Category Archives: Sports Health and Safety

Podcast Recruiting Real Talk E1

Academics, Baseball, Football, High School Sports, Recruiting, Soccer, Sports Health and Safety, Strength Training, Success

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Episode 1 of Recruiting Real talk, with Trevor Bollers and Jc Moreau is out in the wild.  The inaugural entry in this series is focused on the topic of “Getting Started”.  How, When, What do parents need to do to get started.  Give it a listen, give us a like, or a hate, or a question for future episodes.

Below are some of the resources that go along with this show.

NCAA Clearing House is a great place to start especially if you are a late bloomer or a late starter in the recruiting conversation.  Find out what your academic needs are to be able to play.  https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/

NAIA Eligibility Center is there to remind us that the NCAA is not the only option to continue your playing career.  https://www.playnaia.org/

These 2 resources can help with preparing the profile and getting questions such as what classes do I have and what do I need to be eligible.

Our biggest point in this podcast for parents is, don’t fear the stigma of people that would tell you it is wrong to get started early.  Your goals for your family are allowed to be set sky high.  If your kids have the desire don’t let anything or anyone stop you from supporting them.

Recruiting 3: A Different Kind of Recruiting Company

High School Sports, Recruiting, Sports Health and Safety, Strength Training, Uncategorized, , ,

sports-trainer-index Sports Trainer Index is the name and helping kids land over 4 million dollars in athletic scholarships is the game.  Lets recap the numbers shall we.  I said over 4 million dollars in athletic scholarships for kids in all sorts of sports.  The man behind it all is named Evan Turkish, he has engineered the contacts and alliances that are needed to even be relevant in the world of recruiting.  Sports Trainer Index is not a big fish by any means.  However, they are growing and growing fast.

evan-turkishIn my interview with Evan, he explained that the original goal for the company was to provide a knowledge base of training resources in every city. His goal was not to build a recruiting service.  It was to build a network of sports trainers that would help kids work toward their goal of playing at the highest level they possibly could.

With the goal in mind Evan put a strong list of training organizations together all over the country.  He then started using the list to refer kids that were interested in working to getting better so they could be recruited.

sti_featured sti_standardThe best things in life are free but training and recruiting are not.  So lets look at the numbers and see why this affordable service is a great steal for families that are looking for help and guidance but don’t want to get caught up with hidden fees.

Your package fee is a one time fee that encompasses the relationship you have with STI.  Things like phone conversation coaching or email response reviews all come with the base fee.  What I have found through all of my research is that if you are thinking to start these processes in Junior year you would be miles behind. According to Evan “These things start around 8th – 9th grade.  By junior year summer we are showcasing you in camps that match your goals”

Everything I have observed about STI has been solid support of the athletes and families that have signed up with them.  I hope what I have seen stays the same as they grow.  It is easy to lose sight of the primary goals when things get hectic.  People start racing for profits and lose the point that it was about helping youth find a path to education.

The web site for them is www.sportstrainerindex.com.  Best of luck with your recruiting journey.

HYDRATE it is not a suggestion it is a REQUIREMENT

Coaching, High School Sports, Positive Teaching, Sports Health and Safety, , , , , ,

During my entire career I have watched teammates fall victim to poor hydration. They would say things like “Too much water will slow me down”. You know what slowed them down, was the heat illness and cramping. Lets be for real about this. I have seen top tier athletes have to get IV fluid pumped into them because they were not properly prepared for practice and became dehydrated. You walk into the locker room and you see your friend looking like a marshmallow man all puffy and looking sad.

As a coach of youth I take staying hydrated very seriously. I will always have that one kid, when it is mandatory time for water they will walk around like I told them to go drink the kool-ade or something. (I am from Guyana so I am allowed to use the reference.) I will calmly walk over to them and loudly inform them that the water break is not a suggestion it is a REQUIREMENT.

USA Football Hydration chart
USA Football Hydration chart

So for all of you parents out there who might think I don’t know what I am talking about even though I have given you this very cool back story here is a slide from my USA football training showing that it is important to have your child hydrate “BEFORE, DURING and AFTER” practices, games, walk through, or any other type of activity in the heat.

Happy practicing and playing and one more note. Don’t stay thirsty stay hydrated my friend.