ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ATHLETES
WANTED
CHRIS KRAUSE High School Edition
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Countless people contributed to the development of this book: The entire NCSA staff shared stories, experiences, and wisdom. In particular, Luke Adrian, Mark Bagdon, Ryan Ball, Carmen Bucci, Joseph Curtis, Brian Davidson, Adam Dew, Adam Diorio, Andrea Emmons, Ty Garland, Rick McDole, Dennis O’Brien, Amanda Rawson, Bob Shriner, Lisa Strasman, Tom Thayer, Adrienne Treado, Bridget Venturi-Veenema, Matt Webb, and Joyce Wellhoefer contributed their expertise and time reviewing the manuscript, as did my editor, Jocelyn Baker, who relentlessly edited and focused my thoughts. A very special thanks to Mary Pat Chmiel, my executive assistant and a juggler-extraordinaire, for keeping me on track, staying calm, and picking up all the pieces. Parents, coaches, athletes, and former clients generously donated their time and insight, including: Michel Balasis, Don Beebe, Kevin Carroll, Bob Chmiel, Tom Donahoe, Chris Ducar, Arne Duncan, Bo Eason, Heather Geck, Jim Goranson, Rob Ianello, Howie Jacobson, Frank Lenti, Ross Lerner, John Letts, Augie Maurelli, Andy Petranek, Billy Porter, Izell Reese, Cindy Smith, Crystal Smith, Michael Stonebreaker, Jay Straight, Randy Taylor, and Larry Wert.
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x
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the coaches who mentored me in high school and college. Among the best the world has to offer, these coaches taught me to use my experience as an athlete to achieve great professional success. Namely, I would like to thank George McIntire and Brad Bates, both college coaches, and high school coaches Mike Coleman, Bob Brothman, and the late Amos Jones. I am just one of the many students whose lives were forever changed by a ball, a goal, and their nurturing guidance. Finally, I want to acknowledge my parents and grandparents for encouraging me to compete in sports while maintaining a focus on academics; most importantly, my wife, Kameron, for giving me the confidence to share this story; my son, Christopher; and my daughter, Kaila, whom I hope to inspire in the same fashion as those who inspired me.
A Special Thanks A special thanks to NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified team of expert speakers who support the mission of the Athletes Wanted. NCSA’s College Recruiting Simplified team of expert speakers is instrumental in collecting information from the field and disseminating this information via the “College Recruiting Simplified” workshops presented at Cal South Youth Soccer events, IBC Baseball Showcases, U.S. Army Combine, Five-Star Basketball Camps, Schuman Lacrosse Showcases, and AVCA Talent Showcase, among 4,000 other special events for high school student-athletes. A very special thanks to these speakers: CHARLIE ADAMS JOE BACHMANN BLAINE BISHOP RUTHIE BOLTON joe burns dave carl bob chmiel phil clarke STALIN COLINET tony collins ricky ellis kelvin garmon
MIKE GOMEZ CHAD HERMANSEN JAI HILL RICH HOFMAN LUCIOUS JORDAN tim kempton LEVON KIRKLAND CECIL MARTIN DERRICK MAYES ROMAN OBEN BOB PICKENS MARCUS PRICE
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PAUL PUTNAM IZELL REESE JE’MONE SMITH HOWARD STEVENS JAY STRAIGHT RANDY TAYLOR MIKE TOMCZAK TAYLOR TWELLMAN TIM TWELLMAN BRIDGET VENTURI-VEENEMA NICOLE WATSON
xii
ATHLETES WANTED
CHARLIE ADAMS
JOE BACHMANN
• TWENTY-THREE YEARS AS AN AWARD- • INVOLVED IN COLLEGE RECRUITING WINNING SPORTSCASTER
• COVERED NOTRE DAME, BIG 10, AND
COLLEGE SPORTS FOR SIXTEEN YEARS
• HAS INTERVIEWED THE LIKES OF
MICHAEL JORDAN, TIGER WOODS, AND PAT SUMMIT
BLAINE BISHOP
• FOUR-TIME NFL PRO BOWL PERFORMER
• TEN-YEAR NFL VETERAN WITH THE
HOUSTON OILERS AND PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
• INDUCTED INTO THE BALL STATE UNIVERSITY HALL OF FAME
FOR MORE THAN TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS
• PLAYED BASEBALL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
• MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH COACHES ASSOCIATION
RUTHIE BOLTON
• TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST • NAMED TO WNBA ALL-DECADE TEAM • APPEARED IN CONSECUTIVE FINAL FOUR TOURNAMENTS WITH THE AUBURN TIGERS
A SPECIAL THANKS
JOE BURNS
• PLAYED FOUR YEARS WITH THE BUFFALO BILLS
• TWO-TIME GEORGIA PLAYER OF
THE YEAR, USA TODAY HONORABLE MENTION
• ALL-USA SELECTION
xiii
DAVE CARL
• MEMBER OF NAIA NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM AT UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE
• PLAYED PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL IN ENGLAND
• FORMER HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE COACH
BOB CHMIEL
• NAMED TOP 11 RECRUITING
COORDINATOR OF ALL TIME BY TOM LEMMING
• FORMER DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS AT NOTRE DAME
• FORMER RECRUITING COORDINATOR
AND ASSISTANT COACH AT MICHIGAN
PHIL CLARKE
• TWO-TIME ALL-BIG EAST LINEBACKER AT PITTSBURGH
• PLAYED FOUR SEASONS IN THE NFL WITH THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
• LISTED IN THE 1995 EDITION OF WHO’S WHO IN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
xiv
ATHLETES WANTED
STALIN COLINET
• SIX-YEAR NFL VETERAN WITH
MINNESOTA VIKINGS, CLEVELAND BROWNS, AND JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
• FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG EAST FOR BOSTON COLLEGE
RICKY ELLIS
• FORMER ALL-PRO TIGHT END • NFL VETERAN WITH SEATTLE AND HOUSTON
• PLAYED COLLEGE BALL AT CAL STATE FULLERTON
TONY COLLINS
• PLAYED IN SUPER BOWL XX AND WAS A PRO BOWL SELECTION IN 1983
• DRAFTED IN SECOND ROUND BY NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS IN 1981
• ATTENDED EAST CAROLINA
UNIVERSITY WHERE HE STILL HOLDS THREE RECORDS
KELVIN GARMON
• EIGHT-YEAR NFL VETERAN WITH
THE DALLAS COWBOYS, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS, CLEVELAND BROWNS, AND OAKLAND RAIDERS
• PLAYED COLLEGIATELY AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
A SPECIAL THANKS
MIKE GOMEZ
xv
CHAD HERMANSEN
• PLAYED IN THE NFL FOR THE
• DRAFTED IN FIRST ROUND, TENTH
• TWO-TIME ACADEMIC ALL BIG TEN
• THIRTEEN-YEAR MLB VETERAN WITH
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, BUFFALO BILLS, AND SEATTLE SEAHAWKS HONORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
JAI HILL
• NFL VETERAN WITH THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS
• HARLON HILL AWARD FINALIST (BEST PLAYER IN DIVISION II)
• FORMER COLLEGE COACH AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, WIDENER UNIVERSITY, AND GENEVA COLLEGE
PICK OVERALL, BY PITTSBURGH PIRATES IN 1995
THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES, CHICAGO CUBS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS, AND TORONTO BLUE JAYS
RICH HOFMAN
• NAMED BASEBALL HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE DECADE FOR THE 1990s
• RANKS TWELFTH ALL TIME
NATIONALLY WITH 965 VICTORIES
• COACHED TEN STATE AND TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
xvi
ATHLETES WANTED
LUCIOUS JORDAN
• PLAYED PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL IN THE CBA AND EUROPE
• NAMED TO AMERICAN EAST ALLCHAMPION TEAM AT ALBANY
• LED ALBANY TO FIRST EVER NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
TIM KEMPTON
• EIGHT-YEAR NBA VETERAN WITH THE
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS AND PHOENIX SUNS
• NBA FINALS APPEARANCE WITH SUNS IN 1993 AGAINST CHICAGO BULLS
• CURRENT RADIO BROADCASTER FOR PHOENIX SUNS
LEVON KIRKLAND
• TWO-TIME ALL-PRO SELECTION AND MEMBER OF THE NFL ALL-DECADE TEAM
• SECOND-ROUND DRAFT CHOICE OF THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS
• ELEVEN-YEAR NFL CAREER
CECIL MARTIN
• SIX-YEAR NFL VETERAN WITH THE
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, OAKLAND RAIDERS, AND TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
• TEAM CAPTAIN OF A BIG TEN, AND
ROSE BOWL CHAMPION AT WISCONSIN
A SPECIAL THANKS
DERRICK MAYES
• MEMBER OF GREEN BAY PACKERS SUPER BOWL WINNING TEAM
• SIX-YEAR NFL VETERAN WITH GREEN BAY AND SEATTLE
• ALL-TIME LEADING RECEIVER AT NOTRE DAME
BOB PICKENS
• FORMER OLYMPIC WRESTLER • ALL-AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYER AT
ROMAN OBEN
• TWELVE-YEAR NFL VETERAN WITH
THE CLEVELAND BROWNS, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, NEW YORK GIANTS, AND SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
• PLAYED IN SUPER BOWL XXXVII,
HELPING LEAD TAMPA BAY TO THEIR FIRST SUPER BOWL VICTORY IN 2003
MARCUS PRICE
• DRAFTED IN THE SIXTH ROUND BY
THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS IN 1995
WISCONSIN
• RETIRED IN 2006 AFTER A
CHICAGO BEARS
• FORMER FOUR-YEAR LETTERMAN
• DRAFTED INTO THE NFL BY THE
xvii
SUCCESSFUL TEN-YEAR NFL CAREER AND ALL-CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE TACKLE AT LSU
xviii
ATHLETES WANTED
PAUL PUTNAM
• OWNER OF BASICS SPORTS MEDICINE AT WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE OVERSEES TRAINING OF WORLD-CLASS ATHLETES INCLUDING OLYMPIANS AND NFL PLAYERS
IZELL REESE
• SEVEN-YEAR NFL CAREER WITH
THE DALLAS COWBOYS, DENVER BRONCOS, AND BUFFALO BILLS
• FORMER CORNERBACK/SAFETY
• FORMER STATE RECORD-HOLDER AND
FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMABIRMINGHAM
JE’MONE SMITH
HOWARD STEVENS
BIG SKY CHAMPION AT WEBER STATE
• PLAYED PROFESSIONALLY FOR THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
• FULL SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETE AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
• RECOGNIZED PROFESSIONALLY FOR
HIS PUBLIC SPEAKING AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP SKILLS
• FIVE-YEAR NFL VETERAN WITH NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AND BALTIMORE COLTS
• TWO-TIME ALL AMERICAN AT UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
• FIRST EVER TO RUSH FOR MORE THAN
FIVE THOUSAND YARDS AT LOUISVILLE
A SPECIAL THANKS
JAY STRAIGHT
xix
RANDY TAYLOR
• CURRENTLY PLAYS IN EUROPE’S
• WAS NAMED NATION’S TOP
• NUMBER-THREE CAREER SCORER IN
• FORMER RECRUITING COORDINATOR
PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE, FIBA THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE PLAYING FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
• FORMER NCSA STUDENT-ATHLETE
MIKE TOMCZAK
RECRUITING COORDINATOR BY ESPN. COM AT UCLA
• FORMER DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS AT MINNESOTA
TAYLOR TWELLMAN
• ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF
• FIVE-TIME MLS ALL-STAR WITH THE
• HELPED LEAD THE BUCKEYES TO TWO
• MLS’ YOUNGEST-EVER PLAYER TO
• PLAYED IN THE CHICAGO BEARS
• HAS EARNED 30 CAPS WITH THE U.S.
THE YEAR
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS SUPER BOWL XX VICTORY
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION SCORE 100 GOALS NATIONAL TEAM
xx
ATHLETES WANTED
TIM TWELLMAN
• DIRECTOR OF THE TWELLMAN SOCCER ACADEMY
• TEN-YEAR NASL VETERAN WITH
THE MINNESOTA KICKS, TULSA ROUGHNECKS, AND CHICAGO STING
BRIDGET VENTURI-VEENEMA
• FIRST AND ONLY WOMAN VOTED TO
USA BASEBALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN 2005
• TWO-TIME IBAF WORLD CUP GOLD MEDALIST
• ALL-BIG TEN SELECTION IN SOFTBALL AT MICHIGAN
NICOLE WATSON
• AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST • WORKED WITH ESPN, HBO, TBS, AND TNT
• HAS INTERVIEWED ATHLETES SUCH AS MICHAEL JORDAN AND JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE
Contents
Foreword by Tom Lemming
xxiii
Preface
xxix
part 1
| BENEFITS of ATHLETICS
The Ticket to a Better Education
The Key to Increasing the Odds
The Character-Builder
The Benefits of Starting Early
part 2
| HISTORY of COLLEGE RECRUITING
Who Are the Players in the Game of College Athletic Recruiting?
What is College Recruiting?
Where Do Colleges Find Talent?
When Should a Student-Athlete Get Started?
Why Do Colleges Recruit?
part 3
| THE HOW TO GUIDE DURING HIGH SCHOOL
Chapter 1 – Recruiting Timeline Chapter 2 – Gauging a student-athlete’s level of recruitment The Five Things You Need to Know
— xxi —
1 5 8 10 17 35 38 40 42 47 48 51 59 103 105
xxii
ATHLETES WANTED
Chapter 3 – The Parent’s Role 130 Chapter 4 – Aligning a College with a Student-Athlete 149 Chapter 5 – Communicating with Coaches 175 Chapter 6 – Unofficial and Official Visits 213 Chapter 7 – The Student-Athlete’s Résumé 223 Chapter 8 – Videos 228 Chapter 9 – Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Admissions 235 Chapter 10 – Signing Day 253 Chapter 11 – The NCAA, NAIA, and the Student-Athlete 262 Chapter 12 – Camps, Clubs, Combines, and Showcases 271 Chapter 13 – The Multi-sport Athlete 280 Chapter 14 – Marketing the Student-Athlete: The Five Things You Must Do 284 Chapter 15 – Recruiting Services 292 part 4
| THE HOW TO GUIDE DURING COLLEGE
303
part 5
| THE HOW TO GUIDE AFTER COLLEGE
311
APPENDICES appendix A
General Information Freshman and Sophomore Recruiting Rules Junior Recruiting Rules Senior Recruiting Rules
appendix B
| NUMBERS BY SPORT
Sports per Division Opportunities per Division Athletes per Sport
appendix C
| NCAA RULES and REQUIREMENTS
327 327 331 332 334 336 336 338 339
| NCAA, NAIA, AND NJCAA SCHOLARSHIP LIMITS 341
Scholarship Opportunities
GLOSSARY
341 343