College Athlete Graduation Rates on the Rise

The NCAA released its latest Graduation Success Rates and the news is outstanding!

• 79 percent of Division I freshmen student-athletes who entered college in 2002 earned their degrees, matching last year’s rate. The average Graduation Success Rate for the last four graduating classes is 79 percent, one percentage point higher than last year.   Both rates are the highest ever for Division I student-athletes, said NCAA Interim President Jim Isch.

• The single-year Graduation Success Rate for men’s basketball student-athletes rose from 65 percent for student-athletes entering college in 2001 to 66 percent for those who entered in 2002. Even more dramatic was the long-term improvement – up from 56 percent for the entering class of 1995 (the first year of data collection).

• Division II’s latest Academic Success Rate results show that graduation rates for Division II student-athletes continue to significantly exceed those of the general student body.  Student-athletes in the entering class of 2002 posted a six-year graduation rate of 71 percent as calculated by the Academic Success Rate, far above the 55 percent using the federal graduation-rate methodology that does not take transfers or nonscholarship athletes into account.  The 71 percent rate is steady from last year and up from 69 percent for the 1999 and 2000 classes. The four-year aggregate is at 70 percent – 80 percent for female student-athletes and 63 percent for males.

Hats off to the Student-Athletes, coaches, administrators, coaches and the NCAA for their progress!

November 19th, 2009 - by Brian Davidson

Division 3 Does Offer Scholarships, Just Not Athletic

NCAA Division III Athletics is the largest division consisting of 443 member institutions. Division III schools are not permitted per NCAA rules to give scholarships based on athletic ability, but that does not take away from the level of competition. Many D-3 programs offer tremendous environments for not only learning but also college athletics. For example, an ESPN poll ranks the rivalry between Hope College and Calvin College, both small liberal arts D3 schools in West Michigan, as the 4th best rivalry in all of college basketball. That says a lot about the environment those two teams compete in.

D-3 schools are typically small, private, Liberal Arts colleges. In many cases they are old schools with a storied history and beautiful little (secluded) campuses. While many have excellent academic curriculums, they are limited in their offerings - at least compared to the larger universities. If you are planning on a degree in restoration of historic churches, you probably don't want to go there.

On the other hand, if you are looking, for example, for a solid foundation for law or med school many of these schools have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, due to the fact these schools are private; they are forced to charge higher tuition. As mentioned above, these schools are forbidden by NCAA rules from offering athletic scholarships. On the other hand, they are perfectly capable of offering an academic scholarship to a high school athlete with a good GPA and/or a high ACT/SAT score. Because they are mostly private schools with rather high tuitions, these colleges recognize that they must offer some financial assistance to entice student interest. Many have this ability because they are older schools and are heavily endowed. In any case, if you are good student and a good, but not-necessarily-professional-caliber athlete, these schools may be just what you are looking for. Keep in mind that when these schools offer scholarship money for academics they also are looking for students who will give back to the school by participating in activities or playing a sport. As we said earlier on in this tutorial however, an athlete cannot make the decision in his or her senior year to go after aid based on academic achievement. This has to start with the freshman year in high school. One last interesting fact about D-3: by not offering college scholarships D-3 schools are able to offer more sports and teams. For example, a lot of D-3 schools will offer a JV team, which not only offers more athletes the option to play college sports, it also offers the ability to season yourself before making the jump to the Collegiate Varsity level.

If you think D3 might be the place for you it is important to examine all avenues to divert the cost. There are several services online that help students find money for school that they otherwise might not be aware of. For example, FastWeb Free Scholarship Search , a Monster company, offers a no cost searchable database with something like 600,000 searchable scholarships. It is certainly worth the time of signing up. The same goes for Scholarships Experts and many other free services that only require a couple minutes to sign up but could turn out to be worth a lot more.

Be Realistic: Everyone is NOT a Division 1 Player!

NCAA Division II Athletics consists of 285 member institutions. These schools, while recognizing the benefit of college athletics to the college community, typically do not put the emphasis on sports (read: do not spend the money on sports) that most Division 1 schools do. Their facilities are typically not on par with the D-1 institutions and often they do not have the student body participation that their more famous D-1 brother-institutions have. This is not to say that the playing experience will not be a worthwhile endeavor, but rather that there may not be a three hundred member marching band leading you out to the field for your first game in front of a hundred thousand rabid fans.

The decision of a University Board to make their school a D-2 school may lead from a perceived inability to compete at a higher level (as in the case of a new or growing institution) or from a conscious decision to downplay the importance of sports in the college environment. It is not directly correlated to the size of the university - there are many large D-2 schools (larger than many of the D-1 schools) and there are many small D-2 schools that could conceivably drop to D-3. Just as some private schools like Notre Dame, Stanford, and Duke choose to compete at the D-1 level with only a fraction of the student body of a large public university, so many small schools choose to stay at the D-2 level. Regarding the quality of the athletic teams the D-2 coaches have scholarships to offer, although not as many as the D-1 coaches. The problem of course is in the "pecking order" that accompanies the recruiting process. Typically, the D-2 coach recruits only after the major and the mid-level D-1 coaches. Top notch athletes, especially those with professional aspirations, will obviously look for scholarships from high profile universities with excellent facilities and a high degree of national exposure. You will see few of them at the D-2 level. The mid-level programs will pick up the borderline cases and athletes that they feel were underestimated by the major coaches. After this the D-2 coach goes to work. They have the same opportunity as the mid-level coach to pick up an over-looked or underestimated athlete, but in general his picks are obviously more limited than the D-1 coaches who preceded him. But it's not all doom and gloom. In some sports, certain positions are harder to fill than others and D-1 coaches have a distinct advantage. In basketball, for example, high quality big men are always at a premium. The D-1 coaches quickly tie up all the available talent, in some cases tracking the players all through their high school careers. On the other hand, there is probably an over abundance of good guards in any given recruiting year. Even after the D-1 coaches have filled their need there are still quality athletes available. The D-2 coach is perhaps not as hampered in this area. For this reason, one will find the difference between guard play at a D-1 and D-2 school to be less than the difference between post players. [Note that this also may mean that a big man with even mediocre talent probably has a better chance of making it than a small man with a higher degree of athletic ability.] But the D-2 coach also has another opportunity to add quality players to his team.

Looking through a successful Division II program's roster you will often find several players who have transferred from Division I schools for personal reasons, location reasons, or more playing time. These players may be very close in ability to those playing for the D-1 program. For some it may be a case of them simply giving up their dream of playing professionally and no longer wishing to devote the time in a major program. Going back to our reasons for playing college sports, they drop from category #1 to say, #2, #3, or #4. These players offer high quality performance to the D-2 fan while fulfilling their personal need for financial aid toward a college degree. A last source of recruits for the D-2 coach is the Junior Colleges. Just as was the case with the D-1 transfers he will look for players who have given up on their D-1 and /or professional dreams. A player who is having difficulty getting noticed shouldn't overlook this avenue to a four year college sport career. Adding them to the mix of other transfers and high school recruits provides a reasonably high level of play in many D-2 programs.

There is a stigma attached to Division II athletics, that being that they are inherently inferior to Div-I. While this may be true in the general case it is not always true. Many Division II schools compete against and even beat Division I schools. In fact some Div-1 schools avoid playing their D-2 counterparts to avoid the possibility of an embarrassing upset. Several years ago we happened to witness a basketball game between a mid-major and their cross town rival. The game was going bad for the D-1 school until they threw in a 30 foot desperation shot to win in the last seconds. The D-2 school had clearly outplayed their opponent and the D-1 coach said so after the game. Sure the D-2 team finished the season ranked in the top 10 nationally. However, the D-1 school also ended up winning their conference and tournament titles and playing in the Big Dance. There they upset one of the major basketball power-houses before bowing out. They were clearly not a patsy. But at least that year, the difference between them and the D-2 school was very little.

The bottom line is that Division 2 offers an excellent path to achieving that college degree so long as you are not intent on pursing a career in professional sports. [In fact, a few professional players do come out of D-2 programs including some very fine ones - Ben Wallace and Charles Oakley come quickly to mind.] And while most of the D-2 universities are not as well known as their D-1 brothers, it some cases it is simply because they do field impressive sports teams that the uninformed public views them as "inferior universities. In fact, in our home state the third ranked school in the state is a NCAA D-2 school even though there are 7 NCAA D-1 schools that could have grabbed the top spots (if the NCAA category had anything to do with quality of education). In terms of an education this is clearly a reasonable option.

Fourth and Goal Baller Staff Has Wealth of Experience

FRED BAXTER-Player Development Specialist

Fred Baxter, born in Brundidge Alabama, is a former NFL Tight End with a 12 year career span. He attended Pike County HS, where he led his team to the state championship his senior year. Off the field, he was the SGA President and graduated from the Advanced Program. Baxter attended Auburn University & was drafted by the New York Jets in the 5th round of the ’93 Draft. Baxter also played for the Bears and earned the coveted XXXVIII Super Bowl victory playing for the New England Patriots in the 2002-03 Season. 

Fred started the Fred Baxter Foundation in 2000 to empower and support the at-risk youth, families below poverty levels and strongly supports various churches. He is extremely active in supporting various charities & communities nationwide. He and his wife Lisa, currently lives in NJ, where he works as a mentor for the Camden School System covering the S. Jersey and Delaware Valley areas. Baxter will serve as a Talent Evaluator for Fourth and Goal Ballers, Inc. Every athlete that uses the Fourth and Goal Ballers, Inc highlight video and recruiting service package will receive an evaluation and personal letter of endorsement from Baxter. He is the proud father of two children Brittany and Kellan.

CHRIS WILLIAMS-Assistant Recruiting Coordinator

mailto:cwilliams.4thandgoalonline@gmail.com

 No student-athlete in the rich history of West Georgia sports have earned more accolades than Chris Williams. For four seasons a mainstay on the Braves' offensive line, Williams helped carry the Braves' program to its greatest success. After becoming a regular in the second game of his freshman season, Williams started every game during the remainder of his career. In that time, he helped the Braves to 35 wins, two GSC titles and three berths in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Individual honors were plentiful for the Swainsboro native. He was a two-time All-America, two-time All-South Region, and twice honored with a spot on the All-GSC First Team.

Following his career, Williams was offered a free agent deal with the NFL's New Orleans Saints. He also played with the New Jersey Red Dogs and Tampa Bay Storm in Arena Football League. He graduated from UWG with a degree in Sociology. Williams entered the field of law enforcement and is now working as a Corporal and K9 Handler on the Interstate Drug Interdiction Unit. Williams and his K9 worked with several federal law enforcement agencies in the drug trafficking. He was named the Officer of the Year 2003-04. Chris was inducted in the West Georgia Braves Hall of Fame in 2004.

Chris joined the Fourth and Goal Ballers, Inc staff in October 2009. He serves as Assistant Recruiting Coordinator and his territory includes the south and west Georgia regions.

ERASMUS HARVEY-Training Coordinator

Harvey, a former football player at Valdosta State and with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, owns Elite Performance Sports, which also provides sport specific training to athletes of all ages. His accomplishment include: South West Georgia High School “Team of the Decade” (1999-2000) selection at Linebacker position, all Gulf South Conference Selection at Linebacker Position in1992, 1993, 1994, and fourth leading tackler in Valdosta State Football History (284). Harvey also developed an Internet site designed to help student-athletes educate themselves and to showcase their skills to college coaches and scouts. 

Harvey holds camps and combines in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He has partnered with Fourth and Goal Ballers, Inc to provide affordable football camps and combines and sport specific training. “It is all about increasing exposure or giving exposure to players who are not in the top 100 of Rivals or the top 100 of Scout (two nationally known Internet recruiting services),” Harvey said. “Our motto is we keep going until everyone else quits.”

 Harvey is working hard to open a new prep school in Atlanta, Georgia, Elite Performer Sports Academy, in 2010.The academy helps student-athletes who fall short academically bolster their resumes and meet entrance requirements to become eligible to participate in college athletics

Performance Training EPS has expertise in training players in the 40, shuttle, L-drill, vertical/broad jumps and also Olympic lifting techniques that increase explosiveness and power. If you participate in EPS combine prep training, you are guaranteed to improve in all the combine tests. EPS performance training sessions are video recorded are uploaded to EPS recruiting site and marketed to recruiters.

Camps EPS camps are designed to teach players skills that college recruiters look for in their evaluation process. EPS camps are coached by qualified coaches that are all college players, professional players or ex-professional players. EPS gives quality instruction and players that train with EPS learn skills that they use to be successful on the field. EPS camps are video recorded are uploaded to EPS recruiting site and marketed to recruiters.

Combines EPS combines are designed in the same fashion as NFL combines. Players participate in the 40, short shuttles, L-drill, vertical jump, broad jump, and bench press. Players are also put through position drills that allow players to display their ability. EPS combines are video recorded are uploaded to EPS recruiting site and marketed to recruiters.

KEVIN A. ADAMSON, M.B.A., J.D.-Baseball Specialist

Kevin has always had an interest in sports and followed them closely. With his wide knowledge of the sports industry and a law degree, Kevin was consulted numerous times by friends and family members who were in need of draft or negotiation advising. Kevin will be working with Fourth and Goal Ballers as a Baseball Specialist and will be posting articles for baseball players on the blog at www.4thandgoalonline.blogspot.com.

Kevin is an Atlanta native and earned his law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He obtained a Bachelors of Business Administration from LaGrange College and a Masters of Business Administration from Lynchburg College. He is a member of the Georgia Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Georgia Trial Lawyers' Association.

Kevin is a registered mediator and arbitrator. He has extensive experience with contract negotiation. He is committed to best serving his clients by creating relationships between the players and sports organizations through contract and endorsement negotiation. He works with clients to develop them into positive role models and prominent community figures. This is accomplished through personal attention, accessibility, and contacts in the field. Kevin believes in growing potential talent from a very early age and cultivating long-term relationships with clients, parents and coaches.

Kevin and his wife Starla live in the Atlanta area.

To contact Kevin send him an email:
mailto:Kevin@kasemanagement.com

STREETLIGHT PRODUCTIONS-Video Team

VIONDI PATE-Founder/Recruiting Coordinator

4thandgoalonline@gmail.com

  

Willie Matthews does it again!

Senior offensive tailback Willie Matthews has, in the words of coach Bobby Armbruster, “done something that most football players never do.” This week Matthews has won the Player of the Week, sponsored by First Citizens National Bank, for the second time!

The first time Matthews received this award was for his performance in the game against the Houston Mustangs, when he rushed 311 yards, carried the ball 24 yards, and scored two touchdowns.

Now Matthews has outdone himself. In the game against Raleigh-Egypt on Oct. 2, he rushed 277 yards, carried the ball 42 times, and scored four touchdowns. His contributions helped to lead the varsity team to their 30-14 victory, bringing their record to 2-4.

October 9, 2009 • written by Margaret Cross

Multiple Sport High School Athletic Recruiting Services Offered at No Cost to Schools

*Provide an objective evaluation of the players in any sport that you request: includes direction on how they can improve as a player, the suggested level on which they can play, and recommendation on how they can increase their scholarship opportunities

*Professional preparation of a 3-7 minute high-light video of your best players

*Submission of player’s profile-includes highlight video, transcript, and individual statistics/accomplishments-to national database of colleges and universities that match the player’s athletic and academic skill set

*Guide players and parents through the recruiting process from the first phone call through signing day

        *Annual recruiting seminar for your athletes and booster club.

Our presentation covers the following: NCAA rules, requirements for eligibility, clearinghouse issues, what it means to get recruited, strategies, and the use of leverage. We will discuss recruiting visits, home visits, and every facet of the recruiting process.

*Individual athlete plans are available for schools that do not have the budget for a community coach

*Saves time-It takes countless hours to prepare a highlight video, copy the DVD, and prepare packages for mailing

*Saves money-Postage costs alone can exceed $400 for one Division I caliber athlete

*Athletes perform better academically when they know they have an opportunity to play at a higher level earlier in their career

*Increase positive media exposure for your school when players sign scholarships

*Increase participation in sports programs. 

*Athletes in other districts will want to play for you

*Happy athletes, parents, and boosters means job security

*Team Highlight Video created for less than other companies

*No cost involved for the school!

LET US DO YOUR RECRUITING DIRTY WORK!

Former NFL Veteran Partners with Fourth and Goal Ballers Recruiting Service to Expand Athletic Scholarship Opportunities for New Jersey Youth

Fred Baxter, born in Brundidge Alabama, is a former NFL Tight End with a 12 year career span. He attended Pike County HS, where he led his team to the state championship his senior year. Off the field, he was the SGA President and graduated from the Advanced Program. Baxter attended Auburn University & was drafted by the New York Jets in the 5th round of the ’93 Draft. Baxter also played for the Bears and earned the coveted XXXVIII Super Bowl victory playing for the New England Patriots in the 2002-03 Season. 

Fred started the Fred Baxter Foundation in 2000 to empower and support the at-risk youth, families below poverty levels and strongly supports various churches. He is extremely active in supporting various charities & communities nationwide. He and his wife Lisa, currently lives in NJ, where he works as a mentor for the Camden School System covering the S. Jersey and Delaware Valley areas. Baxter will serve as a Talent Evaluator for Fourth and Goal Ballers, Inc. Every athlete that uses the Fourth and Goal Ballers, Inc highlight video and recruiting service package will receive an evaluation and personal letter of endorsement from Baxter. He is the proud father of two children Brittany and Kellan.

  

Eight Steps to Maximize Your Financial Package

The term “need-based” is most often applied to a student’s financial need, with the financial aid, grant, or scholarship being awarded based on the economic profile of the student-athlete’s family. Often times this is the easiest type of aid for families to understand since it usually correlates with their economic situation. 

However, parents and their student-athlete should consider that other “need-based” scholarships exist that do not always relate to their annual income.  These scholarships are awarded to a student-athlete based on the school’s need for the student.  A student-athlete attending a Division III school, for instance, cannot technically be awarded an athletic scholarship as the NCAA prohibits scholarships based solely on athletic ability at this level.  Colleges give out scholarships based on leadership, academic, or merit, as well as their desire to create a competitive grants-in-aid package to attract a student they need for t heir team and campus.

The hidden reality is that colleges have “pots” of money they can dip into for students that qualify (especially athletes).  These “pots” are not listed in the brochures, and therefore a lot of families do not realize they exist.  For example, some colleges have pots that the financial aid staff can dip into for students who are journalism majors from Wisconsin,” or for students who have a “3.77 GPA and 1100 SAT and want to major in physical therapy”

Whether you are looking to maximize your traditional “need based aid” or find the hidden money that exists at colleges, here are 8 steps to follow:

1. Know your family’s EFC:
EFC stands for Expected Family Contribution.  You can find the EFC calculator hereto determine an estimate of this number.  Whatever your family’s EFC turns out to be, will make a big difference in the amount you are expected to contribute to college. So think of the EFC as the amount of money you will be expected to come up with for school (to which academic/athletic scholarships will be added).

2.  Complete your FAFSA
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid and can be found here.  The biggest mistake a lot of families make is not filling the FAFSA out because they think their family income is too high. This could not be further from the truth. Every family, regardless of income, has an EFC (estimated family contribution) number and the LOWER your EFC, the more aid you will receive. Even if you may not receive a significant amount of financial aid, you should still complete the FAFSA because it can act as an insurance policy for your son/daughter’s education. If there is a change or loss of income or an emergency in your family; you will not be eligible for college funds if you do not complete the FAFSA on an annual basis.

The first date you may submit the FAFSA is January 1 of senior year. Submit the FAFSA on this date or as soon after as possible! University financial aid budgets are limited and are awarded on a first come first serve basis, so the earlier you submit your FAFSA, the better your chances of receiving aid. Each college/university has a specific deadline and at a certain point, the money does run out.

3. Apply early:
Funds are given on a first-come first-serve basis.  If you can get your application in by the early date, that is ideal.  Most schools will automatically qualify you for merit-based aid just for applying.  From a recruiting standpoint, this is yet another reason to get started early and begin targeting the right schools and developing relationships with those coaches.

4. Ask the coach for an early financial aid read:
Most schools have their own financial aid forms you may fill out before the FAFSA is even turned in.  They would then submit the information to financial aid and give you an estimated dollar amount.  This gives you a starting point.

5. Know the school’s financial aid policy:
Most schools will list their scholarships on the website under “Financial Aid.”  Be sure to thoroughly check for merit-based scholarships you may qualify for.  Make sure to understand the right questions to ask the coach about types of financial aid you qualify for. 

6. Obtain outside scholarships:
Ask your high school guidance counselor, church, workplace, or anyone for that matter about scholarships they know of.  Third party sites like Fastweb offer a free, personalized and comprehensive list of scholarships that might fit your circumstances.

7.  Have leverage:
Leverage is a term typically reserved for the boardroom, but when it comes to recruiting, it can have a strong impact on the amount of money a recruit will receive.  The reality for recruits is that the more schools that are pursuing you, the more leverage you will have when negotiating your financial package.  While there are right and wrong ways to parlay your leverage into  proper negotiation strategies, the first step is to get as many of the right schools involved as possible.

8. Appeal your offer:
Calling or emailing the financial aid office to inform them of other offers or just to simply ask them for more money often yields great results.  You will never know if you don’t try.  Sometimes the coach is also able to offer you support during this process.  Ask a lot of questions and find out what the individual school policy is.    There are certain appeal techniques which can be used to maximize this portion which can save you thousands of dollars.

The financial aid process can be overwhelming and confusing.  There are many intricacies and nuances that prevent families from capitalizing on the amount of money they could receive to attend a particular college.  The good news is that even in a struggling economy, many colleges and universities are finding sources of money to make school more affordable.  The best advice for recruits is to start early, do your research, and surround yourself with experts to make sure you are taking all the right steps.

October 7th, 2009 - by Chris Krause

6 Rules to Follow to Improve Your Emails to College Coaches

Hundreds of recruits write emails and notes to NCSA everyday.

The good news? Almost every email that we receive from prospective recruits is well-intentioned and expresses a sincere desire to continue their athletic career.

The bad news? Many of these emails are filled with errors, slang terms and incomplete sentences. Now, everyone understands that spelling and grammar errors are bound to happen to even the best writers (In fact, today I noticed an error in an article of one of my favorite writers who works for a small little publication known as Sports Illustrated). The reality is that mistakes happen.

However, if these same notes were sent to a college coach, they would jeopardize a recruit’s relationship with that coach. Remember, that email might be your first impression…how do you want to be remembered?

Let’s look at few notes that NCSA has received in the last two days alone from student-athletes:

-i’m a teenager i been played basketball since i was 10 now i’m 16.My dreams is to make it to the nba and i am an follow dreams into it become true,my parent dont have the opportunity to pay college for me.I been wroking hard all my life and i beleive on my self so what i need from you guys it’s a litle help just to make my dreams come true.I know i can be like Micheal Jordan trust me and you will see my name in news as the second best basket ball player in the nba.please just help me go to college.

-Sorry about the impatience with the prior emails, I’m just beyond greatful and excited to have this oppertunity to help further my basketball career. I have received the e-mail pertaining what I should have to be prepared for the conference call with your National Scout. I cannot thank you enough for this oppertunity.

-Just want to see if I can get a free ride. You know what I mean.

-So i can be the best that i can be if u get this letter my name is xxx i just want to colledge to play basket ball my grades are good im going to hold back on my junior year for basketball so i can improve my weight,jumpshot,rebouning but trying to improve everthing but i will play my senior year at XXX school so please get back with me the top 5 colledge i had and mine was Flordia,Duke,Northcarlonia,Usc,Kansas or get drafted from high school please write me back my adress is XXX plaese come see me my senior year im only 16 ywars old my height is 6feet even im still growing my weight is 229 i just trying to take my talent to another level please dont let me down i will be a senior and 1 year school coming back in i will be a junior but just give me 1 year to develop i promise you wont be sorry

Each of these notes have different issues, which we will not focus on since they should be obvious, but all of them share one common problem: They will NOT make the best impression if they were sent to a college coach.

Here are a six rules to follow when sending letters or emails to college coaches:

Rule One: Do not rush through emails to coaches. If you rush, you are asking for mistakes. Take your time and make sure your email is concise and you have asked any necessary questions.

Rule Two: Have a proper introduction (Dear Coach Jones, Hi Coach Jones) and closing in your emails. Create your own signature that includes your contact information. A good signature not only looks professional, but it also reiterates your contact information to a coach.

Rule Three: Do not use any slang words. You are not having a conversation with a friend or sending a text message; this is a college coach and you should use proper English.

Rule Four: It is always a good idea to refer back to your previous contact with the coach. Make sure you answer any questions they had for you and that you aren’t repeating any information from a past email.

Rule Five: ALWAYS proofread your email. There should be no grammar, spelling or punctuation errors in the email.

Rule Six: Send emails to coaches one at a time. “CCing” several coaches, or sending a mass email, is not looked upon favorably

Now, let’s take a look at an example of a proper letter / email to a college coach courtesy of “Athletes Wanted – The Complete Game Plan for Maximizing Athletic Scholarships”

Dear Coach Jones,

As a member of the Eclipse soccer club and a freshman varsity starter at Niles North High School, I am beginning my search for a college soccer program where I can make an immediate impact, as well as further develop my skills and strength.

My goal academically is to pursue a degree in medicine, and I am impressed by the pre-med program that Hiram College offers. I also like the small class sizes and professor-to-student ratio. I currently attend a large high school and am looking forward to a more personalized college education.

I know the process is early, but I’m hoping to be considered for your program. Would you be so kind as to send me information about Hiram and a questionnaire?

Enclosed is my profile. I am in the process of putting together a video, and I will send you a link to my video as soon as it is prepared.

As a heads up, I will be at the Disney Showcase and the Las Vegas Shootout, so hopefully you will be able to see me play. In the meantime, please let me know if you have any questions.

I look forward to continuing the recruitment process with Hiram College.

Sincerely,

Jane Student #3 Eclipse (blue and white jersey)

September 30th, 2009 - by Chris Krause

More Eligibility Stuff

If you are planning to enroll in college as a freshman and you wish to participate in Division I or Division II sports, you must be certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse will analyze your academic information and determine if you meet the NCAA's initial eligibility requirements.

If you want to participate in Division I or Division II sports, you should start the certification process early, usually by the end of your junior year.

To be certified by the Clearinghouse, you must:

1. Graduate from high school.
   You should apply for certification before graduation. If you appear to meet NCAA requirements, the Clearinghouse will issue apreliminary certification report. After you graduate, the Clearinghouse will review your final transcript to make a final certification decision.
2. Take at least 14 core courses in the following areas*, earning at least a "C" or better:
   1. 4 years of English (3 years for Division II)
   2. 2 years of Mathematics (Algebra I or higher)
   3. 2 years of Social Science
   4. 2 years of Natural or Physical Science (including at least one laboratory class)
   5. 1 year of an additional course (English, Mathematics, or Natural or Physical Science - 2 yrs. for Division II)
   6. 3 years of extra core courses such as foreign language or any category above.
      
      *Beginning in 2008, Division I will require 3 years of math and 4 years of extra core courses for a total of 16 required core courses.
3. Earn a minimum combined score on the SAT I or the ACT with a minimum GPA in the 14 core courses. There are separate requirements for Division I and Division II schools.
   Division I requirements include an eligibility index that specifies the minimum GPA and test scores. This index is available in the Guidance Office and Career Center.
   Division II requires:
   

• Minimum 2.00 in the 14 core courses.
• Minumum of 68 (sum of scores on the 4 individual ACT subtests) or an 820 combined math and Critical Reading on the SAT.

REGISTER ONLINE!
Prospective student-athletes may register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse online. Simply go the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse web site by clicking here. By registering online, prospects will be able to view their eligibility information online and will not have to call the clearinghouse for eligibility updates. Online registration saves time and allows prospective student-athletes to view their eligibility status up to six weeks faster than through the paper registration process.

For additional information, see your high school Guidance Specialist or visit the NCAA website.