A local club director offers advise on the Fall Exposure Period:
THE FALL NCAA EVENT - CLOSING THE DEAL
On October 3rd and 4th will be the last NCAA eval period for this year. In my opinion, for an uncommitted Senior, it is the most important event of the year. This is where the majority of schools will fill in the last pieces they need for next years class. It is no secret that if you are six foot, or taller, chances are you have already received a lot of attention from schools, or have already committed somewhere. If you are under six feet, and are not a phenom, this is your time to shine. Schools at these showcase events are playing lets make a deal. Some of the D-I's are now looking for kids to fit specific needs. The D-II and smaller schools are now up to bat, since a lot of the D-I's are done. This is also the time to close the deal with a school that might have shown interest in you, but that has not offered. Remember, interest from just one school is not a great position to be in. Because if that one school does not offer, you are in trouble. However, if you can get another school, or more interested in you, it creates the auction type effect for your services that you want in a hurry. This Fall event offers a great opportunity to generate that interest. If you can get at least one offer, it now gives you the leverage you need to try and make a deal with a school you are really interested in, or allows you to decide if that is the school that will work for you. Options are very good thing at this time of the year. The more the better. As the window closes on this school year, your options will get smaller and smaller.
If you are a senior, it would probably not be to wise to wait for High School ball to begin to try and generate interest in you from colleges. That is a risky bet. Most High School coaches do not have the connections that most elite club teams have. There are a few exceptions to this statement. The point being if your high school coach actually could generate interest from colleges, they probably would have already exercised this ability for you, before your senior year. Now here is the other important thing to understand about your high school coach. They might not get you a scholarship, but they can prevent you from getting one. Once a college starts zeroing in on you as a scholarship athlete, they are going to want to talk to your high school coach to see if you are a team player, if you get along with your teammates, and generally what kind of person they might be getting. Parents also be aware, most colleges are going to be asking the high school coach about you. If you are pain the rump, that might generate a red flag that you might not want. High school sports in general generates constant complaints from parents about everything. Just remember to not complain to loudly, because it could come back to bite you.
