Recruiting Interview on the Dr. Casey Show

I recently did an interview on "The Dr. Casey Show," and we discussed the perils and challenges of successfully navigating the college recruiting process. There are some wonderful tips in this interview, so be sure and check it out...it is only about 10 mins! You can learn more about the Dr. Casey show at www.thedrcaseyshow.com!

Please, leave your comments below if you have any questions! Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

MUST watch TV...Coach Carroll

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College Recruiting = Finding a Job?

The more you can treat your college recruiting process like a job interview the more apt you are to successfully navigate this awkward territory known as "college recruiting". The comparisons are very similar, and I want to share a few examples with you...

1. You need an athletic resume (with video highlights) if you are going to give yourself the BEST opportunity to find the RIGHT fit for your college experience academically and athletically.

2. You need to send your athletic resume with video to as many college coaches as possible. Again, just like looking for a job, you are going to send your resume out to as many employers as possible.

3. If an employer/college coach likes what he/she sees on the resume the college coach may invite you to a camp or an official visit. Think about it...very few employers are going to hire you solely based on your resume. A college coach is the same. He or she is going to want to have the opportunity to meet you face to face, speak to you over the phone, and any other thing they can do to effectively evaluate you. Attending a camp or going on your official visit is just like going to your job interview. One of the first things a coach does once you leave your official visit is talk to the player who hosted you. He is going to ask that player, what he thought of you, do you think he would fit into our program, did he make good decisions when you were out this weekend, and a plethora of other questions.

Those are just a few examples, and I would encourage you as a student-athlete to look at yourself as a job applicant. The college coach is going to be evaluating each and every contact they have with you, so the more professional and real you can make each contact with a coach the more you increase your chances of finding the BEST fit for you! Remember, choosing a college is not a 4 year decision...it is a 40 year decision. Take your time, do it right, and get help if you are unsure of how to successfully navigate the college recruiting process. If there is anything I can do to help you please let me know!

To your continued success!

Are coaches REALLY interested in you...?

I work with a lot of student-athletes and families, and one of the things that is most disconcerting to me is how many parents have false expectations for their kids. I speak to a lot of parents who do not fully understand the recruiting process, and they believe that if their son or daughter has some letters from a school, or if a coach stops by the school and speaks to their son or daughter that they have a legitimate shot at a scholarship at that school.


You must understand that these coaches are recruiting hundreds of kids, and they are using every variable possible to SCRATCH kids off of their recruiting list. If your son or daughter is a senior right now, and you are not receiving weekly phone calls from a coach, and/or the coach is not setting up an official recruiting visit with you...then they are not that into you.

Official signing day for several sports is less than 2 months away (February 4th to be exact). If a school is serious about you at this time (and you are a senior), then they are CONSISTENTLY contacting you, setting up an IN-HOME visit at your house, and setting things up for your official recruiting visit (you are able to take official visits to a maximum of 5 different schools).

If you are currently uncertain about how serious a school is interest is in you, then CALL the coach that was actively recruiting you. A coach appreciates a phone call from a high school player because it shows leadership and initiative...we will talk more about that in a future post. When I was 17 years old, it was intimidating to me to pick up a phone and call a major college coach...I understand what you are feeling. But if you put on the coach's hat for a second, you can see how they would appreciate your taking the initiative in calling them...especially if you are a good communicator. If your phone skills are not that strong, then role play with mom and dad, your high school coach, or some other adult you trust. Call me...I will gladly role play with you.

I hope this helps whether you are a senior, junior or underclassmen. Until next time...BE YOUR BEST!

Coach Chris Berg

Student-Athlete Spotlight Success Story

CONGRATULATIONS to Hanna Drake...she is attending Cornell University next year to play volleyball! I just received a great letter from her dad, and I wanted to share with you the POWER of using a college recruiting coach for your recruiting process...


November 26, 2008

Dear Coach Chris,

Hanna has committed to playing volleyball at Cornell, gone through the early admission process, and is waiting for her official letter stating she is attending Cornell next fall. Cornell was Hanna’s first choice of the over 50 schools that contacted her. While Hanna would have drawn interest on her own, there is no doubt that SAS greatly increased Hanna’s reach and options in attending a school. Schools are always interested in other schools that a prospective athlete is talking to. The breadth of schools Hanna was corresponding with gave her valuable leverage in discussions with the specific schools she was interested in.

Originally Hanna wanted to stay close to home. Through the encouragement of others, you included, Hanna decided to send her website to Ivy League schools. Within a week Harvard and Cornell sent her very specific letters stating their interest. Hanna responded, they came and watched her play in tournaments, and each offered her a visit. Hanna immediately felt a connection with Cornell and rigorously pursued playing there. While she focused on Cornell, she was fielding interest from a wide range of schools. When requests came for transcripts, game footage, and personal information being able to email the website address that contained all that information was a blessing that greatly simplified a very complicated process.

Hanna started playing club at the age of eight years old. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars over the years enabling Hanna to play sports. We put a great deal of money into middle and high school sports as well. In addition to the money outlay we spent untold hours supporting her efforts. Given the interest SAS generated for Hanna, and the hours it saved us in responses to schools, SAS was the best investment we made in the course of getting Hanna into a university.

We couldn’t be more pleased with the results we garnered from SAS. We are thrilled that Hanna will be part of Cornell’s program. Thank you for all your efforts to date, and your continued support and dialogue with Hanna going forward.

Sincerely,

Howard Drake

To view Hanna's SAS profile go to: www.hdrake.sasprospects.com

Hanna, GREAT JOB, and I am so proud of you! Best of luck in your future endeavors!