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A Guide to Getting Recruited

By: Daniel Gallagher, Dean of University Admissions, and Tim O’Donohue, Men’s Soccer Coach, Stevens Institute of Technology

As admissions offices start the process of recruiting for the class of 2006, so are athletic coaches. Because many Division III coaches compete for athletes with Division I and II schools, getting an early start is essential to a successful recruiting season. Below we have outlined some pointers for you, the student-athlete, to ensure that you establish good contacts with coaches and place yourself in the best position when it comes time to decide which college to attend. Do not delay—the time will fly by!

1. Resumes. Include your academic and athletic accomplishments, and contact information for your parents and all coaches (High school, Club or AAU).

2. Videos. While this is a great way to get noticed by a coach, it is imperative that the tape is of the highest quality. Nothing loses a coach’s attention more quickly than a perfunctory or sloppy videotape; however, an excellent tape can get a coach excited about a prospect.

3. Camps. A camp gives you an opportunity to showcase your skills for a whole week while also allowing you to interact with members of the coaching staff and your future teammates. In many instances, a coach will give you an honest assessment of your athletic talents and tell you what your chances are of being recruited by his/her program.

4. Questionnaires. If you receive information from a coach it simply means that you are in their pool of potential candidates; it does not mean you are a serious recruit. Coaches mail thousands of surveys, so these introductory letters are just that: an introduction. If you decide you want to continue the recruiting process with that program then fill out the questionnaire completely and carefully.

5. Spring Sports. The only time a coach can evaluate you will occur during the spring and summer. Acceptances to most colleges occur in early March and April, well before the start of many spring high school seasons, so their only time to evaluate you in time for your senior year would be in your junior season.

6. A word of caution: Accuracy is essential when filling out these forms; embellishing your standing or accomplishments will only hurt you in the long run. College coaches are part of a tight network and are in frequent contact with high school coaches, discussing your abilities with not only your coaches but, in many instances, with opposing coaches as well.

In closing, do your homework now to decide which colleges you are most interested in. The fall will come quickly and you will find that many college coaches ask students to go Early Decision because this enables them to lock up spots on their rosters. You can only comfortably say yes to a coach if you have done all your homework and feel right about choosing that particular college. But most of all, remember to have fun and keep an open mind. This is a great time in your life, so start opening all that mail and get yourself recruited!

Recruiting

By: Scott McQuilkin, Ph.D.Director of Athletics and Professor of Kinesiology Whitworth College

Question: How much should the past competitive success of a team and the quality of the institution's athletics facilities play a role in my decision on whether to choose that school?

Answer: Much less than a host of other areas that I believe to be more important, and I take that position from an institution that has had a number of teams in NCAA post-season competition and is renowned for its softball, football, and soccer facilities. I think it's more important to have affirmative answers to questions like: will I enjoy spending 20 hours per week plus road trips hanging around my teammates? Does the coach care about me beyond what I can do for the team? If something happens to me that ends my athletic career, e.g. injury or just altered priorities, will this be a school where I see myself staying to finish my education? And most importantly, based on an evaluation of my athletic talent compared to the talent on the team, will I get to play? My 10-year old wants playing time on his summer baseball team. The same is true for the 18-22 year-olds that attend Whitworth. In my experience, this desire doesn't change with age. Go to the school that is best fit for you academically and socially, and that may or may not be the school with the highest national profile, the best facilities, or championships banners.

Admissions

By: Michael Drummy Assistant Vice President and Chief Admission Officer at Chapman University

Question: I’ve submitted my application for admission, and I’ve asked my counselor to do a recommendation on my behalf. I’ve asked our records office to forward my transcript, and the testing agency to forward my test results. So, I’m done, right?

Answer: No! You need to follow up with all parties to make sure your file is complete and all information needed to evaluate you for admission has been received by the college(s) you applied to, and by whatever deadline they’ve established.

Every year, colleges have stacks of applications for admission that remain incomplete, thus never reach the point of being considered by the Admission Committee. Letters from the colleges prompting applicants that their file is incomplete are mailed, and phone calls are made, yet many remain incomplete until time finally runs out. It’s true, some students consciously allow their applications to lapse, but many are just not paying attention to detail by doing the necessary follow up to make sure all their “bases are covered”. Don’t simply assume your counselor completed and submitted your recommendation or that your high school forwarded your transcript… you need to double-check with them, and also double-check with the college(s) to which you applied to ensure all documents have been received on your behalf.

The colleges you’ve applied to may notify you that you have materials missing, but they are not going to contact your school on your behalf, so you need to stay on top of the process and advocate for yourself.

Ever Dinarte
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Soccer
All-Conference and All-Region selection

Growing up in Managua, Nicaragua, Ever Dinarte could never have imagined where his life would be in 2005. Once a youth who hadn’t seen his mother in 11 years, dealing with the rough streets in Latin America, Dinarte is now a bilingual, successful soccer player and economics major at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

When Dinarte was 15, his mother, who had been in the U.S. for 11 years, was finally able to establish residency and bring Ever to Maryland to live with her. Though it was a tough transition having to learn a language and discover the meaning of being a minority at age 15, Dinarte was always determined to learn, however, and quickly picked the language up.

“I always had something to do in study hall,” he jokes.

After high school, Dinarte was sure he wanted to continue playing soccer in college. He was interested in some schools, got scholarships from others, but nothing seemed quite right.

“I had a friend that got recruited [by St. Mary’s]. I decided to go down for a visit, and I had a chance to play with the team,” Dinarte recalled. “I think they advocated to the coach that I would be a good fit.”

Dinarte cites a short list of criteria that attracted him to the D3 institution.

“It was close to home, felt like a good place, and I liked the small, family environment,” he remarked.

Dinarte again had to make a transition once he got to campus. He struggled initially in his role with the team, citing his overly aggressive play and anger management issues. It was at this point, however, that Dinarte began to truly realize the benefits of the D3 experience.

“In practice everyday, as well as in the off-season intra-squad games, I was guarding some of the best offensive players in the country, who were on my team at the time,” said Dinarte. “Through competing against them, I realized that at this level, there is no reason not to work as hard as possible. D3 athletes play only because they love the game; there are no scholarships or athletic financial aid opportunities. I told myself there was no reason I shouldn’t be working really hard in soccer, and my academics.”

Dinarte continued his hard work. The results showed in 2003, as he became an all-conference and all-region selection. Unfortunately, Dinarte’s senior year was derailed early on by a knee injury, but he has made the decision to enroll for an additional term at St. Mary’s in the fall, to get one more season in. Dinarte is adamant that his return is not for self-glory.

“We have a very strong team coming back [in 2005]. We have the potential to win championships, and I want to be a part of that.”

Matt Weiss
Cornell College (IA)
Doctor in Residence, D3 Football Academic All-American

Unlike many prospective college athletes, Matt Weiss was pretty determined in his college search. Cornell College was a place where he could play football and get a challenging and respected education. He was aware of the success of the football program and the school seemed like a good fit.

After enrolling, Weiss soon realized what athletics at the D3 level meant.

“My brother walked on at a D1 school, and I saw how it took up much of his time. In [D3 football at] Cornell, I found a solid, competitive program that did not overwhelm me,” Weiss remarked.

Weiss was not just an undersized defensive lineman, he immersed himself in many other activities. He was a member of the volunteer fraternity, drove ambulances in town, and for four years tutored an elementary school student, who happens to now be a D3 football player himself. Weiss also committed himself to his studies, and was twice named to the GTE Academic All-America College Division First Team, en route to graduating summa cum laude.

Post-graduation, the curiosity and determination that Cornell fostered continued. Weiss completed medical school at the University of Kansas where he helped set up a student-run free clinic open to the underserved of Kansas City, took a semester off to learn French while doing a three-month rotation in an infectious disease unit in Marseille, France, and after his graduation from medical school, pursued his interest in international humanitarian medicine by spending nine weeks in Niger, West Africa, at the invitation of a doctor. Weiss is currently doing a three-year general pediatric residency followed by a three-year specialization in pediatric emergency medicine.

Though he is now fully enveloped in the medical world, Weiss credits his time as a D3 student-athlete at Cornell as an influential part of his life.

“Early on at Cornell, I learned the value of perseverance while juggling classes. I was able to see what I was made of, and realize how much dedication I could have,” he notes. “Playing football helped me realize the values of working for a common goal and the importance of developing lasting bonds. Many of my best friends today are still my football teammates.”

Looking back on his D3 experience, Weiss realized his love for not just his sport but for physical fitness and testing his boundaries. He further notes that the D3 environment fostered a passion for giving back to the community and has certainly applied that passion even after graduation. In any case, Weiss exemplifies that the experiences one receives in D3 stay with you and guide you in future career aspirations and in life.