The Ideal Athlete

What makes the, “Ideal Athlete”? Most people would say a combination of speed, strength, agility and power. These physical attributes do go a long way in determining the success one may have in competition. However, there are other characteristics that go into the making of the ideal athlete: Humility, Loyalty, Dependability and Respect. These character traits, or the lack of them, will go a long way in determining one’s success in life. Both must be taught, developed, modeled and nurtured.

When I think of someone who has all the physical and character traits of the ideal athlete, Tiger Woods comes to mind immediately. His recent handling of Kelley Tilghman’s remark, speaks volumes of his character. Tiger had many people, groups and organizations pressuring him into speaking out about race. However, he chose to remain true to his character and forgive a friend. Thank you Tiger.

Marketing Yourself

I have often been asked the question, What can I do to increase my opportunity to play somewhere after High School? The answer is, to employ some simple marketing techniques.
As marketing has become a major influence in athletics at every level, it only makes sense to become an active part of that process. Today, only 10% of student athletes receive a full athletic scholarship. Therefore, to insure college coaches notice your talents and achievements, you may need to market yourself. Here are a few suggestions to start with.
1) Choose your market: Select colleges from multiple divisions. Not everyone will play Div.1
2) Advertise yourself: Draft a letter of introduction and send it out. You can find contact information for colleges on the web. Include a copy of your schedule with your letter.
3) Provide product visibility: Attend games to show your interest. College coaches are very busy people and can't always get out to your game.
Finally, as a helpful guide, I would suggest Robert L. Scotts book, "How to Market Your Student Athlete". This book has easy-to-follow guidlines that will get you the results you are looking for.
Go get'em.

College Admission Tests

Any student applying to California State University (CSU), University of California (UC), the honors program at a community college, certain merit-based scholarships, or private universities and colleges, should take either the SAT Reasoning Test (which tests verbal, math, and writing abilities) or the ACT, which tests verbal, math, social studies, and science reasoning. An overwhelming number of colleges and universities will recognize either test. If you have the money and the time, take both. Additionally, for the UC and top private universities, applicants must take two Subject Tests in two different subject areas: history/social science, English Literature, mathematics, laboratory science, or language other than English. Registration can be done online.
Reminder:
Tests must be taken by December of the senior year. Private colleges have other deadlines and test dates.

Community College Information

Requirements:
1) Be a high school graduate (diploma, satisfactory GED)
2) A person 18 years of age or older
3) File an Application which is usually available from the college online.
4) Take Placement Tests: Most require English and Math placement tests prior to enrolling.
5) Provide Transcripts: -Take a copy of your final transcript to the community college counselor.

NCAA Clearinghouse information

Students who enroll as college freshmen and wish to participate in NCAA Division I, II or III athletics must be certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. The academic standards include high school graduation, a qualifying GPA and test scores, successful completion of approved courses and all other college minimum admissions requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to register with NCAA Clearinghouse by the beginning of the senior year. To register, prospective students-athletes should access the registration materials by visiting the Clearinghouse web-site at http://www.ncaaclearinghouse.net/. At the home page, click on “Prospective Student-Athletes”.

The Stolen Base

The higher one goes, "up the ladder" in Baseball, the more difficult it becomes to, "steal " a base. Pitchers: get better at holding runners, Catchers: footwork, pop time, arm accuracy and strength improves. This translates into the need for base runners to work at improving their skills as well. While there is no substitute for speed, a player does not have to be blessed with great speed to be a good base stealer. Daily instruction with guided practice in game situations, will translate into a greater percentage of stolen bases. Remember, in order to experience success, one must be willing to risk failure.

The Bunt

In this era of emphasis on strength and power in the game of baseball, bunting has become a lost art. Getting on base and moving runners into scoring position can ultimately determine the outcome of a game more often than the home run. Incorporating an emphasis on bunting in your daily practices with guided instruction in: the drag, push, sacrifice and squeeze, will translate into greater production.