Ryan Allen, former Mizzou & Central Missouri pitcher, gives advice to high school seniors who did not sign a National Letter of Intent in November.

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 [...]

“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

September 1 is the first day that high school juniors in all sports other than men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey (their date is June 15) can receive e-mails, letters, and other recruiting material from NCAA Division I and Division II coaches.  Prior to this date, NCAA programs are only permitted to send camp and [...]

If you’ve ever been told you are too short, not fast enough, or not good enough, read this true story about one athlete who persevered through incredible odds to make his dream come true – The Donnie Webb Story.

Can it actually be better to be a non-recruited walk-on to a Division I baseball team compared to a player who’s been actively recruited to join that team?  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 [...]

For high school athletes in many sports who are upcoming seniors, July 1 is an important date.  July 1 is the date when it is permissible for coaches in most NCAA Division I sports to begin to have off-campus face-to-face contact with high school recruits who will be entering their senior year.  July 1 is [...]

With the season again ending for more teams over the weekend and summer ball fast approaching for some players, and already underway for most, it is important for each player to have a plan in place to get something accomplished in preparation for their return to school in August. Summer can be vital for any [...]

Rick Allen, Founder of Informed Athlete, talks about WHEN & WHY a high school athlete should take the ACT & SAT Tests.

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 [...]

The NCAA College Recruiting Calendars for October, November, and December 2010 for many of the top sports are now posted.  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 [...]

If you are a fan of college football, you have probably heard of the recent controversies at the University of Kansas and Texas Tech University, as well as at South Florida. At each of those schools, the head coach was fired for alleged mistreatment of players.  One coach allegedly made inappropriate remarks about players families [...]

Informed Athlete LLC (www.informedathlete.com) provides guidance and answers questions that high school and college athletes, parents, and coaches have about college athletic recruiting, eligibility, transfers, and scholarships. Rick & Julie Allen founded Informed Athlete in 2008 to help families of student athletes who have the athletic skills to compete at the collegiate level, but often struggle through the recruiting or transfer process and make mistakes that cost a lot of money or result in an athlete quitting their sport before they have reached their full potential.

“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.

November is an exciting time for those high school seniors (or junior college athletes) who have been recruited by an NCAA Division I or II athletic program and have been offered an athletic scholarship to continue participating in their sport in college. These athletes will have an opportunity to sign a National Letter of Intent [...]