Social Networking Tips for Student-Athletes

August 9th, 2010

By Nicole Morell, SportsForce
www.sportsforceonline.com

Twitter logoAs we all know by now, social networking sites are considered a part of the daily routine of most peoples’ lives. When anything good, bad, exciting, or sad happens, our first thought is to write about it on Facebook, Twitter, or a blog. But before being too hasty and writing anything that may be on our mind, everyone should consider the pros and cons of social networking. For student-athletes, especially, social media sites can either make you or break you when moving forward.

Everything You Say and Do Can Be Seen

Nowadays on social networking sites, there are tons of privacy settings you can play with. You can choose to show every little detail on your profile to anyone that stumbles across it, or you can choose to hide everything so only friends can see. But just because you hide everything doesn’t mean that people still can’t see what you are saying and doing. Information you share with friends, like pictures and comments, can be seen on your friends’ pages if they do not have everything hidden. Also, there are many companies, as well as professional and college teams, that admit to making fake profiles and befriending potential prospects so they can get a feel of what you are like off the field. This is why you should always be cautious with what you are putting on the internet, because you never know who may see it.

Learn From Others’ Mistakes

Unfortunately, there have been many times a student-athlete has gotten in trouble for things they posted on social networking sites. One example is former University of Texas center, Buck Burnette. After Barack Obama was elected president, Burnette wrote a status that included racist vocabulary. The next day, Coach Mack Brown released him from the team. Even things you say that may not sound offensive at all can potentially get you in trouble. Ask former San Diego Chargers cornerback, Antonio Cromartie, who made a comment on Twitter about the training camp food, and was then fined for it. These are examples of why you need to be careful about the things you put on your social networking sites. One wrong statement or picture could affect your whole entire career.

Use These Sites For What the Name Comes From: Networking

With the popularity of social networking sites, college recruits are now using them to get in contact with and get a better idea of what a prospect is all about. Social networking profiles are great tools for coaches to find athletes they are interested in and get to know them. It’s also a great way to talk to current athletes that play at schools you are interested in and get their input on the program.

Social networking sites need to be used with caution by student-athletes. Use it for the purposes it was made for: to connect with friends and network. Remember, the internet is available to the public, so let your social networking sites be a positive representation of you.

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Avoiding Burnout for Today’s Student Athlete

July 29th, 2010

By Nicole Morell for SportsForce
www.sportsforce.com

burnoutWorking towards a goal or a dream can be incredibly taxing. We understand our clients are working towards the goal of playing their sport in college. Early practices, late practices, double sessions, weight training and more, plus academics, work and a social life are a lot to fit in for the student athlete. Many athletes do an excellent job of creating a balance of the many demands in their life. But sometimes, becoming burnt-out may seem unavoidable.

Check In With Yourself
Only you can know if you’re headed for a burnout. Every now and then, do a mental check-in to make sure your head is still in the game and you’re still on the path you want. Are you overtired? Are you stressed out? Is your schedule out of control? Take some time to do inventory of your day to day life and ensure you are happy and still working towards a goal without overworking yourself.

Continue Playing All the Sports You Love
There is much debate on specializing within the world of student athletes. Essentially, there are two schools of thought. Some may argue that only focusing on one sport is the best way to ensure a college roster spot, while others say playing multiple sports looks best to coaches. Many, however, will agree that playing multiple sports helps to avoid the burnout. If you like soccer and baseball, play both if possible. The switch between sports can help to avoid a burnout and shows coaches dedication on another level as well as an ability to balance.

Take a Break
While there is the opportunity to play your sport year round between club teams, camps and high school, it is important to take some time off. Take a few days or even a week to rest your body and mind. When you get back to your sport and training you will feel that much more energized!

Reassess ad Reorganize
Sometimes you don’t just need a break, but you need to shake things up completely. Would getting your workouts in in the morning free up more time for homework at night? Is it really necessary to stay out really late on Friday night to be dragging for Saturday morning practice? Along with checking in with yourself, sometimes you need to reorganize and prioritize things in your training plan. This can range from checking how you are fueling your body to what time makes the most sense for you to squeeze in a weight training session so you still have a social life. See what works for you!

Enjoy
It’s pretty hard to burn out on fun. As long as you are enjoying the journey as a student athlete, keep working hard. Some athletes may never feel burnt out. As long as you’re still enjoying yourself and training the best you can, keep moving towards your goals!

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The Summer is Key for Your College Sports Goals

July 26th, 2010

By Alyssa Sobolik, SportsForce
www.sportsforceonline.com

CollegeLogosSchool is out for the summer! Now it is time to redirect your focus to life beyond high school. But for athletes who are aspiring to play a sport in college, summer is no snooze. It is time to work hard, get seen and see schools. So what do you need to do and when do you need to do it?

So you just survived your first and second year of high school (phew) and the thoughts of college are beginning to creep into your head. Where do I want to go? What do I want to study? What classes do I need to get into certain schools? As all of this can be somewhat overwhelming, let’s just focus on one aspect at a time.

Freshman/Sophomore/Junior Summer
This is the best time to really get around and see campuses. Loving the school you go to, regardless of sports, is very important. So if you are traveling around to play in tournaments, going on vacation, or visiting family and friends, take advantage of the travels to go see the local colleges to check out the campus and area. While there you can take a campus tour and if you have given a heads up to the coach of your sport, you can even go in and meet with them.

Remember, they cannot call you or contact you in any way, but you can call or email coaches whenever you want. Introducing yourself and making contact with coaches is a great way to increase your exposure to coaches and learn more about programs.

Unofficial Visits:
Try to set up a time to meet with coaches and they might even take you around the campus themselves! Don’t just pop in on a coach without giving them a heads up via email and/or a phone call. Be respectful and they will likely take a little time to meet with you.

This elimination period will be helpful as you enter your junior summer as that is the time when you need to really narrow down your schools and begin to target your goals. By seeing the campuses alone, you will be able to eliminate many schools, thus leaving you with a more reasonable list to deal with.

Benefits of Summer Camps
• Train and work on sports specific skills with highly qualified coaches
• Interact with college coaches and maximize exposure
• Get the experience of living and rooming on a college campus
• Narrow down your list of potential college programs

Summer camps are also very important. While all of your friends are going to Camp Nowhere for fun and kayaking, you need to be going to sports camps for a school that you are strongly interested in. Not only will the camp help improve your skills, but it will give you the most intimate interaction with the college coaches and some of the current players, as they tend to work camps. You will live on campus, interact with and be trained by the coaches, as well as be a part of high intensity competition. It is not only a great way to get to know their style of coaching, but for them to get to know you as a player and whether you will fit in with their program, and vice versa. Select a few college camps that would be great potential all-around college choices for you.

To get more advanced recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and sign up for our complimentary SportsForce College Recruiting Guide and updates below.

FREE sign up for SportsForce College Recruiting Guide:
http://www.sportsforceonline.com/resources/resources_recruiting_recruiting_guide.html

To get access to more advanced college recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and RESOURCES section.

The SportsForce team, which is comprised of former college and professional athletes and coaches, is relentlessly committed to providing an ongoing education to help you best navigate your journey as a student-athlete, parent or coach to reach your potential.

Article courtesy of SportsForce, home for professional and affordable College Sports Preparation and Recruiting Education, Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.

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How to Navigate the College Sports Recruiting Process with Confidence Pt. 1

June 21st, 2010

By Andrew Beinbrink
SportsForceOnline.com

Are you looking to feel more confident as you look to prepare for college sports and the recruiting process? At SportsForce we hear many different questions, opinions and stories from student-athletes, parents and coaches all the time.

Here are some of the most common college sports recruiting questions our staff receives:

When do college coaches start recruiting?
What are college coaches looking for?
How can we maximize exposure to college recruiters?
What do we need to do and when do we need to do it?
What about the SAT, ACT, financial aid, NCAA Eligibility Center, etc…

Here are two simple and proven ACTION STEPS you can use today to begin taking control of your sports career and college sports goals.

Step 1: Student-athlete assessment

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Ask yourself “What type of college experience am I looking for?”

Attention student-athletes:
You need to reflect on what type of experience you are looking for. Write your thoughts down in a casual format (bullet points are fine) and be able to verbalize what type of college experience you are looking for.

Attention parents:
We recommend parents asking this question and letting your son or daughter answer this question with no undue pressure. See if your student-athlete can describe the type of experience they are looking for.

GOAL = To get a clear idea of what college experience you want as a student-athlete.

2. What are your key college decision factors?

Create a list of all of the key decision factors and give 1 to 5 points for each decision factor (5 being an extremely important decision factor). We recommend doing this on a spreadsheet and then ranking the potential colleges you are interested in by using this system to create an overall point total for each school.

Potential decision factors including: Academics (Majors offered, career development, alumni), Athletics (level of competition, W/L record, tradition), Social environment, Size of school, Public vs. Private, Cost, Location, Coaching Staff, Intuition (gut feeling, emotional connection)

GOAL = To have a proven ranking and college decision making system to know what potential colleges you are really interested in.

To accelerate your education on the college sports preparation and recruiting process I recommend signing up for our FREE SportsForce College Sports Recruiting Guide.

To get access to more advanced college recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and RESOURCES section.

Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional and affordable College Sports Recruiting Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.

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Arizona’s MLB Draft Prospects

June 7th, 2010

The 2010 MLB Draft is June 7-9 and while this may be a down year for top-flight talent from Arizona, the state will again provide a bumper crop of quality players to choose from. The draft is 50 rounds so more than 1,500 players will be selected. Here are just 15 of the names with local connections that should be called at some point during the three-day affair.

Arizona’s MLB Draft prospects

College

Seth Blair, RHP, Arizona State – Blair thrived as an unexpected ace for ASU following the season-long injury to Josh Spence. Consistently hits mid-90s on the gun and should go in the second or third round.

Blair scouting report video

Jordan Swagerty, RHP, Arizona State – This draft-eligible sophomore was both a catcher and relief pitcher but his future is on the mound. Swagerty has three solid pitches and good command and could reach the majors quickly.

Swagerty scouting report video

Josh Spence, LHP, Arizona State – The Australia native returned to ASU for his senior year despite being selected by the Angles in the third round last year. Spence lost the 2010 season to an arm injury but he is too talented to drop very far.

Spence scouting report video

Sammy Solis, LHP, University of San Diego – As a quality lefthander, the former Agua Fria H.S. star will definitely draw interest despite a previous back injury. He isn’t projected as a future star but a solid addition to an MLB staff.

Solis scouting report video

Kevin Rhoderick, Oregon State – Rhoderick was an ace starter with Horizon H.S. but has shined as a reliever in college. He can hit 94 with his fastball and has a good change up. Rhoderick was selected in the 18th round by Detroit in 2008.

High School

Taylor Lindsey, SS, Desert Mountain – Arguably the state’s best player, the ASU-bound Lindsay batted .557 batting average with 14 HRs and 48 RBIs. A position change may be in the future for the two-time All-Arizona and Region Player of the Year.

Watch a video of Lindsey showing off his skills. Watch video.

Travis Flores, 1B, Desert Ridge H.S.- The ASU-bound powerhouse batted .505 with 60 RBI and an amazing 1.140 slugging percentage. He recently won a home run derby featuring 70 of the top H.S. players in the nation, including a 471-foot blast. Recently featured in Sports Illustrated.

Doug (D.J.) Peterson, SS/3B, Gilbert H.S. – The UofA-bound slugger combines very good power with a keen batting eye, as evidenced by his 34 walks. Peterson should be selected around the 10th round.

Watch video of Peterson hitting, fielding and running.

Jake Cole, RHP, Tucson Sahuaro H.S. – The North Carolina bound hurler is arguably the top pitcher in the state. The 6-4, 235, hurler is also a powerful hitter and may make an eventual move to first a la Ike Davis. Cole was also drafted by the Western Hockey League in 2006.

Konner Wade, RHP, Chaparral H.S. – A good two-way player but a higher prospect as a pitcher. The UofA-bound Wade has a good fastball and curve and moves the ball around well. A longer term prospect but he has a high ceiling.

Junior College

Sam Lind, SS, Central Arizona CC – Lind was co-Player of the Year in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference after batting .404 with five home runs and 57 RBI. He also has a good glove and strong arm.

DeMarcus Tidwell, OF Yavapai, AZ – One scouting service has the Mississippi native ranked as the top ranked junior college player from Arizona. Tidwell is a great athlete with excellent all-around tools. He was also a highly-regarded football prospect.

Chris Joyce LHP, Central Arizona CC – Joyce was 12-3 with a 2.36 ERA and struck out 95 in 92.1 innings but he did also walk 53. Joyce was drafted in the 10th round by the Dodgers in 2008.

Anthony Haase, RHP, Cochise CC – Haase was co-Player of the Year in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference after going 13-3 with a 1.62 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 100 innings. He was drafted in the 38th round by Tampa in 2008.

Tyler Bremer, RHP, Yavapai CC – The Baylor-bound righty transferred to Yavapai from UC Davis. A good season put Bremer on the radar and he will turn pro if he is drafted high enough and signs.

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How to Navigate the College Sports Recruiting Process with Confidence Part I

May 20th, 2010

Recruiting posterBy Andrew Beinbrink, CEO of SportsForce
www.sportsforceonline.com

Are you looking to feel more confident as you look to prepare for college sports and the recruiting process? At SportsForce we hear many different questions, opinions and stories from student-athletes, parents and coaches all the time.

Here are some of the most common college sports recruiting questions our staff receives:

When do college coaches start recruiting?
What are college coaches looking for?
How can we maximize exposure to college recruiters?
What do we need to do and when do we need to do it?
What about the SAT, ACT, financial aid, NCAA Eligibility Center, etc…

Here are two simple and proven ACTION STEPS you can use today to begin taking control of your sports career and college sports goals.

Step 1: Student-athlete assessment

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Ask yourself “What type of college experience am I looking for?”

Attention student-athletes:
You need to reflect on what type of experience you are looking for. Write your thoughts down in a casual format (bullet points are fine) and be able to verbalize what type of college experience you are looking for.

Attention parents:
We recommend parents asking this question and letting your son or daughter answer this question with no undue pressure. See if your student-athlete can describe the type of experience they are looking for.

GOAL = To get a clear idea of what college experience you want as a student-athlete.

2. What are your key college decision factors?

Create a list of all of the key decision factors and give 1 to 5 points for each decision factor (5 being an extremely important decision factor). We recommend doing this on a spreadsheet and then ranking the potential colleges you are interested in by using this system to create an overall point total for each school.

Potential decision factors including: Academics (Majors offered, career development, alumni), Athletics (level of competition, W/L record, tradition), Social environment, Size of school, Public vs. Private, Cost, Location, Coaching Staff, Intuition (gut feeling, emotional connection)

GOAL = To have a proven ranking and college decision making system to know what potential colleges you are really interested in.

********************************

To accelerate your education on the college sports preparation and recruiting process I recommend signing up for our FREE SportsForce College Sports Recruiting Guide.
* FREE Sign up click HERE

To get access to more advanced college recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and RESOURCES section.

The SportsForce team, which is comprised of former college and professional athletes and coaches, is relentlessly committed to providing an ongoing education to help you best navigate your journey as a student-athlete, parent or coach.

Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional and affordable College Sports Recruiting Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.

www.sportsforceonline.com
info@sportsforceonline.com
858.350.5889

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Glendale to Host H.S. Baseball Tourneys

April 29th, 2010

AIA logoCamelback Ranch-Glendale CBR-G, the spring-training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, will host the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) 5A-I and 4A-I baseball tournaments from May 4–15.

Qualifying teams in each classification will play at least 14 games at CBR-G during the 12-day span, culminating in the two championship games at 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 15.

All games will be played in CBR-G’s stadium, the largest in the Cactus League.

The two championship games also will be webcast live at www.aia365.com.

Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $6 for high school students with identification. Children 5 and younger will be admitted free.

CBR-G President and General Manager Jeff Overton offers, “We are thrilled to bring the state baseball tournament to beautiful Camelback Ranch-Glendale, the most visited spring-training facility during the
2010 Cactus League season, and the City of Glendale for the first time. It is a privilege to provide aspiring athletes the opportunity to play in the same stadium where big leaguers play.”

Glendale City Manager Ed Beasley adds, “The City of Glendale is proud to host the AIA high school baseball tournaments at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.

This continues our tradition of hosting AIA youth events in our community and reaffirms Glendale’s commitment to being the home of youth sports in the Valley and Arizona. Our partnership with the AIA has allowed us the chance to give young athletes and their families many memorable experiences, and we are thrilled to provide the opportunity for these students to play in a state-of-the-art facility that is shared by some of the greatest players from major-league baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.”

In addition to Camelback Ranch, a portion of the early-round 4A-I and 5A-I baseball tournament games will be played at Phoenix Municipal Stadium and Surprise Stadium.

For the complete AIA baseball schedule and locations, visit the tournament guides section of www.aiaonline.org or the brackets section of www.aia365.com.

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Valley NFL Draft Prospects

April 22nd, 2010

By Ron Matejko
MVP Magazine

MVP6-2010 NFL Draft logoThe NFL Draft takes place from April 22-24 in its first year of the new three-day format. There aren’t many NFL Draft prospects with roots to the Valley, but what the group lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. MVP Magazine provides a look at the NFL Draft prospects who played high school football in Arizona.

Danny Batten, DE/LB, South Dakota State, Mesa (Mesquite H.S.)
Ten teams visited Batten’s Pro Day. An accomplished, versatile player but at Division I-AA. Projected 7th round.

Kyle Calloway, OL, Iowa, Vail, AZ
Huge at 6-7, 323 pounds. A steady, versatile offensive linemen who should have a solid NFL career. Projected 6th round.

Everson Griffen, DE, USC, Avondale (Agua Fria)
First-round talent, but inconsistency and question about work ethic may cause him to drop. Could be a star NFL pass rusher. Projected 1st round.

Max Hall, QB, BYU, Mesa (Mountain View)
NFL teams rarely draft a QB that is only six-feet tall with questionable arm strength. Hall hopes Drew Brees’ success will reflect on his potential. Projection 4th round.

Keaton Kristick, LB, Oregon State, Fountain Hills (St. Mary’s)
A smart, active player but lack of ideal size and strength will hurt draft value. Projected 7th round.

Shelley Smith, OL, Colorado State, Phoenix (Westview)
Good strength and footwork with the ability to be a pulling guard. Some scouts questions his physical play at the point of attack. Projected 6th round.

Ekom Udofia, DL, Stanford, Scottsdale (Chaparral)
A strong, passionate player with good natural instincts who can take up multiple blockers. Better than his numbers indicate. Projected 6th round.

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ASU-Bound Hawkins Named AZ Gatorade Player of the Year

March 19th, 2010

HawkinsThe Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, announced on Friday that Corey Hawkins of Estrella Foothills High School is its 2009-10 Gatorade Arizona Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Hawkins as Arizona’s best high school boys basketball player.

Hawkins is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior guard led the Wolves (31-1) to their third straight Class 3A state title this past season, averaging 36 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.6 steals and 3.7 assists per game.

The returning Gatorade Arizona Boys Basketball Player of the Year finished his career as the state’s all-time career scoring leader with 3,154 points and also set the single-season scoring record with 1,152 points this winter.

The 2010 Arizona Republic Small Schools Player of the Year, Hawkins scored a season-high 65 points in a win over Chino Valley High on Feb. 2.

Hawkins has maintained a 3.14 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth basketball camp counselor and participated in a humanitarian effort to collect and send shoes to earthquake victims in Haiti.

“Corey Hawkins has a work ethic unlike any player I’ve ever coached and he’s made himself one of the most complete basketball players in the state,” said Estrella Foothills High Head Coach Ty Amundsen. “He has made such an enormous impact on our team and on our program as a whole.”

Hawkins joins recent Gatorade Arizona Boys Basketball Players of the Year Taylor Rohde (2007-08, Pinnacle) and Jerryd Bayless (2006-07, St. Mary’s) among the state’s list of former award winners.

Hawkins has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at Arizona State University this fall.

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AAU Refutes Involvement in Arizona Cactus Classic Basketball Event

February 5th, 2010

AAU logoThe Amateur Athletic Union of the United States Inc. (AAU) refutes involvement in the Arizona Cactus Classic of 2008 which has led the University of Arizona to self report recruiting violations to the NCAA.

The event being reported by the Associated Press, ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and various other news outlets, was not sanctioned by the AAU nor conducted by the AAU. The event operator, Mr. Jim Storey was not a member of the AAU in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 or this year. By not being a member of the AAU, Mr. Storey is not entitled to hold any position such as coach or event director.

AAU rules require application for sanctioning of events. The AAU has never received a request for a sanction from Mr. Storey.

Bobby Dodd, President of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, Inc. states, “This is a horrific misrepresentation of the AAU.”

AAU requests an immediate retraction of any reporting that has linked the AAU to the Arizona Cactus Classic or events at the University of Arizona that could possibly lead to NCAA basketball sanctions.

University of Arizona notice of allegations

Source: AAU

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Channing Frye’s High School Jersey to be Retired

January 26th, 2010

Suns Jazz BasketballHometown Suns star Channing Frye will be the first boys’ basketball player in the history of St. Mary’s High School to have his jersey retired on Wednesday, January 27 in the gymnasium at St. Mary’s High School. The program will begin at 2:15 p.m.

The ceremony will include speeches from Frye’s high school basketball coach, Dave Lopez, as well as his University of Arizona basketball coach, Lute Olsen, and Steve Kerr, General Manager of the Phoenix Suns.

While at St. Mary’s High School, Frye led the school to an Arizona Class 5A state title with 30-3 record in 2000-01. He averaged 22 ppg, 15 rpg and six blocks as a senior, earning Arizona Player of the Year honors from The Arizona Republic, as well as Parade Magazine fourth team All-America designation, & All-State recognition.

Frye signed with the Suns as a free agent on July 14, 2009, making his return to his Arizona roots for the 2009-10 season.

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