We have compiled a list of all the college recruiting related tips, videos, articles and forums already on Takkle - and this is only the beginning. Please let us know if you come across other relevant articles that we might have forgotten.

The best ways to get answers to your recruiting questions:
• Recruiting 101 Group
• Takkle Recruits Group
• Contact the NCSA
• Recruiting Forum

The best recruiting videos on Takkle:
• How do I get discovered?
• The three things every recruit must do
• How to maximize the recruiting process
• See more videos

Recruiting articles:
• The Role of Parents
• Tips for 2009 Seniors
• Test your Recruiting IQ
• See more

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Prospective Student-Athlete: Maintaining a Professional Image
• Basketball recruiting update: Terrance Jennings to the Cards

Can’t pay for college? Maybe Uncle Sam can help you. Getting accepted into a military academy or ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Corps) program may be the most rewarding experience a young man or woman can receive. In this blog entry I want to distinguish between the two elements of government academic training and possibly assist you in the benefits of applying and competing for a military academy or ROTC program.

The Academies

Acceptance: Military academies such as West Point and Annapolis have a prestigious history of fielding some of the best athletic teams our country has ever seen along with first-class education. One thing prospective student-athletes need to understand is that it is tuition free. That’s right it’s free! However, getting accepted into West Point, Annapolis, or Colorado Springs is not an easy task. The academies are very selective in the acceptance process and certain documentation needs to be in order before applying. These documents include letter of recommendations from your state congressman, outstanding GPA, test scores and proof that you are a leader in your community. If you are getting recruited by a coach from one of the academies, I highly recommend you communicate over what is needed to be accepted.

Commitment: Understand that this decision is a commitment. The next four years of your life will be dedicated to earning a degree of your choice and learning the principles of leading our country. After graduation you will be considered a commissioned officer and have a six year enlistment to your branch. The Naval Academy is the only academy where Midshipmen have the option of either serving in the United States Navy or the United States Marine Corps. To learn more about the academies click on these links below:

United States Military Academy

United States Naval Academy

United States Air Force Academy

Reserved Officer Training Corp

Acceptance: The ROTC program is also another great program offered by our military which gives prospective students the opportunity to select the college of their choice while the government picks up the tuition bill. The ROTC program is not as selective with prospective students as the academies, but it is highly recommended that an applicant have outstanding academics and athletic performance. During your four year college commitment students in the program will be enrolled in a series of military science courses and be required to attend military sanctioned events over the first two summers while attending OCS (Officer Candidate School) their third summer and TBS (The Basic School) in their fourth summer.

Commitment: Your commitment after you earn your degree is similar to that of a midshipmen or cadet. You will embark on a 6 year enlistment. If at any point you decide that the military is not for you, you will owe the government the money that was paid for your degree. To learn more about the Reserved Officer Training Corps Click below.

ROTC

Your role as an athlete

Athletics play a huge role in the image of the military academies. Every year the Army versus Navy game is one of the biggest rivalries in our country. As an athlete, not only do you have your responsibilities preparing week to week against opponents, you also have a series of inspections, assignments, and studies. Organization, time management, and being squared away will separate you from the pack.

Serving our country was one of the best career decisions I have ever made. During my enlistment as a young Marine I learned discipline and leadership, and achieved goals I never would have done on my own. These tools helped me become the person I am today and set me up for a great career. To learn more about military life or questions please comment on this blog below and an NCSA Recruiting Coach will be in touch with you.

TAKKLE launches 2008 High School Football Rankings
New York, 10/02/08

NEW YORK, NY and CHICAGO, IL – TAKKLE (www.takkle.com), the leading social media site for high school athletes, today launched its expanded 2008 football rankings.

TAKKLE’s rankings now include the nation’s Top 200 high school football players, a hundred additional players from last year. Players are evaluated by the NCSA and scouts such as Bob Chimel, former head recruiter for Notre Dame and Michigan, and Randy Taylor, formerly of UCLA, using video and scouting reports from their large network of high school coaches and recruiters to compile the lists.
Users have access to players’ stats, videos and photos. TAKKLE will also rank prep football’s Top 50 Underclassmen and the Top 25 Players in each position throughout the season. This expansion further increases the power of TAKKLE’s already powerful high school sports rankings, which also includes basketball, baseball, and boys’ and girls’ lacrosse.

“We are excited to expand our rankings platform to include 200 of the top high school football players in the country,” said Takkle CEO David Birnbaum. “Since launching last year Takkle’s leading technology in the social media space has allowed users to become more engaged in the rankings by giving them a voice to express their opinions and vote for their favorites.”

The 2008 high school football rankings can be found here.






For further press information please contact:

Christian Busch
PR Contact for Takkle
christian.busch at takkle dot com

I am always shocked when I initially talk with athletes about where they want to hope to earn a scholarship. 90% of the time only 5 or 6 schools come out of their mouth and they are almost always Division I schools. If you are serious about earning a college athletic scholarship you need to be looking at a minimum of 50-100 schools across all division levels.

Some athletes express that they aren’t interested in playing at a level they deem beneath their talent level. Stewart Mandel’s latest Mailbag for SI.com should dispel that notion.

While there is obviously a group of elite programs — USC, LSU, et. al., — that still stand head and shoulders above the mid-majors, the line has never been blurrier between the top teams from the non-BCS leagues and the next-rung teams from the major conferences.

What’s been particularly interesting this year is the depth of quality mid-majors. While it’s hardly unprecedented for the Mountain West or WAC to place a team in the top 25, for one such conference (the MWC) to have three teams in the poll is remarkable. And that does not even include UNLV (which has beaten Arizona State and Iowa State) and New Mexico (which beat Arizona). Meanwhile, Tulsa, which has not yet cracked the poll, beat those same Lobos 56-14. And then there’s Boise State, Fresno State, East Carolina, Ball State …

We discussed this ad nauseam during last year’s rash of upsets, but simply put, the number of BCS-caliber athletes coming out of high school has never been greater, and there’s only so many scholarships those schools can offer. While that doesn’t stop a USC or Florida from hording five-star recruits, as you go further down the line, there’s not that big a disparity between the type pf players Oregon and Boise State are recruiting. And as we know well by now, talent alone does not win football games. If so, Florida State would not have three straight losses to Wake Forest.

I encourage everyone to get evaluated by a pro, and to focus your recruiting energies where you fit best. Afterall, there is great football played at every level.

I was speaking with a parent of a soccer player recently and she made the comment “it’s a state school so it will be much more affordable”.

Many people are under the misconception that public colleges and universities are less expensive than private institutions. Sticker prices at public colleges are often less daunting than those of their private counterparts, however, once academic, athletic and need based aid is taken into consideration the final financial package often tells a very different story.

Most private colleges and universities provide financial assistance for many of their students. Yale University, for example, is reducing the average cost of sending a student to Yale College by over 50% for families with financial need. This new policy will apply to all students returning to campus in the fall as well as entering freshmen. This represents the largest increase in spending for financial aid in the University’s history.

The reduction in costs will be spread across a broad range of incomes. Families with incomes below $120,000 will see their contributions cut by more than 50%, while most families with incomes between $120,000 and $200,000 will see cost reductions of 33% or more.

Families earning less than $60,000 annually will not make any contribution toward the cost of a child’s education, and families earning $60,000 to $120,000 will typically contribute from 1% to 10% of total family income. The contribution of aided families earning above $120,000 will average 10% of income.

According to a recent study conducted here at NCSA, the average scholarship (academic, athletic and need-based funds) at public schools totaled $12,850.19. The average private school award totaled a whopping $21,266.10.

Do not be misled by the figure you see on a college website. Once you dig deeper and take advantage of your academic and athletic talent there is a lot of aid available.

Congrats to Team Takkle for a victory in last weekend's Princeton University 7v7 Tiger Challenge Lacrosse Tournament. The girls coached by David Hurwitz (two of his daughters are on the team) are playing in a number of College/University Small-Sided Tournaments this fall and winter and Takkle is happy to support them. We're particularly excited to say that daughter Madison has already been recruited by Bucknell for the 2010 team.
Keep the victories coming,
The Takkle Squad

 

One can deduce from reading "8 Man Pick Up" volumes 1 and 2 that Kort Schubert has seen his fair share of the unforgiving contact sport we call rugby. Along with the excitement and pure athletic exhilaration of rugby competition, comes soreness, pain and inevitable injury. Sometimes, the sidelines resemble bloody scenes from a horror movie if the match is particularly physical. This week we asked Kort to elaborate on the painful reality that accompanies long term rugby play at any level -- injuries.

 

RZ: The nature of rugby as a contact sport implies that rugby players will eventually have to deal with some sort of injury. What are some common injuries that you have seen on the field?

KS: Common injuries I’ve seen throughout my career are concussions, dislocated fingers/thumbs, facial cuts around the eyes and chin, broken noses, strained or torn ligaments to the knees and ankles, shoulder separations, broken collar bones, etc.

 

RZ: What is the strangest or most severe injury you have seen?

KS: During a game in Vancouver against the University of Colombia I saw a prop break his leg during a scrum. You could hear the pop and eventual squeals as the scrum disengaged and the player fell to the ground in obvious pain. I looked down and the bone had broken through his skin and his sock. The game was stopped for 30 minutes. Needless to say, he was stretchered off of the field. Another injury I witnessed first hand (you could probably say I caused it although unintentionally) was at a Cal practice. We were doing 1-on-1 scrum profile work. As the other player and I locked shoulders and began sinking into our ideal scrum position I hear this pop and my partner fell onto his back. When I looked up, I noticed that he had dislocated his knee, which looks a lot worse than it actually is although very painful. Still another injury I witnessed was with the National Team where a fellow flanker had dislocated his shoulder in a tackle. After sustaining the dislocation, the player looks to me to help him pop it back into place. So I began pulling on this poor guys arm with all of my strength. Eventually he was able to get the shoulder back into socket and continued playing. That player was one of the toughest I have ever had the honor of playing with. 

 

RZ: We know you have had a couple of knee surgeries. Can you give us a quick rundown of the injuries that you have personally sustained as a player?

KS: I have been rather fortunate with the injuries I have sustained, the most recent knee injury having been caused by degenerative joints and wear and tear. Throughout my career I have broken bones in my foot and hand, strained my MCL, separated my sternum and AC joint, broke my nose, dislocated numerous fingers and my left knee cap, sustained numerous cuts to my face requiring stitches, and finally, had a cartilage transplant on my right knee.

 

RZ: What are the similarities or differences between injuries to rugby players and injuries to American Football or soccer players?

KS: The injuries sustained in rugby and football are very similar. You see a lot of knee injuries (i.e., torn MCLs, ACLs, Meniscus and Cartilage), shoulder injuries (separations, dislocations, ligament damage) and obviously concussions in both sports. Where I see the main difference in injuries is due to the obvious lack of padding in rugby. Shoulder injuries, for example are easier to sustain and worse when there is a bone on bone collision. In contrast, you are more likely to see football players intentionally throw their bodies like missiles into contact situations because they are wearing pads. If you do that in a rugby match, the likelihood of suffering an injury is much greater.

 

 

RZ: There is often a question with regards to whether a rugby player should sit out a match, or strap on the boots and go. How should a player decide whether needs to be sidelined due to injured or merely play with some pain?

KS: This is a dilemma every athlete will face in their career. The player should first seek the opinion of a club doctor and/or physiotherapist before making any decision.

Once the player has done this, whether they decide to play or sit out will depend on the circumstances surrounding the injury and the specific game they are playing in. Is the injury serious enough that if I play, I may/may not make it worse? How important is the match – is it a club friendly or a World Cup qualifier? Each player facing this dilemma must seriously address these types of questions in order to make an intelligent decision.

 

 

RZ: What are some of your methods that you have used in your career to help you deal with pain?

KS: The best advice I can give to players dealing with pain is to take care of your body. Even if you’re not technically injured, you should still take the necessary steps to ensure you are playing at your peak physical condition. For example, players should ice major joints (ankles, knees, and shoulders) after hard training sessions (i.e., ice bath) and always drink more fluid than you think you need to prevent muscle tears due to dehydration. It will seem tedious, but I can tell you that your body will thank you after years of playing. 

-RugbyZone

1. Stress academics more than athletics.

Parents really need to keep the entire recruiting process in perspective. A career can be over in one play; then what happens to their child? Parents should encourage their child to be as good as they can be in both academics and athletics. More doors will be open to the student-athlete who is solid both in the classroom and on the field.

2. Work through the high school coach.

It’s very important that parents do not by-pass the high school coach in the recruiting process. This is not only looked upon negatively by the high school coach, but also by the college. The high school coach is the direct liaison with the colleges. It’s crucial that parents and coaches work hand-in-hand helping the student-athlete during the entire recruiting process.

3. Encourage attendance at camps and combines.

Exposure of the student athletes to camps and combines is important in recruiting. Working through the high school coach, parents and student athletes select a limited number of camps and/or combines that the student athlete should attend. Normally the high school coach can best match up the talents of the student athlete to the best camps.

4. Do college research.

There are a variety of ways to obtain information about specific colleges and universities. Parents can, and should extensively check out those institutions the student athlete is most interested in attending. Graduation, rates, various majors, post academic programs, etc. can all be found through the internet, working through the high school counselor and by dealing directly with specific institutions.

5. Go on college visits.

Parents should not allow their child to make an official college visit by themselves. Deciding which college or university to attend is one of the most important decisions in one’s lifetime. Parents may ask questions and make observations the student athlete may not. The maturity and experience of the parents is vital in the recruiting process. Do not assume the child has everything under control; parents need to help.

6. Put egos aside.

When it gets down to the time to make the decision on which college to attend, parents and the student athlete must put egos aside. The final decision as to what school to attend should be based on the best overall match. School size should not be as important as the best academic, athletic and social match.

Bill Conley worked at Ohio State for 17 years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

I would like for you to reminisce to your former school years. I bet that for the most of you recess was a major part of your early experience. C’mon you remember the running, the jumping, the monkey bars, and most of all the “choosing of teams”. The scene usually began when the two best athletes in the third grade would divide the class into two different teams. “I pick Tommy”; said the first captain, “okay than I pick Rickey” as you know this procedure would continue until the last two kids were standing. The captain with the next to last pick knew he had to make an important decision. “Which one do I pick, the guy with the thick glasses, or the kid with the two left feet”.

When I talk to people about my recruiting experience, I always think of myself as the next to last guy to get the scholarship. Of course, my ex teammate at Clemson, Ed McDaniel, would usually argue on who got the last scholarship. Ed went on to be a great college linebacker and an all-pro with the Minnesota Vikings and remains a close buddy of mine.

Yes, you guessed it; I wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school. It was really an accident on how I was discovered by the coaches at the University of South Carolina. I come from a very small town in South Carolina and in 1985 there were no recruiting services or the internet. So there were a lot of guys who were good players but no Division 1A coaches came to my region to recruit players. My high school coach, Terry Syters, gave me the heads up that some coaches from South Carolina were recruiting a football player from the other team, which we were going to play that night. I had a great game and a week later I got a letter from South Carolina. The following week I received a letter from Clemson University. The University of South Carolina and Clemson University, offered me a full scholarship and I was never again the next to last kid to get chosen again.

This story seems like a tale that had a happy ending and I did have a great college experience and went on to NFL and had a successful career. That same night when I was being discovered, another player from the opposing team was having an even better night. Sylvester Mayer, a sophomore running back, gained 200 yards on our defense and scored three touchdowns. He was amazing and I knew for sure that I would see his name in lights or maybe at the Heisman ceremonies.

Sylvester and I crossed paths later on in my junior year at Clemson University. He came from a junior college somewhere in Arizona, and came to Clemson as a walk-on. He introduced himself and we became great friends for the next two years. We would work out together, hang out, and do what college guys do. This guy worked his butt off and was a pretty good player but he never played one down for Clemson. In his senior year, he quit the football team to focus on his studies. I never asked Sylvester why he quit the team because I already knew the answer. He wasn’t playing even on special teams and he had to pay for school himself. We all know that playing collegiate sports on a full scholarship is hard work but could you imagine playing sports with no financial aid.

I know that my friend has no regrets and is doing well for himself; but I can’t help but wonder how my life and others like me could have benefitted from what NCSA does as a company. We empower people and educate athletes and their families and lord knows my household needed that information. I believe that giving back; is our greatness gift and I looking forward to the journey of giving back to the athletic community, with my new teammate at NCSA.

May God bless you as you walk the journey of life.

Levon Kirkland, NFL All-Pro

Through my tenure as a collegiate football coach I can assure that some of my greatest and most satisfying moments as a coach came on graduation day. I never missed the ceremony. I always felt that since I emphasized academic success with the young guys that I recruited, I had to be there on the day that day completed their course work and were so honored at commencement. I always watched as future educators, attorneys, businessmen, doctors, coaches, engineers on and on, walked across that graduation stage.

Make no mistake about it, if you are prepared to take on the rigors of collegiate athletics it will take great resolve and perseverance to complete both the athletic experience and a great and successful academic experience. Never permit your academic goals to be compromised by the commitment of athletic responsibilities. You can do both! I have seen it on a very first hand basis.

During the recruiting process it is critical to speak to the recruiting coaches about academic support. Inquire as to the academic support office, visit that office, ask questions, and ask specific questions as to how many and who were the athletes that successfully completed your chosen course of study. Ask as to what was the relationship between the athletic support office and the academic department to which you wish to pursue your degree.

During the recruiting process you will be confidently told that your choice of study can be completed as an active member of your respective team. Make sure that promise is defined with facts. I have heard of and witnessed young athletes who were advised into more “athletic friendly” curriculums. In other words courses of study that required less preparation, or less lab time, or less time in a studio. You obviously have great athletic goals, and you basically know what the challenges can be in order to succeed. If you have great academic goals, you need to know that these goals can also be achieved. Never let anyone talk you out of your academic dreams. Your athletic dreams will take you only so far, your academic dreams will take you through a lifetime. Go for it, never compensate those lifetime goals.

Ask those important questions, NOW! Always know that our NCSA staff can and will assist you when you begin to get into that aspect of the recruiting process.

Good Luck, I will be rooting for you!

Coach Chmiel

It’s the beginning of the fall season and we couldn’t be more excited that football is finally back! This is a critical time for the 2009 seniors as college recruiting ramps up. Many seniors have been through the camp circuit which culminated to their play on the gridiron. Here are some tips for you seniors to find yourself a home for next fall:

1. Get Good Film!

Solid footage from the first few games of the season can give you an exclamation point if a coach is on the fence to put out an offer. Senior footage can also determine how much you have grown and improved in your abilities.

2. Persistence, Persistence, Persistence!

When I was going through the recruiting process I called 90 coaches. 89 of those schools told me I wasn’t a good fit for their program, but one school said yes. After being a 3 year starter, setting an NCAA record, and with an Orange Bowl ring on my finger, I’d say it was worth each and every one of those 89, “No’s!” I was 1 for 89 in my recruiting experience and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Stay on top of college coaches who have been in contact with you. [Send a check in e-mail.]

Coach _____________,

This is ______________________ from _________ High School. I hope the season is off to a great start! I wanted to check in with you and let you know I had 5 pancake blocks in last weeks win against__________. I’m really excited about where your program is going and want to contribute. I will be sending in footage from our first three games to your office shortly. Please let me know if you need any additional information.

Respectfully,

Matt Webb

3. Broaden your horizons

Maybe you have been focusing on 1 or 2 schools in a nearby region. We want you to know that are over 625 colleges and universities who compete in college football. Defensive Coordinator Jim Catanzaro of Lake Forest College, Illinois once said, “If you want to play college football, there is a home for you!”

4. Get Aggressive!

I urge student-athletes to get aggressive in their recruiting. Find out who is interested and who’s not. A great question to ask college coaches is, “Where do I stand on your recruiting board?” or “Are you looking to offer at the ___________ position for next fall?” By making a quick 2 minute phone call you can find out how much interest a school really has in you.

5. Stay Positive!

Many seniors tend to get frustrated during this time of year. Remember, recruiting is one of the most exciting experiences you will go through. Have fun! A lot of schools gave me the cold shoulder, but it only takes one school to give you the green light. Understand that college football can turn into a business at times. Do what’s best for you and your family. Picking the right college will open up a world of opportunities.

Bigger, Better, Biggest. That short phrase can usually sum up most athletic departments and their budgets across the nation. While most schools strive to insulate their athletes with as many athletic department only perks as possible one school in the SEC has chosen to go in the opposite direction to great success.

Five years ago this week Vanderbilt president Gordon Gee decided to eliminate the schools athletic department and fold athletics into the division of student life. At the time many alumni were furious with the decision. But as they say in sports; winning cures all problems. Both basketball teams made the NCAA tournament, the baseball team is considered a powerhouse and the football team just upset South Carolina to remain undefeated. But, beyond just an improved record on the field the move has benefited the student athletes in countless ways. The average GPA has risen to 3.1 and it graduation rate stands atop the conference at 94%. Still, as the AP reports numbers still don’t tell the whole story.

But Vanderbilt says the real success is an athletics program that is no longer viewed as an appendage, a side business for entertaining students and donors. And Gee’s vision - that if the whole university is responsible for the athletic program, everyone invests more to make sure it succeeds - shows signs of taking hold.

David Williams, the law professor and vice chancellor of university affairs whose job now includes oversight of the athletic program, brags about the music school dean who teamed up with the baseball staff to recruit an outfielder who plays the tuba.

Administrators worked with the honor council to adjust time requirements so athletes could serve on the body - something that hadn’t happened for years. Athletes are picking an expanding range of majors, and are encouraged to study abroad.

“I can’t imagine too many places supporting their athletes to go do something that isn’t athletically related,” said Nick Cromydas, a senior tennis standout from Glenview, Ill., who got financial support to study in Barcelona. “I didn’t bring a tennis racket. I didn’t bring a pair of tennis shoes.”

Now the university is working on a program to send whole teams on foreign trips with athletic and academic components.

“When you look at some schools, and I kind of have, the kids are segregated, they have athletes-only dorms, they eat in the same spot,” said Jensen Lewis, a 2006 Vanderbilt grad now pitching in the Cleveland Indians’ bullpen. “We really developed some great relationships with some - I hate to use the word regular students - but people who weren’t involved in athletics.”

Lewis said his team quickly saw the upside of the changes. Players recognized they’d be better off with support from the full university and not just the athletic department.

“You feel as much a part of someone winning a concerto competition as they feel part of you winning a baseball game,” he said. Ultimately, that experience was something to sell to recruits and helped build the program. He remembers telling them: “You’re coming here to one of the toughest academic universities in the nation, and you’re also coming to one of the most elite programs in college baseball. This isn’t an opportunity that presents itself just anywhere.”

The Vanderbilt story shows recruits exactly why just looking at a handful of schools is simply not enough. If you really want to find the right school, getting out of your comfort zone and thinking outside the box is an absolute must. Changes like this are slowly happening across the nation. If you want to be a part of the change I suggest you start proactively getting your name out now.

In many cultures outside of the United States, rugby is an ancient institution. Small children play barefoot, bigger children play flag, and touch rugby is a constant presence in school yards or neighborhood streets. Solid rugby skill sets are often second nature for players by junior high.

The United States rugby culture, at one time a rich and vibrant one, has for the most part been forgotten. Limited rugby exposure at youth levels often leaves high school athletes without the basics. Unfortunately, many Takkle blog readers may not receive sound coaching until the college or men’s levels.

Luckily for you, we know a guy who can help. U.S. international Kort Schubert has certainly navigated the professional and world rugby paths, which can seem dark and lonely for the few Americans who travel them. This week we asked Kort how to accelerate the learning curve. After picking Kort’s brain for a while it becomes clear why he’s moved from the High School fields of Sacramento, Calif. to Wales’ Cardiff Arms Park, one of rugby’s most hallowed grounds.

RZ: As a high school rugby player, what are the things that an athlete should concentrate on in order to successfully transition to the college rugby level?

KS: A high school athlete looking to play college rugby should focus on core rugby skills – passing, catching, tackling, and evasive running, etc. These are skills that every player has control over, meaning that they don’t necessarily need to play an actual game of rugby to improve. Other skills like field positioning and running lines can be learned and honed with game experience. I’ve found that high school players sometimes lack these core skills when entering college and find themselves struggling to compete, especially when fatigue sets in. So, my advice would be to find a training partner and practice the basic core skills such as:

1) Passing off both hands while running full speed (varying the speed of run and distance between each player to practice short and long passes)

2) Making 1-on-1 tackles in a 5 or 10 meter channel (varying between right and left shoulder tackles)

3) Beating a defender in a 5 or 10-meter channel by being evasive (i.e., using your feet to offset the defender)

RZ: Fitness is an obvious key to succeeding in rugby. What are some of the things you emphasize in your conditioning so that you can be a factor for all 80 minutes of a match?

KS: I emphasize mixing up my routine to include aerobic and anaerobic sessions along with speed and agility exercises. For example, on one day I may run 2-to-4 miles on a treadmill and then 2 days later, run 10-x-100 meter sprints with a 1:2 work to recovery ratio (meaning I would rest twice as long as it would take me to run the sprint before starting the next run). Having had multiple knee surgeries, I also like to incorporate low-impact sessions like boxing and pool workouts which allow me to reach my target heart rate without putting too much strain on my knees. Ultimately, each individual player needs to cater their conditioning workouts to address their own strengths and weaknesses. For instance, if you can maintain roughly the same times over 10 100s but tire easily after running 1 mile then you might want to focus on improving your aerobic fitness levels by doing longer sessions at lower intensity.

RZ: How much does weight training factor into your training regimen?

KS: The amount of weight training I do usually depends on the time of year. If I am in-season, I will try to get in the weight room at least twice a week to maintain my strength levels throughout the season. During the off season, I try to lift 3-to-4 times a week with the goal of increasing my overall strength and power levels. Because of the knee surgeries, I also incorporate some low-impact exercises into my routine to strengthen my quad and core muscles to help support my knee joints.

RZ: Of the rugby clubs you have played for, which had the most demanding practices, and what did the training consist of?

KS: Training sessions at Northampton and Cardiff would have been most demanding in terms of fitness and physicality. Players are constantly battling for positions and thus the intensity levels remain high throughout the week. In contrast, most of the sessions with the National Team are focused on preparing to play a test match that weekend and result in more tactical and structured drills and team run-throughs. Overseas, fitness sessions were constant in order to maintain high fitness levels throughout a 9-month season. We would usually train hard the first 2-to-3 days of the week and then taper off towards game day. Sessions would include a series of anaerobic games and rugby specific fitness drills where we would hit pads, run sprints, play touch, etc with the goal of reaching and maintaining our target heart rates for a set period of time before recovering and repeating.

RZ: When watching professional or international rugby, what are some things a young rugby player should concentrate on to elevate their own game?

KS: Earlier in my career, when I had a lot of free time to watch Tri-Nations and Six-Nations matches, I would always focus on the backrow – their positioning after set pieces and in open play, running lines, tackling technique, etc. When watching top level matches, individual players should focus on players in their position and how they approach different situations. For example, if you are a flyhalf, you should always take notice of when a flyhalf kicks, when he passes, when he runs and why. If a 10 is in his own 22 and the opposing wing is playing up, he will most likely kick to the open space in behind the wing. American born players sometimes overlook these key aspects of the game and instead focus their attention on the big physical runs and hard tackles. I would watch Lawrence Dallaglio, Zinzan Brooke, Olivier Magne, Josh Kronfeld, among others.

-Rugbyzone

Schubert watched loose forwards Lawrence Dallaglio (left) who played for the London Wasps, England and the Lions, and legendary All Black Zinzan Brooke to learn how to handle game situations.

Any relationship/friendship if it is to be beneficial to both parties must be based upon trust and loyalty. This quality definitely applies to your relationship with the coach that is recruiting you. Even as a young person you need to “get a feel” for the coach who is attempting to attract you to his or her school. Basically this is an initial instinct as to how comfortable you are with this individual.

Recruiters are as diverse and different as all people are different from each other. Initially parents or guardians need to interact with the recruiting coach. When they are comfortable with the recruiter and the young person is ready, they can turn the brunt of the relationship over to the recruit and watch from basically role as a moderator.

Being comfortable with the relationship, it can mean that the conversations with the recruiter are not just based upon a hard sell for their school, but are actual conversations concerning academics, friends, life goals and other topics. The constant hard sell can become annoying, and indicative of a recruiter who is inexperienced, or who is “not doing their homework.” The best recruiters that I had the pleasure of working with knew their respective recruits almost as life long friends. Again, “the best” recruiters I worked with. It really sent up a red flag for me when on our recruiting call evening I would go down the hall and hear one of our coaches begins the conversation with, “So how is it going big guy, who do you guys have this weekend,? Great, I will call you next week!” I could only think about what the young person on the other end of that call thought of such an impersonal call.

Permit me to digress a bit. When I say recruiting coach, I am referring to the coach who is the primary contact with the recruit. Initially it is usually a coach who is assigned to a geographical region of the prospective student athlete. The recruit may also hear from the coach of a particular position on the team assigned to that recruit, the recruiting coordinator or even the head coach as the process continues.

The coach assigned geographically to the area is usually the initial contact and usually the main conduit to the athletic program for the recruit and the family. This is usually the relationship that becomes the strongest and most lasting. And this is usually the coach that will “have the recruits back” as the young person moves from prospect to recruit to signee, to team member to college graduate. And in all candor, this is the coach who if he or she leave the school for another position at another school will have the biggest affect on the athlete.

And, if this individual should move on during the recruiting process it is critical for the family to immediately call the head coach to determine the status of the recruit in the process with the main contact in the program no longer in the picture. It is an honor to be recruited, it is indicative of hard work and dedication, but remember this is a two way street. It is also an honor to be called ‘coach.” And as you are moving through the process remember that you have a lot to bring to the table, and that as you are being evaluated, you are also evaluating the coaches and schools that are recruiting you. It is critical that once again you “get a feel” for these individuals.

Can you live with these people during the next four years of your life that will determine the next forty years of your life? And when I say “live with” it is just what I mean. A commitment to a school is huge undertaking. Hours, days, weeks, months, years of practice, being coached, competing, and every athletic moment along the way you will be in the charge of the coaches who have recruited you. It sounds like a long road and it is, but it can be just so rewarding, and the ride of a lifetime. Make sure that the coaches who will accompany you on that ride are people,” that you can live with.” Go for it! And always remember that you will be going through this process only once. At NCSA you will be dealing with people who have gone through it so many, many, times. And remember that we are here to assist you. No question is too unimportant; it is about you and about your future. Use us to make that future as bright and as profitable as possible.

Coach C.

This picture was taken in late August. That’s my son Jack competing in a cross country event. Lo and behold, that’s me in the background. The picture prompted me to write about the role of parenting in recruiting. It’s something I will write on from time to time here. My wife Nancy and I have six children. All of them have the potential to be college student-athletes. Jack, a 10th grader, is the oldest. Five girls, his sisters, follow him including five year old Gracie who is projected to be 6′4″ (excuse me, there are a bunch of D1 coaches knocking at our door - hey, you can’t offer kindergartners, Coaches!”)

As a local TV News sportscaster for 23 years, I saw plenty of overbearing parents who hurt their kid’s college sports chances. I also saw plenty of level headed ones too. As my kids grow up I am determined to put into practice what I saw from the level headed parents.

The role of parents is obviously very important in recruiting. First of all, it is important you help guide your kids to find THEIR passion when it comes to sports. You can’t live through them. When Jack was younger I had him throwing left handed. I thought it would be great for him to be the next Jamie Moyer. He could pitch until he was 45 and send me retirement money (just kidding!) Turns out, Jack wasn’t crazy about baseball. As a parent, I understood that and helped him find his passion. It was running. He loves to run. As a parent, I want what’s best for Jack and what HE wants to do. Here is a sign your child has found THEIR passion — this past summer I never once had to tell him to go run. He went on his on every day because he loves it.

As an 8th and 9th grader, Jack was a decent runner. As a 10th grader he has really improved and told me he is now thinking of running in college. He likes the idea of being on a D3 team because he treasures the friendships he has now in cross country. He is warming up to the idea of going to a small college and majoring in his beloved history. College sports are not all about D1. There are great opportunities out there at all levels.

As a parent, my role is to encourage, support and hold him accountable in all of this.

His times are not college caliber yet, but he knows where he has to be. Some of us have kids that are bonafide college athletic prospects in 9th grades. For others, it takes longer. The key is to encourage your child to steadily get better. That’s what Jack is doing. His high school coach says his attitude, work ethic, and team spirit are outstanding. She says his times are steadily getting better too.

I am holding him accountable by making sure he is writing academic and athletic goals to posting them on his bedroom walls. His best cross country time is 18:50 which is not going to cut it in college. He knows that and has a goal of 18:40 this week in a meet. His eventual goal is to get down into the 17:00’s with terrific grades. As a parent I want to encourage, support and hold him accountable in getting there.

As parents, make sure your kids have their goals written down. A person without written goals is like a game bird hunter who goes into a field, shoots a shotgun blast, and hopes a game bird flies into the shot pattern.

Academically, kids have to understand they are “on the academic clock” starting in 9th grade. I had a cross country college freshman runner tell me recently that he left academic money on the table because he wasn’t as focused as he should have been in the 9th grade. When I deliver the NCSA message I think it’s good for middle schoolers to be in the audience specifically to hear the message about having your academics ready from Day One of 9th grade.

When he was an 8th grader, I realized Jack could possibly be a college runner. That’s why I made sure he was on the ball academically from Day One in 9th grade. Jack is smart enough to make all A’s. I told him I expected all A’s this semester. Any ‘B’ means a day a week without video games or TV. As a parent, I want to guide him to have the best GPA, class rank and test scores as possible as well as quality cross country times so he can realize his dream of running for a small college and majoring in History. I’d love for him to be in a small college setting with a classroom setting of 17 students to every teacher.

As a parent it’s important you help your child be properly evaluated. I talked to a college tennis coach recently who signed a kid through NCSA. He said, “Charlie, the player was properly evaluated. That’s huge for us as college coaches!”

Also, when those questionnaires and letters come from the Ohio Northern’s and SUNY - New Paltz’s, don’t toss them. Study them. Coaches at Ohio Northern told me a kid with a pharmacy degree from there can expect to start out making $125,000 a year.

There is so much to share about parenting. I will share more on the subject as well as other topics in the near future.

NCSA Educational Speaker

Charlie Adams

Kort Schubert is a battle-tested and well decorated American rugby player. Notches on Kort’s rugby belt include winning collegiate national championships with Cal, captaining the USA Eagles, playing in the Rugby World Cup, and competing professionally in the Celtic League. His past and present club memberships have included:

Ashton Freebooters
Jesuit High School
Northern California Pelicans (High School)
University of California at Berkeley
Pacific Coast Grizzlies (Collegiate and Men’s)
Collegiate All Americans
USA Eagles (7s and 15s)
Northampton Saints (England)
Cardiff Blues (Wales)
Glamorgan Wanderers (Wales Premiership)
Olympic Club

Photos: At 29 years old, Schubert has an impressive competition resume, most notably with the Cardiff Blues, right, and the USA Eagles.

Kort is teaming up with RugbyZone on a weekly Q&A called “8 Man Pick Up”. Here you will be able to get inside the head of someone who has banged heads on the International rugby battlefields for almost 10 years. RugbyZone and Kort have only one goal: To get you fired up about rugby!

Like many of you, there was a time when Kort didn’t know much about the game of rugby. We thought it would be a good idea to ask him a few questions about how he started and get some insight into his rugby roots.

RZ: How did you first discover rugby?

KS: I first discovered rugby watching my brother Greg play for the St. Mary’s Gaels in the late 80’s. My family would take day trips from Sacramento to Moraga to watch Greg play against the likes of Cal and Sacramento State. An interesting fact is that Greg’s 1991 team was the last St. Mary’s team to beat Cal.

RZ: What other organized sports have you played?

KS: Throughout my athletic career, other than rugby I have played organized soccer, football (tackle and flag), basketball, baseball, and volleyball.

RZ: When did you first play rugby as an organized sport?

KS: I first played rugby as an organized sport during my junior year of high school, for a club team called the Ashton Freebooters. The Freebooters were comprised of high school students from Jesuit, Rio Americano, and El Camino high schools. In 1997, Jesuit formed its own club rugby team and has gone on to win many state and national championships.

RZ: Who are some of the players and/or coaches who have influenced you throughout your rugby career?

KS: Many coaches have influenced my rugby career, however none more so than Jack Clark and Tom Billups. Coach Clark and Billups have had the biggest influence on my development and success on the rugby field. Coach Clark recruited me to Cal and taught me the basic skills of rugby. Tom Billups, as a coach at Cal and with the national team, has acted as a mentor to me throughout my domestic and professional careers.

In terms of players, I would have to say that Dan Lyle and Dave Hodges have had the most influence on my rugby career. Dan and Dave through their words and actions helped guide me as a young player with the national team. Both being former national team captains and tenured professionals in Europe, Dan and Dave paved the way for players like myself.

Photos: Tom Billups, left, and Dan Lyle represent the elite of American rugby, those who have played professionally overseas.

If you have any questions for Kort, please post them in the comments. We will reply on the blog or in Kort’s n