We would like to congratulate Cameron Parmigiani on his commitment to University of St. Francis! Here are Cameron’s recruiting story and interview after his commitment. Good luck as a Fighting Saint!

1. Share your recruiting story and status

I started working with SportsForce during the summer between my Junior and Senior years of high school. After their evaluation, I was told that I would likely play NAIA or NCAA D3 college basketball. My first introduction to college coaches was on the very first day of my Senior Year of high school. I had about 40 responses from college coaches. I began narrowing down these schools, with SportsForce’s help, of course. They guided me through the process, gave me advice on how to properly communicate with the college coaches who were interested in me. They were there every step of the way. I ultimately narrowed my list down to about 7 schools. It was then when I began making official visits to schools, doing overnights at the campuses with the basketball teams, and having lengthy calls with the coaches to discuss the possibilities for my future as a student-athlete. On March 26, 2016, I signed with the University of St. Francis men’s basketball team, committing to them, reserving my spot on the team, and accepting the athletic scholarship money they offered me. Being a dedicated student, I also received a significant academic scholarship as well…

2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?

Next year, I will be attending the University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Illinois. I chose them for their location, school size, feel of the school, athletic prowess, and relation to the coaching staff.

3. How did SportsForce help in the process?

SportsForce helped guide me through the minefield of the college athletic recruiting process by telling me how to handle business, and how to approach the coaches with questions or concerns I may have had.

4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?

I would definitely recommend that perspective college student athletes get a head start, earlier than I did, in order to get the roster spot they may deserve before it fills up. The highlight video was a notably big part of my recruitment, so I absolutely would recommend that as well. One piece of advice for them, though, would be to choose a school where you could also see yourself attending without playing your sport. Say you get severely injured after your first year, you don’t want to be stuck there; unhappy, and have to transfer and begin the search again. Just something to think about.

5. How excited are you for your future in college?

I am STOKED for my college basketball career, and I know that I have chosen the right school for me!

6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses because of you being recruited?

Because of the help from SportsForce, we will be saving over 50% of our college costs through my athletic and academic scholarships.

7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?

Yes. I would recommend it. I had no idea where I wanted to go to college at the start of my senior year of high school, which was very stressing and intimidating. SportsForce helped me find schools that wanted me, and I went from there! 🙂

Over the last five years, SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

We want to congratulate Blake McNamara on signing with Wheelock College. Here is Blake’s recruiting story and interview from after he committed. We wish Blake the best as a Wheelock Wildcat!

1. Share your recruiting story and status (what was the process like?)

On April 29, I committed to Wheelock College. I phoned the coach and infomed him of my decision. The process was exciting. I really enjoyed conversing with College coaches and recruiter (asst. Coaches). I went on several visits to different schools to get a feel for the campus, the coaches, etc. each time my family and I were invited to watch the team play. That piece gave me a real good idea of what type of players the coaches recruit as well as the coaching styles.

2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?

I choose Wheelock because their collegiate Basketball program is top notch. What I mean by that is the Coach LeVangie is great, he truly invests himself in each player and took a great deal of time to meet with myself and my family. Coach LeVangie meets with players once per week to check in on their academic load and how it’s going, he looks out for his team and it is a comforting to know he has your back. The campus is nice and right in the heart of Boston, it is in the “Fenway Five” district (5 area colleges in the consortium).

3. How did SportsForce help in the process?

SportsForce was instrumental in getting my video and portfolio out to college coaches. They assisted me every step of the way, with making the video, providing guidelines for my initial and consequent contact with college coaches, offered advice for my college visits and meetings with coaches. SportsForce was great!

4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?

Get your emails out early to college coaches, contact as many coaches as possible. Some colleges that I added to my list later in the year meant that the deadline to apply to the school had passed. Send emails early and leave enough time to visit the school and apply. Many deadlines for applications are the beginning of Jan or Feb.

5. How excited are you on your future in college?

I am very excited to take my basketball career to the next step and play at the collegiate level. This is something that every boy dreams of and now my dream has come true, with a lot of hard work and help from SportsForce!!!

6. How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses?

I am not exactly sure how much money I saved as a result of basketball but my parents estimate it to be around $35,000 – $40,000 (over the 4 years). The money at Division III does not come directly from athletic funds or scholarships but is rolled into the financial aid package.

7. Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?

I would recommend SportsForce to any high school athlete who has the desire to play ball at the collegiate level. They are helpful in a variety of ways and the money you put into the program comes back around, for just under $500 my family is saving an upward of $35,000 and to play ball at the collegiate level……PRICELESS!!!

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Here is a brief overview of the three phases of the college recruiting process:

Phase I – Introduction

• Build your student-athlete resume
• Create your target college list
• Prepare your introductory letter to coaches
• Email an introduction to all the coaches on your target list

Phase II – Evaluation

• Market yourself to college coaches via email
• Let coaches evaluate your skills (online profile with video)
• Select the right events to showcase yourself
• Build a relationship with college coaches
• Visit colleges in person and online

Phase III – Negotiation & Selection

• Determine the colleges that are most interested
• Negotiate the best financial package possible
• Review your final choices
• Make the best all-around college selection

Following this basic timeline will provide you with the best chance of achieving recruiting success.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

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How good a coach is Calipari?

Jeff Morgan: Calipari is kind of like the Phil Jackson of NCAA basketball. He always seems to have all-star filled rosters, and success seems a foregone conclusion. However, people forget his success at UMass was largely with unknown players, and not until he got to Memphis did he start getting some of the top recruits in the country. So, is he the best coach in the NCAA…far from it, but the man does get the maximum effort out of his ridiculously talented players.

Dave Vinluan: With him claiming his first National Championship, Calipari is as good if not better than any elite level NCAA coach right now. His coaching style allows for his players to mesh well together. What’s so good about Calipari is his ability to have his players believing in his team first philosophy, and it doesn’t hurt that he is the master of one and done recruiting.

Kyle Williams: Great coach and an even better recruiter. There is no doubt Coach Cal is one of the great coaches in college basketball. While many focus on his recent success with top recruits at Memphis and Kentucky, this is the same coach who led UMass to 5 straight tournament bids including an Elite 8 and a Final Four trip. Calipari’s free-flowing, high-paced offense allows his athletes to get out and run and has been dominant at UMass (193-71), Memphis (252-69), and on the highest stage with Kentucky (102-14 and a recent championship). Coach Cal has been able to sell his free-flowing style to the elite high school prospects that are looking to play the way they want to play and win while doing so.

Did Calipari need this win to solidify his legacy?

Jeff Morgan: He keeps pushing this question aside like it doesn’t matter, but he absolutely needed to win a title in order to solidify his legacy. Now that he got the monkey off his back however, he’s going to have to win multiple championships to be considered in the same class of some of the best college coaches in the country. While this win was important, he still has a long way to go to become a legend on the hardwood.

Dave Vinluan: Yes. Calipari has reached the Final Four and National Championship previously with stacked line ups and lost both in heartbreaking fashion. Not to mention he has produced first round talent ranging from Derrick Rose to John Wall. This championship solidifies his status as one of the best ever.

Kyle Williams: Absolutely. While Calipari has made numerous deep tournament runs with every program he’s been with, no one can deny the power of championship. Amongst the swirling controversy over the one-and-done rule, along with Calipari’s recent exploitation of that rule, this year’s title possessed significant clout for Calipari. Not only does it add a championship to his resume, but it also silences the critics who said his teams stacked with freshman stars didn’t have the experience to win it all.

Does the 1 and done rule help or hurt high school prospects?

Jeff Morgan: I suppose 1 year of college basketball can help refine a high school player’s game, but I think the impact is minimal. Kids going into the NBA with 1 year of college under their belt are hardly as polished as a 4-year college player. This rule was put in place to make sure that kids weren’t drafted before they were ready to play in the NBA. In that sense, the 1 and done rule hasn’t really done much to change that perception. Hell, even Anthony Davis, the consensus #1 pick in the draft is a project. There are no guarantees he’ll be an all-star player in the NBA.

Dave Vinluan: I think it hurts high school prospects that have no interest in pursuing a college education. Coming out of high school most of these athletes are convinced they want to make Basketball a career. Playing one year in college and having an injury filled year or just not performing well would hinder the chances of them getting to the NBA greatly.

Kyle Williams: The one-and-done rule hasn’t so much impacted high school prospects as it has the college game as a whole. In terms of high school prospects, the rule has generally been helpful in that we no longer see high school players, who have no business being in the league, entering the draft. When looking at college basketball, the negative impact of the one-and-done rule can be seen. College teams are put in a difficult recruiting situation where they have to decide whether or not to focus on top recruits who may spurn the program after just a single year of play. If there is a side that pushes hardest to increase the rule to more than one year, that push should come from the NCAA.

Can other programs compete with the recruiting style of Calipari?

Jeff Morgan: If this 1 and done recruiting strategy continues to breed success and championships, it’s going to be extremely hard for other schools to compete from a pure talent standpoint. The allure of a full college experience is starting to lose ground in favor of a quick 1-year path to the NBA. You watch, if Calipari starts reeling off championships, all the major college basketball programs will adjust their recruiting efforts to entice players to come play for them instead, even if it’s only for a year.

Dave Vinluan: Not now, with the majority of the Kentucky roster expected to enter the NBA draft, that’s an open invitation to become a starter for the Wildcats. It’s hard to compete with his style because of what he has done for his players. Taking them far in the tournament and producing first round talent.

Kyle Williams: Some programs may try, but Calipari is clearly in the best spot to capitalize on one-and-done recruiting. The things he has going for him: coaching at a top program, coaching a system that top players want to play in, and a recent championship to stand for it. While the UCLA’s and Duke’s of the world have similar programs in terms of tradition and success, they both have coaches that bring strict, structured, defensive-minded systems to the table. The program that has the best chance to compete is UNC, with some of college basketball best tradition, Roy Williams’ high-paced style, and Jordan’s legacy hanging over the Dean Dome.

Does Calipari win it all again next year?

Jeff Morgan: Who knows. How can you even speculate on Kentucky’s chances next year when their starting 5 players are going to be completely different? Even if Calipari gets 6 more McDonalds All-American’s to fill out his roster, he still has to basically start from scratch with a whole new group of players. Calipari has had loaded rosters in the past and failed to win it all. If he can’t get his players to work together for a common goal, they could easily have an early exit in next year’s tourney. So for now, I’ll take the field over Kentucky.

Dave Vinluan: As long as he’s got the pulse on the next Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, then absolutely yes.

Kyle Williams: That’s tough to say, as there are so many moving parts for Calipari next season that are yet to settle. While it seems to be a lock that Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist jump to the league, we will have to see if see if Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague decide to follow them or stick around for another year. Calipari already has 5 star recruits Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress committed as well as 7-foot center Willie Cauley. Undoubtedly the biggest factor will be the decision of unanimous #1 recruit Shabazz Muhammad, who is still deciding between Kentucky, Duke, and UCLA. If Coach Cal lands Muhammad and keeps a player or two from this year’s squad, I like his chances. If not, I see Calipari’s squad as another one of his highly talented young teams that just doesn’t have quite enough to cut down the nets in 2013.

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STEP # 1 – Talk to Your Coach

The first thing we recommend is talking to your high school and/or club team coach. Most often, these coaches have been involved in this process for a long time and have coached student-athletes that have been through the recruiting process before. Their experience will give them a good idea of what potential level you could play at in the future.

Parents and student-athletes need to ask their high school or club team coach what level they should look at for playing beyond high school. Often, the coach will give you an idea of your skill set and abilities athletically and academically. You must use your high school and club team coach as a resource to get an assessment, advice and then a recommendation. Remember, they’ve often already been through this same process with other athletes, and can be a good evaluator of your skill level because they have seen many other teams and players compete.

STEP # 2 – Watch

The next step in picking the right collegiate level of play is watching. Look at colleges from all levels of play (Division 1,2,3, or Junior College) and try to figure out when they’re going to be playing in your local area. If you can, go to a game and watch them in person. Try and scout college freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors to see how they’re playing and what their skill set is like physically. This will give you a good idea of where you fit in best. SportsForce recommends that student-athletes and parents attend a few local games to get an idea of their caliber of play.

If you can’t physically attend a local game you can also watch a number of games over the Internet. Again, it is important that you evaluate the caliber of play for each collegiate level. For example, if you’re watching a Division I football game, you can get a solid idea of how good the quarterback is at USC or how good the running back is at University of Alabama. Once you understand this you can ask yourself if you stack up with that level of size and athletic ability.

STEP # 3 – Research

It is also essential that you visit the websites of your potential colleges and look at their team roster. For example, go to a number of Division 1, 2, and 3 team websites and look at the size and background of their players. What do they look like physically? What kind of academic or athletic awards did they receive in high school? Try to match your physical traits and athletic and academic success with the right collegiate level of play.

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For more College Recruiting Tips and specific details on our proven Step-by-Step College Recruiting and Athletic Scholarship system contact one of our college recruiting experts at 858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com

TIP # 1 – Understand Their Circumstances

In order to best deal with recruiting coordinators you must try and understand their frame of mind. A college recruiting coordinator is typically in their late 20s or early 30s. They are working 60 to 100 hours a week trying to manage the recruiting process and develop a successful team simultaneously. They travel 15 – 25 weeks a year and are juggling a lot of moving parts. It is important to realize that some recruiters get sometimes over 100 emails a day while receiving anywhere between 20 to 50 phone calls.

In simple terms, they are often overworked, underpaid, and constantly traveling, leaving them with a limited amount of time and attention span to interact with parents and student -athletes.

TIP # 2 – Keep it Simple

When you send an email, keep it short and to the point. Be sure to provide a clear and compelling subject line (ex. Josh Smith – 2013 – QB – 3.8 GPA – All-League with 20 TD’s). You see how that subject line is like a HEADLINE of the player to grab the attention of the recruiter. We’ve created sample email templates of what college coaches prefer to maximize our families recruiting communication efforts.

If you send them a highlight video make sure it is between three to five minutes in length; make it to the point, easy to identify yourself and quality enough video. Also, remember to always provide them with all of your contact information at the bottom of your email. Their time is precious and they’re looking for efficiency and effectiveness. You need to make it easy for them to recruit you.

TIP # 3 – Keep Them Informed

Lastly, it is really important that you keep the recruiting coordinators informed. You need to tell them when and where you’re going to be playing. For example, if you are playing in an upcoming recruiting tournament or showcase that they’re going to be traveling to, make sure that you let them know what team you’re on, what your schedule is, what position you play and what jersey number you wear. Send them an email with all this information along with a quick update on your athletic and academic status. This will improve your chances of being evaluated by them at the tournament or showcase that they’re traveling to. Most coaches have a list of players they want to see but you can improve your chances of being added to that list of prospects to evaluate.

Another thing for parents to keep in mind is periodically updating them with their son or daughter’s athletic progress. So, let’s say your child was recently named all country or all state. It is a great idea to send an email to the college recruiting coordinator saying, “Hey, you know my son John was named all state and here’s his final season statistics.” After this, provide them with a quick wrap up of some of the highlights from his season.

*For more College Recruiting Tips and specific details on our proven Step-by-Step College Recruiting and Athletic Scholarship system contact one of our college recruiting experts at 858.350.5889 or visit www.sportsforceonline.com

To get started today take advantage of our FREE 30 Day Trial.

What most student-athletes, parents and coaches don’t realize is that DI offers less than 20% of the college sports opportunities for most sponsored college sports. The reality is most DII, DIII and NAIA recruiting budgets are small and thus the student-athletes and parents have been even more proactive in the process of getting evaluated and recruited.

3 Quick Tips to handling the DII, DIII and NAIA recruiting process:

1. RESEARCH: Research which schools offer the academic and athletic fit you are looking for at the DII, DIII and NAIA. There are plenty of great college programs at these levels. Use these two websites to help:
   1. College Coaches Online – www.collegecoachesonline.com (Contact us about a discount to their membership)
   2. College Board – www.collegeboard.com
   3. NCAA Rules & Regulations – Click HERE
2. KNOW THEIR LIMITATIONS: Since smaller programs don’t have a large recruiting budget you have to make sure you provide them an opportunity to evaluate you. A highlight video is critical for them to evaluate you as well as potentially attending one of their camps. Also DIII does not offer any athletic scholarship money. However they can put together a great financial package using financial aid and academic scholarship money.
3. BE PROACTIVE: Create a list of target schools and market yourself to those schools. Be pleasantly persistent and make sure you provide them a completed resume and highlight video so the coaches can easily evaluate your skills. Your goal is to get evaluated and know where you stand with each school you are 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

SportsForce premium members have an over 80% college sports success rate with an average of more than $50,000 in college scholarship & financial savings per family.

Click HERE to learn more about our programs.

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

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As part of the SportsForce recruiting education, we often mention the difference between being actively recruited and receiving a blanket mailing from a coach or program. Below we have included an email from a coach to a potential college athlete, so you can see a great example of an athlete, in this case women’s soccer player, being actively recruited. We edited the email down a bit, and changed the athlete, coach and college name to protect those still involved in the recruiting process who shared this with us. Enjoy and feel free to leave any questions in the comment section for us to answer!

I hope this email finds you well. My name is Coach, and I have been the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at State College for the last three and a half years. I saw you play at the Texas Shootout, and you can be a goalkeeper for a lot of teams in this country. Selfishly speaking, I hope potentially for State:-) You are one of the few goalkeepers who plays functional defense, meaning you play high when your team is defending in the middle third. You have great instincts when to come out, you have a quick feet and smooth hands. In short, you would be an impact goalkeeper for us starting your freshman year.

In my first three recruiting classes and for the incoming class this fall, we were able to recruit the first NSCAA High School All-American, the first Regional Team player and numerous players from the Top 20 club programs in the nation, including the # 1 club program at that time. For this 2011 class we already have three verbal commitments. One player is from the Dallas Texans 93G Red team (she picked us over Penn State), the second player is from the D’Feeters 93 team (we were the only DIII team she looked at) and the third player is from the U17 Bethesda SC Dragons team (again, we were the only DIII team she looked at). All three players come from Top 10 nationally ranked club programs.

Our ultimate goal is to win a National Championship. We are very close to being a Top 20 program in the nation, and we received votes last year already, despite being a very young team. With 7-8 players starting for the last three years who were only freshmen and sophomores and finally a few strong juniors this past fall, we were able to beat and tie nationally ranked programs. This fall our goal is to be a nationally ranked program and to start competing for National Titles (all players this fall will be my recruits). We would love to have you help us with such a quest.

Having listed a few pros (there are many more), I am asking you to consider State as a college choice and to be part of something new and exciting in the quest of winning Conference Championships and even more exciting, a National Championship!

For all the above reasons I would like to start communicating with you about your possible interest in State and our Soccer Program. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to give you a better picture of State, about the potential of gaining a top education and being part of a successful soccer program. We are a top ranked school academically in the country, and we are very close to matching that rank with soccer!
Sincerely,

Coach

Head Women’s Soccer Coach

State College

We here at SportsForce stress the importance of starting the recruiting process as early as possible. However, we know that sometimes you can lose track of time and enter your senior year with no options or offers. If you find yourself in this predicament, don’t worry, you still have a chance to be recruited. Below are some tips on how to get your recruiting process underway in a limited amount of time.

Have Realistic Expectations

Your chances of getting into a Division I school have diminished drastically by your senior year. There most likely are still some options, but you shouldn’t put all your hopes and efforts into that one DI school. Don’t worry though; there are still plenty of opportunities to play your sport at the college level. Most of these opportunities will be in the form of NAIA schools, NCAA Division II and III schools, and junior colleges. These options will still give you the experience of playing a college sport and will be sure to give you an enjoyable time.

Be Proactive

College coaches may not necessarily have their radars on high school seniors. This is because they figure all the good ones have already been recruited. That is why it is crucial for you to be the proactive one in the recruiting process. Be the one to make initial contact with the coaches, send your highlight videos out, and express your desire to play at that college. Using a tool like SportsForce to actively market yourself is the best way of doing all of these things.

Don’t Get Discouraged

Because of how late you are starting the recruiting process, you are more than likely to hear your fair share of “no’s.” Don’t let this discourage you. If you really want to play at the college level, keep contacting coaches and expressing just how much you want to play. You are bound to find the right fit for you if you stay positive and don’t give up.

The dates to sign a national letter of intent for the early period are coming upon us very quickly. If you are offered to sign a national letter of intent, it is important to know what exactly you are signing and all the rules that come along with signing it. For this reason, I have listed below some of the basics about national letters of intent.

What exactly is a National Letter of Intent?

A national letter of intent is a binding contract between a player and a school. Once you have signed a letter of intent, you must attend school there for at least one year. It is basically a way to establish that you are done being recruited and have chosen the program you want to be a part of.

Verbal Scholarships and National Letters of Intent are NOT the Same

It is important to not confuse national letters of intent with verbal scholarships. Unlike a letter of intent, verbal scholarships are not binding. With verbal scholarships, you can tell a school you are committing to them, but still be actively recruited by other schools. A verbal scholarship basically states that if you decide to enroll at the given school, the school will give you a scholarship to play there. Also unlike letters of intent, verbal scholarships can be agreed to at any time.

What if you have a Change of Heart?

One important thing to know about national letters of intent is the penalty you receive if you ultimately decide to opt out and attend a different school instead. When you sign a letter of intent, you are contractually obligated to attend the given school for one year. If you break this agreement, you are penalized by not being allowed to participate in any sports for one season. Also, you must attend at least one year at your new school, no exceptions. This is why it is so important that you are one hundred percent positive on what school you want to attend before signing a national letter of intent.

What Else you Need to Know

Other than these basic facts about letters of intent, there are still plenty of important features about them you need to know. Different sports have different signing dates. Some sports, like soccer and field hockey, give you a six-month period to sign a national letter of intent. Others, like basketball, give you as little as one week to sign. Also, letters of intent are only given out by NCAA division I and II schools. But, some schools, like the Ivy Leagues, cannot give these out. It’s important that you do your research on schools and sports you are interested in when it comes time to start committing to schools. See the table below for this year’s dates.

For more important information about National Letters of Intent, including next year’s date, visit nationalletter.org