One of the biggest issues in college football that is not receiving enough attention is the over-signing of players. Every college football prospect should be concerned with over-signing because there is a chance it can happen to any player once they reach the college level. For this reason, I have listed below important information about over-signing and what you should know.

What is Over-Signing?

All NCAA college football programs are limited to having 85 scholarship players on their team per year. These 85 players include both returning players and new recruits. When a program signs more players than the allotted 85, this is over-signing.

In order to get back down to the 85 players they are allowed to give scholarships to, college football programs go about it a few ways. First, they usually wait to see which players, if any, become ineligible to play. Student-athletes can become ineligible by not making grades, getting in trouble with the law, etc. Then, programs will usually ask players to ‘gray shirt’ for a year. ‘Gray shirting’ is when you give up your scholarship benefits for a season so a peer can use them. Lastly, programs just start making cuts to reach the 85, which is obviously devastating to those student-athletes.

How to Overcome Over-Signing

While there are many college football programs in the nation that do contribute to the problem of over-signing, there are just as many who try at all costs to avoid this issue. These programs would rather sign a few less players than the allotted 85 so they do not have to make those upsetting cuts later on. This then gives the program freedom to sign a few walk-on players later on.

As a college football recruit, it may be in your best interest to research which programs do and do not over-sign when considering your options. By considering football programs that have a reputation of not over-signing, you may ultimately be saving yourself from heartbreak and hassle later on.

To find out more information about over-signing in college football, visit oversigning.com

Your academic strength is just as important as your athletic strength. Take time to read the few tips to ensure your academic skills stand out as much as your athletics.

Find the time that works best

Figure out the time that your brain is most awake. We all had those friends rushing to get homework done in homeroom before school started, but for some, mornings may be good time to get work done. Just set aside more time than homeroom alone. If you’re always exhausted and feeling a little brain-dead after school and practice, get to bed early and wake up earlier to give yourself some time to finish assignments, study and research before you even head off to school.

Chip away at big assignments

Procrastination seems like something we all develop in our teen years and have a hard time getting over. It never pays off, but many of us push assignments to the last minute. Instead of ignoring an assignment until the night before, work on it in small doses. This will help for more balance, and help to ease the stress of a big assignment. It will also help you to look at things with fresh eyes and do a better job than if you had crammed all your work into the night before.

Set up study dates

Some of us prefer to work alone, but as you know from sports, things can get done more efficiently with the help of your team. This can also be true for school work. Find someone you know you can work well with, who is also a friend and set up times to work on assignments together. This way you will have something to look forward to come study time and also someone to help you out.

Treat school on the same level, if not higher

At SportsForce, we work hard to highlight your athletic achievements by showcasing your video. But as many of you already know, academics is very important in the recruiting process. It is easy to get in the mindset that your sport deserves all the attention because it is what will get you recruited, but colleges look for academic strength too. Don’t put your schoolwork on the backburner. Think of all the time you devote to athletic training and work to put in equal time towards your academics. Seeing a strong athlete and student is a great selling point for college coaches.

Get extra help when needed

This is a tip that can be applied to college and high school. There is absolutely no shame in going to a teacher or tutor for extra help; that’s what they are there for. In classrooms it’s sometime unavoidable that not everyone is on the same page understanding material. If you feel lost, ask your teacher to meet with you to get extra help. You will absolutely benefit and teachers will appreciate the initiative you put in.

Whether you perform in a team sport or an individual sport like track, swimming, or golf, it is important that you be a team player. A team player is defined as a person who can function effectively as part of a group of individuals, sharing information and striving towards a common goal. These qualities are not only shown in your athletic field, but reflected in your day-to-day functions. They play an essential role within your friends, family, jobs, academics, and athletics. Being a team player will help you improve your game, increase positive attitudes with those around you and within yourself, and create great opportunities.

Communicate Effectively

Listen to and understand what others have to say. If you have a problem, speak up in a respectable manner. Talk to your teammates to figure out a solution together.

Support Each Other

The support from just one person can make all the difference. Help each other out. Offering compliments and advice will only bring your team closer together. Cheer for your teammates and they will do the same for you.

Be Responsible

If you are expected to do something or be somewhere on time, then do it right. Gain the trust of your teammates. They should be able to rely on you and you should be able to rely on them.

Dedicate Yourself

Show that you are committed to your team, even if that means sacrificing your free time. Let them know that you will try, try, and try again until you reach your goals. Contribute what you can and prove that you are willing to share the workload.

It doesn’t matter if you are the best or worst player on your team; every athlete must work together in order to reach the team’s full potential. Following these four simple steps will bring out the best in you and your teammates. Being a team player will make you a better athlete and a better person, and it shows great character and qualities that college coaches are looking for.

Hopefully you had a chance to read Part I of this article, which highlighted two critical questions to ask yourself as a student-athlete.

1. What type of college experience are you looking for as a student-athlete?

2. What are your key college decision factors?

Here’s the link to Part I in case you missed it.

In Part II you will take steps to realistically evaluate yourself as a student-athlete.

Student-athletes:

Have you ever asked yourself what level of athletics is right for you?

Parents:

Have you ever wondered what level of athletics would be the right fit for your son or daughter? Have you said to yourself “my son / daughter is definitely a DI or DII / DIII athlete?”

Here are some simple ACTION ITEMS you can execute to get a realistic idea of what level of athletics and academics is appropriate for you or your student-athlete.

3. Student-athlete evaluation

A. Talk to your coaches: As a student-athlete, you need to talk to your high school and/or club team coach to express a desire to play college sports and also ask them for an HONEST evaluation of your potential to play at the college level. Also ask what areas need improvement to reach your full potential on and off the field.

B. Talk to your academic counselor: Ask them for an HONEST evaluation of your academic standing and make sure you are on track to play college sports. Also go over the academic guidelines that different colleges are looking for including GPA, SAT and ACT scores.

C. Get tested / evaluated: Attend a combine, camp, showcase or training facility where you will be objectively tested so you can compare your athletic ability and skill level with other athletes and get a clear understanding and measure of your current ability.

D. Get a highlight video: College coaches don’t have the time or budget to travel to many games and evaluate athletes in person. If you provide college coaches a 3 – 5 minute highlight video and resume with all of your athletic and academic information, they can evaluate you quickly and easily. We recommend getting your video and resume online so you can easily email coaches.

Visit the SportsForce website (www.sportsforceonline.com) to view some online profile and highlight video examples from more than 10 different sports including:

football, basketball, softball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, water polo, field hockey and more.

E. Evaluate & research college athletes / teams: Watch college athletes and teams compete in person, on TV, over the Internet. See first-hand what the caliber of play is at the DI, D2, D3, NAIA and junior college level. Visit college sports websites to see the biographies of the athletes and their high school sports statistics, awards and achievements (ex. High School statistics, height / weight, All-State, All-League, All-County).

F. Evaluate and compare yourself to other athletes: Try to realistically evaluate and compare yourself to other student-athletes who are older than you or your same grade level who are getting actively recruited by college recruiters or signed with a college. Ask yourself if you are as good as they are right now athletically and academically? If not, do I have the same potential to reach their ability?

GOAL = To get clear on where you are and what you should focus on to reach your college sports goals.

To accelerate your education on the college sports preparation and recruiting process I recommend signing up for our FREE SportsForce College Sports Recruiting Guide.

* FREE Sign up click HERE

To get access to more advanced college recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and RESOURCES section.

The SportsForce team, which is comprised of former college and professional athletes and coaches, is relentlessly committed to providing an ongoing education to help you best navigate your journey as a student-athlete, parent or coach to reach your potential.

Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional and affordable College Sports Recruiting Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.

www.sportsforceonline.com

info@sportsforceonline.com

858.350.5889

Are you looking to feel more confident as you look to prepare for college sports and the recruiting process? At SportsForce we hear many different questions, opinions and stories from student-athletes, parents and coaches all the time.

Here are some of the most common college sports recruiting questions our staff receives:

When do college coaches start recruiting?

What are college coaches looking for?

How can we maximize exposure to college recruiters?

What do we need to do and when do we need to do it?

What about the SAT, ACT, financial aid, NCAA Eligibility Center, etc…

Here are two simple and proven ACTION STEPS you can use today to begin taking control of your sports career and college sports goals.

Step 1: Student-athlete assessment

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Ask yourself “What type of college experience am I looking for?”

Attention student-athletes:

You need to reflect on what type of experience you are looking for. Write your thoughts down in a casual format (bullet points are fine) and be able to verbalize what type of college experience you are looking for.

Attention parents:

We recommend parents asking this question and letting your son or daughter answer this question with no undue pressure. See if your student-athlete can describe the type of experience they are looking for.

GOAL = To get a clear idea of what college experience you want as a student-athlete.

2. What are your key college decision factors?

Create a list of all of the key decision factors and give 1 to 5 points for each decision factor (5 being an extremely important decision factor). We recommend doing this on a spreadsheet and then ranking the potential colleges you are interested in by using this system to create an overall point total for each school.

Potential decision factors including: Academics (Majors offered, career development, alumni), Athletics (level of competition, W/L record, tradition), Social environment, Size of school, Public vs. Private, Cost, Location, Coaching Staff, Intuition (gut feeling, emotional connection)

GOAL = To have a proven ranking and college decision making system to know what potential colleges you are really interested in.

To accelerate your education on the college sports preparation and recruiting process I recommend signing up for our FREE SportsForce College Sports Recruiting Guide.

* FREE Sign up click HERE

To get access to more advanced college recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and RESOURCES section.

The SportsForce team, which is comprised of former college and professional athletes and coaches, is relentlessly committed to providing an ongoing education to help you best navigate your journey as a student-athlete, parent or coach.

Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional and affordable College Sports Recruiting Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.

www.sportsforceonline.com

info@sportsforceonline.com

858.350.5889

The Kicking System (TKS) launched their radio show this past week, and SportsForce CEO, Andrew Beinbrink, was there to kick things off. Andrew and TKS’s John Matich talked college recruiting for kicking and punters and more. John is a former NFL and NCAA kicker and now owner and director of The Kicking System, which offers Camps & Private Kicking Lessons in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles. Visit www.kickingsystem.com for top level football kicking videos, recruiting tips, tools and upcoming kicking events. Below is an example of a highlight video of one of John’s kickers.

According to John, “The very first TKS Radio Show was a great success. Andrew Beinbrink stopped by and talked about recruiting. We got some great feedback and provided a ton of information. We also talked abut the seven points of success on becoming a kicker.” Visit the following link to hear the show at anytime. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kickingsystem/2010/04/20/football-kicking-punting-recruiting-news-workouts

During the show, Andrew and John discussed the Seven Points of Success to become a successful kickers or punter. You can find them below.

• Academics – You must study and achieve the highest grades possible
• Technique Work – Kicking 2-3x per week working on your skill
• Physical Conditioning – Working out, specific for kicking (Yoga, functional training, etc)
• Mental Toughness – Preparing yourself to handle pressure situations, staying calm
• Nutrition – Having the right fuel in your body to produce the best results
• Attitude – Connections with your head coach, staff, family is huge when people want to hire you
• Commitment – Beginning with setting your goals and staying focused on them

You can also visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kickingsystem for all past TKS radio shows.

Dillon Baxter has already begun to make himself a stand out at USC Spring Training. Dillon showed what made him the US Army Player of the Year at the first USC scrimmage of training. Baxter had a 50 yard touchdown in the game that earned him praise with headlines like “Dillon Baxter embarrasses defenders” and had Lane Kiffin comparing him to Reggie Bush already. Part of what makes Baxter so impressive is that he is a true freshman and is still a senior at Mission Bay High School in San Diego. Check out video below of his impressive touch down run courtesy USC Athletics.

You can also visit Dillon’s SportsForce profile for all his stats and highlights of him in his final football season HERE

The 7th Annual SoCal Hoop Review was held April 10th and 11th at Cal State University Dominguez Hills and Lynwood High School in Lynwood, CA. The tournament was open to all high school grades including seniors. Both AAU teams and High School teams took the chance to compete.

The tournament showcased top talent from across the country and gave players a chance to show off their skills in highly competitive games in front of top college coaches, scouts, as well as media. Check out the highlight video below.

To visit the SportsForce Boys Basketball Home page click here.

The GAME has changed! The fact is, the college recruiting process has changed dramatically over the last 10 years and understanding how to play the game is important.

The college recruiting process is often misunderstood by many parents, student-athletes, coaches and fans. Are you a sports parent or a high school student-athlete who is asking yourself “How do I maximize my recruiting exposure to college coaches?” If so, you are not alone. This is a very common issue across the country that we often help student-athletes and families proactively address at SportsForce.

In this article you will learn more on how to introduce yourself to a college coach, what type of recruiting events to consider and gain an understanding of how video and the Internet are radically changing the recruiting process. At the end of this article you will have an opportunity to sign up for our complimentary SportsForce College Recruiting Guide to learn more keys to college recruiting success. See link at the end of the article.

Step 4: Get Evaluation in person: Target Key Recruiting Events

• Identify key recruiting tournaments that some of your target colleges will attend
• Email coaches your online profile link, team name, schedule and jersey # before the showcase to make sure you are evaluated
• Potentially attend a few college camps for specific exposure to that program

Step 5: Get quality video, online profile & share

• Video is key, college coaches don’t have the time to see every player
• Create a custom highlight video to showcase your skills (3 – 5 min. long)
• Create an online profile to add your athletic, academic and recruiting information

Some example SportsForce profiles below:

• Girls Lacrosse: http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/jmills
• Softball: http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/mbradvica
• Soccer: http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/kdick

Here is an example profile and highlight video of one of our senior clients Nick Melka that recently committed to Columbia University to play football. Nick and his family were proactive in the process and were able to maximize his exposure and generate significant interest from many of his top college choices.

Here’s a link to Nick’s profile –http:/www.sportsforceonlone.com/nmelka

To get more advanced recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and sign up for our complimentary SportsForce College Recruiting Guide and updates below.

FREE sign up for SportsForce College Recruiting Guide:

http://www.sportsforceonline.com/resources/resources_recruiting_recruiting_guide.html

Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional College Sports Recruiting Profiles, Highlight Videos, Tips and Tools – www.sportsforceonline.com