RowCollege

3 Critical Steps for a Successful College-Coach Contact at Your Race Site

This is the time of year when high-school regatta sites are filled with rowers, parents, fans—and usually a good number of college-rowing coaches. Those coaches are there to recruit.

There is nothing wrong with that. In fact it can be quite exciting to be someone who is recruited and to have a coach there to watch you race. However, there are a few steps you should take, important ones, to make a possible contact with a college-coach at a race site successful.

Step 1: Know these rules.

The NCAA, which governs all DI, DII, and DIII institutions has set some very specific recruiting rules that college-coaches must follow. And this holds especially true whenever you might contact a college-coach off-campus. Although recruiting rules vary somewhat in the different divisions, there are a few basic ones that you need to know that apply to all divisions:

• If you are a senior, a college-coach cannot have any contact with you at a site where you are racing until your coach has released you. Meaning—no contact until your racing is over and your coach has given you permission to connect with the college-coach.
• If you are not yet a senior you may not have in-person contact with a college-coach except on the campus of the coach's school.
• These rules apply also to your parents/guardians.

Step 2: Tell your coach.

Let your coach know that a college program is interested in you, and tell coach that they may be there to observe and contact you. This helps your coach prepare for a possible contact, and also brings your coach into the process which is usually very helpful.

Step 3: Stay focused.

Don't get distracted by the college coach either observing you, or connecting with your after your racing. You are there to race, being distracted will only take away from your performance and not work in your favor.

It can be exciting to be recruited. These simple steps can help a contact at your race site work better. If you would like more information about recruiting and the NCAA rules, this site should help.

image by zanaca

Are You Coachable?

. . .  a simple question.

Being coachable means that you can form a relationship with a coach that is beneficial to both you, the coach, and the team (if you are rowing on one as compared to a single sculler). It does not mean that you  just listen to what a coach says and then do what you want.

College coaches want people who are coachable—pure and simple.

The coach is building a team and coachability is a critical component. One reason is that many incoming rowers will not row like a college coach wants them to. The coach and team will have a certain style and often rowers are asked to change their technique, or style, or even sides to help them develop, and to fit in with the current team.

To make that happen you need to be c-o-a-c-h-a-b-l-e.

James Lavin, in his book Management Secrets of the New England Patriots: From Patsies to Triple Super Bowl Champs discusses one of the keys to the Pats success is having coachable athletes. Coachable athletes make all the difference.

So what about it, are you coachable?

Here are a few questions that might give you an insight into the answer:

1. Do you think you have a lot to learn about rowing?
2. Do you have a difficult time making changes when asked to?
3. Are you willing to do the work it takes to make changes to improve your style/technique?
4. Can you speak honestly with a coach?

And probably one of the best sources that can tell you if you are coachable is your current coach. Ask him or her, and then listen to the response.

The answer is something you need to know and could help you excel, and find the right collegiate rowing program.

Surviving a College Rejection—But It Is Not You

Last post I discussed handling a rejection from a college you've applied to.

What if the rejection comes, and it is not for you? What if it is a teammate who is rejected, but you got into the school—then what? And what if that person is a good friend?

You are happy for you, and sad for the friend. What do you say? How do you act?

This is the type of situation that happens so often in life—an unexpected glitch. And so often we think (at least I know I do) that we are not prepared for it. Don't know what to do.

But you do know what to do . . . and most likely you've learned what to do way back in kindergarten. Treat the person as you would like to be treated. Be nice, supportive, honest, mad—be you, and treat your friend as you would want him/her to treat you.

And it is also time for open conversation with:

your parents, who might have insights to share that can help, and

your coach, who might be able to help within the team setting, and

yourself, talk it through, and try to get your feelings and thoughts straight.

And yes, I know, I suggested this in my last post but here it is again—try laughing. Read, Students give prizes for worst college rejection letters. It might help.

Images: My Office Online

Surviving a College Rejection

You've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting . . . and finally the letter comes.

But it doesn't look and feel like you expect. And it certainly doesn't read that way either.

Rejection!

You didn't get in. "Thanks for applying, but sorry—no go!" What to do?

I tell my rowers that how they handle themselves directly after they lose a race is an indication of not only their character, but their passion. Pretty much the same with a college rejection letter, how you handle the next steps can tell you a lot.

The following articles offer several views of what to do next. Good articles with good advice.

Dealing with Rejection

A College Rejection Letter Might Be Disappointing, but It's Not the End of the World

Rejected: Now What? What to Do When Colleges Say No

Getting Rejected and Moving on

And I will chime in with one piece of advice, try laughing. It might seem like there is nothing funny at all in rejection but that greatest humorist Groucho Marx has an insight that might help. He was credited with saying, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." You might also find this letter a help.

A Great Rejection Letter

Keep smiling, it will work out.

photo by desi.italy

Why You Should Care What You Say Online

Social networking on-line sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, are really interesting places, where you can learn a lot about someone.

Colleges know that.

A recent article in the Dayton Daily News, Online Profiles a Factor in College Admissions, discusses how colleges are looking at an applicant's on line profile

If you're a high school junior or senior, you're probably working hard to get into college — researching schools online, preparing applications, taking grueling SATs and ACTs and writing the perfect essay. Maybe you have an air-tight application.

But you could still blow it, with something you thought was harmless fun: Your online profile.

Colleges are now going online, searching for information about applicants, and focusing in on these social sites as a great source of information. It is happening in more than a few colleges. According to the author:

. . . earlier this fall, a University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth study of 453 college admissions departments found that 26 percent of them are actively researching students through search engines such as Google and 21 percent are checking out social networking profiles when reviewing applicants.

And, according to the article, colleges, currently flooded with applications, are using what they find online to help them make selections.

So what to do if you, or someone you know, has a vibrant on line presence. A few suggestions:

• Read the article. It is well written, and insightful
• Take steps to change any follies that might be online
• Be very thoughtful about what you post in the future

I suggest to our applicants to operate under what I call the Grandmother Rule. If what you put online would upset your favorite grandmother, in any manner, don't do it.

YOU Need to Get Your Name Out There!

Staring at the phone, hoping it will ring?

Waiting for a some college rowing coach to discover you?

Bummed because you're not getting emails, letters, and text messages from schools wanting to have you come row for them?

Get over it—and get to work.

If you are interested in rowing in college, and possibly get recognized for your abilities—maybe even receive athletic-related aid, you need to work at it. Unless you've got talent galore, are setting the rowing world on fire, or have a high school coach who is promoting the heck out of you, more than likely few if any collegiate coaches know about you. So you need to do some work and get your name out there.

How?

First off, college rowing coaches do recruit. They recruit a lot, and the bigger the program, the more recruiting they do. I cannot speak for other coaches, but from my experiences most, if not all, of those coaches will be receptive to getting a name of an interested rower.

How can you do that—get your name in front of that coach? Here are two things you can do to help yourself:

• Enlist the aid of your high school coach. He or she may be able to open doors for you (but once the door is open it will be up to you to shine).
• Send an email directly to the coach at your school of interest. Email addresses can be found easily on the web. A simple email is best. Here is an example.

Second, if you've never rowed before, don't let that stop you:

• a very significant number of collegiate rowers have never rowed before college (meaning  they are walk-ons)
• the competition for most teams is intense, and a lot of that intensity comes from rowers who just learned in college.

It boils down to this . . . if you want to row in college, help yourself out, and approach the program at the school you are interested in. It is not hard to do.

It is admirable that you want to row in college, but you need to be wholeheartedly involved in the process, or else you might not be pleased with the results.

Related posts:

• Does it Matter What They Row?
• When to Tell a Coach, No Thanks, Not Interested
• Should You Care What Drives the Rowing Program You Are Considering?
• Flavors of Rowing-Pick Yours

Thanksgiving Break (Redux)

I was very remiss in the last post. I didn't note that one of the most important things you can do during your upcoming break is to study! Probably the best activity you can do to help you get into the school you want  . . .

Brought to my attention by a teacher, who also is a coach. Good eyes, thanks.

Use Thanksgiving Break to Your Advantage

If you're like most high school seniors, school will be getting out this Tuesday . . .  possibly Wednesday, and then you've got four or five days off until school starts up again. Maybe you'll be traveling, visiting relatives, or having friends and family over during the break.

Great. Enjoy the time off from school. Some of it that is—but not all. It is time to do some work, and this would be a great opportunity to dedicate time to your college search.

If you're reading this, you want to row in college. Super. Finding the right place for you is going to take focus, time, and energy. It won't just happen, you will need to make it happen.

Yes, I know, often an athlete will go off to some college having put less time into the selection process than he would in picking his mySpace theme. And that person will love the coach, team, school, and will live happily ever after. Ya, ya, ya. That happens once in a blue moon (which if you didn't know, doesn't happen very often).

More likely the experienced high-school rower who is loving her college rowing experience worked hard to make it happen. And if you want to increase the chance of you living happily ever after in the collegiate rowing world, you need to work at it. So be productive during this break time.

How? A few suggestions:

• email a college coach
• research on the web a collegiate team you are considering
• make a master list of form deadlines, such as applications, financial aid, NCAA forms (if this applies to you)
  
• plan your college visits, picking dates that work for you and your family
• go over your Spring calendar, putting in your races, breaks, and college interviews
• sort that huge pile of correspondence, brochures, and letters from colleges (that is probably sitting on your bed room floor)

This break might also be a convenient time to talk to your parents about your search, and compare thoughts.

Don't let this time slip away. Eat some food and have some fun. But do focus on your search It will be a good investment.

Should You Apply Early Decision?

Many colleges today have a variable application system—meaning that they usually have three categories of applications.

1. Early Decision
2. Early Action
3. Regular Admission

Not all schools use these categories of applications, but a great many do. And as you might guess by their names, one of the important trait of each of these is the application deadline date.

Early Decision applications are usually due in November or early December (although there are schools that are earlier, and some that are later). Often you are informed within a month if you have been accepted by the school. Early Action applications usually follow about a month after Early Decision, and Regular Admission follow along after that.

I have to say, it can be enough to drive you crazy in determining which application to submit. For many schools the deadline for Early Decision is fast approaching. So the question of the hour is, "Should you apply Early Decision?" Is it the right choice for you?

I think that the answer to that question boils down to this, if you think that the school is the right choice for you, and if you were accepted you would enroll, then Early Decision is probably the way to go.

A major benefit of Early Decision is that your college selection process could be done early (if you get in—if you don't, you keep on looking) and your Spring semester could be a lot less stressful. Additionally, at some schools going Early Decision may positively affect any financial aid awards. A downside is that you are obligated to then attend the school (financial issues aside); however, that really won't matter if this is the school you want.

The clock is ticking if you might be interested in Early Decision. An option you may want to consider.

Preparing for an Interview? Try this.

As you search and interview for that special college rowing program, you will often be asked what you've accomplished with your rowing. You will also certainly get these type of questions about your academics.

This simple exercise might help you prepare your answers.