DUBLIN SCIOTO FOOTBALL

Karl Johnson, Head Football Coach

Dublin Scioto High School

4000 Hard Rd., Dublin, OH 43016

614-718-8353 (o), 614-717-2484 (fax)

www.sciotofootball.com

v.02242009

RECRUITING GUIDELINES: If you believe you may want to be a college athlete, below are some guidelines for each year of high school. Most high school football player’s dream of being a DIA scholarship athlete, playing for Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, etc. The reality is that most high school athletes will not be a DIA athlete (about 1%) but there are 100’s of opportunities to play college football including (NAIA, DIII, DII, DIAA, DIA) and I believe that most high school football players can play college football at one of these institutions if they have the desire and determination.

FRESHMEN YEAR: This is the time to set the tone for your high school career. You will not have a second chance to start high school. Your grades are very important to your success. Many freshmen make a mistake by not working hard enough their first year of high school and end up with a low g.p.a. that they spend the next three years trying to raise.

1.  Take at least six classes each semester. Look at the list of CORE courses for Dublin Scioto High School approved by the NCAA. Are your courses CORE courses?

2.  Establish good study habits and time management habits right away.

3.  Participate in multiple sports.

4.  Get involved in a school club or activity besides sports. This will be very important when you are a senior, applying for scholarships and filling out college applications. Not to mention the fact that it helps make you a leader.

5.  Train year round. Out-of-season athletes should lift 3x per week and in-season athletes should lift at 2x per week.

6.  WHAT would your coaches say about YOU?

**EVERY YEAR SENIORS REALIZE THAT THEIR FIRST THREE YEARS HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR COLLEGE CHOICES. POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE WILL CLOSE DOORS WHEN YOU BEGIN LOOKING AT COLLEGES. The difference between a 2.0 and a 3.0 could mean $10,000 a year.

SOPHOMORE YEAR: This is the season to build on what you started your freshmen year. Some things to consider in addition to building on your freshmen year:

1.  Complete the NCAA Core Worksheet for your Freshmen year. Commit to building on your success or improving your grades.

2.  Familiarize yourself with the different divisions of college football.

3.  Pay attention to where the best athletes on your team attend.

4.  Attend a summer camp at a school you think you like

5.  Take-on leadership responsibilities for your club or activity.

6.  Develop your strength, speed, and agility to their fullest.

7.  What will your coaches have to say about you?

  1. He is a great weight room guy?
  2. He works hard at practice?
  3. You can count on him on and off the field?
  4. He is a leader?
  5. He is mentally and physically tough?
  6. He is unselfish?

Or something else…

JUNIOR YEAR: Hopefully your academics are in good order.

1.  Update your CORE Worksheet and continue to improve your CORE GPA.

2.  Continue to take at least 6 courses per semester.

3.  Continue to develop your athletic potential.

4.  Help your team win. What kind of athlete are you? Are you a team player? Are you committed? Are you a leader? Are you doing the right things socially; or are you jeopardizing your future as well as your teams?

5.  Sit down with your coach and talk with him about your potential and where he sees you fitting as a college athlete.

6.  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.

7.  Attend junior days if you are invited.

8.  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.

9.  Make unofficial visits to schools you cannot attend camps at. 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.

10.  Work with your coach on what you should be doing to attain your goal.

11.  Focus on your team’s success.

12.  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.

  1. Form Letter: you are in a database, literally, 1000’s of high school-to-be seniors receive the same letter from the same institution.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Text messages are currently against NCAA rules.
  5. Use email to communicate with coaches. Take advantage of this form of communication.
  6. You can call college coaches but they can not call you or your parents back.
  7. Most DI schools have junior days in February/March. Try to attend as many as you can, especially if you are being invited.
  8. Schools will want to see you at camp. It is a way to coach you and see you on the move. It is all about relationship building at this point. Remember places like Ohio State invite many schools to work their camp. Don’t just go to camp. Let schools that are interested in you and that you are interested in know what and when you will be at camp. Seek out coaches at camp. Follow up with coaches after camp. Don’t commit to camps until you have gone through May recruiting and know who is actually interested in you. For many athletes they will still have to work on building relationships, being seen, etc.

13.  Register for the NCAA Clearinghouse.

14.  DON’T FORGET TO MAINTAIN YOUR GRADES.

15.  TAKE THE SAT AND ACT in the spring of your junior year or at the first test date in June. DO NOT WAIT until football season to begin. If you think your 40 time is important, your test score is the academic equivalent.

16.  Are you a DIVISION IA ATHLETE?

  1. Have you been receiving hand written notes?
  2. Have you been invited to senior only camp at a school?
  3. Have you been asked to visit in the summer?
  4. Is the recruiting coach emailing you? Text message?
  5. Have you received an official offer? In writing?
  6. If you answered no to any or all of these questions it is time to look at other options besides division I.

f. WHERE DO I FIT? A good high school player is not always viewed as a good college prospect.

-- Size

-- Speed

-- Academics

-- Performance on the field, film

-- Future Potential at specific positions

SENIOR YEAR: Besides keeping up with your academics and helping your team reach its full potential, you should do the following.

1.  Visit schools in the fall to see a game. You will need to make-up your Saturday workout though so communicate with your coach.

2.  Keep a legal pad by the phone to record all phone calls that you receive.

3.  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.

4.  Answer yes/no questions with “YES SIR or NO SIR.”

  1. ARE YOU WORKING OUT? “Yes Sir, I improved my squat by 40 pounds.”
  2. HOW ARE YOUR GRADES? “Good Sir, I have a 3.3 GPA."
  3. HAVE YOU TAKEN THE TEST? “Yes sir, but I don’t have my score yet.”

5.  Send out game film to schools you are interested in or that are interested in you. Do this after week 2 or 3 of the season. Send two games. If you are creating highlights, put those on the front of the film.

  1. Coaches will only watch a whole game if they really like what they see.
  2. Cut-ups are a good way to get their attention.
  3. Send an update resume with your film and keep your resume up to date.
  4. 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?
  5. Recruiting is a lot about relationships. A school is looking for a young man that they are willing to bet their mortgage payment on. What separates you from the guy that is just as good as you or maybe even better?

6.  The hardest thing about senior recruiting for most players is realizing that you are not going to get that DIA scholarship. 1-3% of high school seniors get a DI scholarship. In a class of 30 seniors that is less than 1 player. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. FIND THE SCHOOL THAT BEST FITS YOUR NEEDS AND THAT YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF AT FOR 4-5 YEARS, WITH OR WITHOUT FOOTBALL.

7.  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.

RESOURCES:

The Next Level: A Prep's Guide to College Recruiting

NCAA.org

Stack.com (Stack Magazine – Recruiting Issue)

JUNIOR YEAR: SPRING CHECKLIST

___ Schools I’m interested in

___ Junior Days

___ Register for April ACT (report score to Scioto and to Clearinghouse 9999)

___ Register for Clearinghouse

___ Send out film, cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, highlight tape, game film to schools

of interest.

___ Start looking at schools to visit for camp. Sign up for Big Camps (Ohio State)

___ Unofficial 5 Semester transcript to Coach Johnson

___ Keep a journal of contacts

___ Build relationship with college coaches. Colleges are sorting players. You need to also sort

colleges.

___ Bust mine in classroom, weight room.

___ Get your team ready to have a great senior year. Keep recruiting and your season separate.

OHSAA PLAYOFFS: 2005, 2004, 2003 (Division I, Final Four), 2002, 2001,

1995 (Division II, State Champions), OCC CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2003, 2002, 2001