Campus visits are extremely important for young college prospects. Initial and subsequent casual meetings at camps, tournaments, showcases and combines are all fishing expeditions. Coaches are merely trying to get a read on prospects and their parents at these brief encounters. They’ve seen what they need to when the athlete performs. They’ve completed their pre-visit … Read more
Trust: It’s the Thing Which Separates NSR from Other Scouting Services Who do you want representing you? A scout who can speak firsthand to a college coach about your abilities and attributes, or a talking head whose intimate knowledge of you as a person, an athlete and a student is limited to what can be … Read more
This Little Gesture Can Inspire Even After a Dressing Down Never underestimate the value of a pat on the back. Whether it comes from a parent, a coach, a teacher or a teammate, this simple act of appreciation goes much farther than most people realize. When I was a kid playing youth ball in a small community, … Read more
Focus on Your Ultimate Objective Until You Find “It” Assume nothing as you search for everything you want in a college. Far too often high school prospects take the word and opinion of others about which schools and programs are excellent, good, okay or unacceptable. Those opinions are based on their unique perspectives, not yours. The … Read more
There are downsides to social media and this fact became evident recently. We have learned that this past week four girls from Stillwater (MN) High’s hockey team were handed one-game suspensions for posting on Facebook a hanged teddy bear wearing jersey number 34 with the caption, “Another successful bear hunt.” In their subsequent game against … Read more
An athlete’s statistics or numbers don’t tell the whole story, but they help give coaches a little perspective on a possible recruit. It’s especially noticable to college coaches if an athlete is padding their stats or abilities. Don’t Lie About Your Statistics Want to do yourself, and college coaches a huge favor? Don’t fudge on your … Read more
Good Intentions Aside, Your Coaches Can’t Get the Job Done “Our coach is handling all that for us.” How many times have we heard that sad recruiting story? Too many to count. And then, when those same parents and kids look up as the senior year arrives and nothing has been done, it’s a pitiful thing … Read more
With all the Super Bowl brouhaha over, thankfully, we turn our attention to basketball and tournament season. Although still a couple to a few weeks away, teams are nonetheless already scrambling for higher seeds. In high school hoops, tournament basketball is arguably the most exciting event of the year. The air becomes thick with fan anticipation as the regular season winds down. Must-win games … Read more
What is the significance of being invited to a particular school’s sports camp? College athletic programs hold sports camps, usually in the summer, for two main reasons. First, this is an opportunity for coaches to make extra money. In fact, some of them do quite well and count on this extra income to supplement their … Read more
