EARN:EVERY:DAY – Blog by JR Niklos

Did you know? Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and Scottie Pippen received ZERO Division 1a scholarship offers out of high school!

Did you know? Yet being FAR from the best burger, McDonalds sells more burgers than anyone in the world. In fact, McDonalds sells 75 burgers every second!

What’s that mean? It doesn’t matter how good you are unless you properly market yourself!

The following are FIVE easy steps to help you play at a great college with a great fit!

1. Know your skill level: There are 1700 colleges that offer sports, and I bet you don’t have the time to call them all. Research college rosters and ask a qualified trainer and/or coach to properly asses your level of play. Great players play in college. Your measurables determine the level. During the off-season, you can attend a combine/showcase to see where you rank amongst your peers.
2. Make a resume: To get any job, you must have a resume. This is no different. Prepare a document with anything and everything about you. Include all your accomplishments and anything that stands you out from the crowd. Click here for a sample.
3. Make a highlight video: Not every coach can come watch you play. Film is a great way for a coach to watch you do your thing without leaving his or her office. Put together your best 10-15 plays and be sure to include some actual game footage at the end. Get the coaches attention with some highlights, then prove to them you are a player play in and play out with the game footage. If you don’t have enough game tape, you can film training, camps, showcases, and combines. Anything to show your talent. Click here for a sample highlight video.
4. Market Yourself: Now it’s time to get your name out there. Fill out online “potential student athlete questionnaires”, email coaches with your resume/video, arrange non-official visits to your college of choice and stop in the coaches office, call coaches to follow up with emails and/or visits, let coaches know of your recent accomplishments, let coaches know you are attending their camp….etc, etc, etc. College coaches have to follow certain rules which you should be familiar with. You can see them here.
5. Make An Impact! Now that you’ve got their attention, do something with it! Make a great first impression, and ask the right questions like “What do I need to do to compete for a scholarship at your program?”. If a coach shows interest, attend their camp and separate yourself from the pack with your performance. Keep them updated with your accomplishments mid-season like “Player Of The Week” honors or a new school record.

Remember: Don’t let the recruiting game take you away from your training and preparation for the season. It doesn’t matter how well you do steps 1-5 if the coach doesn’t feel you are good enough for their college.The best way to the college of your choice is to be absolutely unstoppable on the field or court. For any questions or comments, be sure to email me at JR@accelerationpro.com. For combine/showcase/camp training, contact info@accelerationpro.com.

J.R. Niklos serves as the Director Of Sports Performance at Acceleration. He is a former 3-time collegiate all-american & NFL running back. J.R. is a nationally recognized sports performance trainer and has helped develop over 500 collegiate/professional athletes.