Mental Toughness of the Week

"Everyone wants to be a beast until it's time to do what real beasts do."

Softball Is a Job - Tips For Your Interview

There are many articles online that offer advice and tips for interviews. Essentially, through your recruiting you are interviewing for a job. Your spot on the team is the job and a scholarship or admittance into the college is your pay. You must show up each day and perform to earn your pay. The better the interview prior to the "job offer", the more perks (scholarship) you may receive.

I have highlighted a few tips for good interviews. These should be taken into account any time you talk to a coach since it is in a sense a simple interview. Just as in a true job setting. These can be scheduled phone calls or in person unofficial/official visits.

Research Prior to Speaking
Content is king. You should know what the college has to offer (degrees, special programs, extracurricular activities, etc) as well as the credentials of the coaches. All of this information can be readily found on the web and offer a base for different talking points and questions. 

Try to Schedule Phone Calls for Tuesdays at 10:30am
According to Glassdoor, the best time to interview is 10:30AM on Tuesday. This can be directly correlated with talking to college coaches. The coach has many responsibilities outside of recruiting. They are responding to other emails, scheduling practices and games, talking to other recruits so it is crucial to consider when they will be in the best mental state to speak with you.

Glassdoor expands on saying 10:30am Tuesday is the sweet spot because you avoid the bookends and avoid lunch time. Mondays and Fridays, people are getting ready for the week or weekend ahead and near lunchtime your interviewer may be too hungry or too full to concentrate. 

Tuesdays at 10:30am is not something you should go crazy over. It is a simple reflection that when scheduling a phone call with a coach you should always make sure that you pick a time they are readily available for you. 

Practice Good Nonverbal Communication
Stand up straight, make eye contact, and connect with a firm handshake. That first nonverbal impression can be a great beginning or quick ending in any setting.

Dress for the Job
You would not show up to a formal Investment Bank interview wearing sweats would you? The same thing goes for unofficial/official visits. Dress appropriately. Look like an athlete. Do not wear 6inch heels and a short skirt. Remember that your job you are interviewing for is to play softball and that job requires wearing cleats and running shoes.

Ask Questions
Many time people will respond with "No" when they are asked if they have any questions. ALWAYS have some lined up. One or two solid questions are all you need so think of some prior to speaking with the coach if you have a hard time thinking of some on the spot. 

Keep these tips in mind regardless of what you are interviewing for. If you have any further questions or comments please comment below! Thank you

Character Is What You Do When No One Is Looking...

Character Matters

Do you think that who you are, how you dress, how you speak, how you carry yourself, the circle of friends you hang around, or the way you were raised could have a profound effect on your ability to be recruited as an athlete? If your answer to this question is no then you need to pay special attention to the rest of this article.

The Character Qualities

The fact is that all of the above mentioned items–“character qualities”–have a HUGE impact on your ability to become a successful recruit. Why? We don’t live in a perfect world and you will be judged on a variety of factors.

Every day recruits are judged on their ability to not only be a good student and athlete but also on what happens outside the classroom or on the field. Coaches are huge proponents of recruiting athletes with good character and moral fiber, athletes they hope will turn out to be a positive influence at their university and their community.

Coaches Will Do their Homework

Coaches have enough on their plate without having to deal with athletes who have questionable judgment. To avoid this, considerable time is spent getting to know a recruit and his family before a scholarship is offered.

You Are a Walking, Talking Reflection of Your Parents

So what does it mean to have good character? There isn’t exactly a perfect answer for this but, the thing with character is that it’s instilled upon you your entire life. Your parents have been working hard at raising you to make sound decisions, decisions that ultimately reflect back on your character.

Your Decisions Are a Part of Your Permanent Record

Every decision you make in life–whether to work out that day or not, to skip class, to party, to hang out with that group of friends, to use profanity–all these decisions impact your lives and others take notice. Every time someone takes notice, good or bad, it’s an avenue of reference for a coach to later use for either a positive or negative evaluation of your character.

What Coaches Look For

What exactly are coaches looking for? College coaches are all looking for something different, but it is easy to pick out large patterns that most seem to adhere to. Understand that the first impression you make on a coach leaves a lasting impact! First impressions are very important to most coaches; it can tell them a lot about who you are in just a few minutes. Coaches are looking for character and leadership qualities.

If you make a positive first impression then you benefit over the long haul and if you don’t you start off on the wrong foot and it’s hard to climb back from there. What this means is that first impressions are memorable either way and as a recruit you want your first impression to be remembered as a good one. Don’t have a coach walking away saying, “Who does that kid think he is?” or “What was that kid wearing?”

It's All About Presentation

Think about how you present yourself when you are meeting with a person who has something you really, really want and have worked hard to get. What are you going to wear? Are you going to be wearing appropriate clothing or clothing you would not wear to a proper job interview?

Look professional, always. Stand tall and have a firm handshake. Revealing shirts and short skirts should be left at home.

What are you going to say and how will you say it? Are you going to use terms like sir, ma’am, or coach, or revert to “Hey girl”, “Hey buddy”, “Dawg”, “Cuz”, “Dude”, or any other number of inappropriate slang greetings?

Make the Right Choices

Coaches understand that all recruits are not the same, but they do expect a certain level of respect and responsibility coming from each athlete they’re interested in. Understand that every aspect of the person you are will be scrutinized if you expect to compete against your peers for scholarship opportunities; athletes who pose the least risk will becomes some of the first to be chosen by coaches and schools.

As responsible adults we all have to make choices and ultimately those choices have a large impact on shaping us as human beings. Are you making the right choices so that college coaches are impressed and interested in you as a potential student-athlete?

If you have any further questions on character and recruiting or any other topic please comment below!

Potential NCAA Transfers -- Crucial Points

There are many reasons why college athletes choose to transfer schools before they graduate. They may not be enjoying the school like they thought, they want to change their major, or want a different athletic opportunity. Whatever the reason may be, athletes should heavily consider the impact transferring to another school may have on their academics and their progress towards graduation.

Athletes need to know and understand the restrictions of transferring before they make their decision. They should really consider why they want to transfer and if switching schools is really the best option for them. The NCAA enforces rules on transfer athletes because switching schools can have a drastic effect on their graduation timeline. As student-athletes, they really need to be weary about how transferring schools might affect their academics.

Crucial Points about Being a CollegeTransfer

•    The NCAA does not prevent athletes from being able to transfer: One of the NCAA’s main goals for transfer athletes is to make sure they remain academically eligible to compete. They enforce transfer rules to make sure that athletes are eligible to compete at the new institution and will continue to progress towards earning a degree. Having transfer restrictions for athletes encourages crucial consideration regarding whether or not a transfer to a new school is the best decision for an athlete.

•    Contacting college coaches: Students are required to get written permission from their current school’s athletic department to be allowed to contact another school and earn an athletics scholarship at a new institution. College coaches are also not allowed to contact current student-athletes at other schools until the athlete has gotten the permission of the athletic department. This is to ensure that the recruiting process ends once the athlete is enrolled in college and isn’t bothered while they compete for another school.

•    Scholarships do not bind the athlete to the school, even multi-year scholarships: A student-athlete is allowed to transfer to another institution even under a scholarship contract. An athlete may choose to transfer at any point. Even multi-year scholarships don’t bind an athlete to a school, so an athlete is able to transfer during the term of the scholarship. However, if a student has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI), they are required to stay at that school during their first year of competition.

More questions concerning college transfers? Comment below!

It Is Not All About the Scholarship

There is a lot of talk in the college sports world about the proposed “four year scholarship.” The push for these types of guaranteed scholarships are being touted as a solution to what many feel is an unfair practice of college coaches pulling an athlete’s scholarship. You can lose your scholarship due to injury, loss of eligibility or for no reason other than the coach wants to give it to another athlete. Even though the number of athletes who have their scholarship pulled is very low, it is a problem that needs to be addressed. On the surface a guaranteed scholarship seems like the solution to this problem, but it isn’t.

Would You Take a Scholarship If you Weren't on the Team?

The guaranteed scholarships that are currently available don’t mean the athlete is guaranteed a spot on the team. The larger conversation any recruit should have is, “how sure am I that this program is right for me?” To answer that, you need to look beyond the athletic scholarship. What recently happened at University of Tennessee highlights how important this can be. 6 athletes were dismissed from the track team but kept their scholarships. How would you feel in that situation? Probably just like the athletes in the story; your scholarship means nothing if you aren’t playing the sport you love

If a coach can cut you from the team whenever they want, how can you find a school where this is less likely to happen?

What you Can Do During the Recruiting Process?

The short answer is, there is nothing you can do to guarantee your spot on a team. However, there are questions you can ask and traits to look for during the recruiting process to reduce the chances of losing your spot on a team.

• Go to the school showing the most interest for the longest time – Many times we see athletes who are always looking for a bigger or better offer. One of the risks of this strategy is that the teams who come to you late in the recruiting process are coming to you because they missed on their higher ranked recruits. For a more stable position on a team, go with the school showing the most interest for the longest time.
• The higher the division level, the more pressure to win – College sports at the NCAA DI level is big business and the pressure to win is high. Coaches at this level are more likely to make the type of decisions that could cause an athlete to lose their spot on the team.
• Coaches with a long tenure at a school are safer choices – As an athlete you want to find a stable program and generally, if a coach has been at the program for a while, that means the program is stable. However, it can also mean a coach is close to retirement or if the programs record is bad, they could be up for a coaching change. Make sure you look into how long a coach has been a school if you are considering that program.
• Losing programs are at risk of a shakeup – It doesn’t matter what division level, if a program has several years of losing in a row the likelihood of a coaching change coming is increased. Sometimes you will go to a losing program because the coach speaks passionately about turning things around. That is a fine and it can be something special to be part of a turnaround, but understand the risks that come with the decision.
• Be wary of programs with high roster turnover – It is always a good idea look over the roster of any program you are interested in. One thing to look for is if athletes are leaving the program before their eligibility is gone. Look at the roster from one and two years ago and look at the underclassmen. How many of them are still on the team? If the underclassmen aren’t staying on the team it should raise a red flag that maybe something is wrong and you should try to talk to the athlete who left before committing to the school.

Please comment below if you have any topics or questions you'd like for us to discuss!

11 Questions Parents Can Ask to Help their Student-Athlete Pick the Right College

This checklist is designed specifically for parents of student-athletes. Many parents drive 5 hours one way for a weekend tournament or sit through an entire meet to see a few minutes of their child competing. For the parents who love watching their student-athlete compete and succeed here is a quick run-down of what your child needs to consider when choosing the right college.

Location:

Location is one of the first things to consider. How close or far away does your son or daughter want to be? What is manageable for the family? Will you have opportunity to see your child compete without spending the rest of their college fund?

Student Population:

Would your child prefer to learn in a small, intimate setting or the classic college feel of a large campus with a large student population and large classes? Find out the type of learning environment that will work for them–are they better in group learning or individual?

Academics:

Will your student-athlete be exposed to many different types of courses, especially if the college is small? Or will they get a chance to experience new departments and have the opportunity to pick a major they are passionate about later in their college career? Is the college known for having a strong academic background?

Facilities:

What do the practice facilities entail? Will your child be comfortable? Will it be the type of atmosphere that will allow them to develop as an athlete?

Extracurricular Activities:

Does your child have other interests? Will there be enough club or other opportunities like Greek life or religious clubs that your child would be able to be a part of?

Talk to Current Students:

Have your child touch base with friends who attend the campus and discuss what they like or don’t like about it. Find out what drew them to the campus and ask about classes and course availability. Have Your student-athlete should contact current student-athletes at the college and ask them questions about all aspects of college life. This is the best perspective since your child will be in their shoes very soon.

Support Services:

What are the types of support services that will be available to student-athletes? Will they have access to tutors and assistance when they have to leave campus for games or tournaments?

Retention Rate:

Knowing this statistic will give you a good idea of how many freshman students return after their first year at the college. This information can be found on college websites and must be made available to you if you ask for it.

What Are the Costs?

How will your family be paying tuition and other expenses? If your student-athlete is not offered scholarship money during their freshman year what will be the chances of gaining some the following year once they have proven themselves both academically and athletically? Make sure to meet with college financial aid advisers to discuss your family options.

Living Arrangements:

Will your son or daughter be living on or off campus? Have your child ask current athletes where they prefer to live and why.

Keep On Track:

Encourage your child to take notes on specifics things they like or don’t like about each college. The goal is for them to realize and make the final decision on the college that is best suited for them.

Support their Decision:

If your child has come to the final decision making point congratulate them on doing the research and making a decision. The final decision is never easy–that is why your child will need your reassurance.

If you have any other questions or topics you would like for us to discuss please comment below!

The Guide to Facebook for Student-Athletes

Listen To Your Mother

If it would upset your Mom, don’t post it. This is a good rule of thumb for high school and college student-athletes when it comes to Facebook.

This may sound a little harsh to 16-22 year old high school and college students, the most active demographic in the Facebook universe. But consider the alternative: losing your scholarship, humiliating your family, and making the university you love the object of ridicule.

Tread Lightly

Facebook is a potential minefield that student-athletes have to learn to navigate. Athletes need to realize that a school projects a certain image and they are willing to go to great lengths to protect that brand.

Posting inappropriate material on Facebook is such a growing problem that some schools, including Kent State, have gone as far as banning athletes from participating in the social network. The university has since backed off that policy, but the problem has not gone away.

Freedom of Expression vs. Common Sense

Much like a great running back, Facebook can’t be shut down completely–one can only hope to contain it. Some schools, like the University of Arizona, have a policy that requires all of its student-athletes to have privacy settings so that only a select audience can view their Facebook page.

The NCAA has butted heads with freedom of expression organizations like the ACLU over this very issue. For now the First Amendment is trumping the NCAA as it has had a relatively hands-off approach while encouraging the schools to police their own athletes use of social media.

Don’t Let This Happen to You

Why all the fuss? At least two well-publicized cases have ended in the suspension of high school athletes in recent months. Their crime? Posting photos of themselves partying on their Facebook page. No doubt there are hundreds if not thousands of similar cases that never make the evening news.

You may think it’s cool to post a picture of you holding a beer–your coach, athletic director, professor, boss or parents will probably disagree. Apply the Mom rule and you should be okay.

How does a student-athlete strike a balance between being a responsible citizen while enjoying life and sharing his experiences with his network?

A Good Role Model

Myron Rolle played football at Florida State and currently suits up for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He follows two simple rules: Don’t accept anybody as a friend who you don’t know and never use profane language.

That’s a great place to start. But what else can you do?

Limit Your Time on Facebook

Make sure that Facebook doesn’t take over your life. Video games and time spent on Facebook are serious distractions for student-athletes, who have to be experts in time-management. Some are even forced to drop out of school because their grades suffer in the giant shadow cast by Facebook. It is sad indeed when a young person’s real life is negatively impacted by an obsession with life online. Set aside an hour at the end of the day to do Facebook and then be done with it.

Things You Should Never do on Facebook

Never use Facebook to complain about your coach or teacher. Never say anything that could be considered libelous or compromising to any of your future endeavors. And never complain about playing time on Facebook.

There have been numerous examples–at UCSB, the University of Texas, the University of Colorado, among others–where student athletes were suspended or dismissed from the team because of inflammatory Facebook postings. Members of the LSU swim team were dismissed after they criticized their coach online. These things are happening every day and it is good to outline a personal policy before it’s too late.

When Should I Defriend Someone?

Defriend anyone who may have ulterior motives. Fans of rival schools have been known to friend prominent college athletes posing as attractive females. They are often looking for opportunities to jeopardize an athlete’s eligibility or at least their ability to perform against their team. It’s a brave new world–be prepared.

It’s Complicated

Facebook is largely still a big gray area with the NCAA. For example, if an athlete mentions on his Facebook page that he likes a certain restaurant is that considered an endorsement that could force him to lose his amateur status? It is unclear–as are the answers to many other questions regarding Facebook and student-athletes.

What is abundantly clear, though, is the fact that Facebook is an increasingly complex issue for student-athletes and the schools they attend.

Cautionary Tales and the Rule of Mom

Athletes should always err on the side of being overly cautious. You will be accountable for what you do. And remember, when in doubt follow the mother rule: If Mom wouldn’t approve, don’t do it and definitely don’t post it.

As technology continues to evolve so will the challenges faced by student-athletes. In the end, it is important to remember that the technology is never at fault–it’s the people who are using it.

I hope this was informative. If you have any questions or topics you would like for us to cover, please comment below!