Recruit Wisconsin.com

Facebook, Twitter and You

2011-12-14T11:17:00.000-06:00

Last week I got a call from a coach wondering just how clueless kids are in regards to the stuff that they are posting, tweeting etc. The particular kid they were talking about had been tweeting about cheating on a test during school and bragging about how they do it all of the time. Not a wise choice... especially if you are someone who wants to be recruited. As you've heard time and time again - be careful about what you put out there.

College coaches are checking out your profiles and doing their homework into what type of person you are off the court and whether you might be a good representative of their program. Be mindful of the message you may be sending about yourself and your extracurricular activities. Not to mention the fact that the things you are posting also reflect up on your high school program. In the words of Coach K, ‎"Don't do anything that's detrimental to yourself. Because if it's detrimental to you, it'll be detrimental to our program and to Duke University."

If you're foolish enough to be doing some of that stuff - at least be smart enough not to post/tweet about it. A good gauge might be - don't post anything that you wouldn't want your mother or father to see.

Just Say No...

2011-12-08T13:49:00.002-06:00

Once you have decided that you are no longer interested in a school, please please please communicate that with the coaches. I know it is not an easy thing to do, and probably a little scary even, but it's not going to kill you. While the coaches may be disappointed in your telling them you are not interested, they are used to rejection. Trust me. It is part of the recruiting game and coaches get used to being told no quite a bit.

Be honest with coaches as to where they stand with you and do not string them along if you are no longer interested. They need to move on and pursue other kids to fill their roster. Ever week I hear the continued frustration from coaches saying that a kid just suddenly stopped talking to them, and they aren't sure if the recruit is no longer interested or what the situation is. Simply ignoring a coach's attempts to contact you is not alright. Think of it this way... how would you feel if the person you were dating simply stopped talking to you and you didn't know what had happened or what was going on? It's kind of like that. You're ending a relationship and as much as it might be tough to tell them it's over - it's the respectful thing to do.

Recruiting Specific Questions

2011-08-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

The coach is calling religiously ever week, you're going on an unofficial (or official) visit... and you want to know where you stand. Here are a few questions that might help you gain a better understanding of where on their list, you actually are.

Coaches will ask you to be open with them about who is showing interest, if you've gotten any offers etc... so it is only fair to ask them to be open with you as well. These types of questions sometimes can be tough to ask, but perhaps some of the most beneficial to know the answers to. If they are calling you, you can assume that you're not the only one they are calling. Coaches will have a ranking of who their top kids are, and maybe there are 10 kids on that list... but they can only take 2 kids for your recruiting class. Knowing where you stand, can be very helpful to your decision making - especially if you are fortunate to have offers from other schools, or if you are "holding out" for your dream school to offer you etc.

Recruiting Specific Questions:
1. How many spots do you need to fill for my class?
2. How many other potential student-athletes are you recruiting at my position?
3. Where do I rank on your recruiting list currently?
4. Have you made an offers to others at my position?
5. If you were to offer me a scholarship, do you have an idea of when the timing of that might be?
6. Would I be able to come on an official visit to your campus?
7. What do you view as my strengths on the court at this time?
8. What areas do you see as needing to improve on in order for me to be a contributor on your team?

Enjoy the journey!

Second Round of Questions - Basketball Related

2011-08-19T09:17:00.000-05:00

Welcome back! In the last post we touched on some general questions that you might want to ask college coaches as you get fully immersed in the recruiting process. Today I wanted to give you a list of some questions more specifically related to the basketball program and the coaching staff. It seems that many times, girls don't spend much time exploring how good of a fit the basketball part of your college decision is going to be for them. It seems like boys will ask all sorts of questions about style of play etc., but girls tend not to do very much of that. However, remember that if you are going to school and fortunate enough to be competing on the basketball team, a large chunk of your time and efforts are going to be dedicated to basketball related activities - so I think it is beneficial to find out if it will be a good fit for you.

I can't tell you the number of times that I have spoken with potential student-athletes and they have made statements like, "I'm only going to go Division 1." My initial response is, well that is a great goal - but can you tell me the differences between Division 1 and Division 2? Generally I end up asking the questions - "How many college basketball games have you been to?" "Have you been to a D2 or D3 game?" I've found sadly that most kids have never even been to a college game. And if they have, the odds of it being a school that is similar to the same level at which they are being recruited, are not very good.

That being said, I suggest that you try to get out and see a variety of college games. Do it early, don't just wait until you are a senior. If you have means of doing so, I would also highly suggest trying to get to a practice or individual workouts. If you can go on an unofficial visit during the fall, the odds are that you could catch some individual workouts, maybe even watch the team play pick-up - as well as get a chance to speak with coaches and see the facilities. All of these things will help give you a better idea of what it is that you are working for. As you get closer and closer to being "actively recruited," these types of things become a lot easier to do. But my suggestion would be to see if you can do this when you're a sophomore. It gives you a great idea of what you are working for, and hopefully serves as some motivation for you to be even more aggressive in your preparations!

As you begin to explore colleges, or coaches begin calling etc. - be sure to use the internet to learn as much as you can. For example, go to a womens basketball site, and look at their statistics. Check out their season box score and you can get a good idea about a number of things: how many players get in a game on average, what percentage of scoring and playing time is returning to the team next year, does the team shoot a lot of 3's etc. Now, I also realize that a stat sheet doesn't tell the whole story, but it is a start for you to look at in terms of getting glimpse into some things.

What follows are a collection of questions related more specifically to the basketball program itself. The questions are in no particular order. If would like more of an interpretation for some of the questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

1. Which division is the school? (Is it NCAA 1, 2 or 3 or NAIA 1 or 2)
2. What conference to you compete in? Who else is in the conference?
3. Do you offer athletic related scholarship money?
4. If they are a D2 school... ask them if they are "fully funded" or how many scholarships they have to work with? How many of their players are on a "full-scholarship?"
5. How long have you coached at the school? How long have your assistants (or the head coach, depending on who you are talking to) been there?)
6. What do you like most about coaching at _____?
7. What are your offensive and defensive philosophies?
7.5 What is your general coaching philosophy (or that of the head coach)?
8. How many players do you carry on your roster?
9. On average, how many players would play "significant" minutes for you during the course of a game?
10. How many returners are on your roster?
11. How have your teams done over the past few years?
12. Does your conference receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament?
13. Does that bid come from your conference tournament or from the regular season conference champion?
14. How do you see my basketball and physical skills and abilities fitting into your program?
15. What nights does your conference generally play its games on?
16. What is your typical weekly travel schedule like?
17. What are your facilities like?
18. Does womens basketball have their own strength and conditioning coach?
19. Can you tell me about pre-season workouts?
20. If I did come to your school, as an incoming freshman, when would I be expected to report to campus?
21. How many years does the head coach have left on her/his contract?
22. What sort of community service activities does your program participate in?
23. Could you give me an idea of what a typical week during pre-season, in-season and post-season would look like for your student-athletes?
24. How do you travel to your games?
25. Do take any big trips to tournaments each year?

The last set of questions, which are more recruiting specific, will be posted in the coming days. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or there is anything we can be of assistance with.

Make today great!

Questions to Ask College Coaches...part I

2011-08-14T15:53:00.000-05:00

Phone call and campus visit season is in full force now that we have completed the summer evaluation period! We continually get questions from potential student-athletes and their parents about what questions they should be asking. What follows is the first of three postings on questions that you might want to consider asking.

I think that it is important to remember that you want to interview the coaches about their program, as much as they are interviewing you. It can seem like an uneasy position to be in, but you will be much better off asking questions up front. Remember, this is the next (and most likely last) 4 years of your career as a student-athlete. You want to do everything in your control to ensure that you find the right fit for you to have an enjoyable and successful career - both on and off the court. It's really an investment in your future, and will most likely have an impact on who you are and what you do, well beyond your college years. That shouldn't be intimidating, but rather an exciting opportunity!

The three categories of questions that I will post are: general questions, basketball questions and recruiting specific. By no means is this meant to be an all-inclusive list - as there are many questions that may arise as you talk to coaches and visit campuses.

To start things off, here are just some general questions that you might want to ask:

1. What is the enrollment at your institution?
2. How big is the city?
3. Is the campus in a very urban setting?
4. What sort of academics is your institution known for?
5. Approximately how many majors do you have? (this will help give you a good idea as to if you happen to change majors, are they still going to have something you would be interested in academically)
6. Do most of your players graduate in 4 years?
7. Do they have ______ major (whatever you might be interested in)
8. What are the challenges of being a student athlete at your school?
9. What kind of academic support is available to your student-athletes?
10. Do you require your players to take summer classes?
11. What is your favorite part about living in ____?
12. What is your favorite part about being at ______(whatever school)?
13. How is the relationship between professors and student-athletes or the athletic department?
14. What sort of things does your athletic department do to help prepare student-athletes for finding a career upon graduation?
15. Where do your student-athletes live?

Some of these questions of course you can research and find out online, which - I do encourage doing. However, sometimes it is nice to ask the questions of someone personally so that you can get a sense for their level of pride in their institution/city/program etc. Coaches are passionate about what they do, and the more questions you can ask and conversations you can have - the better. Not only will it get your questions answered, but you can start to get a feel for a personality of a coach (and a program) and begin to evaluate if this is someone you can see yourself playing for.

Along the lines of questioning... especially if you are really interested in learning more about a school, it is important to engage in a conversation with coaches. Not just simply answer their questions. Nothing was more painful when I was making phone calls to recruits, than getting yes and no or one world answers. Not only did it make me want to get off the phone, but it also made me question whether the recruit was someone that I would want to work with for the next 4 years.

In the next couple of days I will post a host of basketball questions and share more thoughts on the whole process. Until then... in the words of one of my former coaches and mentors...

Be Your Best!

Failing Forward

2010-07-12T19:39:00.000-05:00

A while back (before all of this recent chaos) LeBron James was being interviewed on 60 Minutes. They were talking about a whole host of things, most revolving around his success. The man conducting the interview asked him what his greatest skill on the basketball court was - and he said that it was his head - the mental approach that he takes to the game... and to anything. He said that one thing he believes truly that you have to not be afraid to fail - or to fear failure. His response didn’t really surprise me. Just like his idol, Michael Jordan, he realizes that in order to grow and get better, at anything, that we must first suffer failures or set-backs. Then, if we allow ourselves to learn from them, we can get better and move forward. Author John C. Maxwell phrases it as “Failing Forward.” Below is a copy of a speech I gave at a grade school athletics banquet last year. It may seem like a strange concept at first, but I think we need to learn to welcome failure, or perceived set-backs.

We live in a society where failure is frowned upon, and no one wants to fail - believe me I sure don’t want to either. But if we embrace those any set-backs that we do encounter, and allow ourselves to learn and grow from them - we can be and do better! It’s a skill that those who have succeeded most likely possess, and something that stops others from getting to where they want to be - that fear of failing.

Excerpt from the interview: "But of all the weapons in James' basketball arsenal, he thinks the most powerful may be his brain.

Asked what the strongest part of his game is, James told Kroft, "The way I approach the game mentally. I think, team first. It allows me to succeed, it allows my team to succeed. Because I'm always thinking about, 'How can I help my teammates become better?' I've always approached the game that way, ever since, I mean, I was a kid." ...

..."Three years after joining the lowly Cavaliers, he led them to the finals of the NBA Championship with one of the greatest clutch performances in history. He single handedly scored his team's last 25 points in a double overtime victory against Detroit.

"The game was so magical. I mean, I still watch it to this day," James told Kroft.

"You didn't feel nervous taking those shots?" Kroft asked.

"No. You can't be afraid to fail. It's the only way you succeed - you're not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that. You have to be able to accept failure to get better," he replied."

Speech: Failure - I can't accept not trying
Article from John C. Maxwell: Failing Forward

Do Your Part

2010-05-26T11:32:00.000-05:00

As we head into the summer, a.k.a. the "off-season," I encourage you to make sure that you're doing your part. Regardless of what level players are at - high school, college, etc. - you have to do you part at improving. The off-season is where players are made, and with the ever increasing importance of competing in the summer with AAU-type teams, I think a lot of players lose sight of the need to improve individually. Don't get me wrong, I do believe there is value in playing at a competitive level with and against other high-caliber players. However, I think that players need to also accept the responsibility of dedicating themselves to some individual skill work.

I do, and have done, a great deal of individual player development and team development - and there is no doubt that such instruction time throughout the summer is beneficial. If I didn't believe it was of value, I wouldn't waste my time doing it. However, players need to understand that whether it is working one on one with a coach or practicing with a team, that time alone is not enough to help you improve drastically as a player. Basketball is all about developing habits, and developing habits takes continued repetition day after day. For example if you are working to improve your shooting form or trying to work on your footwork in the post, working on this twice a week is not going to be enough to develop mastery of the skills. It's something you need to out and make a conscious effort to improve every day. You may not have to spend hours in the gym each day, but at least dedicate some time every day working to get better.

You could be working with the greatest coach in a one on one setting, but if you don't accept the responsibility and dedicate yourself to improving on your own - their expertise will only take you so far. As a coach who is fortunate enough to work in one-on-one and small group settings, I make it clear to them up-front that unless they put in the time and effort when we are not together, their level of improvement will be limited. If you want to develop in any area of your life, you are the one who is ultimately responsible for your level of improvement. Sure, others can assist you along the way, but the onus ultimately falls on you.

Learn while you are with your coaches, but work to apply those concepts that they teach you, on your own. When I work with players in the off-season, part of our workouts are spent on giving the player drills they can do on their own, as well as helping them to be able to recognize and feel when they are doing things correctly versus incorrectly. As you continue to put in more time to develop yourself you will understand your body better and be able to more readily recognize what adjustments you need to make - as you are working out and during the course of a game.

You're sure to spend a lot of time in the gym this summer, a majority of it spent playing games. Many of which are meant for helping expose you to college coaches. You're in a wonderful situation, so take advantage of it. If you're not working to improve individually and simply striving to gain exposure, coaches will recognize that. When I was coaching at the collegiate level and spending my summers in the gym watching the sea of players, nothing was more disheartening than seeing a kid that I had really liked previously not get any better from year to year or from their school season to their summer. Whether you are an underclass-woman who coaches will see compete for a few years, or a junior for whom this summer is critical in your recruiting process... will coaches see you improve? Or will they see the same player in July that they saw in February or April? Send the message to coaches that you want to get better and not simply want to be recruited.

Be your best!

..."but I'm a girl"

2010-05-03T14:15:00.001-05:00

A coaching colleague of mine from when I was at the collegiate level sent this article to me recently, thought I would pass it along to all of you. Enjoy!

The Biggest Problem Holding Back Girls' Basketball

An article from Brian McCormick www.trainbetter.com

I coach and train a lot of girls and have worked with many very good female players. Too often, the lack of progress in the women’s game is blamed on males or sexism. However, I think the biggest problem holding back the game is the female athlete.

Not every athlete. As I said, I have worked with great players and enjoyed every minute of my time working with them.

Instead, I mean the female athletes who are all too willing to allow their femaleness to be an excuse for a lack of ability.

I worked out with a Division I college player today who could not do a push-up. When I told her that her little elbow dips were not push-ups, she said that they were push-ups to her. She was unwilling to try a full push-up and preferred to give up.

I hate this mentality. “I’m a girl. I can’t do…” That’s crap. You’re an athlete. If you are a Division I player and you cannot do a push-up, it is not because you are a girl. It is because you are lazy and do not care. Have you ever seen former Sacramento Monarch Ruthie Bolton? She would take out 98% of guys in a push-up contest. It has nothing to do with being a girl. It has everything to do with being a selective athlete.

If you want to be a Division I athlete, working out is part of the commitment. You cannot expect to show up and play. You have to train. You have to work hard. You have to be in great mental and physical condition. You cannot be a part-time basketball player at the Division I level.

If you play Intramurals and you want to make excuses because of your femininity for your lack of strength, whatever. But a Division I athlete? Show some pride.

When I was a personal trainer, I worked out with a 35-year-old dentist and single mother of three who squatted 185 pounds for three sets of eight repetitions. She did sets of 10 plyo push-ups. Not one set, several. If a professional mom has the strength to do 10 push-ups, there is no excuse that an athlete should be out of shape and unable to do 10 push-ups.

But, I see it from time to time. It is never the great players. The great players are fit, strong, motivated and disciplined. That is why they are the great players. Instead, it is the fringe players; the talented players who seem to underachieve.

For the good of the game, women’s basketball would be better if these girls simply quit rather than giving other girls and women a bad name because of their excuse-making. Instead, they have enough natural talent or skill (and it happens on the guy’s side too, though they tend to get weeded out quicker) to skate by and play with some success, despite their lack of desire.

If you’re an athlete, never use “but I’m a girl” as an excuse. It’s not. You’re an athlete and you should hope that your coaches treat you like an athlete, not like a little, helpless girl. Do not play to the 1950’s stereotype of women. Suck it up and work harder. Demand better.

http://www.trainforhoops.com/the-biggest-problem-holding-back-girls-basketball/

Summer Team Info Needed

2010-04-29T13:02:00.000-05:00

Attention Summer Coaches!

Recruit Wisconsin is currently compiling information about all the the off-season programs in Wisconsin to make available for college coaches on our website. www.recruitwisconsin.com

What kind of information? We want to keep it simple, as not to take up too much of your time, but also informative enough for coaches to get something out of at a glance.

One of the questions we would like you to answer is what collegiate level of play you might speculate that the player can compete at. By no means do you need to feel like your answer has to be "right on," as recruiting is definitely not an exact science. However, please try to give your best to make an accurate judgement as to what level you think the player may be able to compete at. It is simply meant to give coaches a bit of insight into your team and players potential.

The information we would like you to provide us with is:
1. Age Level
2. Head Coach
3. Coach's Phone
4. Coach's Email
5. Team Website
6. Team Schedule
7. Roster (name, high school, grad year, projected collegiate level)
8. General Comments

For a more detailed look, click here.

Please email your information to spoo@recruitwisconsin.com ASAP.

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Be your best!
: Recruit Wisconsin :

Do You Beg for the Ball?

2010-03-05T14:36:00.000-06:00

BEG FOR THE BALL

Good players beg for the ball, not so much with their tongues as with their body movements and facial expressions. Good players want the ball, and that is obvious to whoever has it.

The average fan would likely say that all players want the ball, and they do, but not like good players want it. Good players want it in a way that they are always close by, always “popping out”, always looking at the guy with the ball with a sort of desperation – as though two points would be automatically marked on the scoreboard just by completing the pass.

This whole desperation begging business would really seem like some sort of nuisance except that mediocre players don’t’ – can’t – do it too. You have to be a good player to know how to beg with your body and your eyes and the muscles in your face. Good players don’t have to say a word, but everyone knows a begger when he sees one.

Do you beg for the ball? Or are you usually out on the periphery hoping the ball comes to you? There is a huge difference between begging and hoping.

Live in the Arena

2010-02-07T12:15:00.000-06:00

I truly believe what this quote by Theodore Roosevelt says:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Many times we come up short in things, simply because were are afraid to put ourselves out there. What if we give everything we have to something, and still don’t achieve the desired outcome...then what? So as a natural defense mechanism, many times we just say/do things like,”well I didn’t really care, if I wanted to, I would have done better,” or “I didn’t try very hard, if I had I would have won.”

I challenge myself each day to Live in the Arena, I challenge you to do the same. At least then you’ll know you gave it all you had, and THAT is something to be proud of.