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Recruiting 101 – The Importance of Being Seen

Ryan Allen — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:00:28 +0000

: 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!

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.

FREE Telseminar – Mental Strength & Athletic Performance

Rick Allen — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:05:26 +0000

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?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a GOOD athlete and a GREAT athlete?

If you are an athlete, the parent or coach of an athlete, you will not want to miss this seminar on Wednesday, January 13th at 7 pm CST.

Dr. Chris White is the co-author of the NY Times and USA Today best seller The Flip Side – Break Free of the Barriers That Hold You Back. With his Ph.D. in statistics and his uncanny ability to communicate, Chris has helped launch a division of The Flippen Group that assists with the development of top professional athletes.

During this hour, Chris will:

Talk about what Mental Strength is and how to develop leadership skills

Discuss the 5 top skills that an athlete needs to excel both on & off the field

Give real-life examples of how he & The Flippen Group work with professional and college athletes to build confidence and become exceptional leaders in their sport

To register for this FREE teleseminar, click on this link: Informed Athlete Seminar.

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

This teleseminar is one in our regular series in which we discuss topics of interest to athletes, parents, and coaches It is provided as a complimentary service of Informed Athlete, but registration is required.

We hope that you are able to join us on Wednesday, January 13th at 7 pm CST!

The Effect of New Scholarship Rules in Division I Baseball

Rick Allen — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:09:05 +0000

With the NCAA Division I baseball scholarship changes coming into full effect during the 2009-10 academic year, walk-ons will take on more important roles on baseball rosters.

Each Division I institution will be limited to 27 counters (athletes receiving an athletic scholarship) among their roster limit of 35 players, with the other 8 spots being occupied by walk-ons who will receive no athletic scholarship.

Division I rosters of no more than 35 players must be established the day prior to the first contest in February. Coaches can have more than 35 players during the Fall and January practice periods, but must be at no more than 35 before the start of the season.

Walk-ons who are on teams that have more than 35 players participating in fall practice sessions must be aware that they are at increased risk of being cut from the team. Once a player is cut from the team, he will not be able to use the athletic facilities to work out and will have no practice opportunities with the team.

A student-athlete who is receiving an athletic scholarship must be included in the counter limit of 27, and the total roster size of 35, even if they are injured and unable to play. So a walk-on who has been performing well during practice sessions must be aware that they may be cut from the team to make room for an injured player receiving a scholarship because the injured player must be counted among the 27 and 35.

Juniors at Division I programs who choose to return to school for their senior year may be asked to return as a walk-on as their scholarship was probably already “given away” in the recruitment of an incoming freshman. This has already been the case for a number of years, but may become more common as the opportunity for coaches to give 5% or 10% scholarships to late signees is only available in rare situations.

Some baseball programs have established their own set of “rules” for distributing scholarships. Some let recruits know up front that their scholarship will decline each year after their freshman year, while others may inform the players after their enrollment that there will not be a baseball scholarship for their senior year if they return.

Players and parents should be asking about the effect of the new financial aid rules on their baseball scholarship so they will know well in advance.

For those who are walk-ons, especially at programs that have more than 35 players participating in Fall drills, it will be extremely important to assess your chances of making the 35-man roster that will be in effect for the season.

For those who choose to transfer, it is quite possible that a fresh start at an NCAA Division II or NAIA program may result in increased opportunities for financial aid, for playing time, and for a better opportunity to be drafted due to the increased playing time.

For more information from the parent of a college baseball player who is also an expert with over 20 years experience in NCAA rules regarding recruiting, eligibility, financial aid, and transfer issues, go to www.informedathlete.com and register for our free newsletter, or contact Rick Allen at 918-994-7272 or rick@informedathlete.com.