NCAA - LINKS FOR NCAA REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR UPCOMING COLLEGE STUDENT/ATHLETES
The NCAA produces a very useful guide entitled The College Bound Student Athlete, that provides a great amount of information for players planning to play soccer at the collegiate level. All prospective players and their parents should read this manual prior to the recruiting process.
NCAA GUIDE FOR THE COLLEGE BOUND ATHLETE
DIVISION I, II AND III - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
FRESHMAN ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER WEBSITE
NCAA INITIAL ELIGIBILITY BROCHURE
NCAA REGISTRATION CHECKLIST FOR ELIGIBILITY CENTER
NCAA RECRUITING CALENDARS 2011-2012
PLAYER PROFILE SAMPLE 1
PLAYER PROFILE SAMPLE 2
QUESTIONS TO ASK COLLEGE COACHES
NCAA Rules Every Recruit Should Know
Q1. When can a college coach first contact me? Coaches can send you non]recruiting material (e.g. camp brochures and questionnaires) during your freshman and sophomore year. Recruiting material may be sent September 1 of your junior year. Coaches can call you starting July 1 going into your senior year and can contact you by phone once per week thereafter.
Q2. When can I reach out to a college coach with an email or a phone call? Prospects can call and email coaches without restriction.
Q3. Can I use social media to enhance my recruiting efforts? You can reach out to college coaches through social media, ask to be friended, but college coaches cannot reach out to you and send friend requests.
Q4. When can a recruit make an on]campus visit? A recruit can make unofficial visits to campuses at any time and there is no limit to unofficial visits . Official visits, visits in which all or a portion of the travel expenses (including airfare, food, and lodging) are paid by the college/university, are allowed after the first day of school in your senior year. Prospects can make one official visit to each school and a total of five official visits prior to graduation.
Q5. What makes me a recruitable prospect? You are classified as a recruitable prospect after you have received more than one telephone call from a program.
Q6. How many times can a coach come and watch me play? A college coach is allowed seven interactions (e.g., evaluations and contacts) per prospect during the course a prospect’s high school academic calendar. Evaluations are unlimited during summer and winter breaks.
Q7. When can I receive notification of the scholarship offer? Coaches are allowed to offer scholarships in writing starting the first school day of your senior year. Scholarships may be verbally offered at any time.
Q8. Can I and or my parents talk with the coach before and/or after the event that the coach has just observed?
During the day(s) of competition, the coach cannot contact you prior to the game in which you are participating or after the game until you are released by your coach and departed the facility.
College Applying/Recruiting Reference Guide
Sophomore Year
• Review NCAA Athletic Eligibility Guidelines.
• Take PSAT test.
• Prepare soccer resume and player profile.
• Review
• Select junior year course to fulfill these requirements.
Summer Before Junior Year
• Register with NCAA Clearinghouse.
• Complete resume and player profile on the Gboro Elite Website.
• Search for colleges / universities that meet your interests and submit them to the Glassboro Elite College Director.
• Research the academics and teams at these schools.
• Send resume and player profiles to these schools.
Junior Year
• Take PSAT test for National Merit Scholarship.
• Play in College Showcase tournaments.
• Attend any recruitment seminars at these tournaments.
• Narrow your search to 10 or so schools.
• Contact coaches to schedule a time for an unofficial visit.
• Make unofficial visit (at your expense) to selected schools.
• Take SAT test.
• Check status with NCAA Clearinghouse.
• Select senior year courses to complete Clearinghouse requirements.
• Obtain college financial aid form (FAFSA).
• Send coaches updated resume and player profile, send dates of tournaments and league games.
Summer Before Senior Year
• Complete unofficial school visits.
• Narrow search to 5 or 10 schools.
• Evaluate opportunities during recruiting calls from coaches.
• Complete FAFSA form for an estimate of available aid.
Senior Year
• Check status with NCAA Clearinghouse.
• Narrow search to 5 schools.
• Send “Early Admission” application to the 5 schools.
• Complete FAFSA form again with recent tax information.
• Complete 5 Official (at the schools expense) visits.
• Make a decision and sign a National Letter of Intent.
The site offers:
PSAT and SAT testing dates and locations.
Advice about choosing the right school.
Planning for college.
Getting into the schools of your choice.
How to pay for school
Recruiting Definitions
Contact
A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or your parents off the college’s campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you are competing or practicing.
Contact Period
During this time, a college coach may have in-person contact with you and/or your parents on or off the college’s campus. The coach may also watch you play or visit your high school. You and your parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone you during this period.
Dead Period
The college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents at any time in the dead period. The coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.
Evaluation
An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or compete.
Evaluation Period
The college coach may watch you play or visit your high school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with you or your parents off the college’s campus. You and your parents can visit a college campus during this period. A coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.
Official Visit
Any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the college. The college may pay the following expenses:
• Your transportation to and from the college;
• Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college; and
• Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest.
Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Prospective Student-Athlete
You become a “prospective student-athlete” when:
• You start ninth-grade classes; or
• Before your ninth-grade year, a college gives you, your relatives or your friends any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to students generally.
Quiet Period
The college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents off the college’s campus. The coach may not watch you play or visit your high school during this period. You and your parents may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or telephone you or your parents during this time.
Unofficial Visit
Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like and may take those visits at any time. The only time you cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.
Verbal Commitment
This phrase is used to describe a college-bound student-athlete’s commitment to a school before he or she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent. A college-bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become very popular for both college-bound student-athletes and coaches, this "commitment" is NOT binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the school. Only the signing of the National Letter of Intent accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties.
© The National Collegiate Athletic Association
CONTACTING THE CLEARINGHOUSE
Customer Service: 877-262-1492
24-hour Voice Response: 877-861-3003
Mail:
Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse
301 ACT Drive
P.O. Box 4044
Iowa City, IA52243-4044
