).  This exception also applies for basketball and football (bowl subdivision).

The requirement of this exception that trips up most players is how the term “recruited” is defined by the NCAA.  A “preferred walk-on” might not be “recruited” in NCAA terms. 

A prospect is “recruited” by a particular school:

• If they’ve been contacted off-campus by one of the coaching staff members,
• If they’ve made an official visit to campus,
• If they’ve signed a National Letter of Intent or athletic scholarship agreement, or
• If the coaches have contacted the prospect by phone more than one time to recruit them to the program.

Another possible “advantage” to being a non-recruited walk-on can be found in situations in which a prospect receives a scholarship from, for example, their high school booster club or a local civic club, such as Kiwanis or Rotary.

If their athletic achievements are the primary reason that a prospect wins such a scholarship, a non-recruited walk-on can accept the scholarship with no consequences. 

A recruited walk-on, however, would be considered a “counter” and the value of their outside scholarship would count against the baseball team’s limit of 11.7 scholarships.  This could result in the prospect being required to decline the scholarship so that its value does not cause the baseball team to exceed their scholarship limit.

Keep in mind that regardless of whether an athlete was recruited or not recruited:

• If they desire to transfer from a Division I program to a Division I or II program, the athlete will still have to request permission from the first school to talk with other institutions about a transfer. 

• That request should be made in writing to the compliance office (after talking with the coach), especially in cases where you believe the coach may want to withhold or restrict that permission for contacting other schools.  The schools have deadlines within which they must provide an athlete with an answer to their request to contact other schools (Division I – 7 days, Division II – 14 days).

If you have questions about NCAA rules, contact Rick at rick@informedathlete.com or at 918-994-7272.  We’ll discuss your situation and how we can help.  

When my friend asked him how many times he had taken it so far, the player said “This will be my first time.”  (He has not taken the SAT either.)

If you are a subscriber to our monthly newsletter, I’m confident that most of you know how important it is to take the ACT or SAT test during the junior year. 

It not only provides a baseline score so the athlete knows how much, if any, they need to improve their score for freshman eligibility to compete, but also how much they need to improve their score for academic scholarships.

Keep in mind that an ACT Sum Score of 105 or an SAT score of 1200 (in critical reading and math) could mean an additional academic scholarship (100 or 1050 for NCAA Division II).

In addition, it also is required before athletes can make official visits to campus or be offered a National Letter of Intent. 

So make sure you get an ACT or SAT test scheduled at least once during your junior year.

If you are new to our website, you can access our up-to-date recruiting calendar with upcoming ACT & SAT test dates by clicking on the “Current Recruiting Calendars” button on our home page at www.informedathlete.com.  For additional assistance, please call us at 918-994-7272 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com. 

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.

The NCAA College Recruiting Calendars for December 2010 and January 2011 for many of the top sports are now posted.  To access, please go to NCAA recruiting calendars. 

For your convenience, the calendars are in pdf format, and the first page contains a listing of the recruiting definitions. 

This is the time of year when some college athletes consider transferring to other schools.  We can answer your questions and help you navigate through that process. 

Informed Athlete educates, advises, and assists families of high school and college student-athletes on issues related to athletic recruiting, academic eligibility, transfer isues and financial aid rules so that they are able to make informed decisions that are in their best interest.

If Informed Athlete can be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 918-994-7272 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com. 

Allen’s new book Both Sides of the Plate – Insider Secrets for Navigating the College Baseball Recruiting Process  is now available for $17.95 + $4.75 shipping.   

 Decisions made during the recruiting process can have HUGE impact both emotionally and financially.  This book provides real-life advice and insights into many situations you will encounter during & after the recruiting process. 

Some of the questions this book answers include:

- How soon should we get started in the recruiting process?

- What should we do if we’re not getting recruiting interest?

- What should we look for and what questions should we ask on campus visits?

- What are the academic requirements needed to be eligible for an athletic scholarship?

- What should we do if things don’t work out and we need to transfer to another school? 

- What should we know about transfers BEFORE we go through the recruiting process? 

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. 

Informed Athlete helps families navigate through the often confusing and complex athletic recruiting, academic eligiblity, transfer and financial aid rules so they can make informed decisions that are in the best interest of their family.  This book was written to address many questions we receive on a daily basis from families who call asking for help. 

To order your copy, please go to:  http://www.informedathlete.com/online-store/both-sides-of-the-plate.

For your convenience, the calendars are in pdf format, and the first page contains a listing of the recruiting definitions. 

Informed Athlete educates, advises, and assists families of high school and college student-athletes on issues related to athletic recruiting, academic eligibility, transfer isues and financial aid rules so that they are able to make informed decisions that are in their best interest.

If Informed Athlete can be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 918-994-7272 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com. 

The NCAA College Recruiting Calendars for June & July 2010 for many of the top sports are now posted on Informed Athlete’s website:  www.informedathlete.com under “Recruiting Calendars” in the menu bar.  For your convenience, the calendars are in pdf format, and the first page contains a listing of the recruiting definitions.

Informed Athlete educates, advises, and assists families of high school and college student-athletes on issues related to athletic recruiting, academic eligibility, transfer isues and financial aid rules so that they are able to make informed decisions that are in their best interest.

If Informed Athlete can be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 918-994-7271 or send an email to rick@informedathlete.com.  We don’t charge for an initial 15 minute call.  If your situation requires additional time and research, I’ll be honest and upfront about the time involved and we can discuss the fee. 

Best wishes for a great summer!

That same day, other elite recruits announced their college choices on ESPNU.

Then, USC was in the news again a few days later when it was announced that the Trojans and new head coach Lane Kiffin received the verbal commitment of a young quarterback from Delaware.  Did I say young – David is in 7th grade! That will make him a college freshman in 2015!

Certainly, college sports has become a big business at the Division I level, at least with the revenue-producing sports of football and basketball, but in my opinion, these extremely publicized commitments have gone a bit too far.

A year ago, the NCAA enacted rule changes to govern the recruiting of 7th and 8th graders in the sport of men’s basketball.  With the recent announcement about this young football player’s commitment, will changes to football recruiting rules be far behind?

Have you ever watched an athlete who obviously has raw athletic skill falter and not achieve his or her highest potential while others who aren’t as athletically gifted excel far beyond anyone’s expectations?