Tag Archives: College football

An NCAA Initial Eligibility Trifecta

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The last three episodes on my YouTube channel contain some VERY important information… actually some of the MOST important information regarding the Collegiate recruiting process… a Trifecta

The episodes discuss gaining Initial Eligibility at the NCAA DI, NCAA DII and NAIA levels.

It isn’t glamorous, or fun.

Learning how to increase your vertical leap or improving your speed is much more interesting… I know.

But if you are not familiar with, and do not keep on top of this (Initial Eligibility) information, you are putting your whole recruiting dreams at risk.

How to use the Recruiting Worksheet.

This post will follow along with, and supplement the information included in Episode 18 – Homework Assignment… so you can access that video and follow along there as well.

The first step is to download the Worksheet.  It is a Google Sheet, and can be downloaded via Episode 18 – Homework Assignment, or at this link:

Recruiting Worksheet

This will open up the Google Sheet titled Recruiting Worksheet.

In order to use/ edit the worksheet, the first thing you need to do is “make a copy”

To do this, click on –> File-> Make a copy

Episode 18 - Your Homework

Then give it a name (or just keep it Copy of Recruiting Worksheet) and select where you want to save it, the click –> OK

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Now you have a worksheet that is yours to keep… one you can fill in, complete and use to gauge where you are in the recruiting process.

A few words about what this worksheet IS and what it is NOT.

It is intended to give you a snapshot of where you are in the collegiate recruiting process right now… It is NOT a prediction of if, or at what level, you are going to get recruited.  It is designed to help guide you through a self evaluation segment, and guide you in regards to your Initial Eligibility status.

OK… Here we go in filling out and using this tool.

First… every field that is yellow is where you will be entering your information.

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The first question – What is your “Dream” school?

If you could get recruited, get a scholarship, and attend ANY college in the country, where would it be?  Type your answer in here:

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In the next section you will be evaluating yourself on the 9 different qualities that college recruiters will be looking at… I have called these “Purple Cow” qualities (you want to be like a Purple Cow… remarkable… not a brown cow… ordinary).

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If you are not sure what recruiters will be looking for in these areas, or want to better understand what will make you remarkable, you can click on any of these links to episodes on my YouTube channel where I discuss these qualities.

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The complete playlist of my YouTube channel is at this link:

YouCanDoMore YouTube all episodes

You will rate yourself 1-5 (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest) in each of these areas… typing in your rating in the corresponding yellow cell.

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A couple of things to keep in mind as you are rating yourself on these “Purple Cow” qualities:

  • Remember you are competing against student-athletes all across the country for scholarship aid… not just against athletes in your school, city, and state… so rate yourself accordingly
  • This is a rating on where you are right now… not where you want to be or think you will be at the end of this process

The worksheet will calculate an average rating, but more importantly, it will point out areas that you are strong in, as well as areas you might need to put some additional work and effort into.

The next section will help you determine where you are regarding the NCAA DI and DII Initial Eligibility process.

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The first thing the worksheet asks for (and will help you find) are how many Core Courses (and in what areas) you have taken.  If you do not have a list of your High School’s Core Courses, you can click on this link in the worksheet and it will take you a search engine that allows you to search by your school state and name.

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This is site that will allow you to search for your high school Core Core list.  You can also click on this link : Core Course Search Engine to see this site:

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Once you have your school’s list of Core Courses, you will enter the number of units you have taken in each area, English, Math (Algebra 1 or above) Science, Social Science and Other, in the corresponding yellow cell.  One year of a course equals 1 unit, One semester equals .5 units

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The worksheet will automatically calculate the total number of Core Units you have taken and display the number here.

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Keep in mind that in order to meet NCAA DI initial eligibility standards, you will need to earn 16 Core Course Units.  The breakdown of the number of units needed in each area can be found at this link:  NCAA DI Standards

In NCAA DII you will also need 16 Core Units, although the distribution of units in each area is slightly different.  The DII breakdown can be found at this link: NCAA DII Standards

Next, the worksheet will help you calculate your Core GPA… which is the only GPA that the NCAA uses… not overall GPA which includes non-Core Courses.

You will enter the grades you received in your Core Courses here…. entering the number of A’s B’s C’s and D’s in each of the corresponding yellow cells.

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Remember these two things

  1. The NCAA does not use + or – grades in determining GPA
  2. The grade for a year-long course is 1 unit, for a semester class it is .5 unit

The worksheet will calculate your Core GPA based on the number of Core Course units you have taken, and the grades (quality points) you earned in each of those courses.  Your Core GPA will be displayed here:

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The next factor determining Initial Eligibility is your score on either the ACT or SAT standardized test.

On the worksheet answer the question if you have taken either test, and if you have, enter your score in the corresponding yellow cell.

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If you have not taken the ACT or SAT tests, clicking on the worksheet link will take you to this site that lists the national testing dates for the ACT and SAT in 2018-19.

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You can also get to the site by clicking this link: ACT/SAT test dates

Determine a date you will take (or retake) the test and enter the date in the corresponding yellow cell

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Enter the date!  This is like making a contract with yourself and will increase the likelihood that you will take the test in a timely manner.

Now, using the NCAA DI and DII sliding scales you can determine what test score (or Core GPA with your current test score) you will need in order to meet NCAA Initial Eligibility standards.

Clicking on the worksheet link that says “NCAA DI Sliding Scale”

 

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Will take you to the sliding scale used by the NCAA to determine you eligibility

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By using the Core GPA that has already been calculated by the worksheet

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And cross-referencing that value on the sliding scale, you can determine what test score (ACT or SAT) you will need to achieve to gain Initial Eligibility at the NCAA DI level.

Episode 16 – Your Academics – Part 1 – Explains how to use the NCAA DI and DII sliding scales.

Enter the test score you need (based on your Core GPA) in the corresponding yellow cell.

Episode 18 - Your Homework24

The process for figuring out the test score you will need at the NCAA DII level is identical.  Clicking on the worksheet link that says “NCAA DII Sliding Scale”

Episode 18 - Your Homework25

Will take you to the sliding scale used by the NCAA to determine your DII eligibility.

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By using the Core GPA that has already been calculated by the worksheet

Episode 18 - Your Homework16

And cross-referencing that value on the sliding scale, you can determine what test score (ACT or SAT) you will need to achieve to gain Initial Eligibility at the NCAA DII level.

Enter the test score you need (based on your Core GPA) in the corresponding yellow cell.

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You can now see exactly where you are in regards to your Initial Eligibility at both the NCAA DI and DII levels… and determine if you …

  • Are Eligible at the NCAA DI and DII levels
  • Need more Core Courses in order to be eligible
  • Need Core Courses in a different area to be eligible
  • Need a higher Core GPA to be eligible
  • Need a higher ACT or SAT test to be eligible
  • Or need a combination of these items to be eligible

The next section of the worksheet looks at the process of registering for either (or both) the NCAA or NAIA Eligibility Centers.

Answer the question on the worksheet “Have you registered with the NCAA or NAIA Eligibility Centers?”

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If you have NOT registered with the Eligibility Centers, clicking on the worksheet link “NCAA Center”

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Will take you to the registration page for the NCAA Eligibility Center

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And click on the worksheet link “NAIA Center”

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Will take you to the Play NAIA site, which is the registration page for the NAIA Eligibility Center

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You can also navigate the the Eligibility Centers by clicking on these links below:

Well, thats it!

A lot of information, clicking, calculating, evaluating…. I know!

But information that will help put you in the drivers seat when it comes to your (or you son or daughter) recruiting.

If you have any questions on how to download, save, navigate or use this worksheet in any way, please give me a shout… I will help!

As always, thanks for your support!

Remember – You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you…. Don’t Believe It!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

 

 

 

Be Ready for Your Signing Day

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Today is the NCAA National Letter of Intent Signing Day.  Thousands of young student-athletes today officially signed their contract for scholarship aid to their NCAA institution of choice.  And yet, along with those thousands, there will be possibly thousands more very good players that did not have that opportunity today because they did not meet NCAA initial eligibility standards; they did not take care of business.

There are two things that will determine your initial NCAA eligibility coming out of high school.  The first, as was discussed in my previous post on College Entrance Exams, is your score on your ACT or SAT test.  The second factor that I will detail today is your GPA in what are classified as your Core Courses.

ncaa_eligibility_center_logoNeither your high school, nor the college you are entering determines your eligibility; an independent body called the NCAA Eligibility Center determines it. The NCAA Eligibility Center certifies the academic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to compete in NCAA Division I or II athletics.  The NCAA Eligibility Center also determines what courses from your high school are classified as Core Courses.  The Core Courses are very specific, essentially college prep courses, in Math, English, Science, and Social Studies.

As discussed in a previous post, NCAA Division I schools use a sliding scale to determine eligibility.  The minimum in either a NCAA DI or DII school is a 2.0 GPA in 16 Core units.  In the NCAA requirements for both the college entrance exam and the GPA in 16 Core units must be met.  The NCAA initial eligibility guideline brochure can be downloaded here: NCAA Eligibility Requirements

In the NAIA, the initial eligibility requirements are slightly different.  There are three factors.

  1. As mentioned previously, a minimum test score of 18 on the ACT or 860 SAT
  2. Overall high school GPA of 2.0 and
  3. Graduate in the top ½ of your high school class.

If an incoming student-athlete meets 2 out of the 3 requirements, they are eligible their freshman year at an NAIA institution.

The NAIA also has an NAIA Eligibility Center that you will need to register with prior to being certified for competition your freshman year.

In order to put yourself in a situation insuring you will meet either (or both) the NCAA or NAIA initial eligibility requirements, it is important that you make good progress through your high school career.  Typically, student-athletes who find they have not met these requirements have not done the necessary work through the entirety of their high school years.  Typically, they wait until it is too late to start planning.   Here are some suggested steps from the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Freshmen and Sophomores

  • Start planning now!
  • Work hard to get the best grades possible.
  • Take classes that match your high school’s List of NCAA Courses.
  • The NCAA Eligibility Center will use only approved core courses to certify your initial eligibility.
  • You can access and print your high school’s List of NCAA Courses at http://www.eligibilitycenter.org. Click the NCAA College- Bound Student-Athlete link to enter and then navigate to the “Resources” tab and select “U.S. Students” where you will find the link for the List of NCAA Courses.
  • At the beginning of your sophomore year, complete your online registration at www.eligibilitycenter.org.
  • If you fall behind, do not take short cuts. Classes you take must be four-year college preparatory and must meet NCAA requirements.

Juniors

  • Register to take the ACT, SAT or both and use the NCAA Eligibility Center code“9999”as a score recipient. Doing this sends your official score directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
  • Continue to take college prepratory courses. Double check to make sure the courses you have taken match your school’s List of NCAA Courses.
  • Ask your high school counselor to send an official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center after completing your junior year.
  • If you have attended more than one high school, the NCAA Eligibility Center will need official transcripts from all high schools attended. (The NCAA Eligibility Center does NOT accept faxed or emailed transcripts/test scores.) The NCAA Eligibility Center does accept transcripts electronically through Docufide/Parchment, e-Scrip Safe, ConnectEdu, National Transcript Center and Xap.
  • Before registering for classes for your senior year, check with your high school counselor to determine the number of core courses that you need to complete your senior year.

Seniors

  • Take the ACT and/or SAT again, if necessary. The NCAA Eligibility Center will use the best scores from each section of the ACT or SAT to determine your best cumulative score.
  • Continue to take college-preparatory courses.
  • Check the courses you have taken to match your school’s List of NCAA Courses.
  • Review your amateurism responses and request final amateurism certification on or after April 1 (for fall enrollees) or October 1 (for spring enrollees).
  • Continue to work hard to get the best grades possible.
  • Graduate on time (in eight academic semesters).
  • After graduation, ask your high school counselor to send your final transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center with proof of graduation. The NCAA Eligibility Center accepts transcripts electronically through Docufide/Parchment, e-Scrip Safe, ConnectEdu, National Transcript Center and Xap 6 COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENT-ATHLETE

A very helpful document with all of this stuff can be downloaded here:  Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete

Another source of information, especially to athletes in grades 8-11 is my recently launched YouTube Channel that deals specifically with the recruiting process.  The channel can be found here : The YouCanDoMore YouTube Channel, and the complete playlist can be viewed here.

 

Questions or Comments are always welcomed… I will  answer!  Just shoot me an email or leave a comment.

Remember – You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you…. Don’t Believe It!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

 

The Choice is Yours

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I get asked this question…

A LOT.

“What can I do to get a college to notice me… what should I do to get recruited?”

Often the student-athlete does not like what I have to tell them.

First, let me say, that if you are an “elite” athlete, you are going to get noticed.

But, if you are like the majority of student-athletes that get recruited… and are NOT an “elite” athlete, then the margin between getting recruited and not is relatively small.

It really is a fairly simple concept… how to get recruited.

The actual doing tends to be much harder… but here is how you do it.

choiceYou have to make good choices.

Throughout the four years you are a student-athlete, there will be literally a thousand different choices you will need to make…

  • In the classroom
  • In the weight room
  • At home
  • During practice
  • In the halls at school
  • During games
  • Socially
  • With your friends
  • By yourself

Now, you don’t have to make every correct choice in your lifetime… everyone makes mistakes. But know that the more good choices you make… choices that have your end goal of being a collegiate athlete in mind… the greater your chances of success.

And know, too, that there are some choices you simply have to make correctly or you are done.

I see it happen every year…

  • A great athlete, in their senior year, that is missing too many core courses.
  • An off the field “incident” gets reported on by the local paper.
  • A recruitable athlete neglects to take the ACT until their senior year.
  • An athlete gets an offer rescinded because of an inflammatory tweet.

What should you do to get recruited?

The choice is yours.

More information for athletes, parents and coaches regarding the collegiate recruiting process at these links:

Remember – You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you…. Don’t Believe It!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Project Launch!

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I hope you take the time to read this post… it is important to me.

Since I started this blog several years ago, I have written over 400 posts… with the intent of helping colleagues and their athletes by sharing some of my experience.

Many of the tools (film grade template, defensive game plan material) that I have shared via this site have been downloaded nearly 50,000 times!

I have not asked for anything in return… that is the nature of our profession.

Today I am asking for some help with a new project of mine that I think will be of interest to you, and hopefully gain your support

Today I am launching my YouTube Channel, YouCanDoMore.

Level the pLaying field!-23This channel is for Coaches, Parents, and Athletes, and will deal specifically with the recruiting process.  It will essentially be the same information that is contained in the presentation I have given many times (and is on my blog), only in bite-sized segments … probably 8-10 minutes.  Each segment will deal with a different aspect of recruiting (ie gauging level of interest, making a highlight video, ACT testing, etc) and I plan on airing about one new segment each week for a total of around 25-30 videos.

The videos will be professionally done, and will include great content and information.

This is not a recruiting service… quite the opposite.  It is intended to teach athletes and parents how to use various tools and concepts I will supply, to do the work that a recruiting service would ask $100’s to do.

I have chosen this format for a few reasons.

  1. It extends my reach
  2. The video format allows for better understanding than just the printed word (my blog)
  3. This format will allow for comments and questions after each segment.  As you know in a large auditorium setting, students (and parents) often feel intimidated/ inhibited asking questions.  I WILL answer every individual question after each segment airs.
  4. When I have given this seminar, it is an “all day sucker”… lasting about 4-5 hours. Being bite-sized chunks allows for consumption and digestion at the viewers own pace.
  5. I am also planning on including interviews with current coaches (College and HS in a variety of sports) regarding the recruiting process.

ExampleThe channel itself will be free,  BUT I am also including a way that viewers can help compensate me for the videos… if they feel the content is worthy, and the are financially able.  I will be using a platform called Patreon that allows viewers to become Patrons (for a really small fee) of my work.  The Patrons WILL have access to additional content.

How can you help?   Here are a couple of ways….

  • I always welcome your input, and will be calling on some of you to share your expertise regarding the recruiting process via video interview.
  • Please share links to my YouTube Channel (YouCanDoMore) and encourage your athletes to begin the video series.
  • Use your social media connections (Twitter, Facebook, Hudl, Instagram, etc) to help get the word of the channel out to your players and colleagues. ReTweet, Share, Like…. All of the above.
  • Visit my Patreon page and consider becoming a Patron of this project.

What’s in this for you as a Coach?

One of the main points I make in the series (to both athletes and their parents) is that although your coach will be the main conduit to college recruiters, they will not GET you a scholarship… It is up to the athlete to do everything in their power (off-season workouts, practice, academics, character, etc) to make themselves a remarkable, recruitable athlete in their coach’s and recruiter’s eyes.

This information will be applicable for athletes, parents, and coaches in all sports. I make the point that if you are a senior, it is late in the process, but there will still be information in the series that can help you… if you are in 8th grade, it is not too early to start thinking about the collegiate recruiting process, and what it will take to realize your goals.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post, and thanks for your continued support of this blog… nearly half a millions views!

Remember – You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you…. Don’t Believe It!

Related Posts:

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Well Coached

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Well Coached…

What does a well-coached team look like?

  • Few mental errors or penalties…
  • Good clock management…
  • The players are in shape…
  • Good knowledge and execution of their offensive and defensive systems…
  • Solid kicking game…
  • Great fundamentals…

Doing all the “little things” needed to be successful.

You would assume that all SEC teams, especially two that were both ranked in the top 5 in the country would be equally “well-coached”.

Well not so fast.

A couple of weeks ago Alabama (1) played Texas A & M (5)… a game which featured these two top ranked teams… Alabama ended up cruising to a 33-14 victory.

It is my contention that while both teams’ rosters are filled with great athletes, only one of these teams was truly well-coached… only one of these teams did all the “little things” needed to be successful.

In a clip from the show SEC Film Room, Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson discusses how they picked up several “tells” from the A & M offensive line… specifically how their offensive tackle’s stance gave away if the play was a run or pass. (Thanks to Coach Cooper – @GorillaMyscles for helping me locate this clip)

run-pass

This is basic stuff.

Maybe it is no wonder that A & M lost three straight games after this.

And guess what Alabama Coach Nick Saban said his team was going to focus on during the bye week following their defeat of Texas A & M?

  • Attention to detail…
  • Fixing some “little things”…
  • Fundamentals….

Needless to say, Alabama is a well-coached football team.

Related Posts:

Remember – You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you…. Don’t Believe It! 

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Recruiting Seminar Thanks

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Thanks to all who attended and helped at today’s recruiting seminar, Level the Playing Field, held this morning at William Chrisman High School.

As I mentioned, most of the information can be found on this site via this link:

Recruiting Links

A copy of the PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded from this linkL

Level the Playing Field

It is just the slides from the presentation, without any of my comments or external links, but it will give you much of the information (like questions to ask your recruiting coach, and questions to expect from a coach on an initial visit)

If you don’t have access to PowerPoint (or don’t like using it), I converted the presentation to this movie below.  Again, there are no outside links (although the embedded video does play) or comments from me, but you can navigate (push play/pause) to get information from the slides.

In addition to these written posts, I have recently launched my YouTube Channel that deals specifically with the recruiting process.  The channel can be found here : The YouCanDoMore YouTube Channel, and the complete playlist can be viewed here.

 

If any coaches are interested in bringing this presentation to their schools, give me a shout and I can give you some more information about it.  At William Chrisman it was presented to all student-athletes and their parents.

The seminar, Level the Playing Field is designed to empower students, coaches, and parents in regards to the recruiting process.

Remember – You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you…. Don’t Believe It! 

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Tech Tips

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As we head into the final portion of our seasons, with conference and district championships on the line and playoff possibilities looming, is there anything that you as a coach could be doing differently or better? Are there any tools, techniques, or tips that might help you teach or coach more effectively and efficiently?

I am always on the lookout for a better way to skin the cat… and invariably my search leads me back to technology.

Here are a couple of new tools that I just started using, and an “old reliable” that I have begun using in a different way.

Twitter

We all know the Social Media aspect of Twitter… and have witnessed people “Tweeting” the minutiae of their daily lives. But there is another aspect of Twitter that makes it a virtual clinic… a clinic that is open 24/7 365. Twitter connects me to coaches and colleagues across the country … coaches that are experts in every field… from Middle School Strength and Conditioning, to collegiate recruiting, to NFL special teams play.

Inside of Twitter, by using the # symbol, you can connect to weekly chats hosted and moderated by coaches across the country. Some of my favorites are:

Typically one coach will moderate by posing a question to the field (Q1) and each participating coach will respond with their input (A1) including the appropriate # for the chat. By searching the # for that particular chat, each coach can view all questions and responses. Often there are guest coaches that will tweet on a topic in their area of expertise

Here is screen shot from a recent #txhsfbchat answers (A3) to the question (Q3): How do you incorporate the community of your school into your academic support system?

chat

Following the session, the questions and responses are archived. Here is a link to an archived chat about Athlete Motivaton from a couple of weeks ago.

Some of these groups are more active than others, but most really get up and running full speed in the off-season.

Any interest in a #kchsfbchat or #mohsfbchat this off-season? Let me know.

Tweetdeck

A program that makes it possible to easily follow several #chats and #streams at once is Tweetdeck. Tweetdeck (part of Twitter) allows a user to monitor multiple timelines, schedule tweets and filter searches. Here is a screenshot of my Tweetdeck, with my most viewed timelines displayed.

tweetdeck

The timelines are displayed in real time and can be formatted, filtered and arranged to your liking.

Remind

remind-logo-1Another new tool we just started using in our program is Remind (Remind.com). Remind is a communication tool that helps teachers and students connect instantly with students and parents. You can send quick, simple messages to any device. It is a free program that takes literally seconds for you and our athletes to sign up. It is safe – it keeps phone numbers private… students never see yours and you never see theirs. Our administration loves this program.

Do you have a favorite tech tech tool that you are using in your program? Are you finding a new way to use an old tool? If so, please share!

Related Posts:

I will ask this question again… Any interest in a #kchsfbchat or #mohsfbchat?

You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you… Don’t Believe It!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

So You Want To Get Recruited?

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MillerNLIContrary to popular belief, and the belief of many athletes and parents, your high school coach will not “get you (or anyone) a scholarship”.  It often becomes easy to put the blame on the high school coach for not promoting an athlete enough for them to miraculously become a DI athlete come signing day.  The responsibility to put yourself in a position to earn an athletic scholarship lies squarely on your shoulders.  You will need to display, to your high school coach AND the college coaches evaluating you, that you have the following characteristics:

  1. Coachable – Character
  2. Speed
  3. Explosion
  4. Playing Fast
  5. Athleticism – Quickness
  6. Academics (GPA/Test score)
  7. Size
  8. Effort
  9. Technique

Your high school coach will be your first contact with college recruiters.  Each year he will get literally hundreds of college prospect forms to fill out. These will be asking for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade prospects that have the potential to play college athletics.  Your high school coach can be one of your biggest assets in getting an initial connection to college football programs.

So … to put it simply, and a little corny (but true) you have to show him how remarkable you are!  Here is the question:  Will your coach be able to TRUTHFULLY say to a college recruiting coach that you have done everything in your power to become the best football (and team) player during the last four years?  If not, then you have work to do.  If you expect your coach to be your biggest fan, you must show him that you have character and are coachable…. the first things on the list above.  How do you do that?  Here are some (but not all) examples….

  • If your coach asks you to play scout team your sophomore year to help the varsity team prepare, then be the best scout team player on the field!  Make plays against good varsity competition and follow directions.
  • If your coach expects you to participate in 7-on-7 during the summer, then be at every practice and every game. Be a leader – learn your system – play fast.
  • If your coach you to attend 90% of the workouts during the off-season program, be there 100% of the time and work at a high intensity.  You don’t want to be the guy in this video:
  • If your coach asks you to switch positions your senior year to help the team, then take on the new position with enthusiasm.
  • If your coach expects you to evaluate your opponent’s game film an hour every day during your season, then watch 90 minutes a day.
  • If you coach demands that you are on time to every practice and meeting, then make sure you are on “Lombardi Time” and get there 10 minutes early!
  • When you coach says you should take a “6 inch step” during film evaluation of your blocking, you say “Yes Sir” and learn how to do it consistently rather than asking your teammates “what is the big difference between a 6 inch step and a 7 inch step?”

When you do everything in your power to make yourself a better football (and team) player, then you will be able to check off two important qualities college coaches are looking for, being coachable and having great character.

You can read in depth information about the qualities that college coaches will be evaluating, and other recruiting information, at my blog at this link:  You Can Do More – All  Recruiting Posts.

In addition to these written posts, I have recently launched my YouTube Channel that deals specifically with the recruiting process.  The channel can be found here : The YouCanDoMore YouTube Channel, and the complete playlist can be viewed here.

 

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Recruiting – The Offer

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offer pyramidToday is the fifth of a six-part series designed to help student-athletes and their parents know what to expect at the various stages of the recruiting process.  I briefly explained these stages in the post, Recruiting – Gauging Their Level Of Interest; this series goes into greater detail at each step, helping you maximize every opportunity to market yourself.

In addition to these written posts, I have recently launched my YouTube Channel that deals specifically with the recruiting process.  The channel can be found here : The YouCanDoMore YouTube Channel, and the complete playlist can be viewed here.

The previous post in this series can be found on my blog at the following link: Recruiting – The Level of Interest Pyramid.  This post will discuss “The Offer” and detail exactly what the verbal offer of scholarship aid means.

At some point during the recruiting process, the school (or schools) that has been recruiting you will make a decision.  They will either decide that you do not fit the current needs of their program, or that you are the type of student athlete that will be successful in their program.

If their decision is that you do not meet their current needs, understand their decision does not necessarily mean you cannot be a collegiate football player.  It only means that you do not meet the needs of that specific program, at that specific time.

If their decision is that you DO meet their needs, their next step will be determining what type offer they will be making.  Here are some important things to remember regarding the verbal offer:

  • At all levels below FBS football, the scholarships can be broken up into partial awards, ranging anywhere from a small dollar amount to a full ride.  At the NCAA FBS level, the scholarships are all full awards.  A full scholarship can include tuition, fees, room, board and books.  If you qualify for any need based aid, such as a PELL grant, you can accept that amount on top of your scholarship award.
  • At all levels below the NCAA DI level, the scholarship awards are 1-year contracts, with the option for annual renewal.  A 2011 rule change allowed NCAA DI schools to offer multi-year awards, but even then, those are rare.  A recent study by the Pittsburg Post-Gazette found the following:

“But nearly two years after that legislation, multiyear scholarships are rare, not publicized by universities and largely unknown by the athletes. According to data of 82 universities at the Division I-A level obtained by the Post-Gazette through open records requests, only 16 have offered more than 10 multiyear scholarships. Thirty-two of the universities have offered between one and 10, and thirty-four have not offered any.”

  • If a DII school tells you that they are offering you a 4-year scholarship, they are not being completely honest.
  • The verbal scholarship offer is non-binding; it can be rescinded.  Nothing is binding until the National Letter of Intent is signed.
  • College programs will offer more scholarships than they have available, knowing that they will not “win” every recruiting battle.  Because of this, they will want to know ASAP if you intend to accept the offer… and will ask that you give a verbal commitment to them.  If you are not going to accept their offer, they know they can make an offer to the next person on their list.  Just because the college will want to know ASAP, does not mean you should feel, or be, pressured to make a decision.
  • Your verbal commitment is non-binding as well; it can be rescinded.  Nothing is binding until the National Letter of Intent is signed.

You should feel free to ask questions related to the scholarship offer:

  • Can the offer be increased from year to year?
  • How often does that happen?
  • What about my red-shirt year… will the scholarship cover a 5th year?
  • What happens to the amount of aid if I get injured and cannot play any longer?  What if I graduate in 4 years, and still have a year of eligibility… will the scholarship cover grad school?

You are getting to the final, home stretch, of the recruiting process.  You now are fairly confident in their level of interest.  It is now up to you to continue your evaluation and make your decision based on the important factors to you and your family.  You want to be confident in your decision before the next and final phase of the process, signing the National Letter of Intent.

Questions and Comments are always welcome!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Does Great Player = Great Coach?

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Ten-time NBA All-Star, Jason Kidd is the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.  Does being a great player translate into being a great coach?

bbcoachI think the two things (playing and coaching) are completely separate skills, with some overlap. I don’t think they are mutually exclusive … you could have been a great player and be a great coach; I don’t think they are mutually inclusive either… being a great player does not guarantee you will be a great (or even good) coach.

 

Typically some playing traits that translate to coaching are hard work and knowledge of the game.  Traits that do not relate to coaching are skill level and athletic ability.

As I mentioned in my post Coach=Teacher, to be a good coach, you must be a good teacher.  Your playing ability has no effect on your ability to teach.  Your playing experience CAN have an effect.  If you have experience playing, you probably have an increased knowledge of the game.

I have been asked many times by athletes if they needed to play college football (or any sport) in order to coach high school.  I always tell them that, no, it is not required, but playing college football is like a classroom for coaching.  You learn things, both coaching methods and football knowledge, by playing the game for four more years.

A list of notable coaches, professional and collegiate football and basketball, with their college and professional playing experience:

College Football

  • Nick Saban – Played football at Kent State.  No professional experience
  • Urban Meyer – Played football at the University of Cincinnati.   No professional experience, but did play minor league baseball in the Braves organization.

NFL Legends

  • Vince Lombardi – Played at Fordham in college. No professional experience
  • Don Shula – Played (did not start) at John Carrol University in college.  Signed with Cleveland Browns and played 7 seasons in the NFL.

Active NFL

  • Bill Belichick – Played football, lacrosse and squash at Weslelyan University in college.  No professional experience.
  • Tom Coughlin – Played football at Syracuse. No professional experience.

College Men’s Basketball

  • Mike Krzewski – Played basketball at West Point. No professional experience.
  • John Wooden – Played basketball at Purdue.   Played professionally for the Indianapolis Kautskys, the Whiting Ciesar All-Americans, and the Hammond Ciesar All Americans.

NBA

  • Red Auerbach  – Played basketball at George Washington Univeristy.  No professional experience
  • Phil Jackson – Played basketball at the University of North Dakota.  Played 13 years in the NBA on the New York Nicks and the New Jersey Nets.

This list was completely arbitrary… I just picked these guys off the top of my heard; but out of this list of ten coaches, seven had NO professional experience, and really the only one with a notable professional career was Phil Jackson.

Questions and Comments are always welcomed!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com