What do the best of the best — Tom Brady, Alex Morgan, Steph Curry, Serena Williams, Breanna Stewart, Mike Trout et al — have in common? All of them love to practice. These athletes learned early on that the only way they could become the best in their sport was to put in the time, … Read more
A sport can be so ingrained in some people during their formative years that they are drawn back to it as adults. Such is the case with National Scouting Report scout Rebecca Wood Bosma. Volleyball was her irresistible pull. Bosma was reminded how much she loved volleyball when she read the Facebook posts of NSR scouts across the … Read more
Ever heard of Frenchman François-Marie Arouet? Well, perhaps you will recognize the man more readily by his nom de plume (pen name), Voltaire, the renowned writer, historian and philosopher who lived in the early to mid-1700s. One of Voltaire’s more familiar phrases which has endured these many years is, in a somewhat loose translation: “Perfect is the enemy of good.” … Read more
Wetumpka, Ala., is not the first place you might look for a college soccer prospect. But National Scouting Report found a good one there. Walker Davis is an uncommitted senior midfielder from Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery. At 6 feet and 175 pounds, he has the size and strength to shake things up in the middle … Read more
Athletes love their uniforms. Donning a uniform for the first time is one of life’s most exciting moments. Present and past athletes may never forget the thrill of receiving that first jersey with a number on the back and team name on the front. Uniforms make athletes feel special, unique and apart from everyone else. … Read more
Today is the day thousands of high school seniors, including hundreds from National Scouting Report, will proudly slip on their favorite college T-shirt, take their seat behind a table, smile for the cameras and sign a National Letter of Intent on the first day of the NCAA’s regular signing period. High school athletes in more … Read more
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
