Help prospective players find schools

[K-Mack]

A catch all thread where I'll refer all the players who ask for advice over the course of the year, and the collective wisdom, which is much greater than mine alone, can point them in the right direction.

If you've got experience, maybe start with some general comments. I'll post a particular excerpt from a recent ATN, with an individual's e-mail, to get us started.

[K-Mack]

Help a recruit
I get a handful of e-mails, letters and phone calls each year from players who are looking for advice on how to find their way on to a D-III roster. I used to refer to people to the ‘Parents with children looking to play in D3’ thread, which conveyed the right messages, part of which is find a school that you’ll love, and then try to play football, rather than finding a football team that you love. It’s important to find a fit athletically, but it’s most important to find a place you’ll flourish as a person, regardless of how your playing career turns out.

This latest e-mail I got has the name and high school redacted, but I’d like to open up the replies to the general wisdom; you guys collectively always give better advice than me by myself. I have started a new thread on the boards, which I hope can be a catch-all for anyone who wants to use us to find a match. We’ve had some success stories in the past, on that parents thread, where the board has been able to help a player find a place to flourish. Now I’m just trying to organize all the collected wisdom so we can refer people there as they ask over time.

Here’s the latest note I received:

“Hello Mr. McMillan,
My name is Michael [last name] and I am a senior [in high school]. I play linebacker and on kick return for my team. I haven't gotten as much playing time as I hoped for so far, most likely because I just transferred to [my school] this year, and I'm not the most talented athlete out there. I'm pretty much an average football player with a love for the game, and this is my fourth year playing high school football. Could you please give me some advice on what to do to get recruited to play college football? Possibly for a D2 or D3 school?”

Michael, I’m going to do you one better. I’m going to let everyone give you advice. We’ve got good people here willing to help. A good place to start is to post on the thread, telling everybody what you would like to study in college.

Best of luck to you.

[NCF]

michael, 1. you should decide on a possible major(s). 2. Do you want to stay in state? 3.Cost- what can you and your parents really afford? How much debt do want to carry after graduation? 4. What type of student are you? g.p.a. and a.c.t./s.a.t. scores along with a rigorous curriculum will determine what type and amount of academic scholarships that may be available to you. 5. Research all DII and DIII schools in the general area you'd like to be. Do they have my possible major? what kind of financial aid is available? 6. Contact the head coach/recruiting coordinator of all schools you are interested in and check their website for recruit forms to fill out and send. 7. Schedule a visit so you can meet the coach, some players and get a tour of the campus and maybe even meet profs. in your area of study. 8. Enjoy the process and take your time making a decicion. you want to stay at your school for four years and graduate with a meaningful degree. Good Luck!

[SUADC]

Micheal,

Tuition is a big part, I would first look at schools in-state, due to the fact that in-state tuition is probaly lower. However, there are schools that are out of state whose tuition is lower, you maybe want to look at schools within a reasonable distance from where you are located. After selecting a few schools that fit you, you may want to contact the recruiting coordinator or someone on the coaching staff that handles recruiting in your area or region. Next, you should send what film you have or game tape to the school and find out based on your grades, do you qualify to attend the school.

If everything goes well and the coaches like what they see or want to take a chance, they'll be in contact with you and take you thought the process of getting into the school. Also, Division 2 and Division 3 football isn't no joke, we have standards, we expect the best out each player on and off the field, so start doing a little extra at your school (hit the weight room, watch more film - become smart on the field, etc...) so that the next time you talk to K-Mack, you can say I am good player and not a average player, because many players on Division 2 or Division 3 rosters were either captains, starters, or players who seen a lot a time on the field while in high school and was maybe overlooked by bigger schools. Moreover, don't give up on you dream, keep working hard each day to get better and don't settle for anything but the best for you for the future, either for football or life in general.

[SpartanMom_2016]

1. Assess yourself as a football player.  An average high school player who does not get a lot of playing time may not be good enough to play in college.  Only you can assess whether you have the potential to play in college.  If you have trouble making this assessment ask a few of your coaches.  Many players on D2/3 teams were stars in high school. 

2.  Ask your parents about money.  How much money are they willing to pay?  How much financial aid can you expect?  Most schools have a financial aid calculator.  Use it.  Research schools where you might get an academic scholarship.  It doesn't make any sense to go into to debt so that you can play football.

3. Decide what your academic interests are.  You don't have to know what your major will be but you need to have an idea of where your academic interests are so that you can pick a school with strong programs.  Find schools that have D3 football and an appropriate academic program and fill out the recruit questionnaire on the school's website.

4.  Have a highlight video made.  This does not need to cost a lot of money.  No fancy graphics.  No music.  It cost us around $40 to have a highlight video made.  If you have a hudl account you can use the film from there.  Otherwise ask your coach how you can get access to the film.  Put the video up on YouTube and send a link to the video to coaches at schools you are interested in attending.  D3 coaches do not have huge recruiting budgets so they do actually recruit from videos that are sent to them.  When you send the video send your transcript and test scores as well (scan them and attach to the email).

5.  Cast a wide net. Not all coaches you contact will be interested so you need to contact many coaches.  Make sure you follow up with all the coaches to make sure they got your email.

[panthersfan]

I found this website to be quite good:  http://recruiting-101.com/

[D3 Poster Man]

There's a website called www.berecruited.com. It allows your son to upload videos and a profile. You can them email to coaches.

Another idea is to spend lots of time on ACT/SAT prep. Many private schools award academic money based on these scores.