2008 Woodie Awards
The process of recruiting
Daniel Penza
Issue date: 5/2/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
It is hard enough to choose a school to attend for academics, but when there is a chance to play collegiate athletics, it becomes even more complicated.
The recruiting process for a prospective athlete is one that starts before their senior year in high school and usually lasts until the end of the calendar year.
"It usually starts around the beginning of July when they are working out with their club teams," Humboldt State assistant men's basketball coach, Steve Kinder, said.
It is not only basketball where the recruiting process starts early.
"Contact with the club coach of the recruit is made during the summer," Humboldt State men's and women's soccer head coach, Andy Cumbo, said.
Rule 13.1.1.1 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Manual states that "telephone calls or in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall not be made with a prospective student-athlete or a prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians before June 15 immediately preceding the prospective student-athlete's senior year in high school."
Most of the evaluation of each player comes at the club competition level, no matter which sport it is.
"We are able to go watch the player against the highest competition in tournaments," Cumbo said.
Kinder reiterates that evaluating players at the club level is the best way to judge a player's talent.
"You could see a guy average tons of points a game during his high school season, but it may be against poor opposition," Kinder said. "So evaluating players at AAU tournaments (Amateur Athletic Union) is where you get a sense of what kind of player they are."
However, spotting a player at a tournament is when the real evaluation starts.
With the amount of contact limited by the NCAA, getting to know the athlete's personality is important.
"Their personality has to fit in with the guys on the team," Cumbo said.
Kinder said that coaches do their best to see potential recruits as often as possible.
"We usually like to get three or four different times to evaluate a player, which gives us a better sense of what we are looking at." Kinder said.
Once the evaluation period is over, and the coaches decide that they are ready to possibly offer the player a scholarship, there is usually a presentation made at the players' families home as well as an official visit to the campus.
"We sometimes like to bring the player up for a tryout so we can get another look at them," Cumbo said. This allows the coaches to see the prospective player compete with the current team.
Once all the evaluation period is over with, the coaches must decide whether they want to offer the player a spot on the team or possibly a scholarship.
"We used to be in the position where we could barely offer any money to players," Kinder said. "Now we are in a position where we can offer a good amount of money to each player and that is what some players are looking for."
The recruiting process for a prospective athlete is one that starts before their senior year in high school and usually lasts until the end of the calendar year.
"It usually starts around the beginning of July when they are working out with their club teams," Humboldt State assistant men's basketball coach, Steve Kinder, said.
It is not only basketball where the recruiting process starts early.
"Contact with the club coach of the recruit is made during the summer," Humboldt State men's and women's soccer head coach, Andy Cumbo, said.
Rule 13.1.1.1 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Manual states that "telephone calls or in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall not be made with a prospective student-athlete or a prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians before June 15 immediately preceding the prospective student-athlete's senior year in high school."
Most of the evaluation of each player comes at the club competition level, no matter which sport it is.
"We are able to go watch the player against the highest competition in tournaments," Cumbo said.
Kinder reiterates that evaluating players at the club level is the best way to judge a player's talent.
"You could see a guy average tons of points a game during his high school season, but it may be against poor opposition," Kinder said. "So evaluating players at AAU tournaments (Amateur Athletic Union) is where you get a sense of what kind of player they are."
However, spotting a player at a tournament is when the real evaluation starts.
With the amount of contact limited by the NCAA, getting to know the athlete's personality is important.
"Their personality has to fit in with the guys on the team," Cumbo said.
Kinder said that coaches do their best to see potential recruits as often as possible.
"We usually like to get three or four different times to evaluate a player, which gives us a better sense of what we are looking at." Kinder said.
Once the evaluation period is over, and the coaches decide that they are ready to possibly offer the player a scholarship, there is usually a presentation made at the players' families home as well as an official visit to the campus.
"We sometimes like to bring the player up for a tryout so we can get another look at them," Cumbo said. This allows the coaches to see the prospective player compete with the current team.
Once all the evaluation period is over with, the coaches must decide whether they want to offer the player a spot on the team or possibly a scholarship.
"We used to be in the position where we could barely offer any money to players," Kinder said. "Now we are in a position where we can offer a good amount of money to each player and that is what some players are looking for."
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