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Unless you are a highly coveted prospect the chances are you need some guidance with the recruiting process.  Whether you need a recruiting service or not can depend on several factors. We’ll examine several instances where you might need a recruiting service and the benefits of using one.

Not a Blue Chip Prospect:

If you are considered a “blue chip” prospect most of the college recruiters will come to you.  Blue chippers are considered the elite athletes in their sport, and are heavily recruited by college coaches.   Only about 1% of high school athletes fall into the category of blue chip prospect.   If you are not in that category you need to be proactively marketing your talents.   That is where a sports recruiting service will come in handy. Recruiting services can get your name out to more college recruiters, and offer advice on how to play the recruiting game.

Good High School Athlete BUT Gets No Looks:

There are millions of high school athletes that college coaches must recruit each year.  It’s just not possible that every high school athlete is going to get noticed; therefore, you need to have a plan to showcase your talents to college recruiters. Being a standout on your high school team isn’t a guarantee that you’re going to play at the next level.   Coaches won’t recruit you based on your reputation; they must see you play before the recruiting process can start.   In order to standout from the masses you might consider contacting a recruiting service.  Recruiting services can post videos and stats of your performances for college recruiters to view, ultimately increasing your chances of getting recruited.   A recruiting company will get your information into the right hands, and can get your name out in the recruiting circles.

Your Sport Isn’t Big With Recruiting:

When certain sports bring in million dollar television contracts and endorsements it is obvious which sport will get the recruiting funds.   That is the business behind college athletics.   Some sports can’t reach certain recruits because they are limited financially.   This means athletes that play in the northwest may never get recruited by schools in the southeast.   This is when a recruiting service can help bridge that gap.  With a recruiting service you can now market your game to more coaches by posting video clips.   A college recruiter will be able to watch highlights and game film right from their office.

Read how RecruitLook.com can help student athletes earn college scholarships.

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We uploaded a couple clips from the KC Prep Invitational.  The KC Prep Invitational is the best AAU basketball tournament in Kansas City.  Over 300 college coaches came to watch 60+ teams play 4 days worth of basketball.  The games were intense and the competition fierce.  KC Pump N Run held court against the Saint Louis Eagles to win the 17's Platinum division.  These clips are from the championship game.

Corey Hillard (Nebraska oral commit) dishes to Christian Kirk (recruited by Butler, So. Illinois & others)

Hillard & Kirk clip

AJ Spencer goes back door to beat his man for the layup.  AJ turned heads during the AAU basketball tournament in Kansas City.  Considered a mid-major player is now getting looks from several D1 programs.

AJ Spencer clip

Tags: Aau Basketball Kansas City Corey Hillard Christian Kirk Aj Spencer

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As fall practices start across the country for major college football programs, the headlines swirling the practice field aren't about the freshman tailback that can't be tackled, or the senior quarterback who looks in mid-season form.  Nope.  All the talk is about several big time programs facing possible NCAA punishments.  

The programs under fire are University of Miami, North Carolina and Tennessee.  Each have in some way conducted business in a manner that the NCAA frowns upon.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels are being investigated because two current football players are in the middle of a rumor that they took improper benefits from sports agents.  This is a major no-no in college athletics.  Just speaking with agents can jeopardize your eligibility and could result in your school getting punished by the NCAA.  Just like Mark Ingram, Alabama tailback, was being investigated for partying with recent NFL draft picks in Washington D.C.  While in college (or high school)...better yet, considered an amateur athlete, you cannot receive any sort of benefits. 

Read the North Carolina story here

University of Miami:  Miami is being investigated for "impermissible text messages and phone calls to prospective student-athletes."  It's not clear which sports are under investigation. Coaches are limited on the number of texts and phone calls they can make to potential student-athletes.

Read the Miami story here

Tennessee:  The Vols are under investigation for improperly using female students as "hostesses" for football recruits.  Some hostesses reportedly traveled out of state to prospects' games.  The NCAA is also looking into whether former coach Lane Kiffin improperly interacted on prospects' facebook pages.

Read the Tennessee story here

The NCAA takes all possible infractions very seriously.  Follow the links below to learn more about NCAA recruiting rules and sports recruiting tips.

http://www.recruitlook.com/index.php?do=/public/ncaaRules/

http://www.recruitlook.com/index.php?do=/public/ncaa-questions/

http://recruitlook.com/university-of-sports-recruiting/

Tags: Football Recruiting Recruiting Violations Ncaa Recruiting Rules

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University of Florida has been slapped (lightly slapped) by the NCAA for improperly writing on recruit's Facebook pages.  Facebook can be used by college coaches to send recruits personal messages, however; a coach cannot post messages to a recruit's wall.  The Facebook wall is where people can post information or short messages for everyone to see...a violation in the eye's of the NCAA.  The Florida assistant who committed the violation is prohibited from written recruiting communication for a two week period.

Read the full article here.

Tags: College Recruiting On Facebook Florida Recruits Facebook Sports Recruitin

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Mike Sullivan from Our Lady of the Lakes High School in Michigan is starting to hear his name circulate in the recruiting world.  Sullivan completed a fine Junior season where he passed for 1,200 yards, 11 touchdowns and completed 65% of his pass attempts.  Sullivan has started since his sophomore year, and scouts are liking his 6'2" frame and pro-style delivery.  Mike has always been a good quarterback but recent success at some elite QB camps has pushed his name up the recruiting board.  Some of the schools on his list are: Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, UNLV, Bowling Green, Colorado State, and Utah.  Read more articles on quarterback Mike Sullivan below:

Junior year video on RecruitLook : Click here

From prep writer Scott M. Burnstein : Article #1

From prep writer Scott M. Burnstein : Article #2

From Michigan State blogger Matt Dorsey : Click here

Mike Sullivan on Rivals.com : Click here

Tags: Mike Sullivan Recruiting Our Lady Of The Lakes Michigan High School Footb

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Getting a college scout to notice you can be frustrating and stressful if you do not know how to properly go about it.  The number one mistake we see are athletes failing to properly market their talents.  Most athletes that we help say their number one struggle with the recruiting process is "how to get coaches interested" in their play making abilities.  This is when a college scouting service like RecruitLook.com can come in handy.  We assist athletes step-by-step through the recruiting process.  Throughout your high school career there are certain requirements and milestones that you should meet during the recruiting process.  Failing to do so can leave you scrambling for a college to play for.  College scouts have hundreds of players to evaluate and scout each season.  If they have no idea who you are they'll never discover you.  Get ahead of the game and start proactively marketing your talents.  These articles outline how Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors can get their recruiting on track.

Good luck and contact us with any questions.

Thanks,

RecruitLook Staff 

Tags: Sports Recruiting Tips College Recruiting Services Sports Recruiting Webs

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Basehor-Linwood High School baseball standout Tyler Henley committed recently to pitch at Cowley County Community College.  The Cowley County Tigers finished the 2009 season in the top 15 of the National Junior College rankings.  Tyler had an outstanding junior season for Basehor-Linwood which really got his recruiting campaign jump-started.  Tyler was invited to participate at several college showcases, the Kansas City Royals' development team, and the 2009 Mariners Cup.  

Tyler spent the last couple of years going through the recruiting process.  We interviewed him to educate athletes still going through the recruiting process.  

RL.com :  What was the most difficult part in the recruiting process?

Tyler :  Not ever knowing what was going to happen next. 

RL.com : What was your favorite part of the recruiting process?

Tyler :   Getting to see all of the schools that were interested and hearing how they heard of me.

RL.com :  Congrats on signing with Cowley County CC.  What was the motivating factor to ultimately sign with them?

Tyler :   The program’s success and the coaching staff seemed like the best fit to me.  I want to get to the next level and Cowley County puts me in the best position to make that possible.

RL.com :  Do you have any advice for those athletes still going through the recruiting process?     

Tyler :   Just relax and let everything work itself out but stay active.  Don’t wait for the schools to contact you.  

Read the University of Recruiting articles to better understand how to stay ahead of the recruiting process.

Tags: Tyler Henley Recruiting Basehor Linwood Baseball Athletic Scholarships

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RecruitLook member and Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania football standout, Spencer Lynn, signed his National Letter of Intent last week.  After several long months of weighing his options, Spencer signed to play football for Division II powerhouse California University of Pennsylvania.  Spencer started the past two seasons at linebacker for Belle Vernon Area High School where he racked up over 230 tackles and 12 sacks.  Spencer was voted by his teammates as Defensive Captain his junior and senior season.  The media and coaches also voted for Spencer.  He was named in several publications as All-Conference, All-Area and he was even named to Schuman’s Ultimate 100.

High school recruits everywhere dream of signing that national letter of intent.  We sat down with Spencer to speak with him about his recruiting experience.  Use his experience as a learning tool to make your dreams a reality. 

RL.com :  What was the most difficult part in the recruiting process?

Spencer :  The most difficult part about the recruiting process is just being patient.  When all of my offers started to come in, and coaches wanted me to come for official visits every weekend things were pretty crazy, and my head was spinning.  I just had to really think about what was important to me and go from there.

RL.com : What was your favorite part of the recruiting process?

Spencer :   The best part of the whole process is getting offers from schools, and having coaches tell you how much they like you and how bad they want you.  Then finally signing with the school you choose.  It is such a load off of your shoulders.

RL.com :  Early on you were getting recruited by Michigan State, Temple, Syracuse, Seton Hall…why Cal U of Penn?

Spencer :   I chose to be a Vulcan because of their football program's success.  The past three years in a row they have made it to the D2 National Semi-Final game.  They win, and I was being offered a free education.  It was impossible to say no.  Also, it is close to home so my family and friends will be able to come see me play.

Read a recruitlook.com article on how to create a target list of schools.

RL.com :  Do you have any advice for those athletes still going through the recruiting process?     

Spencer :   My advice to anyone going through this process is to just be patient, pick the school that fits you best, and never lose your dream.

Tags: Spencer Lynn Recruiting Belle Vernon Area Signing A College Scholarship

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Recently several Kansas City area high school football recruits signed letters of intent to play college football.  The recruiting process is different for everyone depending on how they go about it.  If you're an athlete struggling with the recruiting process than you're not alone. Some of the top talent from the Kansas City area found the process "stressful" and "tedious". As an athlete, you are better off seeking professional guidance to ensure your dreams of a college scholarship come true.  Here are what some of the recruits had to say about their recruiting experience.

Marcus Lucas - Liberty High School

COLLEGE CHOICE: Missouri

RECRUITING EXPERIENCE:  â€śMy best recruiting experience was probably getting to know all the different guys around the country.  Each week, each visit you take, you get talk to recruits from around the nation, so that’s definitely something that’s been really cool.  My worst recruiting experience was the phone calls from the coaches and Web sites.  It kind of got a little stressful, you know, with people coming to me around school telling me to go here or go there.”  

Justin McCay - Bishop Miege High School

COLLEGE CHOICE: Oklahoma

RECRUITING EXPERIENCE:  â€śThe recruiting process was fun.  It’s what you make it.  I made it fun for me.”

E.J. Gaines - Fort Osage High School

COLLEGE CHOICE: Missouri

RECRUITING EXPERIENCE: â€śMy best recruiting experience was probably my official visit to Missouri. I took my official visit a few weeks ago, right after Christmas break.  Me and my dad went down there and they showed us a good time, a good family environment.  My worst was my first phone call from a coach.  I really didn’t expect it, didn’t know what to say, so I kind of panicked on the phone.”

If you want to read articles about how to make the recruiting process work for you...read our University of Recruiting section

For more quotes from athletes experience with the recruiting process visit the KC Star's web pag

Tags: Justin Mccay Marcus Lucas E.j Gaines Sports Recruiting Tips Scholarshi

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