Athletes Wanted : Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 THE STUDENT-ATHLETE’S RÉSUMÉ

ATHLETES

WANTED

CHRIS KRAUSE High School Edition

C H A P T E R 7

THE STUDENT-ATHLETE’S RÉSUMÉ Any time student-athletes mail or email letters or packages to coaches, they should send a résumé, also called an athletic profile or, when verified by an objective third-party, a verified scouting report.

The résumé should include the following information about the student-athlete: 1. First and last name 2. Contact details: home address, email, cell phone, website 3. School and graduation year 4. Sport and position, including home and away colors 5. Grade-point average on 4.0 scale 6. Academic honors 7. Community involvement 8. Academic clubs

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9. Athletic statistics 10. Athletic accomplishments and honors 11. Club, combine, showcase, or camp involvement 12. Links to online highlight or skills video 13. References from coaches 14. Picture The basic rules of a résumé apply. Hard copies should be on goodquality paper. Regardless of whether the résumé is being delivered via email or hard copy, the résumé should be easy-to-read, free of typos, and well-formatted.

Résumés should also be an accurate representation of the student’s abilities and statistics. Some student-athletes are tempted to over-exaggerate their abilities, height, or weight in an attempt to make them more attractive candidates for a spot on a college team. This is a big mistake.

College coaches are already skeptical about résumés because they are selfreported. If one piece of information is incorrect, coaches will assume all of it is false. Coaches will eventually discover the athlete’s actual abilities and stats, and they will be quick to eliminate for future consideration any student-athlete who lacks integrity.

Coach’s Tip “Having the accurate height and weight can be as valuable as having an accurate 40-yard time,” said a coach from the University of Notre Dame.

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An alternative to the résumé is called a “verified scouting report.” Verified scouting reports are athletic profiles created by objective scouting services (for instance, the NCSA Student-Athlete Clearinghouse). In essence, they contain the same information as résumés, but, because they are controlled by a third party, coaches place more weight on verified scouting reports than they do on self-reported résumés. Sport-specific samples and information about scouting services that provide verified scouting reports can be found at www.athleteswanted.org.

A student-athlete should send each coach on his Correspondence Log an updated résumé anytime something positive changes in his status. If his grade-point average increases, or if he goes through a growth spurt, wins an award, or is promoted to team captain, the student-athlete should send an updated résumé, along with a cover letter indicating the changes in his status.

Résumés or profiles are also sent to coaches when a student introduces himself via email or snail mail. Today’s savvy parents and student-athletes create websites to electronically house the student’s résumé or profile electronically to alert coaches of updates in status. This eliminates the need to constantly send letters to coaches, and it allows easy access to a highlight or skills video via computer and high-speed Internet connection.

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SA M P L E r é s u m é ATHLETIC INFORMATION: • • • • • •

Four-time varsity letterman (golf, 2005-08) Third in state meet (70, 73) (2008) First-Team All-Conference (2008, 2007) First-Team All-District (2008) District Qualifier, Fifth Place (2008) Team Captain (2008)

CLUBS/CAMPS: • AJGA Tournaments • Sixth in Myrtle Beach Invitational (72, 71) • Tenth in Chicago Jr. Invite (70)

Justin Sherman Grad Year Height/Weight Age GPA 2009

5’10”

17

3.53/4.0

Parents: Kelly and Lynn ADDRESS: 1415 N. Dayton Street, Apt. 4 Chicago, IL 60622 Home Phone: (888) 333-6846 Mobile Phone: (555) 555-0000 Email: mgolf@ncsasports.org

SCHOLASTIC INFORMATION: Belvidere North High School Phone: (555) 555-1111 Enrollment: 2200 Overall GPA: 3.6/4.0 SAT[1600]: 1240 Math: 600 Reading: 640 Writing: 590 Honors Classes: Algebra, English Desired Major: Undecided Eligibility Center: Yes

ACADEMIC HONORS/AWARDS: National Honor Society (2007-09)

STATISTICAL DATA: Home Course: Course Par: Course Slope: Course Rating: Course Yardage:

Beckett Ridge Country Club 72 136 73.3 6857

08 AJGA Handicap: Nine-Hole Average: Nine-Hole Low: Eighteen-Hole Average: Eighteen-Hole Low: Average Drive: Driving Accuracy: Greens in Regulation: Putts/18 Holes:

1.3 37 34 73 70 295 yards 85 percent 14 29

08 HIGH SCHOOL Handicap: Nine-Hole Average: Nine-Hole Low: Eighteen-Hole Average: Eighteen-Hole Low: Average Drive: Driving Accuracy: Greens in Regulation: Putts/18 Holes:

0.1 35 32 71 68 295 yards 90 percent 16 26

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Key Points 1.

An athlete should create a professional student-athlete résumé or profile that includes first and last name, contact details, school and grade, sport and position, GPA, academic and athletic honors, community involvement, links to streaming highlight or skills video, athletic statistics, and academic or athletic clubs, combines, showcases, or camps.

2.

When a student introduces himself to a coach, he should provide a copy of his résumé. If the athlete’s status changes for the better, he should update his résumé and send a copy, along with a cover letter, to all coaches on his Correspondence Log. In connection with a student-athlete’s website, this will help coaches keep updated on any progress academically and athletically in real time. It also allows coaches to watch a highlight or skills video via the Internet.

3.

Coaches can be skeptical of self-reported information. An upgrade to the résumé is a “verified scouting report” created by an objective thirdparty. For more information, visit www.athleteswanted.org.