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!

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 918-994-7272.

“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

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 918-994-7272.  

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.  

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 also the date in most sports when once-per-week phone calls to high school upcoming seniors are permissible as well.

For those athletes who are fortunate to receive recruiting interest at this time of year, enjoy the attention and be sure to ask a lot of questions.  Remember that you should be evaluating the coaches and the schools just as much as they have been evaluating you. 

For those athletes who do not receive a recruiting phone call, or a visit by a college coach to your home, on July 1 or within a few days of this “special date,” don’t panic and get stressed out.  There is still plenty of time to be recruited and plenty of opportunities for you to be seen.  You may not be recruited by your first choice of schools, but there are plenty of other schools to choose from.

For more on the permissible dates for phone calls and other recruiting information, sign up for our newsletter and you’ll 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.

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…

Summer can be vital for any baseball player’s development as it is the one time of year where each player can focus completely and solely on baseball on a daily basis.

While it is always important for each player to play within the team concept and to help the team win on a daily basis, this is a point in the year where each player needs to put his own development as the number one priority.

This is especially true for any young player who has redshirted, or simply not played many innings throughout the year.  After all, that is the reason for coaches sending players to summer leagues in the first place.

Every player can benefit by going into summer ball with a plan in place for what they want to accomplish in those two short months.

Go to the park everyday with a purpose to somehow improve your game, as each little piece leads to an overall big improvement.

I don’t want players to think that they need to drive themselves nuts in trying to improve either.
By all means, have fun with your teammates.  Hang out, socialize, do the whole nine, since after all, developing a relationship with your teammates is just as important as any drill.

But keep in mind, the real reason and purpose in your being there.  Again, this is only two short months, and it’s up to each athlete to make them matter.

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. 

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. 

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. 

At each of those schools, the head coach was fired for alleged mistreatment of players.  One coach allegedly made inappropriate remarks about players families or backgrounds, the second coach allegedly required a player to be locked in a dark storage area for two or three hours, while the third coach was alleged to have grabbed a player by the throat.

As a recruit or the parents of a recruit who hopes to earn an athletic scholarship, is there any way to predict this type of behavior from a college coach?  No, in most cases there isn’t.  However, I believe that it re-emphasizes the importance of making a connection with the head coach when you are visiting campus.

Your primary recruiter may be one of the assistant coaches, but it won’t be the assistant coach who decides on the starting line-up.  It is important to spend some time with the head coach to try to determine the type of person that he is and if he is truly interested in you, or if he is just going off of the recommendation from an assistant.

It is also important to try to determine what kind of relationship the head coach has with his players. Is he the outgoing type that you can talk to about a personal problem, or is he the quiet type who is hard to “read” because he is quiet and doesn’t say a whole lot?

If you are asking the right questions and asking the right people, you stand a better chance of perhaps getting a least an indication of how a coach treats and communicates with his players.

In some ways, it may be easier to be recruited by and to play for a fiery, volatile coach, because you at least have an idea of what to expect when you arrive on campus.  A coach that is quiet, doesn’t say much, and is hard to read can be tougher to figure out because it is harder to assess their personality and how they might react in various situations.

Our “Plan for Success Roadmap” includes a list of questions you should ask and things you should look for during campus visits that will help you obtain some good information.

Do you have other questions about recruiting, or about academic eligibility or athletic scholarships? Contact Rick Allen at 918-994-7272 or at rick@informedathlete.com with your questions.  To receive our complimentary monthly newsletter, sign up here on the website.

Informed Athlete LLC 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.

Informed Athlete is NOT a recruting service – our prime concern is the family we work with.  We also offer assistance following college enrollment, for example in situations involving a transfer from one college to another.  We deliver our services in several ways including our website:  InformedAthlete.com, monthly newsletters, teleseminars, live presentations and individual consultations/coaching sessions with the student-athlete and his/her family.

Rick Allen is uniquely qualified in this field.  He has worked on college campuses since 1980, and has over 20 years experience working directly with the NCAA compliance rules and procedures on two college campuses:  the University of Illinois and Oklahoma State University.  In addition, he also understands what it’s like to be in the parents’ shoes as his son went through the recruiting process and signed to play baseball at University of Missouri 4 years ago.

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

These athletes will have an opportunity to sign a National Letter of Intent with an NCAA Division I or II institution during the early signing period that begins on Wednesday, November 11.  The signing period continues through Wednesday, November 18 and is available for athletes in most sports.

High school football seniors will not sign a National Letter of Intent until February 3, 2010.  Other sports that do not sign until February 3 are cross country, track and field, soccer, field hockey and water polo.

Do you have questions about the National Letter of Intent?

Questions about scholarship offers that accompany the National Letter of Intent?

Join Informed Athlete for our next teleseminar when we discuss the rules and processes regarding the National Letter of Intent and scholarship agreements.

This topic will be especially helpful to any high school athletes and parents who are planning to sign a National Letter of Intent during the November signing period, or during a future signing period.

Date:  Wednesday, October 28th
Time:  7 PM CST

Rick Allen, Founder of Informed Athlete will discuss:

• The NCAA rules regarding the National Letter of Intent

• Institutional athletic scholarship agreements.

• Recruiting rules during this signing period.

• “Double signing.”

• Publicity about letter of intent signings

To register for this FREE teleseminar, go to National Letter of Intent.

If you would like to submit a question before the teleseminar begins, you can send it to rick@informedathlete.com.

This teleseminar is one of our regular series in which we discuss topics of interest to athletes, parents, and coaches, and interview coaches, scouts and other from the world of baseball.  It is provided as a complimentary service of www.informedathlete.com, but registration is required.