If you are around youth athletics long enough, especially if you are evaluating talent for college coaches, you start to see something special in the eyes of the young athletes who will be solid prospects. You can see it in the eyes of Alyssa Arden, a 2018 National Scouting Report softball pitcher from White House … Read more
Raw talent is important for college lacrosse prospects. So is size. So is scoring ability. So are good grades. National Scouting Report 2017 lacrosse prospect Cameron Wright has them all. A 6-foot-3 junior midfielder from Gorham High School in Maine, Wright began playing the sport only four years ago. But with his size, intelligence, strength … Read more
Life has never been easy for Elayna VanArsdale. Her mother, Elizabeth, has been on Social Security disability for more than 10 years, the result of chronic back pain suffered in an automobile accident. Her father, William, a full-time chef, suffers from scoliosis and degenerative disc disease. Because money always has been tight for her family, … Read more
Remember the song “Only the Strong Survive”? It was a big hit back in the late 1960s, its lyrics coinciding with a popular phrase of the time. The message was not subtle. In high school athletics, however, that message is not so true today. To the surprise of many, including parents and their children, an … Read more
The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., is not only one of the state’s premier academic institutions, it also has a storied athletic history. Over the years, the small private school located on the banks of the Tennessee River has captured more state titles than almost any other high school in Tennessee. National Scouting Report tennis … Read more
Question: When do high school athletes become college prospects? First, it is important to note that we’re not asking when they formally become prospects, according to the NCAA. Instead, we are asking when they personally step over the line to become available to college coaches? Need a hint? Here are five: Athletes are not automatically … Read more
Any time you begin thinking or talking about college recruiting, inevitably, you’ll touch on the subject of “the box.” What is “the box”? It’s a small set of “norms” or “parameters” that college coaches follow in each sport to recruit athletes. They include things such as height, size, speed, tools and metrics. National Scouting Report … Read more
Alex Bassetto knows adversity all too well. During his freshman year at Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., he saw his father fight hard, but lose his battle with leukemia. A 2017 National Scouting Report golf prospect, Bassetto has fought through the tragedy of his father’s death to have a mature perspective of life for someone … Read more
Keith Ferguson, who scouts for National Scouting Report near Lexington, Ky., knows he is lucky to have a deep appreciation for high school prospects who grow up in rural areas. In fact, scouting in small, rural towns is right in Ferguson’s wheelhouse. Ferguson is a native of Kyle, South Dakota, a prairie town of 846 residents … Read more
National Scouting Report scouts use the same criteria as college coaches to select prospects. It is not uncommon for NSR scouts to see really talented athletes but choose not to approach for an interview because the athletes can’t seem to get out of their own way. More times than not, those prospects lose out on the incredible … Read more
