Bakersfield.com: Kern County news, events, classifieds, shopping, & search

Five requirements key for recruiting

BY SCOTT HENDERSON, Special to The Californian | Saturday, Sep 04 2010 05:54 PM

Last Updated Saturday, Sep 04 2010 05:54 PM

Second in a series

One of the most common questions I receive from parents who are guiding their son or daughter through the recruiting process is this:

"What can I do to help my child get recruited by college coaches?"

While the answer is not always simple and usually requires far more work than any parent ever expects, every family needs to understand what they need to do.

After working with thousands of student athletes and college coaches, NCSA has been able to answer that question through a list of Five Recruiting Requirements that every student athlete and family must posses in order to be successfully recruited.

Here are the Five Recruiting Requirements:

1. Evaluation

2. Verified Website

3. Highlight / Skills Video

4. College Contacts

5. Guidance

Over the next five series of articles, I will focus on one of the steps in this process beginning with the first thing that must happen: Evaluation.

An objective third party evaluation of a student athletes' athletic and academic ability about what colleges and universities they might qualify for must be the first step every family takes. Without that knowledge, the recruiting process will lack the direction needed to find the right fit.

Often parents and student athletes are unsure of what level of play their abilities might make them a good candidate for. Unfortunately, many families tend to overstate their abilities which can lead to unrealistic expectations of DI scholarships offers.

Eighty-five percent of the opportunities to play collegiate athletics fall outside of the DI scope which means that the vast majority of collegiate athletes are playing at the DII, DIII, NAIA, and NJCAA level. These schools offer not only wonderful academic experiences, but also attractive financial packages for serious student athletes. Many families discount DIII opportunities simply because they do not offer "athletic" scholarships. If you understand how DIII recruiting operates, you will quickly realize there are other avenues for financial assistance that can make these schools more affordable than the in-state alternatives. If you are only pursuing DI colleges and universities, you are hurting your odds of playing at the next level. Here are three simple steps to follow:

* Listen to an expert -- Speak with a trusted source who has knowledge of what college coaches at each level are looking for athletically and academically and listen.

* Be realistic -- If the trusted source indicates that you are a DII or DIII athlete at that point, then it is time make sure your expectations are aligned with your athletic and academic ability.

* Research -- Once you have received an honest and accurate assessment of your ability and have acknowledged the proper level of competition that fits that evaluation, you should begin to research those schools. This will focus your search and save you a great deal of frustration.

Sending athletic information to a DI college coach when your academic and athletic qualifications dictate you might only be a DII athlete is a no win situation. The college coach will not spend his limited resources recruiting that student athlete and the families will waste time, effort, and money pursuing the wrong opportunities.

Next week I will discuss the second Recruiting Requirement: Verified websites.

Scott Henderson, a Bakersfield native and resident, is the national scouting director for the National Collegiate Scouting Association. If you have any questions regarding recruiting, contact him at (661) 587-3742 or scotth@ncsasports.org.