Michael Husted

Michael Husted played professional football for nine years as a placekicker in the NFL. He is also the co-creator of ActiveRecruiting.com an innovative online video recruiting tool that connects student
athletes with coaches through the use of interactive video profiles.

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 prepared to do whatever it takes...

Gene Upshaw passed away yesterday at the age of 63. Coincidently, that was the number on his uniform during an incredible NFL career that included two Super Bowl wins and seven Pro Bowl appearances.

However, it will be for his leadership of NFL Players and the Union that he will be most remembered. For over 20 years, he served as head of the Union and was instrumental in positioning the NFLPA where it is today. From Free Agency for players to increased salaries and benefits, he battled a Machine, the NFL, that for years, had benefited from athletes on the field without giving much back to them.

Playing nine years in the NFL and having served as union representative for most of those years, I was able to experience first hand the results he had produced. People always had an issue here or there with what he was doing, but overall, no one could argue with his leadership. In any type of leadership position, it is difficult to please everyone all of the time. Being a retired player, there are benefits that I feel could have been addressed more for us. However, the retirement benefits that I now have are largely due to his ability to surround himself with strong leadership and get results. For that I am thankful.

His ability to relate to players and stand his ground when dealing with the NFL owners was an attribute to his strength, courage, integrity and most of all his tenacity. The next Executive Director will have some big shoes to fill, but I am confident that Gene set enough examples to follow.

That things that I love about sports/athletics are discipline, teamwork and leadership qualities. These are necessary to be successful on the field, court, in the water, on the bike, etc.

There are so many benefits to an Active life style whether competing against others or yourself, whether you are hoisting the championship trophy or handling defeat with dignity.

Thank you, Gene, for being an example to all athletes by realizing that our potential doesn't end when the last whistle blows and we walk off the field for the last time. Whether that is in high school, college, the Olympics or professional, we have the foundation to be successful in life.

Rest in Peace.