Just about everybody is on one social network or another, if not all, these days.  It is a great way to reconnect and/or stay connected with people.  Facebook and My Space lead the charge with 150 million and 115 million users, respectively.

Being able to upload photos, videos, comments, etc. or being tagged in a video or photo is cool and fun.  However, more and more colleges are using social networks, not only to communicate with prospects, but to do research and keep an eye on them as well. 

The internet alone can be image damaging for athletes.  Michael Phelps and Matt Leinert anyone?   

However, when it comes to college recruiting and potentially $100,000 in scholarship money, student athletes need to very cautious about what is posted on their profiles. 

I currently work with a college kicker who is graduating and hoping to get a shot at the pros.  When I became his "friend" on facebook, I had the ability to look at his profile and all of his photos.  I came across several where he had been tagged by others while attending a Halloween costume party.  In several of the photos, he was holding a beer.  He is over 21 and legal to drink alcohol, but I don't think that he would want NFL teams seeing photos of him partying...

Both NFL and Colleges want to recruit athletes with integrity, good character, etc.  The internet in general, makes it easier for everyone to find and see people. 

If you are actively using your social network profiles, exercise caution in what you post and be aware of what others may post about you.  Ultimately, you shouldn't have to worry about if anything is posted or not about you if you are an upstanding citizen.  However, high school athletes are still young and make mistakes from time to time.  Believe or not, I made a couple in high school. 

When those mistakes are made, just make sure that they don't find their way onto the internet...Here is a good article on this topic.

Be smart on the field, at school, at events and online.

The College Football Signing period is only a few weeks away.  Where are you in the process?  If have already verbally committed, congratulations.  If not, you need to pick up the pace.  Over the next several weeks to months, colleges will be "closing their books" on the class of 2009.  If you hope to be playing at the next level in the fall of 2009 here is what I recommend doing:

• Make a list of your top 15 college choices

• If you have already made your list, it is time to reevaluate that list

• Choose your dream schools, realistic schools and fall back schools (Some may overlap)

• Ask yourself, if I wasn't playing a sport, would I want to go to that school? (Remember, there is an off-season)

• Find out the situation for your position at those schools

• Is the starter a senior?

• What about the back ups?

• How many people on the roster play your position?

• Make sure that you have video ready to show them

• Call the coach (You make the call, not your parents)

• Keep calling until you get a hold of him/her

• Prove to that coach that you are a great fit for their program

• Be assertive and keep in contact (squeaky wheel gets the oil)

We all dream about going to a top ranked athletic program. Maybe you

can go to one, but will you play? Find the college where you can play

for 3-4 years and get a solid education. That positive experience will

last a lifetime.

I wasn't heavily recruited out of high school and I wasn't drafted in

the NFL. However, with some hard work, luck and resolve, I was able to

get a great education and play in the NFL for 9 seasons.

Now get out there and market yourself.  You need to work just as hard off the field as you do on the field if you want to keep playing the sport that you love.

Check out these video clips for more recruiting Tips: http://www.youtube.com/user/ActiveRecruiting

Good Luck!

As I mentioned in my last blog post, only 2-3% of student athletes have video up online for colleges to view. On the flip side, nearly 100% of coaches have stressed the importance of video in the evaluation process.

So, why is there such a big gap between what coaches want and student-athletes using the internet to host their video? I believe that the main reasons are:

1. Getting quality video

2. Capturing the video to your computer

3. Editing the video

4. Understanding the different file formats

5. Deciding which software to buy/use

6. Using the software correctly

7. Uploading video

In this blog, I will be focusing on getting quality video for your profile.  This will include making sure that you have a good camera person, have a good camcorder, lengths for the video and angles when filming.

Many people don't know where to begin to get video. If you play high school football, you are lucky, because 99.9% of the games are filmed and you can get a copy from your coaches. However, most sports don't have their games/matches filmed by coaches. How can you get your event video taped?

There are a few ways to get video:

• Getting a parent to film

• Pro - Good since parents go to most of the games

• Con -Video could be compromised if they get excited while filming

• Getting a friend to film

• Pro - Inexpensive and easy to get if you buy them a few lunches

• Con - Inexperience and unreliable if they have a  new girl/boy friend

• Paying a videographer

• Pro - professional and you can several team mates filmed

• Con - expensive, but cost can be split among team mates

If you choose to havea parent or a friend film the events, you can purchase a digital video camera for well under $300, depending on the format.  Mini DV camcorders use small dv tapes and are excellent quality.  Hard drive cameras and high definition cameras will cost a lot more and may appear to be better quality.  However, the difference in quality when you post the video to the internet is not worth the price difference.

Once you have your camera and the necessary equipment like batteries and mini-dv tapes, you need to understand how to use the camera.  It is not rocket science, but knowing how to start/stop recording and to zoom in/out are two of the most important "skills" needed to film an event.  Practice with the camera before you start "officially" filming the event.

Filming from the right angles is important to ensure that recruiters can use the video for evaluations.  Each sport will have its own specific requirements.  However, there are general rules for filming.

• Allow enough of the field/court to be viewable so coaches can see plays develop and execution of a play

• DO NOT zoom in too close where the only person in the "frame" is the athlete being filmed

• DO NOT zoom out too far where everyone looks like a "Hoo from Hooville"

Many coaches that I have spoken with want to see a wide enough area of the field where they can see the play developed, transitioned and executed.  For example, in soccer, many videos show a player with a ball make a couple of moves with no one around and then pass the ball away without seeing where the ball went.  Coaches don't know if you pass was on target or way off the mark. 

The same goes in baseball/softball.  Players fielding the ball in the infield will turn and throw, but the camera does not show where the ball goes and if it hit its target accurately.

The point is that coaches want team players and need to see you execute to the end of that particular play. The goal of the video is to make their job easier and to effectively separate yourself from the competition. Having quality video can be the key ingredient in a successful recruitment process.

You have signed up with the NCAA Eligibility Center and identified you top 15 schools that you would like to attend.  Now you have to let them know that you exist.  Marketing yourself is vital if you would like to get on colleges' radar screens.  If you are as good as Reggie Bush, stop reading this because you are good go.  If you NOT Reggie Bush, you need to be positioned so that you separate yourself from the competition. 

Where to start?  First of all you need a resume.  Now a days, having an online presence is vital.  Many college coaches use the internet to get introduced to student-athletes.  It is 1000x easier for them to view online profiles then to have to worry about getting paper cuts when opening your mail.  Secondly, you need video.  Having video is key in helping coaches during the recruiting process.  In a recent poll taken by ActiveRecruiting.com, 100% of the coaches polled answered that video was very important.  Next, you need to present your resume in a way that is user friendly for coaches.  College coaches want to efficiently view your resume.  If you make it hard for them or have incomplete/inaccurate information, chances are they will scratch you off their list. 

The reality is that there are several student-athletes that they could recruit who are on a similar skill level as you.  Again, what you need to do is set yourself apart from the competition.  How are you going to do that?  Work smarter.  Work your way to the front of the line. 

Take advantage of technology to spread the word that you are their "Answer."  Every college sports team has a web page.  Besides D1 Football and D1 Basketball, you can easily find contact information, phone numbers and email addresses, for coaches in most sports and divisions.  They want to be contacted.

Yes, the NCAA has restrictions on when they can contact you.  However, there are no restrictions on when and how often you can contact them. 

• Start with an email to the coach

• Copy and paste a direct link to your online resume

• This puts them one click from being introduced to you and viewing your video

• Follow up with a phone call (Student-Athletes make the call not the Parents)

• When you reach them, chances are they are in their office and in front of their computer

• Direct them to you video profile

• Utilize this call to serve as an interview

• Be confident when speaking with them

• Keep calling until you reach them

My soccer coach used to tell us, "Keep shooting on goal.  Eventually, you are going to score."  I believe that this advice can be used in recruiting as well.  There are hundreds to thousands of college programs out there.  There will be several that will be a good fit for you academically as well as athletically, if you are willing to be flexible.

Sending DVDs can be helpful, but most coaches throw them away so they won't trip over them in their offices.  These are called "unsolicited" DVDs and a waste of money.  Think about the cost to produce and mail out DVDs to hundreds of schools?  If you do have DVDs produced, wait until a college requests them.

With an online video profile, you can consistently update your video without having to produce a new DVD.  Signing up to an online recruiting site that allows college coaches to search by filters can only increase your odds of being discovered.  However, you still need to be very pro-active in getting your name out.

With the cost of gas, many colleges will cut back on traveling.  However, they still need to recruit.  Help make their jobs easier and increase your odds by working wisely in promoting yourself.

No one is going to market yourself better than you and/or your parent.  If you are serious about playing college sports, then be prepared to do whatever it takes...

Michael Husted played professional football for eight years  as a placekicker. He is also the co-creator of activerecruiting.net, an  innovative online video recruiting tool that connects student athletes with coaches through  the use of interactive video profiles.

So you want to play sports  in college? Whether you’re an All-American,  All- State, All- District or just a starter  because you were left off those lists by mistake, in order to play at the next  level there are mandatory procedures.

The NCAA considers a  Prospective Student-Athlete as “someone who  is looking to participate in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or  Division II institution in the future.” To play in college  ALL Prospective Student-Athletes must sign up with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

As  of August 1, 2008, NCAA Division I will require 16 core courses. Division II requires 14 core courses, but  will increase to 16 core courses beginning August 1, 2013. View the NCAA  Freshman Eligibility Standards Quick Reference Sheet for more information  on these requirements.

This important step allows  for college coaches to verify that you are eligible and provides them academic  information on the student-athlete. You  are encouraged to submit transcripts and test scores (SAT/ACT) for their  review. You will be assigned a pin  number that they can use to confirm this information.

Just like there are rules to  follow in games, the NCAA is all about rules and guidelines to better serve  student-athletes and their parents.

Once you have registered, it  is time to let them know that you are out there. The internet is a great way to create  exposure. Creating an online interactive video profile is a solid way to make that all important introduction to college coaches.

If you haven’t registered  with the eligibility center, do so ASAP.

This past weekend's NFL draft ended months of speculation, blogs, news stories, etc. The anticipation of the Draft for NFL hopefuls can be equated to College Recruiting and National Signing Day.

However, at each level, the roles that the two parties play are opposite to each other. In College Recruiting, the top athletes get to hold the College teams in suspense as they finalize their decisions. In the NFL, the top athletes wait in suspense to see which team will draft them.

Regardless, in the NFL there is a lot of due diligence that goes into deciding which player to draft. We are talking about millions of dollars and pride.

I believe that student-athletes and their parents should prepare accordingly before they "draft" their college/university. Although we are not talking about millions of dollars. We are talking about $100k+. Pride is always a factor at any level...

NFL teams look at players to see if they will fit their scheme well, both on offense and defense. How will they fit in the locker room? Will they be a good representative of the organization?

Student-athletes should look at colleges to see if they fit their academic/athletic scheme. Do they offer the desired academic programs? Is it a good athletic program where they will get significant playing time? How will they fit in the locker room? Will the degree from that college be a good representation of that student-athlete?

When I played for the Tampa Bay Bucs, I remembered Coach Tony Dungy saying (thankfully), "That this team will not be made up of the best skilled players at each position, but the best players at each position that provide team chemistry." All the talent in the world can not replace team chemistry. That is equivalent to the saying, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

That being said. Chemistry (not the class) should be a major factor for student-athletes when making their college decision .

Going into my senior year of high school, I was starting to think about

the hard decision that I would have to make in choosing the right

college to continue playing football. Would it be Notre Dame or UCLA. I

expected there to be a few other big players, but those were my top two

choices. Do I go and play for Notre Dame and its elite program (at the

time.) Or do I follow my calling to go out west to California and play

for the Bruins. Both offered so many positives...

I went to high school in Hampton, Va. The Hampton Crabbers, yes, the

Crabbers, were a power house football team that consistently found

itself in the state championship. I was All-State kicker two years in a

row. We had won the state championship my sophomore and junior years.

However, we lost in the state finals my senior in a very close game to

T.C. Williams (Remember the Titans.) So, I thought that the schools

would be calling me non stop once the "contact period" began. So, I

waited....and waited...and waited. They never called. The national

signing day came and went. I was still without a college to attend.

I was completely unaware of how the recruiting process worked. I

thought that if I kicked well and that our team was great, the rest

would take care of itself. My parents didn't have a clue either. They

just wanted to see me get a college education and hopefully see me kick

at a few games. I found myself in the same situation that many

student-athletes find themselves. I wasn't being heavily recruited, but

I knew that I wanted to play at the next level. What was I going to do?

Where was I going to go?

Fortunately, I ended up walking on at the University of Virginia. My

coach, Mike Smith, had a big role in getting me there. I sometimes

wonder if he funneled me there. I had a few smaller schools interested

in me, but all of a sudden they stopped calling. I wasn't sure what

happened. Why did they stop calling? I think that he told them that I

wasn't interested.

Some coaches are great resources for their athletes. Most are not. However, there are many resources available today to help YOU to be pro ACTIVE in your search. One of them can be found at http://www.ncaastudent.org/.

There are recruiting services out there that offer to help find you

scholarships, but at a high cost. Then they end up giving you a booklet

and proceed to tell you that in order to get a scholarship you have to

do everything that is in the booklet. What's the secret inside this

book? YOU!

By using the work ethic that has allowed you to perform well on the

field, you have to work hard off the field to find the right college.

You need to take control of your future.

The recruiting process can be complex if you let others control it for

you. However, you can simplify it by doing research. The internet is a

great way to find valuable information. You can find the schools, their

athletic programs and in most cases the necessary contact info for the

coaches.

Here is what I recommend that you do:

• Choose your dream schools, realistic schools and fall back schools (Some may overlap)

• Ask yourself, if I wasn't playing a sport, would I want to go to that school? (Remember, there is an off-season)

• Find out the situation for your position at those schools

• Is the starter a senior?

• What about the back ups?

• How many people on the roster play your position?

• Make sure that you have video ready to show them

• Call the coach (You make the call, not your parents)

• Prove to that coach that you are a great fit for their program

• Be assertive and keep in contact (squeaky wheel gets the oil)

We all dream about going to a top ranked athletic program. Maybe you

can go to one, but will you play? Find the college where you can play

for 3-4 years and get a solid education. That positive experience will

last a lifetime.

I wasn't heavily recruited out of high school and I wasn't drafted in

the NFL. However, with some hard work, luck and resolve, I was able to

get a great education and play in the NFL for 9 seasons. What do you

want to do?