Charlie Adams, a national athletic recruiting expert, is giving a presentation on Aug. 16 at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Adams is a well-known educational speaker who specializes in the recruitment of high school athletes into college. There are many important factors for students and their families to evaluate when considering a collegiate athletic career and Adams provides information to help with those tough decisions.
Speaking on behalf of the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA), Adams’ presentation is entitled, “Five Things You Need to Know to Get Recruited.” According to a press release, Adams will elaborate on the following five concepts:
1. The recruitment process does NOT begin during the athlete’s junior or senior year. The recruitment process does not begin when a student-athlete is contacted by a college coach, it can start as early as seventh or eighth grade.
2. College coaches don’t just discover talented athletes. The athlete must initiate communication and convey interest to be noticed. Even if a student-athlete is a superstar, they must be prepared to call coaches, ask the right questions and take initiative.
3. College coaches do a majority of their initial interest by looking at videos before making in-person visits to games. Student athletes cannot expect college coaches to have the means to travel to watch their games, and professional film is very important for coaches to evaluate.
4. Most opportunities to play college athletics are NOT Division I Programs. Many athletes and parents feel their only option for collegiate athletic scholarships are D1 schools, but there are over 1,800 colleges and universities that sponsor college athletes and are able to offer financial packages and most are not D1 programs.
5. Student-athletes and their families are ultimately responsible for connecting with college coaches. Student-athletes cannot rely on their high school coaches to connect to college coaches. Most high school coaches do not have the time or resources to make sure their athletes are recruited so it is up to the athlete and their families to reach out to the college coaches.
Adams said “athletes in all sports going into grades 9 to 12 and their parents are encouraged to attend, as well as area coaches.”
For more information, contact Tiffany Menzione at [email protected] or by phone at (312) 624-7437.