SportsForce

How to choose the right level of college athletics for your student-athlete

2011-05-19T19:06:00.001-07:00

SportsForce How to:

How to choose the right level of college athletics for your student-athlete

STEP # 1 – Talk to Your Coach

The first thing we recommend is talking to your high school and/or club team coach. Most often, these coaches have been involved in this process for a long time and have coached student-athletes that have been through the recruiting process before. Their experience will give them a good idea of what potential level you could play at in the future.

Parents and student-athletes need to ask their high school or club team coach what level they should look at for playing beyond high school. Often, the coach will give you an idea of your skill set and abilities athletically and academically. You must use your high school and club team coach as a resource to get an assessment, advice, and then a recommendation. Remember, they’ve often already been through this same process with other athletes and can be a good evaluator of your skill level because they have seen many other teams and players compete.

STEP # 2 – Watch

The next step in picking the right collegiate level of play is watching. Look at colleges from all levels of play (Division 1,2,3, or Junior College) and try to figure out when they’re going to be playing in your local area. If you can, go to a game and watch them in person. Try and scout college freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors to see how they’re playing and what their skill set is like physically. This will give you a good idea of where you fit in best. SportsForce recommends that student-athletes and parents attend a few local games to get an idea of their caliber of play.

If you can’t physically attend a local game you can also watch a number of games over the Internet. Again, it is important that you evaluate the caliber of play for each collegiate level. For example, if you’re watching a Division 1 football game, you can get a solid idea of how good the quarterback is at USC or how good the running back is at the University of Alabama. Once you understand this you can ask yourself if you stack up with that level of size and athletic ability.

STEP # 3 – Research

It is also essential that you visit the websites of your potential colleges and look at their team roster. For example, go to a number of Division 1, 2, and 3 team websites and look at the size and background of their players. What do they look like physically? What kind of academic or athletic awards did they receive in high school? Try to match your physical traits and athletic and academic success with the right collegiate level of play.

To get started today take advantage of our FREE 30 Day Trial.

For more College Recruiting Tipsand specific details on our proven Step-by-Step College RecruitingandAthletic Scholarship systemcontact one of our college recruiting experts at 858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com

3 Tips for Dealing with College Recruiting Coordinators

2011-05-19T08:22:00.001-07:00

SportsForce Blog

3 Tips for Dealing with College Recruiting Coordinators

TIP # 1 – Understand Their Circumstances

In order to best deal with recruiting coordinators you must try and understand their frame of mind. A college recruiting coordinator is typically in their late 20s or early 30s. They are working 60 to 100 hours a week trying to manage the recruiting process and develop a successful team simultaneously. They travel 15 – 25 weeks a year and are juggling a lot of moving parts. It is important to realize that some recruiters get sometimes over 100 emails a day while receiving anywhere between 20 to 50 phone calls.

In simple terms, they are often overworked, underpaid, and constantly traveling, leaving them with a limited amount of time and attention span to interact with parents and student -athletes.

TIP # 2 – Keep it Simple

When you send an email, keep it short and to the point. Be sure to provide a clear and compelling subject line (ex. Josh Smith – 2013 – QB – 3.8 GPA – All-League with 20 TD’s). You see how that subject line is like a HEADLINE of the player to grab the attention of the recruiter. We’ve created sample email templates of what college coaches prefer to maximize our families recruiting communication efforts.

If you send them a highlight video make sure it is between three to five minutes in length; make it to the point, easy to identify yourself and quality enough video. Also, remember to always provide them with all of your contact information at the bottom of your email. Their time is precious and they're looking for efficiency and effectiveness. You need to make it easy for them to recruit you.

TIP # 3 – Keep Them Informed

Lastly, it is really important that you keep the recruiting coordinators informed. You need to tell them when and where you’re going to be playing. For example, if you are playing in an upcoming recruiting tournament or showcase that they’re going to be traveling to, make sure that you let them know what team you’re on, what your schedule is, what position you play and what jersey number you wear. Send them an email with all this information along with a quick update on your athletic and academic status. This will improve your chances of being evaluated by them at the tournament or showcase that they’re traveling to. Most coaches have a list of players they want to see but you can improve your chances of being added to that list of prospects to evaluate.

Another thing for parents to keep in mind is periodically updating them with their son or daughter’s athletic progress. So, let’s say your child was recently named all country or all state. It is a great idea to send an email to the college recruiting coordinator saying, “Hey, you know my son John was named all state and here’s his final season statistics.” After this, provide them with a quick wrap up of some of the highlights from his season.

*For more College Recruiting Tips and specific details on our proven Step-by-Step College Recruiting and Athletic Scholarship system contact one of our college recruiting experts at 858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com

To get started today take advantage of our FREE 30 Day Trial.

Are You Being "Over-Recruited"?

2011-05-19T03:46:00.001-07:00

SportsForce Blog

Are You Being “Over-Recruited”?

It is a fact that many colleges over-recruit during the college recruiting process. What this means for example, are teams with 20 roster spots could be telling 40, 45, and sometimes 50 parents and student-athletes the same thing: that they are seriously interested in them. Even some schools will offer way more scholarships then they can award knowing that they will pull the offer if they get the players they want. In order to know if colleges are potentially over-recruiting you, it is essential to follow the tips below.

TIP # 1 – Be Direct

One of the best ways to deal with this issue is to be direct when you’re talking with college coaches. What this means is being upfront and honest about any recruiting questions, concerns, or problems you have about the recruitment process. SportsForce highly recommends that both student-athletes and parents become heavily involved in this process.

TIP # 2 – Ask Questions

Here are three directways to ask a college coach about being over-recruited:

“Coach, I was wondering where I am on your recruiting list?”

“Can you tell me where I stand your recruiting board?”

“How many players are you recruiting at my position and where am I on your depth chart?”

Often, if you ask college coaches direct questions, they’re going to give you direct answers. Being upfront and straightforward with them is a good way to ensure a truthful answer.

Another question to keep in mind is, “how many athletic-scholarships are available for this recruiting class?” This is a great question to ask especially for sports that are not fully funded like baseball, lacrosse, or softball in which, they have more roster spots than they have scholarships.

Parents and student-athletes need to be direct in order to clarify what each college is offering them. Asking these specific questions will allow families to understand where they stand within a college coaches recruiting process.

TIP # 3 – Don’t Be Afraid

It is very common that both parents and student-athletes are too afraid to ask some of these direct questions to college coaches. The earlier you start the conversation and the more direct, clear, and honest you are with them, the easier you will see where you stand in their recruiting process.

Don’t be intimidated when talking to a college coach. If you ask direct questions and find out where you are on their recruiting board, you can avoid being over-recruited.

Our staff of College Recruiting Experts has developed a proven Step-by-Step College Recruiting and Athletic Scholarship system so you can know what to do and when and how to do it.

To get started today take advantage of our FREE 30 Day Trial.

If you have any questions or you would like to learn more about the college recruiting process and our custom highlight video packages contact one of our college recruiting experts at

858.350.5889 or visit http://www.sportsforceonline.com/

Keys to Being a Successful Sports Parent

2011-05-19T02:40:00.001-07:00

SportsForce Blog

Keys to Being a Successful Sports Parents

What is the role of a sports parent?

Today, the role of a sports parent is to provide support, encouragement, leadership and understanding. Student-athletes continually deal with many changing and moving pieces in their lives. They have to carefully balance the stress and pressures related to their academic, athletic, and social activities and responsibilities. Not only do they need to keep up good grades and prepare for the SAT and ACT tests, they also have to worry about making the team, being a starting player, hanging out with friends, dating, peer pressure and more. Today’s hyper competitive college preparation landscape has also added more pressure on many families. All these things can often bring on serious anxiety to your son or daughter’s life if they are not supported and encouraged.

Treading a Fine Line

High school sporting parents are often treading a fine line between providing support and demanding perfection and control. We often see parents who are very passionate about their child’s sports careers, but some can also be too involved and too invested. Without consciously knowing it, these parents are creating more pressure and stress for their child.

The best student-athlete is the relaxed student-athlete. A relaxed and confident student-athlete will perform better in the classroom as a student and on the field as an athlete. Parents must be conscious and supportive of their son or daughter and should not identify their child’s successes or failures with how they are. Another key point is that it is very important for parents to let the players’ play, and the coaches’ coach. You have to surrender your child to the sport, team, and coaches guidance as they are now providing the leadership role.

The more a parent allows their son or daughter to relax as a student-athlete, the better they’re going to be able to perform and the more they’re going to want to take ownership of their careers and gain the confidence and self-esteem that will help them grow and learn.

Our staff of former college athletes and have coaches have developed a proven Step-by-Step College Recruiting and Athletic Scholarship system so you can know what to do and when and how to do it.

If you have any questions or you would like to learn more about the college recruiting process and our custom college recruiting highlight video packages contact one of our college recruiting experts at 858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com.

10 TIPS FOR SHOOTING A COLLEGE RECRUITING VIDEO

2011-05-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

SportsForce How to:

10 TIPS FOR SHOOTING A COLLEGE RECRUITING VIDEO

WHY IS VIDEO HELPFUL FOR COLLEGE RECRUITING?

Video has radically changed how the college recruiting process works today. Many college coaches are now requiring players to send them game or highlight video. College coaches do not have the time, budget, nor recruiting days available based on NCAA limitations to personally evaluate many players. This is why videotaping your son or daughter is a critical part of the recruiting process.

VIDEO TIP #1: GET A TRIPOD:

In terms of how to videotape your son or daughter, if you're going to do it yourself; get a tripod. You can get an inexpensive tripod at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or almost any electronic store. Make sure you purchase a decent tripod; prices can range anywhere between $30-$50. The better the tripod, the easier videotaping will be. For example, a tripod that has a fluid head costs between $100-$200 but, will make a huge difference in the quality of video recorded.

VIDEO TIP #2: HARD DRIVE CAMERA:

Another key component with recording your own video is to get a video camera where files are shot straight to a chip or hard drive. This will greatly simplify the process because you can now simply shoot video, come home, and directly load it onto your computer where it can be reviewed and burned to disk.

VIDEO TIP #3: IMPORTANCE OF PROPER EDITING

Often it is easy for families to shoot video and get it onto a DVD. Many times the most difficult part is taking that game video or workout and actually editing it. There are many editing programs out there such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. Programs such as these are very expensive and take either a class or a professional to properly utilize them. Here is a link a tutorial video we produced summarizing our video editing process.

SportsForce Recruiting Video Editing Process

If you feel you are incapable of editing your own game video, SportsForce offers a variety of Custom Edited Highlight Video Packages to help maximize your son or daughters recruiting exposure.

VIDEO TIP #4: PROPER VIDEO ANGLES

Another big thing to keep in mind when you're videotaping your son or daughter is to make sure you are getting the right angles. Visit to our websites athlete’s section www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes and look at some sample videos in your son or daughter's particular sport. Whether it's football, baseball, soccer, softball or lacrosse, take note of the different angles. For example, if it's a field sport like lacrosse, football, or soccer, the goal is to get as elevated as high as you possibly can in the stands. Try to get near the middle of the field, in other words, for football, the 50-yard line and for lacrosse and soccer, the mid-field line. Use the mid point of the field as your center and try to get as high as you can in order to shoot from an elevated angle.

VIDEO TIP #5: GET ELEVATED

If you're not able to shoot from an elevated angle and are at ground level, make sure that you're focused tight enough on your son or daughter but wide enough to show the sequence of plays happening else where on the field.

VIDEO TIP #6: DON’T ISOLATE

Often what we hear from college coaches is that their biggest pet peeve is when a parent sends them a game or highlight video that is completely isolated on an individual player. This leaves the coach with no idea of what else is happening on the field and they will not be able to understand the flow of the game.

VIDEO TIP #7: KEEP UNDER 5 MINUTES IDEALLY

Remember you do not have much time. In three to five minutes your highlight video needs to show a coach your son or daughter's all around ability. Ideally the highlight video needs to capture their capabilities and skill set in the first 30 seconds so that a coach will review the rest of the video and know if they are interested in your son or daughter and likely want to request a full game video.

VIDEO TIP #8: BE QUIET WHEN VIDEO TAPING

Another key thing to keep in mind when recording game video is to be quiet. We often get videos that are submitted to us by parents who are continuously loud and yelling in the background. We recommend that if you are filming you should try to find a relatively quiet location. But in the worst-case scenario, you should always get video from the best visual location and worry about the audio last. Quality video is always priority number one.

VIDEO TIP #9: LEVEL SHOT

In order to record the highest quality video don’t forget your tripod. When setting up your tripod make sure that it is level and you're getting a good overall frame of what you're filming. Also, make sure that you have the tripod loose enough where you can pan from left to right and follow the game effectively. Your tripod should also be placed on a flat surface. But, if you happen to be in a stadium where there are stairs or surfaces that are uneven, try to adjust the legs to make sure that you're able to position the camera at a level angle.

VIDEO TIP #10: SHOW THE GAME

One last key component in filming game video is to try and make sure you zoom as you follow the play. For example, in a basketball game the point guard is bringing the ball up, you want to make sure that the point guard is positioned on the far left or far right of your camera framing so that you're able to see the rest of the open court in front of the player. In other words, the point guard is in the back side of the frame and you're leading majority of it toward where the rest of the players are and where the next play's going to develop.

Having quality video and a recruiting highlight video has become a significant part of the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process. Your goal is to guarantee a recruiting evaluation from target college coaches and maximize your college recruiting and athleticscholarship opportunities while saving time and money by not having to travel to each college to get evaluated.

Looking to maximize your recruiting exposure, you need a professional highlight video.

Contact us to learn more about our custom highlight video packages at 858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com.

Why Game Video is a Must for College Recruiting

2011-05-13T20:12:00.001-07:00

SportsForce Blog

Why Game Video is a Must for College Recruiting

The fact is, college coaches don’t have the time or budget to evaluate many games or events in person and having video has become a must for college coaches to easily evaluate you or your child’s college recruiting and scholarship potential. Having game video and a recruiting highlight video in place before the recruiting starts for you is a critical step to maximize exposure and guarantee a college coaches proper recruiting evaluation.

* College coaches WILL request game video if they like what they’ve seen on your highlight video or would like to further evaluate your talent.

How to Market Yourself to Colleges Around Country

Most college programs aren’t able to travel to many tournaments outside of their regional area. Making sure you have quality video on file will allow you to market yourself to colleges around the country. To make it even easier, having online profile with video will save you time, money and make it easy for college coaches to evaluate you.

5 ways to get game video?

1.    Ask your coaches if they have any film on file or if they are planning on filming games.

2.    See if there is another parent on the team that is dedicated to filming the games.

3.    Find a local videographer to film a game or get some practice video footage that’s necessary.

4.    Find the videographer at the tournaments you are playing in.

5.    Purchase an inexpensive video camera and tripod to film games yourself.

Filming isn’t as difficult as most parents believe and it might be the key to saving thousands of dollars. We’ve even seen parents using their Iphone or Flip Camera to get quality video footage in short clips.

What games should I film?

We recommend filming the games versus the best competition. The reality is college coaches want to see how you play against top competition and how well you can perform. If you play in an area that doesn’t have great competition then wait until you play in a competitive tournament that does. Take advantage of these opportunities to get quality video.

What type of video should you send to college coaches?

The type of video depends on the sport you play. What college coaches typically want first is a highlight video to quickly evaluate your skill level before reviewing a full game video. Your highlight video should be between 3 - 5 minutes in length and the first 30 seconds should highlight your overall skill level, athleticism, and attitude. A college coach does not want to see you only scoring goals or just repeating the same type of play over and over again. It is important to help a coach get a quality evaluation of your skills. Once a coach requests game video you will want to provide them with a full game video or two different halves of a game.

Our staff of College Recruiting Experts has developed a proven Step-by-Step College Recruiting and Athletic Scholarship system so you can know what to do and when and how to do it.

If you have any questions or you would like to learn more about the college recruiting process and our custom college recruiting highlight video packages contact one of our college recruiting experts at 858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com.

To get started today take advantage of our FREE 30 Day Trial.

Is Your Child Being Actively Recruited?

2011-05-11T13:10:00.001-07:00

SportsForce Blog

Is Your Child Being Actively Recruited?

Many parents and student-athletes believe that once they receive a letter from a college coach they are being actively recruited. In reality these letters are apart of a large marketing process where college coaches send letters to hundreds and often thousands of other student-athletes and families across the country.

WHAT DOES BEING ACTIVELY RECRUITED REALLY MEAN?

Typically, being actively recruited means you are receiving PERSONAL emails or letters. It is important to realize the difference between a personal email from a coach and a mass marketed letter to thousands of students. Further, if you receive a call from a college coach after July 1^st of your junior year, you are getting actively recruited. However, if you are a football or basketball player you can receive phone calls in April and May of your junior year. Families and student athletes must realize that just getting letters in the mail does not mean you are being actively recruited.

A SPORTSFORCE STORY

One of our staff members, Nate Nelson who was the college recruiting coordinator for Stanford and Princeton’s football programs and played football at University of California at Davis (NCAA) fell victim to the actively recruited myth. Nate came out of San Diego and was a very solid football player in the class of 1997. He started getting letters from colleges as a sophomore and junior and thought he was for sure going to get recruited his senior year. Suddenly, his senior football season passed and he was left with nothing. No schools interested, no opportunities, and he had to scramble to find a school that would be a good fit for him.

Nate did receive letters from UCLA and USC his sophomore and junior years but their interest fell off. Bottom line, he wasn't on their recruiting board. He was NEVER getting actively recruited and was only getting marketed to by college programs. The school that he ended up going to was a Division 1-AA School called UC Davis. It did end up being the exact right fit for him athletically and academically. But, the stress that him and his family had to deal with because he was an unsigned senior is easily preventable.

You don’t want to fall into the same trap that thousands of families do each year during the college recruiting process.

Our staff of College Recruiting Experts has developed a proven Step-by-Step College Recruiting and Athletic Scholarship system so you can know what to do and when and how to do it.

To get started today take advantage of our FREE 30 Day Trial.

If you have any questions or you would like to learn more about the college recruiting process and our custom highlight video packages contact one of our college recruiting experts at

858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com

How to Find the Right College Recruiting Fit

2011-05-10T23:27:00.001-07:00

SportsForce How to:

How to Find the Right College Recruiting Fit

WHAT IS THE RIGHT FIT?

When evaluating colleges it is important to find the right fit for your son or daughter. What this means is considering the athletic, academic, social, financial, and geographical criteria when making a decision or even contacting a school.

For example, let's say you're a student with a 3.0 GPA and a 1400 SAT score. These are good, but not excellent grades. Likely this student-athlete and family should not target Ivy League caliber schools. It is important to evaluate your athletic and academic standing and make a college recruiting game plan to target schools that are a good fit both on and off the field.

TIP # 1: SEARCH SCHOOLS AND USE RESOURCES

When deciding which schools to target it is important to have the right resources and research the desired colleges. As part of our Premium College Recruiting System we provide families a complete college search tool that allows you to search every college sports program by: school, division, academic requirements, tuition, enrollment and find college coaches names, emails, phone numbers, and college websites.

* CollegeBoard.comis another great website to help you see academically which schools would be appropriate for you or your child.

TIP # 2: WATCH AND LEARN

In terms of finding the right school athletically, you need to watch the college team play either live or on television. Try to see the school’s caliber of play and if your child is developing into that caliber of an athlete.

TIP # 3: RESEARCH COLLEGES WEBSITE

Visit the college's website to get an idea of the type of roster that they have, what positions are already filled, where their depth chart is at, and what the backgrounds of the players are. Were they all-league in high school, or were they all-county or all-state? This is an important fact to research because your son or daughter may be an all-league player looking to play USC football, but almost all of their current players were all-state or all-Americans.

It's great to dream and it's great to have a vision for your career, but it's also important to be realistic and use your time wisely when you're looking at the college decision and college recruiting process.

Our Premium College Recruiting System provides you an easy to use and complete college search database system.

Our College Section has links to a number of college’s athletics pages that are using our website. Over 500 college programs use SportsForce as college recruiting resource.

If you have any questions or you would like to learn more about the college recruiting process and our custom highlight video packages contact one of our college recruiting experts at

858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com.

3 Pivotal Mistakes in the College Recruiting Process

2011-04-20T19:14:00.001-07:00

The road to obtaining a college scholarship is one with many obstacles and challenges. Because of this, it is important to acknowledgeand correctcommon mistakes in the recruiting process. In order for both student-athletes and parents to take full advantage of recruitment opportunities, these 3 mistakes must be avoided.

1. The number one mistake parents and student-athletes make in the recruiting process is overestimating their ability. They believe that they are more talented and sought after than they actually are. Because of an overestimation of talent, parents and student-athletes wait too long before contacting coaches and trying to get scholarships. By this time many coaches and schools have already allocated most of their scholarship money and roster spots.

Solution- It is important for parents and student-athletes to be proactivewithin the recruiting process. Athletes should realistically assess their athletic skill level and aim for programs that match their desires, skills, and needs. Rather than simply waiting to be recruited by college programs, it has become more and more necessary for parents and athletes to contact coaches and market themselves.

2. Many parents and student-athletes also tend to feel that anything less than a Division One scholarship is unacceptable. Ignoring interest from Division Two and Three schools can severely limit recruitment opportunities.

Solution-A common misconceptionin the world of collegiate sport is that Division 2 and 3 schools are far less talented athletically and competitively. Although the overall talent pool of Division 1 players is of higher caliber, D2 and D3 schools still acquire many high-level athletes. It is important for parents and students to realize that although the prestige of a Division 1 program is absent, D2 and D3 schools do offer highly competitive athletic opportunities along with very strong academic backgrounds.

3. Finally, parents and student-athletes do not understand how rarea full scholarship is. As they are caught up in the search for a “full ride” many potential collegiate athletic opportunities are overlooked.

Solution:The majority of D1 and D2 scholarships are only partially funded. Besides major revenue generating sports such as Basketball and Football, full scholarships are very rarely given away. Athletes and parents need to realize the reality and probability that a full scholarship is not a likely outcome. Instead, they must embrace the opportunities they are presented with; whether it is a partial scholarship to a D1 school or a generous financial aid package from a D3 program.

How to Maximize Your College Recruiting Exposure

2011-04-15T12:24:00.001-07:00

The college recruiting process is often misunderstood by many parents, students-athletes, coaches, and fans. The fact is the college recruiting process has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. Understanding these changes and knowing how to play the recruiting game is very important.

Asking the question “How do I maximize recruiting exposure to college coaches?” is very common among student-athletes and families across the country. But, before we talk about how to maximize exposure it is important to keep a few key facts in mind.

College coaches are recruiting earlier and earlier (often evaluating freshmen & sophomores)

Colleges often don't have the budget to recruit many players in person and are relying more and more on video to make recruiting decisions

80% of college sports opportunities exist outside of DI level teams

College coaches are using a variety of technology to discover athletes, such as email, smart phones (Blackberrys, Iphones, etc.), online recruiting databases, and social media (YouTube, Facebook).

If you're seriously looking for that college roster spot, your goal should be to provide yourself with as many opportunities as possible to reach your college sports goals and to find a fitting college.

You might be asking yourself what is the RIGHT FIT?

The right college fit means understanding what type of college experience you are looking for. When creating a list of potential colleges, focus on the most critical decision factors which can include: academics, athletics, location, cost, level of competition, coaching staff, social environment, potential playing time and scholarship opportunity.

Now that we have provided you a little more information on the college recruiting process, lets discuss "How to Maximize College Exposure."

Step 1: Determine which College Programs are Right for YOU

Conduct a realistic student-athlete assessment (stats, skills and grades)

Ask for a coach's evaluation (HS & Club team)

Research & create a target list of schools based on critical decision factors and college criteria (10 - 30+ colleges)

Step 2: Express Interest / Build Support

Meet with your high school / club team coach to discuss your college goals and commitment and to make sure everyone is on the same page

Network with other trainers, coaches and parents to seek potential qualified college coach introductions

Step 3: Introduce and Market Yourself

Start early (Ideally Freshman and Sophomore years)

Introduce yourself to college coaches and express your interest (use email, phone or an in person meeting to make an introduction)

Remember, you can call a college coach even though they might not be able to call you based on NCAA regulations

Provide college coaches your complete resume / profile and highlight video to receive an evaluation.

Step 4: Follow Up

Follow up is KEY

You want to make sure the colleges you are interested in are aware of you

You can follow up by email, phone calls and making unofficial trips

Step 5: Get an Evaluation in Person: Target Key Recruiting Events

Identify key recruiting tournaments that some of your target colleges will attend

E-mail coaches your online profile link, team name, schedule and jersey # before the showcase to make sure you are evaluated

Potentially attend a few college camps for specific exposure to that program

Step 6: Get Quality Video to go with Your Online Profile to Share with Coaches

Video is KEY

College coaches don't have the time or the budget to see every player in person

Create a custom highlight video to showcase your skills (3 - 5 min. long)

You should use these 6 steps as a guide to begin maximizing your college exposure. It is key to start figuring out which college programs are right for you. Once you have come up with your list of colleges, you will need to start expressing your interest and introduce yourself to your target schools. Make sure to follow up and do everything you can to get evaluated in person. Finally, having a highlight video or game footage can greatly increase your chance of getting a college coach's evaluation.

To get more advanced recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and sign up for our complimentary SportsForce College Recruiting Guide and updates below.

FREE sign up for SportsForce College Recruiting Guide:

http://www.sportsforceonline.com/resources/resources_recruiting_recruiting_guide.html

Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional College Sports Recruiting Profiles, Highlight Videos, Tips and Tools – www.sportsforceonline.com

Wall to the Rescue: Down 11 Kentucky comes back to beat Alabama 73-67

2010-03-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

Down by 11-points in the game Kentucky turns to freshman phenom, John Wall, to bring them back. Wall finished with 23 points for the game, including a stretch where he scored seven straight points in the second half to give the Wildcats the lead.

“They told me the whole game to push it in transition, but I wasn’t getting there. I was trying to find my teammates,” Wall said. “Second half, I found the gaps and got into the lane."

John Wall Takes the Game Over Against Alabama in SEC Tourney from WildCatWorld.com on Youtube.

The win gave No. 2 Kentucky another 30-win season, making it the 12th season in which Kentucky has achieved the feat – the most by any college program. They are set to face off against the winner between No.15 Tennessee and Mississippi.

Patrick Patterson aided Wall with 20 points and Eric Bledsoe chipped for 10 points. DeMarcus Cousins struggled and did not come close to his season averages of 15.6 points and 10 rebounds, finishing with seven points and eight boards.

Mikhail Torrance led all Alabama (17-15) scorers with 20 points. JaMychal Green added 14 and Tony Mitchell pitched in with 10. Alabama won the rebounding battle, out reboundeding Kentucky 45-33 and scored 22 second-chance points,helping them jump out to an early lead and staying close the hole way through.

Julius Peppers Sign with Bears and Boldin to Ravens

2010-03-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

Quite a few potential play-makers switched cities Thusday and these movements could have been just the first wave of things to come in a season where many teams are opting for change. The Arizona Cardinals decided against giving Anquan Boldin the large contract that he has been seeking since last season, instead agreeing to a trade that sends him to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a third- and fourth-round pick in the upcoming 2010 NFL draft. The Ravens’ receiving core gets the upgrade that it needed with Boldin, their lone 1000-yard receiver last year was 35 year old Derrick Mason. However it was definitely the the Chicago Bears that made the biggest moves, signing DE Julius Peppers, RB Chester Taylor and TE Brandon Manumaleuna. Peppers brings an immediate upgrade to a once dominant defense that has be lackluster that last couple of seasons. While blocking tight end Manumaleluna should help open holes for Matt Forte and the newly acquired Taylor. Meanwhile the Detroit Lions continue to rebuild with the signings of Nate Burleson and Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Working on New Delivery: Tebow Won't Throw at Combine

2010-03-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

Once projected to be a sure-fire top 10 pick, Tim Tebow's draft stock has recently taken a hard hit. NFL scouts had long noticed his slow delivery and his inability to take direct snaps, but his performance has always drawn interest. With his struggles at the Senior Bowl last month, Tebow took notice of his imperfections and has since set out to correct them. At this point in time Tebow is working with former NFL quarterback and offensive coordinator Zeke Bratkowski to improve his delivery, which has been called elongated by scouts. Many NFL teams in need of a franchise quarterback are eager to see if he is capable of making the necessary adjustments before the combine. This week Tebow has said that he will not participate in throwing drills at the combine, but would unveil his new delivery at the University of Florida’s pro day on March 17. Though he has had past success in college, winning two BCS national championships and one Heisman Trophy, the transition to the NFL is proving to be quite troublesome.

San Diego County Home to Many Talented Running Backs

2010-02-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

Historically San Diego County has developed some the best running backs to ever play the game of football, with a list that includes Heisman Trophy winners: Marcus Allen, Rashaan Salaam, Ricky Williams and Reggie Bush. NFL great, Terrell Davis, one of five 2,000 yard rushers at the professional level, could also trace his roots back to the area. Even with the area’s rich history at the position, San Diego’s running back class of 2010 is arguably the most talented group ever to be coming out of any single location, let alone San Diego County.

Currently on Rivals, Dillon Baxter (6’0 205lbs), is ranked as the top overall all-purpose back in the nation and the only one with a five star rating at his respective position. As a Mission Bay Bucaneer, he led his team to a perfect season by playing both running back and quarterback. On the season, Dillon rushed for nearly 3,000 yards, scored 50 TDs rushing, 25 TDs through the air and had an impressive average of 11.4 YPC. He went over 300 yards in three different occasions and his lowest rushing mark of the year was 100 yards. As expected, Dillon was recently announced as the National Player of the Year. Dillon will be playing close to home with a commitment to USC.

Close on Dillion’s heels on the Rivals all-purpose back rankings is Brennan Clay (6’0 200lbs), who is currently holding the number two spot. During his junior year at Scripps Ranch, Brennan was a dual threat running back, surpassing 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving. He is a home run threat every time he touches the ball and is an explosive return man. Brennan recently signed with the University of Oklahoma.

Now look at Ricky Seale (5’10 190lbs), a big play back coming out of Escondido High School whose production over the last few years surely speaks for itself. His breakaway speed paired with superior vision has enabled him to amass 2,400 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns in each of the past two season. Towards the end of his senior year he became the leading rusher in CIF-San Diego Section history and first ever in the section to go over 6,000 total rushing yards. He was highly recruited within the PAC-10, and ultimately signed with Stanford.

Then, there is Damien Williams (6’0 200lbs), a newcomer to the list of star running backs leaving San Diego County this year. Everyone always knew that he had talent, but grades and changing schools prevented him from demonstrating his talent early on. During his senior year at Mira Mesa he established himself as a top-tier back by rushing for nearly 2,300 yards, 24 TDs, 9.9 YPC and closing out the season strong with a string of eight consecutive 200 yard performances. Damien is now signed with the Arizona State Sundevils.

Don’t forget about Tony Jefferson (6’1 205lbs), from Eastlake High School, he has rushed for 5 yards shy of 2,000 with a 8.95 YPC and 25 TDs on the season. The scary thing is Tony was being recruited as a Safety and not a running back, so that speaks volumes about his potential to play on both sides of the ball. After being recruited and showing high interest in playing for Michigan, Oklahoma or USC, Tony decided on Oklahoma.

These young players have history on their side; San Diego County has produced more Heisman winners than any other place in the country. Is there something in the water? Maybe it’s a little too early to be speaking about the Heisman, but each one of these players has a chance to be something special, so make sure you keep an eye out for them in the next few seasons.

Kicker Michael Gruber

2009-10-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

SportsForce athlete and Christian High School place-kicker, Michael Gruber was recently featured by the San Diego Union-Tribune in an article highlighting the superior abilities of Christian’s special teams. Gruber is a talented athlete all around as the Union-Tribune reports:

“Gruber, a starting catcher for the Christian baseball team, never thought about football until the beginning of his junior year. His place-kicking career began by chance after his father, Curt Gruber, and former football coach and now Christian athletic director David Beezer watched him play goalkeeper for the Patriots soccer team.”

“I knew he was raw, but I got a bag of balls just to see what he could do as a possible kicker,” Beezer said. “I kept it simple, and he’s gotten better and better.”

Gruber’s accuracy is especially impressive: “Gruber has placed 21 of his 25 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. In the past two seasons, Gruber and the Patriots are 16-for-16 in recovering onside kicks.”

Gruber is an extremely dedicated athlete and has taken many measures to ensure his success as a place-kicker: “When the kicking carrot was dangled in front of him, Gruber went after it. He attended a San Diego summer combine with 50 kickers and won the field goal kicking competition. He has connected on 4-of-6 field goal attempts this season with a long of 47 yards for Christian (5-2), which plays at Santa Fe Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday.”

John Matich, is a former NFL and NCAA kicker and now owner and director of The Kicking System, which offers Camps & Private Kicking Lessons in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles.

For the complete article, click here.

To view Michael’s complete profile and his 2008 season highlight video click here.

Maintaining a Clean Profile

2009-06-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

First impressions have always been very important. They can make or break a relationship before it even begins. Today, with all the social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.), it is easier than ever for someone to be able to judge you without ever even meeting you. Perspective college coaches and scouts have access to all of these websites and will probably try to find your online identity. So as a student-athlete, whether in high school or college, it is immensely important to keep a clean virtual profile. It is hard to erase an interactive first impression, because it is so easy to copy, download, and reproduce pictures and information that have been posted on the web. Therefore, a student-athlete should always keep a clean and private profile. Coaches will perform a very thorough background check, including a web search, before they decide to sign someone.

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We’ve heard plenty of stories from college coaches where they have found pictures of student-athletes online, drinking alcohol and/or partying. Right off the bat this tarnished their image with their potential coach. Remember, college coaches are looking for someone that is going to represent their program on and off the field. An easy way to check what’s out there is to Google yourself. If you don’t like what you see, contact the site or user and request that they take it down.

Just to get an idea of the importance of the issue, here’s a quote from USA Today:

“Florida State athletes were given ten days to cleanse their profiles in December. That came after administrators there asked coaches to select random student-athletes’ names and plug them into a Facebook search. “They were surprised and dismayed,” associate athletics director Pam Overton says. “They were surprised at the pictures, that students would allow themselves to be exposed in the public domain.” http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2006-03-08-athletes-websites_x.htm

Here are a few tips on how to keep your online identity presentable:

Use your privacy settings. Facebook and MySpace have a laundry list of settings that can be customized to your liking. Make sure you have them set the way you want them. Typically, the default privacy setting for your account gives public access to all your information and everything on your profile. Check out the privacy settings and select what’s most appropriate for your interests. Case in point, if you want you can eliminate yourself from public searches or provide only your name and network to people other than your friends. Also, Facebook allows you to see your page exactly how someone else would see it. Here’s how you do it: 1. Click on Settings 2. Click on manage privacy 3. Click on either profile or search 4. Near the top of these pages, there is a space to type in a friend’s name. I’d highly recommend you be sure to check out how your restricted friends view your page, just to make sure you aware of what others see.

Manage your friends. Before you decide to friend a college coach or college program understand what they will have access to view on your profile. On the other hand, if a coach or a potential college program tries to befriend you, I’d recommend you put them on a restricted friend list. That way you can select which photo albums of yours they can see, perhaps one or two dedicated to your sport, as well as keeping them off your “Wall” if you so desire.

Edit your pictures and photo albums. Are you aware of how many pictures you have floating around on the web? Are these pictures that you want everyone to see? It seems as though most of the pictures posted online these days are focused around partying and all the fun times you want to remember when you’re older. Coaches can quickly lose interest and question your commitment and character if you are blatantly showcasing your inappropriate behavior. Often these can be deal breakers for college coaches and you may never know who saw them because a coach won’t tell you. If you really love some of your party pictures show your friends using your own computer and keep ‘em there.

Redirect prospective coaches and recruiters. The reason people look for you on these personal sites is that they want to get a feel for who you are. Unfortunately, Facebook and MySpace tend to bring out the more irresponsible side in most cases. The best way to protect your image is to satiate their curiosity by leading them somewhere else. Developing dedicated online sports profiles on sites such as SportsForceonline.com, BeRecruited.com or Prepchamps.com can provide coaches with video, stats and personal information about you in a serious and professional way. College coaches are able to “get to know you” based on how you would likely present yourself in person. Providing your private URL for these sites in emails to coaches is an easy way to lead them in the right direction. Also, be sure to post your sports profile link or video on your social profile also, since college coaches will likely check that out as well. There’s no harm in getting your online sports profile in front of as many coaches as possible.

With Summer, Comes Great Opportunity

2009-06-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

School's finally out for the summer! The beaches are crowded again. Movie blockbusters with superheroes, robots, and egotistical villains are back in theatres. Flights to popular vacation spots have been booked. There are no more exams, text books, term papers, or tedious homework assignments. Life is once again simple and you are free to relax. However, if you are an aspiring student athlete, the summer is also a time of great opportunity. There are many sports camps available for you to to hone and show off your skills. The summer also provides ample free-time for you to begin visiting college campuses and start addressing some important questions. Which college do I want to go to? What do I want to study? What kind of grades do I need to get into certain schools? Which schools will showcase my abilities and be the best fit for me? Put together all of these questions can seem overwhelming, so let's just focus on one aspect at a time.

Freshman/Sophomore/Junior Summer

This is the best time to really get around and see campuses. Because as you all know from my first blog, really loving the school you go to, regardless of sports, is very important. So if you are traveling around to play in tournaments, go on vacation, or visiting family and friends, take advantage of the travels to go see the local colleges to check out the campus and area. While there you can take a campus tour and if you have given a heads up to the coach of your sport, you can even go in and meet with them. Remember, they cannot call you or contact you in any way, but you can call whenever you want. Set up a time to meet with them and they might even take you around the campus themselves! This elimination period will be helpful as you enter your junior summer as that is the time when you need to really narrow down your schools and begin to target your goals. By seeing the campuses alone, you will be able to eliminate many schools, thus leaving you with a more reasonable list to deal with.camps1

Summer camps are also very important. While all of your friends are going to Camp Nowhere for fun and kayaking, you need to be going to sports camps for a school that you are strongly interested in. Not only will five days of camp help improve your skills, but it will give you the most intimate interaction with the college coaches and some of the current players, as they tend to work camps. You will live on campus, interact with and be trained by the coaches, as well as be a part of high intensity competition. It is not only a great way to get to know their style of coaching, but for them to get to know you as a player and whether you will fit in with their program, and vice versa.

If going to a camp is not financially feasible, don’t worry, there are ways to get around the costs. If you live nearby or have friends or family near a camp you want to go to, you can be a commuter camper. You have all the same amount of trainings and usually lunch on campus but will not have breakfast and dinner there and will not sleep over. I have done both, and as you may miss out on some of the social aspects of going to camp, you can still get in-depth perspective of the school and team. Or, a lot of colleges are having one and two day camps, mainly for the sophomore year students, and you would not stay on campus as well. But the costs are much lower.

To find out about camp dates, check out the website of the college you are interested in and I guarantee there will be a link to camps! Some schools have a website dedicated to camps alone. For example, Santa Clara University has the athletic sight, http://www.santaclarabroncos.com/ as well as a camp website http://www.scusoccercamps.com/. Many schools have this as well. Enjoy your summer, have fun and get out there and check out some colleges!!

Stephen Strasburg Brings the Heat

2009-06-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ever since moving the franchise from Montreal to Washington D.C. the Nationals have consistently been the model of how not to run a major league organization. The last few years the Nationals have been searching for a spark to ignite excitement back into their fans. On Tuesday June, 9^th the Nationals may have finally found that spark, when they drafted Stephen Strasburg with the number one overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft. Strasburg, a 22-year-old pitching phenom from SDSU, has been all over the various sports media outlets ever since the start of the collegiate baseball season. The legend of his 100mph+ fastball with movement has had scouts drooling. Combine that fastball, which has topped out at 103mph, with an absolutely electric slider and a 90mph curveball, and you have a player that some scouts consider the best prospect of all time. However, like most legends there is much about the Stephen Strasburg story that hasn’t been covered. It is always important to go beyond the legend and learn more about the person (Strasburg). Luckily enough, SportsForce has been able to document some of his season and has a straight forward and simple scouting report to share on the Nationals newest edition.

Being headquartered in San Diego, we have seen Strasburg a number of times and agree he is a truly dominating pitcher. Strasburg’s stuff is very impressive and would fool even some of the Major League’s most seasoned hitters, but contrary to what others have reported, Strasburg is not a four-pitch pitcher. Nor does he feature a 90-mile per hour slider. Rather, Strasburg is a developing pitcher who has two dominant pitches with room for improvement. This is partially what excites Major League teams since today’s game is being built more and more around developing pitching at the minor league level. Strasburg has the potential to be a #1 starter that can carry a team similar to a Roy Halladay, Brandon Webb, Jake Peavy or Johan Santana. However, he must first overcome a few obstacles.

Stephen Strasburg Scouting Video vs. UC Davis April 4th, 2009 from Sports Force on Vimeo.

Strasburg relies primarily on two pitches: his explosive 95+ mile per hour fastball, which has been clocked as high as 103, and his sharp downward biting curveball. The fastball overpowers hitters and can be located to both sides of the plate. At this point, Strasburg is not a pitcher who locates his fastball consistently every time, but what he lacks in precision he makes up for in conviction and confidence. His curve ranges from the low to mid 80’s (mph) and can be thrown for strikes in almost any count ,which is rare for a young pitcher. When his curve is used in conjunction with the fastball, he often makes hitters uncomfortable and leaves them guessing what’s next.

The challenge Strasburg will face in professional baseball is hitters who are accustomed to seeing pitchers with overpowering stuff more often and are adept to figuring out starters that primarily feature only two pitches. It will take more than a hard fastball and plus curve to have long term success as a Major League starting pitcher. Whether it’s a two-seam fastball, change-up or split finger fastball, he will likely have to develop another above average pitch. A pitcher with only two options isn’t likely to be dominant as a starter at the Major League level.

Another impressive aspect about Strasburg is his size, strength and body control. Strasburg has a prototype pitcher’s body. He is tall, lean, and has a strong frame with powerful legs. He builds a lot of momentum with his windup and has great arm speed . His motion is compact and fluid and his repeatable mechanics allow him to be quick and consistent to the plate when holding runners (In the stretch his slide step delivery is usually 1.20 – 1.25 seconds). Yet, there are some downsides to the nature of his delivery.

While Strasburg’s motion creates incredible power, it offers little deception. Thus, Strasburg will be dependent on the quality of his pitches and location to succeed on the at the major league level.. As such, like Justin Verlander of the Detriot Tigers, Strasburg’s health could be and issue with regards to his ability to be successful. If he has a lingering injury or loses any part of his fastball, like Verlander did in 2008, without the deception of other pitchers, Strasburg’s pitches will be very hittable. Strasburg will need to maintain both his health and his quality pitches if he wants to be successful at the next level.

Like many young professional athletes, Strasburg is strong in some areas and vulnerable in others. If nothing else, it will be a joy to watch a stand-out pitcher from San Diego State begin his MLB career, where his promise is endless.

Whether Or Not To Play College Sports

2009-06-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

I don’t have any swimming stats from college, I never finished a mile around the track at my college while spectators stood by, and I certainly haven’t cleared a high jump bar beyond high school. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t take the journey towards college sports.

As a two-sport high school athlete who didn’t play college level sports, you may be wondering why I am writing on this subject. Here at SportsForce we are dedicated to assisting student-athletes reach their potential and a big part for those that want to pursue sports after high school is finding the right college fit for you.

At seventeen, deciding what you want to major in through college is terrifying, factor in where you want to live, laying out your schedule and deciding what sports program might be right for you, these decisions can be downright crippling. I went down this path. I swam competitively all my life. I loved it and wanted to keep swimming in college. As a straight A student, I also loved writing, learning and all that good stuff. I needed a school that could nurture me academically and socially, but also offer a swim program that would allow me to maintain my life. I had swam competitively since I was six years old, and couldn’t imagine life without it.

I had looked into many colleges with DII and DIII swim programs. Some were great schools, but I was in love with the University of Rhode Island. As in “Division I athletics” University of Rhode Island.

After much thought I decided I wanted to go to URI, it had the academics, the location and social opportunities I looked for, I would figure out the swimming part later, I thought. At freshman orientation several meetings ran at the same time for students to attend. Varsity athletics and the Honors Program were at conflicting times. Being more terrified of hard schoolwork than a heavy athletic program, I went to the varsity athletics meeting. I sat in on the swimming meeting, spoke with the coach, and though I was still terrified, got excited to swim for URI. I was a little nervous about how doubles sessions and away meets would work with my class schedule, but figured I would find a balance, as many, many athletes do.