Author Archives: MichaelAndersonStone

Being Invited

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When today’s parents were kids, being invited to a camp or an all-star game meant something that everybody understood. Not anymore. Things have changed. Now recruiting and money drive most of these events and the word invite is cleverly used by the organizers to entice and confuse families. Here are three cases almost everyone can learn from. If you think these are the exception, or that this isn’t you, think again. This is more common than you think..

A mother told me recently that her daughter had been invited back to a camp she attended last year and I cringed when she said it. She believed the invitation mean something special, that it was an indication of a special level of her child’s talent. This mom really didn’t understand that 800 other girls of all talent levels also got invited back and that anyone who isn’t invited could still sign up for the camp.

Another family I talked to includes a son who was invited to play in a football all-star game. They family’s income level is just above the poverty line and the game is a 4 hour plane ride from their home. Unlike some all-star games, this one requires the family to pay all their own expenses for young man to participate. This family was planning on doing it, somehow, because they believe the exposure at this all-star game would earn their son the scholarship they badly wanted. They didn’t know that virtually none of the players attending would be of scholarship level, or that almost no coaches from scholarship schools have even heard of the game, much less attend it. The “invitation” was what sold them. They believed they had been invited to something special.

One final example involves a baseball player who had aspirations of playing college ball at the D1 level. Receiving little recruitment of any kind at any level, let alone any that he liked, the athlete started contacting colleges himself. Not lacking for confidence, if not common sense, he didn’t contact just any colleges, he went for D1 schools ranked in the top 20. Managing to get the assistant coach from one on the phone he had a conversation and pitched himself. At the end of the conversation, the coach “invited” this young man to a tryout the school was going to be holding. Hearing what he wanted to hear, and not quite understanding the process, this young man was excited. Believing he had a legitimate shot or reason to attend, he and one of his parents flew from one coast of the US to the other for a weekend to attend this event. He didn’t know that virtually anyone who could afford it was invited and there was no real interest on the part of the college, other than to make money. (The family also had to pay for the event, in addition to the travel.) What they failed to perceive was that there was no risk on the part of the school because it had made no investment. Having only something to gain (if the athlete turns out to have talent) and nothing to lose, it’s easy for the school to “invite” the athlete without having any real interest in recruiting him.

Most of the time being invited means you’re invited to spend money. Colleges and other organizations have figured out that using the simple word invited changes the perception of parents and athletes. It somehow makes events like showcases or elite camps more desirable, or implies they are of higher quality, even though they’re usually not. While there are still some events where being invited means something, it’s not always easy to tell the difference. Try to be smart and not get fooled.

 

 

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Defining Types of Improvement

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Improvement is an important part of sports. Coaches, parents and players often like to say that a particular athlete is only going to get better. But what does that really mean? It seems obvious, right? It’s not. Let’s look at what it really means and why it matters.

There are really two categories of improvement, arithmetic and geometric. (There’s actually a third, no or negligible improvement. We’ll ignore that, as it speaks for itself). For the purpose of this blog, arithmetic is defined as a straight line with a gradual upward direction. Geometric is a line that goes up more quickly or even curves upward.

If an athlete is improving arithmetically, that’s important, but it’s not saying that much. In a competitive world, it’s a given. Most athletes are going to get better arithmetically, so this really just means an athlete is keeping up with the competition. If athlete’s are not improving, they’re falling behind.

Geometric improvement is what catapults some athletes past others. It’s that really surprising type of improvement, a transcendent improvement that is sometimes out of the control of the athlete, regardless of effort and time spent on improving. It’s the type of change in ability that causes everyone around to reexamine and reassess players, teams, even leagues. That’s the type of improvement that’s really worth talking about.

Failing to understand and differentiate between arithmetic and geometric improvement leads to the inability to accurately understand and predict why certain athletes will have more success than others.

 

 

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How to Get Playing Time as a Freshman

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Most athletes, parents and high school coaches don’t understand what it takes to get playing time as a college freshman. When they talk about playing time they usually start breaking down an athlete’s game or the returning players on the team, and it gets complicated and confusing in a hurry. It’s really pretty simple. In most instances, playing time as a freshman comes down to two factors  – not making mistakes and physical strength. This is particularly true in the high profile sports.

Most outsiders think college coaches are inclined to not play freshman. In fact, it’s the opposite. Coaches want to play freshman. Generally, freshman don’t have to give them a reason to play. The trick is to keep from giving them a reason not to. That means not making mistakes. It sounds simpler than it is, of course. All else being equal, a younger player gets time over an older player. It’s a time honored truth.

Almost every college athlete, especially those at the scholarship level, was a standout or star in high school. In order to be a star they had to do great things. That usually meant producing lots of great stats that generated attention and lead to college recruitment. Once they get to college they quickly see everyone else is as good or better than they are. Their natural instinct, and it’s a hard one to fight, is to try to stand out by doing what got them there. Because the level of play is so much higher than high school, that reaction often results in the athlete trying to do too much. That’s rarely a good thing. All they really need to do is not make mistakes. That is usually more than enough to generate praise, which leads to playing time.

The physical aspect of college is different than high school. The athletes are no longer kids, they’re adults, making strength a huge factor that affects virtually all aspects of play. Lack of physical strength keeps the majority of college freshman from any significant playing time. Ironically, this weakness is easily fixed while in high school. Compared to improving individual skills, learning to understand offenses and defenses, or adjusting to the speed of the college game, improving strength is so simple. It’s also easy to measure and compare yourself to others. For example, if you’re a boys’ basketball player and can bench over 200 lbs., you are ahead of the curve. Most can’t. It doesn’t matter if you’re from a big city with a high level of play or a small, under recruited town in the middle of nowhere. Everyone and anyone can know if they are physically ready to play at the college level and they can do what it takes to be ready. There is some knowledge involved, but it’s easy to access. The real keys are desire and dedication. It sounds simple, and in many ways it really is. Doing it is another story. If it were easy most athletes would not arrive in college physically unready to compete.

Figuring out what it takes to be successful at the college level is a process that takes time for most incoming athletes. How quickly the athlete figures things out and makes the transition can be the difference between having a good career and never getting off the bench. Some incoming freshman simply are not even close to ready. A small percentage have talent that transcends mistakes and physical strength. Certain teams are just loaded with talent, so even the most college ready freshmen have no choice but to wait and be patient. In most situations the opportunity for playing time is there, if you know how to take advantage of it. Any athlete who doesn’t make mistakes and is physically ready is going to have a great chance to play right away.

 

 

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Today’s Quiz: New NCAA Eligibility Rules

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The NCAA uses a sliding scale to determine D1 eligibility and will be using one in the future to determine D2 eligibility. Today’s quiz regarding these eligibility requirements has two parts.

 

Part 1

Question:  What year do the new eligibility rules go into effect for D1 basketball?

 

 

 

Answer:  For students entering college beginning in August of 2016

 

Part 2

Question:  What year do the new eligibility rules go into effect for D2 basketball?

 

 

 

Answer:  For students entering college beginning in August of 2018

 

 

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Don’t Laugh Too Hard

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While this will certainly be funny to many, it’s just one example of mistakes commonly made by families trying to navigate the recruiting process. So enjoy the laugh, but don’t think others aren’t laughing at similar things you’ve done.

Devin is a talented basketball player. He and his mother recently told me and others he was being recruited by a good mid-level D1 school. Skeptical, I asked them to define the recruitment. They showed me an email inviting them to a reception for prospective students to be held at an upcoming basketball game at that university. What they didn’t understand, as they interpreted this invitation from their subjective point of view, was that the invitation was a mass mailing sent to many prospective students by that university in a general marketing attempt to increase applications and enrollment. It had nothing at all to do with his basketball talent or any basketball recruiting. The reception just happened to be at a basketball game because it was that time of year and basketball is the high profile sport at this particular university. They didn’t know that. They thought it meant he was being recruited for basketball. Most would have instantly seen that this was a mass emailing. In Devin’s defense, he is talented enough to get some D1 basketball interest. This just goes to show recruiting is a tough thing for most families to interpret. So remember, don’t laugh too hard. This might already be you, and you just don’t know it.

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The Patriot League / Ivy League Misconception

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The Patriot League and Ivy League have been linked together in many minds since the inception of the Patriot League about 25 years ago. There are three good reasons for this. One, the Patriot League was conceived, in part, to provide another league similar to the Ivy. Two, they are perceived as the two best academic D1 leagues in the country. Three, for a while they were the only two leagues in Division 1 that didn’t offer athletic scholarships. Ivy’s have never offered athletic scholarships. The Patriot League started out as a non-scholarship league, but that changed some time ago.

For some reason people, even those who should know better, still talk about Patriot and Ivy League schools as competing at the lowest level of D1 sports. They mention them as possible options for athletes who don’t have scholarship offers or are perceived to be marginal D1 athletes. This is particularly true in the revenue producing sports of football and basketball. Statements such as “well, he/she might be good enough to play at a Patriot or an Ivy” are still heard regularly. It’s an old perception that hasn’t been accurate for quite a while.

Here are two of the erroneous assumptions that lead to the misconception, followed by the reasons they are false.

  1. Schools can’t attract scholarship level athletes without scholarships
    1. Ivy League teams regularly get players who have scholarship offers. That’s right. Ivy schools beat scholarship schools for players every year.
      1. Extraordinary financial aid combined with the best educational opportunities makes the difference. Lots of schools offer scholarships. There are only a handful of Patriot and Ivy League schools.
        1. Families with a household income under $100,000 can expect to pay little or nothing for an Ivy League education.
      2. Their track record of success is so good they attract very talented athletes
    2. In the case of the non-revenue sports, these schools very often give more aid than scholarship schools. Think about how ironic that is. Why do you think they win titles in sports like lacrosse and hockey, and produce more than their share of Olympic athletes?
  2. The smartest kids generally aren’t the best athletes
    1. These schools are exceptional enough, and selective enough, that they attract student-athletes who excel in both categories

Here is just some of the evidence that Patriots and Ivys are anything but the lowest level D1 leagues.

  • The Princeton women’s basketball team is currently ranked 16th in the country
  • Both leagues are ranked comfortably in the middle of D1.
    • In basketball there are currently 15 leagues ranked lower than either the Ivy or Patriot. Those leagues include many perceived to be “better” such as the MAAC, Colonial, Conference USA, Northeast and Ohio Valley.
  • Both leagues have won more NCAA basketball tournament games than many of the leagues perceived to be at a higher level.
    • In recent years Cornell has played in the Sweet 16, while Bucknell, Lehigh and Harvard have had multiple wins as well
  • NCAA D1 basketball tournament seedings for Patriot and Ivy reflect their true level of play and talent. The leagues are getting a 12 or 13 seed, sometimes higher. That means there are about 10 – 15 leagues getting less respect from the committee.
  • Ivy and Patriot leagues have produced more professional draft picks and players over the last two decades than many of the leagues people perceive to play at a higher level.
    • In 2013 alone the Patriot League had a 1st and 2nd round NBA pick
      • Previous years produced lottery picks such 13 year NBA veteran Adonal Foyle
  • After the 2014 season two all-Ivy players transferred to other leagues. (They were out of Ivy eligibility). Both had multiple offers from big time conferences. One accepted a scholarship to Pitt (ACC), the other to UConn (AAC).

Parents and players are the ones losing out due to this lack of awareness. Too many dismiss these schools without even considering them, when choosing them should be an easy decision. When the facts are known, it’s shocking how many people pass up these educational opportunities without giving it a second thought.

 

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“My Kid Can Play at That Level”

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We all compare ourselves to others. It’s human nature. Most of us also want to play at the highest possible level, whether it’s adults in the workplace (“I can do a better job than that guy”) or athletes competing for recruitment and scholarships.

The phrase “I can play at that level” or “my kid can play at that level” is regularly invoked by players, coaches, and parents as a way of promoting a player in an effort to be recruited at a level higher than they currently are. We’ve all got a bias. Consequently, this is usually not an accurate statement. Even when it is accurate, it’s the answer to the wrong question. The question isn’t can you play at that level, it’s can you get recruited at that level. Some kids are good enough to be on the field, the rink or on the court with players of a higher caliber and not look out of place. That doesn’t mean they have the same level of talent. There’s a big difference between being playing at that level and being good enough to be recruited at that level. To be recruited at that level a coach must generally believe you will make the team better. Understanding this difference is an important part of understanding recruiting. This is a hard thing for parents, athletes and coaches. Those who get it and are able to be realistic with themselves will avoid setting themselves up to fail, and the confusion and disappointment that goes with it.

 

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