Top Athletes Do Not Always Make the Best Recruits

NSR scouts evaluate talent every day.  When we enroll a prospect, it’s true that we have an idea about where he or she might fit in as a college recruit, but because every college coach sees different attributes and faults in each candidate, the accuracy of predicting where a prospect will eventually land is an inexact science.    

At NSR, we look for a variety of key things which we know are integral  to any prospect attracting the attention of college coaches.  Not every prospect we select to bring aboard as a client must have all these qualities, but we want them to develop these traits over time, so we provide them with advice which will help them to address shortcomings and steadily improve.  What does all this tell you?  We are not just a scouting organization.  We are much more. 

Here are some of the more important things we try to spot  in our continuing search for legitimate college prospects: 

• Mastery of the Fundamentals.  Top prospects study and perfect the fundamentals of their positions.  They know that to advance to the next level, they are competing against the best, so the status quo is unacceptable.  They study and emulate the most outstanding athletes who have come before them, college and professional.  This means watching games on television and video then taking what they observe and learn into action plans in practices.  They strive to understand the reasons why they do things and have an internal drive which will not allow them to accept the mediocre.
• Excellent Footwork.  All sports activities require footwork in some fashion, but the prospects who excel in this area are the ones who are, generally speaking, the most highly regarded.  When prospects repeatedly display a firm grasp of footwork, coaches know that it did not come naturally.  It took work and lots of it.  More importantly, coaches recognize that freshman entering their program who possess sound footwork have an advantage over less sophisticated newcomers and therefore have a real shot at playing sooner than later. 
• Strong Hands.  An often overlooked aspect of athleticism and athletics, having strong hands is advantageous to any high school prospect wanting to jump to the next level.  A few prospects come by this naturally, but in nearly all cases prospects must work diligently to achieve it, yet few do.  Why?  It is rarely emphasized as a particular, necessary characteristic.  That said, college coaches will often mention it when a prospect has weak hands, but it is not something which we see a great deal of emphasis during strength training.     
• Exceptional Work Ethic.  This attribute can never be overstated in its importance.  The current generation is widely assumed to be lazy because of the incredible opportunities made available to them.  So, when we interview prospects in their homes, one of the things we discuss at length is what the athletes does outside of scheduled team practices to improve.  When we learn that prospects are doing extra work,, we know that kid understands the meaning of sacrifice and work.  Nonetheless, we are well aware that not all prospects have the same financial or geographical advantages of more privileged kids.  In those cases, we dig into how kids approach day-to-day practices and off-season workouts.  Somewhere in that conversation we learn what type of work ethic the prospect possesses.     
• Constant Hustle.  Perhaps no characteristic makes more of an immediate impression on us, and on college coaches, than when a prospect hustles at all times.  When we see it, we are drawn to it, knowing that the prospect is an individual born with the desire to excel and give 100%.  That cannot be taught.  It can be cajoled, but constant hustle is an inate trait. 
• Teamwork Attitude.  We do not see enough of this highly desirable trait.  Individualism, especially on the professional sports level, is so rampant today that it has trickled down to high school players and their attitudes.  When we scout, we push aside the kids who are “me” focused and make a straight line for the prospects whose actions literally speak louder than words in terms of their attitude and approach to teamwork.  It’s easy to spot on both sides of the fence.  When discover a kid whose nature turns more toward the well-being of the group than self, we know that this is a prospect college coaches would love to work with year after year.
• Character-based Decisions.  We dig hard to uncover the kids who manage their lives with the future in mind.  These are the more mature kids whose home or personal experiences have led them to clearly understand that how they respond to opportunities and adversities is reflected on them today and tomorrow.  Kids whose decisions prove to be consistently poor are the ones who will most likely create problems for college coaches, so we steer away from developing relationships with them.
• Proper Perspective.  A fair number of kids and parents we approach have a healthy enough perspective regarding where they fit in the big picture of recruiting.  They have the good sense to know that they do not dictate where they belong.  That’s the role of college coaches.  We love working with these kinds of level-headed people.  On the other hand, there is a disturbing number of parents and kids who completely over value their abilities.  It sometimes borders on the delusional, in fact.  When we see this happening, it’s rare that a family will re-evaluate their position.  Instead, they usually continue to refuse help while bypassing worthwhile advice and  scholarship opportunities to the consternation of practically everyone around them, not to mention college coaches.  When we at NSR run into people of this type, we typically reconsider our interview offer.  Why?  Having seen this same scenario time and again, we opt not to go through the painful process of watching a family chase an unrealistic dream.  Families should consider this point:  if college coaches at the highest level are not paying you any attention, one of two things is happening.  First, they do not know about you.  Second, you are not a legitimate prospect at that level.