Tips for the College Recruiting Process

**This column appeared in the Argus Leader on Jan. 26, 2016.

If there is a question I am frequently asked by parents, it is about whether their child can play college football. Parents are hopeful that their kids can play at the college level, and they are generally attuned to the many challenges of getting to play college ball. Dealing with academics and college finances is part of the big picture, but with National Signing Day fast approaching, parents and athletes are focused on college recruiting.

The Argus Leader recently ran an article discussing the difficulties faced by high school athletes in rural areas or from smaller schools who want to play college ball. How do they get the opportunity to play college ball? What things can families do to assist the process? There are many things for parents and athletes to consider in their quest to play at the college level.

1) The time to focus is during an athlete’s sophomore or junior year of high school. Beware of programs touted for very young kids that promise opportunities for youth to get seen and recruited. They are often expensive and don’t deliver on the promise of college scholarships.

2) Recruiting services are "money-traps." Unless an athlete wants to go to schools on the East or West coasts, coaches will see your athlete. Even if an athlete wants to get out of the Midwest, it's possible to self-promote just as effectively as any recruiting agency. With the technology and other resources available to athletes, they can make sure that coaches see what they have to offer without having to pay thousands of dollars to an unknown agency.

3) College camps have become a recruiting camp in many senses, but it is still a very effective way to let coaches see athletes firsthand and see the skills that they offer. College camps can let the coaches assess talent compared with other athletes, and it gives the coaches a chance to get to know your athlete. If athletes are considering attending a big school, then they should expect a lot of kids at that school’s camp. Many athletes have the same aspirations, but it is still a great chance to be in front of the coaches. This is a much better option when compared to recruiting firms or camps that are purely for profit.

4) Only attend combines and recruiting events that will have active college coaches in attendance. Many combines and all-star games will promise that there will be college coaches in attendance, when in fact there will not be anyone present. Do not be afraid to ask coaches if they will be in attendance or if someone from their staff will be there.

5) High school coaches are great assets for the recruiting process. High school coaches will receive a great deal of literature from colleges. Make sure that your coach knows that you have a goal of playing college football and at what level. Coaches can also make it known to the college coaches what an athlete’s goals are, and they can assist you with getting "seen" by the college coaches.
Families have to consider travel and cost. Consider whether traveling to a college camp on the West Coast is going to be something that will help your recruiting process, or whether the camp is "just for the experience." There are a large number of camps and opportunities, and things can add up quickly. This is still on top of all the events that your high school team may be participating in, family events, and individual training. Set a budget and then map out the camps that you think will fit into that budget.

6) Make sure that you are taking the necessary steps to become an eligible athlete. Athletes need to perform well on their ACT test, possess a solid GPA, register with the Clearinghouse, develop a realistic financial aid plan and consider state or private schools. All of these are things families need to consider and plan for in the recruiting process.

The key to a positive and productive college recruiting process is to know what level of play is realistic for an athlete and then to find connections and opportunities to get seen by programs that would be a good fit. Remember, academics are the most important fit, and football is part of the bigger picture. Review your options, discuss with coaches, and plan ahead to find realistic and beneficial opportunities for your athlete.

Planning for College

This column also appeared in the Argus Leader on June 9, 2014.

One of the most common questions I am asked as a coach is whether or not a high school athlete has what it takes to play college football.

Every parent and athlete dreams of big scholarships to major Division I programs. Whether an athlete goes on to achieve that dream often depends on circumstances outside his control and comes down to whether or not he is a "fit" for a particular program or coaching staff.

The recruiting process is daunting. Without meaning to, athletes can end up missing opportunities to advance their education and to play the game they love. However with some planning and flexibility, athletes can achieve their goal of playing in college.

What can athletes do during their high school careers to get ready for college recruiting?

• Focus on academics: Grades are the No. 1 factor and can easily determine if schools will even look at you. Your grades in high school will determine the range of options for college. Will you be able to attend your major college of choice or will you be asking a program to take a chance on your success and let you walk on?

For most athletes, football will not last forever and you need to plan for a career. Your grades dictate your career options.

• Explore all levels: Don't just focus on major D-1 programs. Research all your options. Look at whether or not the college is somewhere you want to spend the next four or five years.

You may want to get away from home, but can you financially survive being away from home? Does the school offer the major you want to pursue? Is the coaching staff secure? Would you still like to be at the school if the staff changed? What are the school's graduation rates and job placement rates in your chosen field?

• Leave all options open, but be realistic: So many athletes refuse to look at recruiting letters from schools below D-1. They are enjoying great success in high school, and they don't talk with anyone other than premier programs. When signing day arrives and passes and they are asked to walk on, they have severely limited their options.

The goal for most athletes is to play in college. If only one D-2 school is talking to you then this may be a difficult level for you to be competitive. You may not even step on the field until your junior or senior year. Consider whether you are willing to put in the time required if your playing time will be limited. I strongly recommend athletes research all levels (NAIA, D-2, D1-AA and D-1) and go where they have the best chance to contribute to the program.

• Maximize experience and exposure: It is important for athletes to put together top-quality highlight tapes, but there is no substitute for being seen by college coaches. There are plenty of chances to attend recruiting combines and camps, and I strongly recommend you take advantage of those opportunities to be seen.

If coaches don't know anything about you, then you won't have a chance to go on playing. Take advantage of every chance to get better at your sport and to be seen playing.

• Work hard at everything you do: A solid work ethic is critical to playing in college. The entire college experience is demanding. Coaches want to know that you will give your best effort on the field, in the classroom, and to the program. What will your high school coaches and teachers say about your willingness to work? The recruit who is enthusiastic and works hard in every circumstance will have a better shot than one who was chronically late, absent, or lazy.

It is important for athletes to consider the total package when it comes to college football. Remember that many of the factors that improve your chance to play in college are things that will lead to your overall success. Dream big, work hard, explore your options, and remember: Plan for college, not just college football.

A Look Back at 2013

We set our goals high for 2013, and it turned out to be an incredibly busy and successful year for the Sanford Power-Riggs Premier Football Academy. We celebrated our grand opening first year anniversary in September, 2013, and the year was filled with great stories, performances, and accomplishments. Some of the highlights of 2013:

Dale Moss was one of the first athletes to train with us, and he now coaches wide receivers at the Academy and signed on to offer an annual WR Clinic for area athletes. We hosted the clinic in March, and had 200 athletes from 3rd grade-college attend. It was a tremendous success, and we are looking forward to Coach Moss' continued involvement with our training sessions and his clinic.




During 2013, we assembled a top-notch group of coaches at every position, and put together a Think Football program to offer 12 camps, clinics and 7 on 7 tourneys to area athletes during the traditional off season. By bringing together excellent coaching, the state-of-the-art Fieldhouse, and a variety of training options for area athletes, we believe we have started to change the culture of football in SD. We saw over 800 athletes take advantage of our training options in 2013, and it was exciting to see so many kids working hard to learn and improve their skills!


We also teamed up with SD Junior Football to offer the first ever full-contact camp for kids in the area and to help bring Heads Up Football and a 'better, safer game' to young athletes. Over 250 kids participated in the SD Junior Football Camp, and our coaches worked extensively with athletes and their coaches throughout the summer and fall to ensure proper training in football fundamentals.

The 7 on 7 format has been widely utilized in other states to develop individual skills and a team's passing game, but it hadn't been used in this area. We ran a series of competitive tournaments in 2013 for elementary, middle, and high school athletes, and also developed our Premier Passing program, a non-competitive, skill-building program for area high school athletes. All four of the semi-finalist teams in this year's 11AAA tournament participated in the Premier Passing program, and we hope to build on that success in 2014.

One of the values we have tried very hard to instill in our athletes is a focus not just on physical skills, but on sportsmanship, and being part of the greater community. To help emphasize the importance of that, our coaches, athletes, and families came together and ran as a team in the Susan G. Komen SD Race for the Cure in September. It was a tremendous experience to be part of this community event, and we intend to field a team every year! Our team members had a great time, and we will be continuing our focus on sportsmanship and community involvement in 2014.

2013 also saw further development of the Sanford Sports Complex and emphasis on providing big league opportunities to area athletes. We were able to have over 100 of our athletes meet several Minnesota Vikings players in October, and the Pentagon's opening has brought big events and additional focus on Sanford's sports medicine program. I feel very fortunate to be partnered with Sanford with their clear commitment to providing quality programs, facilities, and opportunities for area athletes.

Over the past year, we have built great relationships with the athletes and families who are part of the Academy, and I feel extremely lucky to have surrounded myself with top caliber people in every facet of the program. The Academy is enjoying tremendous success because of the people who are involved at every level, and 2013 demonstrated how fortunate we are to have deeply committed staff and families working together.

What will we do to build on the successes of 2013? We will be offering another series of camps, clinics, and 7 on 7 tourneys in 2014, along with our Premier Passing program and a Recruiting Combine in May. We are partnering with Special Olympics SD to bring 'All Champs Camp' to area athletes and allow athletes with and without disabilities to share their love of football. We will be expanding our camp offerings in the area, and we will continue to provide the best coaches, the best facility, and the best training options for area athletes.

Stay tuned for another exciting year, and we hope you will join us at the Fieldhouse in 2014!

Five Tips to a Successful Off Season

With the new year underway, it is a great time to check in and see how off season training/activities are going. While there is no "off season success" formula that applies to every athlete, I would offer the following suggestions for things athletes can be doing right now to improve during the off season:

1) Have a Plan
If you do not have a plan for the off season, it will be gone before you know it. Get a calendar and draw yourself a map of your off season schedule! Include camps, individual training and workouts, and any other activity that is improving your skill or performance. It is fine to schedule some down time or weeks that don't push you to the max, but don't completely stop your training or put things off too long or you will miss the opportunities presented in the off season to really improve your skills and strength.


2) Set a Goal
As you map out your off season schedule, set some realistic goals for your improvement. Your overall goal might be to reduce body fat, gain muscle mass, maintain overall aerobic fitness, improve your speed, or develop sport specific techniques. Then give yourself some dates or milestones to measure your progress and help you stay motivated toward your overall goal. On any given day, an athlete can challenge himself on the number or type of drills he runs, or attempt to run faster, clean up footwork, or attempt a new skill. Those daily/weekly challenges can really add up to reaching that overall goal, so go after it!

3) Train your Weakness
After you set your goals, take the time to train your weaknesses. If footwork is your weakness, then find some time in every workout to address and improve your footwork. There is no time during the grind of the regular season for athletes to do that kind of remedial work. If you take the time and focus on your weakness during the off season, you will certainly improve your overall performance, and you may even turn that weakness into a strength!

4) Play Ball
Play ball...any kind... organized and competitive, or just for fun. I strongly believe that especially with younger athletes, participating in other sports is hugely beneficial. They learn the qualities of sportsmanship from every kind of sporting activity, they develop other skills and muscle groups that might not be developed with just playing football, and they challenge themselves mentally and physically in new and different ways. All of those things ultimately contribute to an athlete's complete development, and that overall development is what ultimately leads to personal success.

5) Think Ahead
For younger athletes, that means working to improve themselves individually and thinking about how they can contribute to their team in the upcoming season. There are bound to be changes with coaches or players, so looking ahead to the ways that athletes can positively contribute to a successful season is a great way to help those younger athletes get a sense of vision and commitment to a team and a program.

For high school athletes, the off season is critical for those planning to play college football! Many athletes don't realize how early in their career they need to start planning for college. There are a number of great resources available for high school athletes including MonsterPreps, Active and the NCAA Recruiting site. These are some of my favorite tips compiled from those sources:

* Prepare for NCAA Clearinghouse
* Start researching NCAA academic requirements during Sophomore year
* Get registered with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse during Junior year
* Make sure to request ACT/SAT scores be sent to the Clearinghouse
* Attend camps wherever you can--promote yourself by sending film or clips to college coaches
* Remember college football is played at many levels--don't restrict yourself to just one level
* Don't forget that your high school coach is also a full-time teacher. Coaches will do what they can to assist, but athletes need to be proactive and responsible for their own recruiting process.

So athletes...enjoy your off season, but remember that you will enjoy the next season more if you have used your off season time productively--to improve your skills and athletic performance!