NSR Michigan Prospect Gets Surprise Responses from Rowing Coaches

Experienced NSR AD Sends Lacrosse Player in an Unexpected Direction

NSR OTG (on-the-ground) scouts are not merely scouts, they must call on a myriad of skills to properly vet prospects they discover. Being a keen analyst is one of those integral skill sets. In the case of NSR AD (Area Director) Rodney Palmer of Central Michigan, his analytical abilities were put to the test when he scouted and evaluated Alexis Krueger.

Alexis was an obvious college prospect candidate from the get-go. Rodney observed the athletic acumen, serious desire to play at the college level, superb academic history (3.9 GPA), and all-out family support which every NSR scout looks for in potential prospects. She had it all. But what Rodney saw in Alexis was something few other scouts would have noticed — the potential to participate in a college event other than her primary high school sport, women’s lacrosse.

During his in-home interview with Alexis and her parents, what Rodney envisioned for Alexis came as a complete surprise to her and her parents. When he suggested that she consider rowing as an option, Alexis was taken aback. Rowing? When Rodney explained the opportunities in that sport for scholarship opportunities, Alexis and her parent, throwing their trust to Rodney, agreed to give it a shot. What happened next took everyone by surprise, even NSR veteran AD Palmer.

In a note to the NSR home office, Rodney described what transpired:  “I met with the Krueger family and convinced them that because of Alexis’ height and great grades that she would be an excellent candidate as a college rower. After some thoughtful discussion, Alexis and her parents decided to enroll with NSR as a rower, a sport which she had never tried or given thought to as a viable option. To her credit, Alexis was willing to take the risk and so was I. Within the first 24 hours following the distribution of Alexis’ NSR Regional College Search (RCS), she had received 20 E-mail responses, an offer from Michigan State over the phone, and at least three E-mails which suggested a possible team spot. The speed in which this happened was shocking. Since then, I have spent time with Alexis to help her respond appropriately to the college coaches. She will be taking several unofficial visits in the upcoming weeks. We will see where this goes and I will keep you posted. Thanks to the NSR home office staff for getting her RCS out so quickly and to NSR‘s College Coach Liaison, Tommy Barnhill, for his insightful training which gave me the idea to turn Alexis in this direction.”

In a follow-up exchange with Rodney this week about the progress Alexis has made toward making a college decision, Rodney had this to offer: “No decision yet, but Alexis has arranged to take unofficial visits to three schools — Michigan State, Eastern Michigan and South Central Florida. She has been a little overwhelmed by the contacts, but I have been helping them almost daily.”

NSR OTG scouts offer high school prospects and their parents more than a skill evaluation, a promotional program or a lot of hype. They provide personal service which can change lives. Rodney Palmer, and hundreds of other NSR AD’s and OTG scouts like him across the U.S. and around the globe, prove themselves every day through diligent attention to details, carefully crafted analytical overviews, and sage advice. We believe that it is our obligation to our client-prospects and their families to provide spot-on assessments of where they stand and options which may, as in the case of Alexis Krueger, open unforeseen doors.