By Chris Reagan
Staff Writer
There is a common misconception about the college recruitment process that all it takes is being good at a sport to get a scholarship, but in reality, the process is much more complex than that.
One of the biggest factors that plays into whether an athlete gets a scholarship or not is exposure, something coaches at Coppell High School are very familiar with.
“When coaches come through we recommend kids based on what their needs are,” football coach Joe McBride said. “One of the main things we do is show them their transcripts and give them video to see if they’re a right fit for the team.”
Coaches express that any exposure through practice, sending in video and different combines where players can display their skills in front of scouts.
While much of the recruiting process has stayed the same, technology has had a huge impact in changing the way recruits get noticed. No longer are players forced to sort through mountains of mail from prospective colleges or even meet face to face until they are sure that a player is the one they want.
“If colleges aren’t using social media they’re behind,” defensive line coach Stephen Fex said. “Now the NCAA is taking steps to balance out the colleges that use social media and those who don’t because there is such a big gap.”
Social media has changed the game on recruiting because it allows instant contact between colleges and high schools. Coaches can now send video directly to a college coach through e-mail and promote athletes by uploading footage to YouTube to get the word out about their players.
Social media as well as text messages and other instant forms of communications are so prevalent in recruiting today that the NCAA has to constantly monitor how they are being used and places restrictions on them.
A large part of determining recruiting is being able to get ranked through websites like Rivals, Scout, and even ESPN. In order to get a ranking from these sites players have to send in video, and the website will view it to get their ranking. These sites have a huge influence on a player’s recruitment because a good ranking will give them national exposure.
Senior offensive guard Sam Rice is taking advantage of these media and has a profile on Scout that lists him as a three star rating and 75th in his position.
“The websites help because it can get my name out there,” Rice said, “Colleges can also see where I’m interested in going.”
Even with all the technology making recruiting easier today, the recruitment process still takes a toll on the athletes.
“It’s a little bit stressful,” senior offensive tackle Jake Williams said. “You don’t really know if you’re going to get a scholarship or not or which school you’re going to go to, but the coaches have a lot of connections so that helps out a lot.”
