The Dad posted on May 16, 2011 09:24
So, you are an unsigned senior and you KNOW that you can play at the next level. But, What is the next level to you? If your answer is high D1 schools like Arkansas, Texas, Baylor, Pitt, or Florida, forget it! Get over it! For whatever reason, those schools did not discover you and recruit you. So, what are you doing about it? You should be working hard to acquire a roster spot on somebody’s college squad; and Junior College is NOT a bad word but it represents an opportunity. D2, D3, NAIA and/or JC should be your focus now. There ARE roster spots out there for those who will put in some work.
I know that many of you are discouraged, but you have to get up off of your “discouragement” and DO some things right now!. You and your family have to do some prep work and then bang on some doors. If you can get help from your HS or SB coach that is great, however, do not leave all of your chips on that table! YOU must take control and ensure that what needs to be done ACTUALLY gets done! No one will help you more than those who love you and have proven that over the years.
You should have a solid concise resume ready to send college coaches. You should have video of your play (highlights AND continuous game footage). No one will recruit you based on words printed on paper. You should have a strategy for contacting schools that fit your playing ability. You should find places to play where coaches can see you live or on video after the event. Ensure that the event operator will send out post-event reports to lots of college coaches. I know that for Unsigned Seniors these events are difficult to locate and vary in quality. You have to find the event, research its history for quality and even question the operator before signing up! Nothing worthwhile comes without some hard work! So, in the words of Sherman Klump, “Let’s get busy”! The worst thing you can do is sit around on your butt waiting for a miracle.
I have been talking with a parent over the past few weeks about a player who had college coaches interested but zero offers. This family participated in an unsigned senior event near Dallas and was disappointed With the quality of the event. This “showcase” was not managed well, the team’s coaches were scarce, no college coaches were there and the promised video was shot by kids with dubious video experience. My advice to this anxious family was DON’T QUIT Keep looking and keep working This family purchased a BBC Membership for their son, and registered for our Recruiting Combine (on May 21).
Hard Work Pays Off!
The most important thing that they did was to shake off the discouragement and continue to work hard. They carefully populated their player’s BBC Portfolio with video, article links, photos and player data. They sent me emails concerning the schools that contacted them. They received advice about responding to inquiries, which schools could and could not offer scholarships, campus visits and more. They asked questions and did not pretend to know it all. Most importantly, the work is beginning to pay off. I spoke with a college coach who is interested in signing this kid and will be watching when he plays at our combine. Just yesterday, I heard from another coach who is also interested.
The message here is that you MUST DO SOMETHING! This kid has no guarantees, but his chances of getting one of those available roster spots are much much better than those that are sitting around on their butts! You NEED to market yourself! If money is an issue, call or email me, I will try to help. However, I will not do your work for you. I can give advice but you (and your family) must be willing to work.
There are hundreds of college capable players in the Greater Houston area. Sadly, many of them will never play college ball; although they can do the class work and they can play!
Help is available. College opportunities are still available. But, it is getting late in the evening for HS seniors. If you can play and you are willing to work and you need some help, send me an email and explain your situation and your desire. Send the email to INeedHelp@bbcplayers.com! Note that this email address will only exist for the next couple of weeks.
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