High school student-athletes sacrifice
money and time in hopes of obtaining a full ride
By Ann Tatko-Peterson
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Recruiting services
Merl was hardly recruited five years ago despite
playing two seasons with Diablo Valley Soccer Club. He relied on exposure
at three summer soccer camps. That netted some interest from Cal and
a hard pitch by San Diego, which had recently moved up to Division
II.
Despite being offered less scholarship money,
Merl said he couldn't turn down a Cal degree. Plus, he wanted to
see if he could play at the Division I level.
And play he did. He started for an injured player
three games into his college career. He played every game thereafter
over the next four seasons. In February, the Earthquakes selected
him in the MLS supplemental draft.
Said Grimes: "There's no perfect science
to recruiting."
That's why talented athletes such as Merl can
almost go unnoticed by college coaches.
It's also why recruiting services have gained
popularity.
These services run the gamut, producing everything
from athlete portfolios and resumes to highlight films that can
be sent to college coaches. Others offer databases for tracking
statistics, such as Boston-based Athletes Advance, which gears its
services toward Division II and Division III-caliber athletes.
"It's become extremely competitive
to get into college. Coaches want not only physically talented athletes
but also those with good academic records," said Chris Teso,
chief executive officer of Athletes Advance. "Student-athletes
are looking for any advantage they can get."
Athletes Advance doesn't charge for
its services. Most others, especially those that focus on Division
I recruiting, charge between $100 to $875.
New Jersey-based College Athletic Placement Service
charges $500 to interview an athlete, compile a profile and put
together an evaluation of skills, all of which are sent to colleges
of the athlete's choosing.
Boston-based Athletic Scholarships charges $275
to construct a resume that is submitted to every college that offers
the athlete's sport. The company works with an average of 500 athletes
a year, said president Mike Lancaster.
"As time progresses, it's become much more
efficient for coaches to use the Internet than to go out and scout
athletes," Lancaster said. "Recruiting budgets have dropped,
so coaches are relying more and more on recruiting companies."
Basically, these services market athletes to
colleges.
But parents can save money if they handle that
marketing themselves, said Ted Dance, author of "Raising Athletic
Stars."
Dance, from Erie, Pa., wrote the self-help book
for parents after he helped his two sons earn football scholarships.
Dance sent highlight films that his sons put together to different
universities, then followed up with weekly phone calls.
His older son, Tim, is a junior receiver at Division
II Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. His younger, Tom, is
a freshman safety at Michigan State.
"It's all about marketing," Dance said.
"There are 118 Division I schools out there, and 98 to 99 percent
of them have never heard about your kid. You have to get the word
out."
Powers sent out letters to 50 universities during
her recruiting process. Her mother, Suzi, monitored the responses.
Porte's mother, Evelyn, put together a highlight
film of her daughter's gymnastics workouts and competitions, which
they sent to colleges.
"What parents need to remember is that you
don't necessarily get more by spending more," said Mark Woods,
editor of the book "College Dollars." "They shouldn't
throw away their life savings on a chance that their child gets
a scholarship. That's too great a burden to place on any child."
About Athletes Advance
Athletes Advance was founded in 2002 in Boston, MA. by a group of former high school and collegiate athletes that believed there simply must be a better way for Division II and III-bound athletes to gain exposure and catch the eye of respective college coaches and recruiters. Drawing upon their own experiences and familiarity with the world of college recruiting, the Athletes Advance Team spent a great
deal of time researching the college recruiting process. The founders of Athletes Advance feel that innovation coupled with integrity and dedication is the only way to deliver our members a quality service that they would have found useful in their own college searches. Athletes Advance’s newly launched website is located at www.athletesadvance.com.
For more information, please contact: press@athletesadvance.com
|
