Hartley Football Brad Burchfield, Head Football Coach Bishop Hartley Football Phone: (614) 886-2808 RECRUITING GUIDELINES: Do you believe you have the talent to play college football? To achieve this goal, you must begin the process early in your high school career. Many high school athletes miss their opportunity because they don’t pursue colleges early or they only place their applications with Division I colleges. Along side of submitting applications for Division I schools, athletics should also consider the following football divisions:      

NCAA Division I Colleges (DIA) NCAA Division I-AA Colleges (DIAA) NCAA Division II Colleges (DII) NCAA Division III Colleges (DIII) NCAA Division I-AA Non Scholarship Colleges (DIAA) National Associations of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

Athletes can be grouped into 5 basic categories for college recruiting  Blue Chip Athlete- Top players not only in their state but in the nation. These athletes because of their great abilities and performances have already proven their performance as impact players at the next level. For these players the recruiting process is easy because they have offers from several top division one programs: Ohio State, USC, Florida, LSU  Mid Level Division One- These players have a little more on their plate during the recruiting process. These players must accomplish something on the playing field that will separate him from other DI players. The recruiting process is one of cat and mouse; recruiters rank the midlevel players at each position and simply check them off until they can get the highest ranked player on the list. It is a tough process for the athlete and his family because it is subjective. The player must do something that will make a difference in the recruiter’s eyes and cause him to offer.  Bubble Division One- Bubble players are unique players that still have a chance to play DI football only under special circumstances. For example an option quarterback who is an extremely gifted runner but might be considered a nonpasser because of the offensive system he could play. Getting the proper exposure is vital for a bubble player.  Sub Division One- These are division DI-AA, D-II or NAIA schools scholarship football program. These schools provide a great opportunity for players that are not DI-A to still gets some or all of their college paid.  Love of the game- Players are good or great high school players but either lack the size or speed to play at a scholarship program. These players play because they want to further their education and love to play the game of football.

NCAA Eligibility Center a. Web Address: https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/ b. 2008-2009 Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete (Left-Hand column on Eligibility Center front page). Download in PDF format. c. The answers to most of your questions can be found in this guide or by accessing the Eligibility Center’s resource page on their website at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net 1. Click on “Prospective Student-Athletes”. 2. Click on “Information and Resources for Prospective Student-Athletes”. d. You can also contact the Eligibility Center by phone at … 317-917-6222 (This is a customer service line that is open Monday – Friday from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Recruiting Facts & Information The NCAA allows each division IA college football program 85 scholarships and each division IAA college 63 athletic scholarships. In division 2 there are 36 Scholarships. To retain division I status, a football team must have 76.5 football scholarship players and can carry 85 active scholarship players. In division I-AA, schools have 63 scholarships, usually divided among 85 players. FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) = Division IA FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) =IAA Not all football scholarships are “full-ride”, most are. Football scholarship numbers and rosters explained. There are 117 division 1A, 124 division 1AA and 150 division 2 colleges that offer football scholarships. Don’t just concentrate on the top division 1 colleges, many of these bigger schools usually have a large number of potential athletes that they are actively recruiting. The competition is cut throat, unless you are a blue chip recruit you won’t receive a scholarship offer. There is nothing wrong with smaller division 1, division 2, division 3 or NAIA colleges. At the end of the day it’s your education that’s important. Many high school students play sports – both girls and boys, those that are good start to think they could play their sport at college level. It’s not that easy. The truth is that most high school athletes won’t get the opportunity to play.

Athletes

Women’s Men’s Baseball Basketball Basketball

High School 452,929 Athletes High School 129,408 senior athletes NCAA 15,096 Athletes NCAA Freshman 4,313 Positions NCAA Senior 3,355 Athletes NCAA Senior 32 Athletes Drafted Percentage: High 3.3% School To NCAA Percentage: NCAA To 1.0% Professional Percentage: High 0.02% School To Professional 

Men’s Ice Football Hockey

Men’s soccer

546,335

470,671

36,263

1,071,775

358,935

156,096

134,477

10,361

306,221

102,553

16,571

28,767

3,973

61,252

19,797

4,735

8,219

1,135

17,501

5,655

3,682

6,393

883

13,612

4,398

44

600

33

250

75

3.0%

6.1%

11.0%

5.7%

5.5%

1.2%

9.4%

3.7%

1.8%

1.7%

0.03%

0.45%

0.32%

0.08%

0.07%

Information is from collegesportsscholorships.com

If you plan on playing college football, you will need to present 16 core courses in the following academic areas:  4 years of English  3 years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher)  2 years of natural/physical science (one must be a lab science)  1 year of additional English, math or science  2 years of social studies  4 years of additional core courses (from any area listed above, or from foreign language, non-doctrinal religion or philosophy)

To begin your pursuit for a college athletic scholarship in football, you should consider some of the following guidelines: FRESHMEN YEAR: 1. Communicate with your coaches the desired position you would like to play in college; 2. Maintain a good grade point average (GPA); 3. Develop good study habits; 4. Take at least six classes each semester. 5. Participate in more than one sport. 6. Get involved in a school, church or social club besides sports. (You will need to show you are versatile when completing your college application) 7. Develop a strengthening program. Athletics train year round by enrolling in Lifetime Fitness class. Lifetime Fitness allows players to play other sports and still get the necessary training for athletics. Players not playing another sport should work additional time after school training with a coach and on their own. **Always consider that your high school academics play a very important part of you securing scholarship funding as an athlete. A 2.0 could mean $10,000 a year less than a 3.0. SOPHOMORE YEAR: 1. Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. (www.ncaa.org) Register even if you don’t have your SAT and ACT scores. 2. Become familiar with the different divisions of college football. 3. Attend football summer camps at various colleges to determine the best choice for you. 4. Take at least six classes each semester. 5. Take-on leadership responsibilities for your club or activity. 6. Develop your strength, speed, and agility to their fullest. Players should stay enrolled in Lifetime Fitness class to keep working on their strength and speed. Preparing for your sophomore year is critical for preparing your body for the varsity level. 7. Players should strive to excel on the game field so they can put highlights on recruiting websites.

JUNIOR YEAR: 1. Continue to take six courses per semester. 2. Sit down with your coach and talk with him about your potential as a college athlete. 3. After your junior season, if you are not already being recruited, create a highlight tape and a resume (with an action photo and a still photo). Send these to schools you may be interested in attending. 4. Seek out Football Combines in your surrounding areas to help you become recognized as a potential athletic.

5. Plan to attend camp at schools you are interested or that are interested in you. Understand that smaller schools (DIII-DIA) often attend bigger schools camps i.e. Ohio State and Michigan. 6. Make unofficial visits to schools that you cannot attend their camp. Understand that most football programs go on vacation in July, so it is wise to visit in June so that you can visit with coaches to get a look at the football program. 7. Keep track of the mail you receive and return all questionnaires. UNDERSTAND though that form mail does not make you a college recruit. It means you are in a database at that college. There are several different types of communication from college football coaches. a. Form Letter: you are in a database, literally, 1000’s of high school-to-be seniors receive the same letter from the same institution. b. Hand written note/letter: shows true interest from a prospective college. 100’s of to-be-seniors receive these notes. It means there is some genuine interest. c. Phone Calls: Coaches are able to call you in your senior year and not before. Go to www.ncaa.org to become knowledgeable about recruiting rules. If you are getting called on the phone the school is interested in you. d. Text messages and email count as written communication and can be done as often as a college coach chooses. Take advantage of this form of communication. 8. DON’T FORGET TO MAINTAIN YOUR GRADES. 9. TAKE THE SAT AND ACT in December of your junior year or at the first test date in June. DO NOT WAIT until football season to begin. 10. Determine if you are a DIVISION IA ATHLETE? a. Have you been receiving hand written notes? b. Have you been invited to senior only camp at a college? c. Have you been asked to visit in the summer? d. Is the recruiting coach emailing you? Text message? e. Have you received an official offer? In writing? If you answered NO to any or all of these questions, it is time to look at other options besides Division I colleges. SENIOR YEAR: Besides keeping up with your academics and helping your team reach its full potential, you should do the following. 1. Do everything possible to continue to develop your skills in the pre-season. This is your last season playing high school football so do everything possible to be at the top of your game. Make sure you take Lifetime Fitness to ensure that you reach your athletic potential. Lifetime Fitness will keep you strong during your senior season and help prevent or lessen injuries. 2. Visit schools in the fall to see a game. You will need to make-up your Saturday workout though so communicate with your coach. 3. Keep a legal pad by the phone to record all phone calls that you receive.

4. Create a list of five questions to ask a coach that calls so when he asks you, “Do you have any questions?” you will have some. 5. Answer yes/no questions with “YES SIR or NO SIR.” a. ARE YOU WORKING OUT? “Yes Sir” b. HOW ARE YOUR GRADES? “Good Sir, I have a 3.3 GPA." c. HAVE YOU TAKEN THE TEST? “Yes sir, but I don’t have my score yet.” 6. Send out game film to schools you are interested in or that are interested in you. Do this after week 3 or 4 of the season. Send two games. If you are creating highlights, put those on the front of the film. a. Coaches will only watch a whole game if they really like what they see. Players must make sure they play hard every play because college coaches look for players with a great motor. b. Cut-ups are a good way to get their attention. c. Send an update resume with your film and keep your resume up to date. d. If you still don’t know if you are a Division I recruit yet, answer this question? Have any Division I schools called me at home or come to see my coach at school? 7. The hardest thing about senior recruiting is realizing that you are not going to get that DIA scholarship. The sooner you recognize all the other opportunities you have and all the great schools and programs that are out there, the sooner you will find the right fit for you. a. DIVISION I recruiting is a business and business can be ugly at times. It can be very rewarding for a small few and very frustrating for the masses. b. FIND THE SCHOOL THAT BEST FITS YOUR NEEDS AND THAT YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF AT FOR 4-5 YEARS, WITH OR WITHOUT FOOTBALL. 8. Work with your counselor to begin college applications and FAFSA forms. 

THIS IS YOUR FUTURE. DO NOT SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR IT TO ARRIVE. MAKE GOALS. PLAN and PREPARE.



REMEMBER THAT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH CAN ONLY HELP YOU GET RECRUITED. YOUR GOD GIVEN ABILITIES AND PREFORMANCE ON THE FIELD GET YOU A SCHOLARSHIP.

Recruiting Terminology Contact: A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or your parents away from the college’s campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you are competing or practicing.

Contact period: During this time, a college coach may have in-person contact with you and/or your parents on or off the college’s campus. The coach also may watch you play or visit your high school. You and your parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone you during this period. Dead period: The college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents at any time in the dead period. The coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time. Evaluation: An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or athletic ability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or compete. Evaluation period: The college coach may watch you play or visit your high school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with you or your parents away from the college’s campus. You and your parents can visit a college campus during this period. A coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time. Official visit: Any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the college. The college may pay the following expenses: Your transportation to and from the college; Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college; and Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. Before a college may invite you for an official visit, you will have to provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Prospective Student-Athlete: You become a “prospective student-athlete” when: You start ninth-grade classes; or Before your ninth-grade year, a college gives you, your relatives or your friends any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to students generally. Quiet period: The college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents away from the college’s campus. The coach may not watch you play or visit your high school during this period. You and your parents may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or telephone you or your parents during this time. Unofficial visit: Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is three

complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like and may take those visits at any time. The only time you cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period. Verbal commitment (or oral commitment): This phrase is used to describe a collegebound student-athlete’s commitment to a school before he or she signs (or is able to sign) a national letter of intent. A college-bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become very popular for both college-bound student-athletes and coaches, this “commitment” is not binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the school. Only the signing of the national letter of intent accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties NCAA.org Calendar National signing day next year will be Feb. 3. The signing period runs through April 1. Timeline The NCAA recruiting timeline for Division I football coaches for the 2008-09 school year, according to NCAA.org: JUNIOR YEAR NCAA permits recruiting materials to be sent starting Sept. 1 of junior year in high school. One phone call permitted between April 15 and May 31. SENIOR YEAR One phone call per week starting Sept. 1; unlimited phone calls during contact period. Off-campus contact allowed starting Nov. 29. Official visits can begin during opening day of classes. Additional timeline information for 2008-09 school year, according to About.com: Aug. 1-Nov. 29: Recruits can visit with coaches on the coaches’ campus. This also is an evaluation period in which recruiters can visit recruits off campus during 42 evaluation days during September, October and November. Nov. 30-Jan. 31: This is a contact period in which coaches are allowed to visit recruits off campus. Coaches can only make one visit per week to individual recruits. Also, there are intermittent quiet periods and dead periods (during which no in-person contact is allowed) for the following dates:

Dec. 21: Quiet period Dec. 22-Jan. 1: Dead period Jan. 2-4: Quiet period Jan. 11: Quiet period Jan. 12-15: Dead period (staff allowed to have contact with recruits who have been admitted for mid-year enrollment) Feb. 1: Quiet period Feb. 2-5: Dead period Feb. 6-April 14: Quiet period April 15-May 31: Another evaluation period. Coaching staffs have four weeks to conduct athletic and academic evaluations of potential recruits. Days that aren’t used for evaluation during this time are otherwise considered “quiet.” Player’s Questions to ask College Recruiters 

Compatibility of coaching staff



Opportunity to play; red-shirt



Current athletes in my position



Quality of athletic facilities- staff



Strength of schedule bowl games



Social & recreational opportunities



Athletes from central Ohio

Recruiting Questions 

What is the academic rating?



What is the Faculty to student ratio?



What is range of academic offerings?



Average financial aid packages?



What is the attractiveness of student housing?



What is the size and diversity of student body