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Ken: With the Start of the season right around the corner? and players and coaches are gearing up for the season, what should parents be doing to help there son get recruited during the season?

We heard it said before “It’s not the coach job to get them recruited.” With that said, what should we as parents be doing? Should we be reaching out during the season to college who are knee deep in there own program or just be recording games getting highlites together to send out because it hard to get game film from the coaches and not all them use hudl.

Any suggestion for parent trying to help their child get to the next level so we are not waiting to later especially if they are going to be a junior or senior.

BCP: That question is a great one because every other parent wants that answer. There is a good and a bad to the answer:

THE BAD: The larger football programs and many 1aa schools have keyed in on prospects they want or are keeping up with. Many won’t get off that course. Always exceptions to the rule though. It becomes a waiting game now to see which kids commit, lose offers, show awesome development or prove to be more hype than prospect. The smaller division schools are waiting to see which kids won’t get much attention by the big boys so they can swoop in and grab some talent.

THE GOOD: A VERY large amount of potential prospects are senior evaluation kids. Large division colleges are wanting to see how well they develop and play during the senior year. Parents should get ahead of the 8 ball and send film and grade summary reports to lower division schools (smaller 1aa-D3 and NAIA) with the kid’s first 3 games. Grab the attention of NAIA and D3 schools. Get a few d2 schools excited and hope a 1aa program thinks highly. The landscape will level off by November. You would like your son’s name on a few recruiting boards by that time.

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Ken: Just curious, what team are you most interested in seeing this year in the Tampa and St.Pete area? Is there any game in particular that you’re anxious to see mix it up this year?

BCP: Interested in seeing East Lake and Plant. Both teams lost some key players, but fill those gaps with quality players. Each will be tested at some point this year. I have not examined the schedules close enough to name a game.

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Tony: Scholarship
Is it better for a student-athlete to orally commit early so he can lock something in or should they wait to see what other offers he may get? Does committing early scare off protential offers? I have heard that some waited too long and there offer went to another athlete.
Just wanted to get your thoughts on what’s better; To lock in and see if anything comes better or just roll the dice and chose later?

BCP: It depends on the quality of the prospects and the relationship with the college coaching staffs. Either way, an athlete is taking a risk. The better the prospect, the more schools will wait for his decision. Other kids need to jump on offers earlier because schools will take prospect commitments as they come in and a young man could be left without many options.