Document text
College coaches open to assertive athletes Monday Aug 20, 2012 at 12:01 AM Aug 20, 2012 at 10:12 AM It sounds like dating advice. By DAN JONES It sounds like dating advice. Be unique. Be persistent. Be assertive. Be smart. Oh, and be tech-savvy. It comes as no surprise that college coaches in Oregon and around the nation covet five-star recruits. But after the elite talent pool has dried, a more intricate dance of affection begins. Programs have needs and wants, and so do high school athletes. But in order for those two to connect, sometimes the young athlete must become the suitor. Leaders from programs at the University of Oregon, Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon and West Virginia agree on this much: Potential recruits should make themselves stand out. "The worst someone can say is no thanks," Oregon women's head soccer coach Tara Erickson says. Those who offer the whole package, who fit the system and who make college coaches fall in love with them will be the ones who may earn scholarships, they say. Preferably, hopeful teenagers will do it with a resume that includes high-quality YouTube videos, letters addressed specifically to coaches, special connections to the university and other personal touches. "There are so many athletes who want to earn a college scholarship, and with the sheer vastness of it, the ones who are a little more aggressive make it easier for us," says West Virginia head gymnastics coach Jason Butts, who has athletes from California, New York and Texas on his roster. "The more times I see your name in my inbox, the more you will stick out to me. It never gets annoying to me. It's encouraging to me." Sometimes there's a spark, and sometimes there is not. Coaches have turnoffs, like mass emails. They can sniff out obvious copy/paste letters or recruiting service messages and have little use for them — unless you are exceptional. "When emails come from scouting services or have 200 other coaches CC'd on them, you have a pretty good idea that they just want some attention," says Oregon State assistant director of player personnel Ryan Gunderson. Several coaches interviewed said combing through information provided by online recruiting services can be difficult. At the NCAA Division I level, assistants are paid to perform that duty, with resumes going through several filters. "(OSU head football coach Mike Riley) watches every recruit that the position coaches and coordinators nominate for an offer," Gunderson says. "We have had around 150 recruits nominated for an offer for the class of 2013. We have a process that recruit film goes through and coach Riley is at the top of the pyramid." Former OSU football star James Rodgers was discovered by the Beavers when one of his coaches simply called offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf, says OSU sports information director Steve Fenk. "(The coach) said, 'You gotta come down here and recruit this kid,'" Fenk says. "One thing led to another and he ended up coming here ... And we didn't even know about Jacquizz Rodgers." But at schools such as Eastern Oregon University, head coaches like Isaac Williams take on many of these reviewing tasks from inception to decision. "It is hard to sift through," the EOU mean's head basketball coach says. "Which are interested and which are names sent out to as many schools as possible?" Schools with smaller budgets value persistence, Williams says. But inevitably, he says, the athletes he takes most seriously are those whom he is familiar with because of proximity. It's simply too difficult to turn over every stone, he says. "I don't have the resources to fly two assistants five times to Arkansas to see someone play," Williams says. "I have to know who the coach is or have a connection with the kid, and it's got to be someone who you know will fit in with the culture of the program. "What I do is open (all emails) and if it's addressed to me directly I read through it and respond. If it's a form email from somebody out of the region, I just delete it. That is how I narrow it down. From there, you do your homework." In Eugene, Erickson also welcomes recruit-driven interest. She receives about 100 emails and letters a week. "I prefer in our sport to have more of the initiation come from the recruits," Erickson says. There may be none more in favor of aggressive pursuers than Butts. With fewer than 70 Division I gymnastics programs nationally, the amount of interest he receives is great, yet he may only have two or three scholarships available in any given year. His team carries between 16 to 18 gymnasts, with 12 full scholarship athletes and four to six walk-ons. Despite the odds, he says, athletes don't necessarily need any recruiting services to gain recognition. "A kid can do the same thing if they are technologically literate using Facebook, YouTube or Twitter," he says. Jon Clemente, the head women's soccer coach at SOU, also emphasizes to athletes the importance of showcasing themselves. Clemente says athletes should invite coaches from the programs they are interested in to watch them play, especially at tournaments near or in the city they are located. He says visiting schools as a young high school athlete is also key. "If you are traveling around with a soccer team or friends on vacation, it's well worth your while to stop and check out (schools of interest) and be proactive," he says. "The youth level is pretty high and there are plenty of players as good as you. Starting your search early let's you do it the right way, not in a rushed fashion." Advancements in technology can help tremendously in getting the ball rolling for an athlete in search of a school to play at, Clemente says. Players promoting themselves should create a channel on YouTube and have multiple videos. Compact discs, Clemente says, can quickly become clutter in the office. "With a link you can watch from anywhere and on any number of devices," he says. Adds Butts: "It's convenient for us because YouTube catalogs videos and we can go there over and over and over. I'll remember specific videos with a kid and it's stored. It's great." Clemente ultimately says he must see potential recruits in person before making an offer. And once he gets the chance to talk with them, he must know that their heart is in the right place, he says. "One question we ask them all the time is, 'If you get seriously injured and couldn't play, would you still be OK with being a Raider?'" Clemente says. When things get serious, coaches — especially those with more resources — will sometimes travel to observe multiple players at once. "There are so many tournaments now that we will eventually find a way to overlap somewhere and see a player we are interested in, whether it's at a tournament in Texas or somewhere on the East Coast, if there is that genuine interest," Erickson says. Attending camps and clinics is also crucial, Erickson says. She was able to see former Ashland standout Riley Smith during one of the Ducks' summer "I.D." camps two years ago. "She was excited to come and we were excited to have her, so it was a good fit right away," Erickson says. With more options than ever, coaches find themselves in recruiting games as complicated as relationships. "At the end of the day, because you are presented with so many kids, it puts the onus on coaches to make sure you are sifting through all those names and doing your due diligence," Williams says. "You don't want to turn away kids who will help your program just because they didn't approach you in just the right way."