I don't have a video....should I still create a profile?

For sure! You don't necessarily need a video to create a great profile. If you don't have a video be sure to have at least one picture and your stats. It would also make sense to input your schedule so coaches can find out when and where you are playing. Also keep in mind that is VITAL to keep your profile up to date. Visit your page often and make any and every update you can. Keep running tabs of what you did in games or even consider using the blog function to keep coaches advised of your accomplishments.

Small College Athletics

The fact of the matter is that very few athletes are recruited by the Dukes, North Carolinas, and Michigans. Even fewer actually play. It's crucial to be realistic in your college athletic scholarship search. If you are senior and you don't have the big dogs knocking on your door it may advisable to start looking at other schools. Keep in mind NCAA Division II schools, NAIA Division I and II, and even JUCOS can give scholarships. Check out VAD's Find College Coaches page and also see our Affiliates page for services that could also be of assistance. If you truly love to play it's important to be honest with yourself and pursue the level that best meets your talent level.

Good Luck!
VAD

Small High School College Recruiting

YES! You might just have to work a little harder. At VAD we believe athletes create their own opportunities. With that said you need to exhaust any and every opportunity to make yourself known. Sign up with VAD and start sending your profile around. Don't settle on a couple of schools. Expand your horizons and consider any school that meets your academic needs. It's also important to remember that a small portion of athletes play at the big time schools so if you haven't heard from them by now it is probably in your best interest to start looking at other schools. Competition at D2, D3, and NAIA schools is also very high. If you are truly interested in playing the game you love I recommend taking a look at these schools.

BEST OF LUCK!
VAD

How do I find a College Coaches email?

This question is asked all the time. There are essentially two places to find it. Both are easy to do. Either way start by Googling the school. If I want to find Duke University, I type Duke University into a search engine. Simple as that. Once I find the school's website I can either:

1. Navigate to the Athletics page, choose the sport you are interested in, and find the coaching staff link. Then choose a coach, I usually start with the friendly looking ones, and copy his email address. You can either copy using your clipboard or write it down.

2. Most Universities have a staff directory on the frontpage. In this directory you can search for coaches by name and a lot of times by title. This can also be used if the team's page did not have the coach's address. You can search the directory by his name.

Once you have the email addresses you were looking for, return to Virtual Athletic Director.com and click on the "email page" button in the middle of your profile. It will open a page that leads you to your email service. From there send it to every any school you might be interested in!

How can I showcase my skills? My teammates are ball hogs!

We recently received a message from a potential college basketball player who was wondering if we could set up some workouts for him with college coaches. The athlete feels he is good enough to play in college but has not been given the chance to showcase his skills due to some shot happy team mates.

"I'd like to help with the workouts but to be honest college coaches typically don't have the time to schedule workouts for every interested athletes. I can suggest a couple other possibilities.

1. You can pick out a college based on your degree interests and try to walk-on. Once you are enrolled at a school it is much easier to get a workout with a coach. For assistance consider signing up with EdSoup by clicking on "Colleges Find You"

2. Do the Junior College thing for a couple years then go to a four year school. Tons of guys that were not big recruits in high school went this route....I played with a few.

3. Sign up for some showcases. Search your area for basketball showcases were you can play your game.

I hope this did not deter you from trying to play at the next level.....it can, and has, been done. It's will definitely take a lot of hard work but if you really want it I'm sure you'll get it done.

If you are looking for scholarships to help with the cost of walking on at a four year school you can check out the following scholarship services. They are all free to sign up.

• ScholarshipExperts.com
  
• Free Scholarship Guide
  
• FastWeb
  

Good Luck

Conversations with potential College Athletes

I am going to start posting some of the conversations and questions that I have with student-athletes. If you are looking for them in the future I am going to use the label "Questions from Athletes". You can click it from the left menu to get to the list.

Having Trouble Finding Coaches Email Addresses?

If you are having a hard time finding a particular coach's email address leave us a comment on this blog entry with the school, sport, and your VAD username and we'll see if we can help you out. Be sure to check out our Find Coaches page if you are having issues.

Thanks,
the VAD