Time to Re-Evaluate, Revise and Regroup!

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

So, you’re not signing your National Letter of Intent this week. Sit down. Take a deep breath and relax. It’s ok; most players don’t make their decision in the early period. Now, making the most of the time you have is the KEY!

Players that sign early are the ones that have been proactive in the recruiting process and on the coaches’ radar for months (and years!). Yes, it’s a payoff for hard work, determination and baseball skill, but I think it’s a poor measure of “success” for most prospective student-athletes. The reality is that for someone to sign early, several things have to fall into place. Players that sign early have had many conversations with coaches, have been seen in person and have spent the night on several campuses. You can’t expect to sign early without having these things happen, and to try to rush through them would be a mistake!

The bottom line is that you can’t beat yourself up over not signing early, or even worse, shut down the process. Let’s look at the positives:

• You have more time to research and look at schools. Chances are you never had a chance to visit the campus of many of the schools on your list and meet with a coach while there. Now you’ve got time to do that!
• Additional time to get your grades and College Board scores up.
• You have more time to get bigger, stronger and faster. This is a great time to take your game to a higher level. If you take advantage of the off season, you will be prepared and ready to open some eyes this spring!
• You don’t have to rush applications, which will be non-binding. Signing or committing early could mean that you’d have to apply with a binding application.
• Schools may have new recruiting needs, and not all coaches make their decisions early!
• You’ll have a much better idea of what your financial aid package looks like before you make your decision. In addition, more time to research grants, scholarships and loans available.

So, where to go from here? After the dust settles, it will be time to evaluate where you’re at with schools on your list.

• What have you heard from coaches? Have you received personal phone calls, or just camp information? Check out my series of blog entries, “What’s in a Letter” for more information on interpreting what you’re hearing.
• Which schools have you visited? Campus tours and information sessions are great, but how many coaches have you met with on campus? This is a great chance to show your interest, but you have to make it happen! Be proactive with coaches over e-mail and phones, and usually they can accommodate you.
• Have a plan in place and execute it! You can’t rely on coaches coming out to come see you play- be active in the process! The winter is a great time to market yourself to coaches using your Personal Player Page to separate yourself from other players. Remember, with video, there is no dead period!

Now is not the time to panic or resort to knee-jerk reactions. You’re not going on vacation, college will be your home for the next four or five years! Take inventory of what you’ve done up until this point- what you’ve seen and heard and where you’re at with schools on your list. What do you need to do to put yourself in a better position? You have plenty of time to find a place to play baseball and study if you’re willing to take the appropriate steps NOW. Remember, more mistakes are made in Early Period by college coaches and players! Take advantage of the time you have today to reap the benefits of tomorrow!

College Players Make Big Impacts in Postseason

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Take one look at the World Series rosters for both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies and you’ll notice one thing: there are a lot of former college players! Whether coming from powerhouse Division I programs or the Division III ranks, college players have played impact roles for teams competing for baseball’s highest honor. Just take a look at both teams’ rosters:

Philadelphia:

Joe Blanton - Kentucky
Clay Condrey - McNeese State
J.A. Happ - Northwestern
Brad Lidge – Notre Dame
Jamie Moyer – St. Joseph’s (PA)
J.C. Romero – Mobile
Chris Coste – Concordia (MN)
Eric Bruntlett - Stanford
Greg Dobbs - Oklahoma
Chase Utley – UCLA
Ryan Howard - Southwest Missouri State
Pat Burrell – Miami (FL)
Geoff Jenkins – USC

Tampa Bay:

Chad Bradford – Southern Mississippi
Matt Garza – Fresno State
J.P. Howell – Texas
David Price – Vanderbilt
Andy Sonnanstine – Kent State
Dan Wheeler – Central AZ
Jason Bartlett – Oklahoma
Evan Longoria – Long Beach St.
Carlos Pena – Northeastern
Gabe Gross – Auburn
Eric Hinske – Arkansas
Ben Zobrist – Dallas Baptist
Fernando Perez – Columbia

In earlier blog entries, I’ve discussed the benefits that attending college can have on a baseball player. While it’s easy to concentrate on the player development benefits, one can’t ignore the learning opportunities that exist off the field. Learning to balance the training for the future with today’s performance and everything in-between takes time to master, and college is simply the best environment for that type of education.

Chase Utley is an excellent example of raw talent that had a chance to develop into All-Star performance in a college setting. Coming out of Long Beach Polytechnic High School as a shortstop, Chase was drafted in the 2nd Round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he opted to attend UCLA, where there were plenty of lessons for him to learn away from home. While hitting 15 home runs his freshman year, Chase’s grades were a major problem and put him at academic risk. When Coach Gary Adams showed no pity, Chase learned to balance his baseball career with a solid approach to academics and returned for his sophomore year a man on a mission. His success with the academic piece brought new confidence to the field, an increased work ethic (he learned a new position, 2nd base, at the request of Coach Adams) and a propensity for leadership. Not only is he now a perennial All-Star, he’s known as one of the hardest-working players in the game, and a clubhouse leader: three important ingredients for a postseason player!

Not only does collegiate competition prepare players for a career in professional baseball, but it gives them the experience needed to have success in the postseason. For the most part, college players are simply more composed in crucial game situations than players coming out of high school. They’ve competed at a high level, facing major league-quality players in college with success. More importantly, they have learned from failure on major national stages.

For an example of tough lessons learned, look no further than David Price. After helping to lead Vanderbilt to the #1 ranking in the country and striking out 17 Austin Peay batters in the 1st game of the Nashville regional, Vanderbilt was upset by Michigan with Price on the mound, who surrendered the game-winning home run. That’s not to say that Price lost the game all on his own, but in the 15 months since the ’07 Draft, wouldn’t you think that David has been using that tough loss for motivation? For an answer to that question, just look back at his ALCS performance.

As a wrap-up, I’m not making a case against high school players. Talent is talent, no matter what level you’re playing- just look at Cole Hamels, who has shown unwavering discipline in tough situations and simply dominated this October. Still, you can’t ignore the fact that overall, college players are more likely to move through the Minor Leagues and are more prepared to make an impact early at the Big League Level!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Recruiting Trends in College Sports Pt. 2

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Last week I began my blog with an article from ESPN as a prompt to talk about the two signing periods. I’d like to take this entry to touch on the issues and consequences of getting younger and younger commitments. While I haven’t heard of any 14-year-olds committing to play college baseball, I have seen and heard of many high school juniors committing. In order to keep up with their colleagues and facing increased pressure to succeed on the field, many coaches are having their hands forced and are trying to get commitments earlier and earlier. After all, if they don’t do it, someone else will!

Many players that commit early have never visited the school, let alone stayed overnight on campus! To commit during the junior year, for most players, is to make a dangerous assumption that, in the end, this school is the best choice, fit and opportunity out there. What happens if a player commits early, and then a better opportunity comes along? What happens if the player gets injured or has a bad year on the field or in the classroom?

Coaches, too, face a lot of unnecessary risk by getting commitments from younger players. What happens if their grades take a dive? Players with incomplete transcripts haven’t shown that they can handle a college workload, let along guarantee that they’ll be able to get into the school! What happens if a better player comes along prior to the November signing period?

The earlier the commitment, the bigger the gamble both sides are taking. Leaving so many variables on the table inherently requires significant perseverance, and it can be a lot to ask for from a 16 or 17-year-old. And unfortunately in the baseball world, talking to coaches at other schools after a commitment is a major faux pas. Not only will it get around very quickly and is never well-perceived, but it can have professional ramifications if you decide to continue your career in coaching or professional baseball!

So, what do you take away from this? Bottom line, there is no such thing as too much information. One of my earlier entries focused on “getting it right the first time,” which, as the name implies, focused on all the different criteria that prospective student-athletes must consider in order to ensure a successful college career on and off the field. The Exclusive Program Staff coaches players to treat the entire junior year as a time to research schools, so that when you take advantage of the available visits, both unofficial and official, you will have enough information to make the best decision possible.

As a wrap-up, here are some advantages of both signing periods:

Early/November:
• Injuries or bad senior season won’t have any affect
• More scholarship money available (athletic and academic)
• More favorable admissions
• Process is complete – you get to enjoy the rest of your senior year!

Traditional/April:
• Applications are non-binding
• Schools may have new needs
• More time to develop – get bigger, stronger faster!
• More time to research and visit schools


Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Recruiting Trends in College Sports Pt. 1

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

As we’re coming up on the highly-anticipated November signing period, I thought I’d use this entry to discuss an issue I’ve been following the past few years. While all sports, baseball included, have designated “signing periods” during the prospect’s senior year, there is nothing to stop players from committing to coaches or schools much earlier than that. As reported by ESPN, college basketball has seen a disturbing trend in recruiting, leading to rumors that players as young as fourteen are committing to schools even before they’ve played a minute on a high school court! Is there a possibility that baseball could follow in the footsteps of basketball? And, if so, what are the consequences?

The “traditional” signing period has always been in April, with the “early” signing period taking place in mid-November. However, the November signing period has become so popular that it has become the norm for most D-I programs to finish their recruiting at this point. After all, if a coach can get his recruiting out of the way by mid-November, he’s able to focus on his team and season at hand. For many other teams that don’t carry enough clout to secure early commitments, they must continue their recruiting all the way to the beginning of classes in August, if necessary.

Personally, I was not a big advocate of the November signing when I was coaching at the University of Maryland. I have always felt that coaches, players and parents make more mistakes signing early than they do at the April signing period. Granted I signed a few players during this period because I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to lock up a few guys early. However, the players I signed early were the ones that I’ve seen the most and knew the best. Coaches don’t have as much time to assess and evaluate players early and players/parents don’t have as much time to learn everything they need to about all the schools that are recruiting them before they make their decision.

One of the most important aspects of the recruiting process for a college coach is to really get to know the player they’re recruiting, both on and off the field. I tried to learn everything about every player and family I recruited and still felt like I needed to know more! That being said, I truly believe that for the most part, you really don’t know what you got or are getting, until the player is in the program. I think most college coaches would agree with that statement. By putting total emphasis on getting players signed by November, I feel that several critical pieces of recruiting process are being overlooked and disregarded.

Check back next week when I go further into the trends in college baseball recruiting, focusing on the issue that I mentioned at the beginning of the entry.

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

The Power of Video

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

The video component of recruiting has come a long way in the last 20 years. Football coaches were way ahead their time with the use of film and video when it came to recruiting, scouting, and teaching of the game. Historically, college football coaches would request video of their prospective recruits from their high school coaches to assess the players overall athletic ability and skill. The player’s ability level and, subsequently, the coaches’ interest would determine the next steps in the process. Today, video footage is an absolute must for sports like baseball, and it has become a serious disadvantage to ignore this component!

Somewhere in the country on a daily basis, there is baseball being played. Even with the advancement of modern technology and communications today, players are still being overlooked because of coaching staff limitations, time and budgets. Smaller D-III schools notwithstanding, even the larger schools do not have the resources to attend every camp, showcase or tournament in the country. This is where video can start to fill the gap!

I can still remember getting several mail crates of VHS tapes daily at the University of Maryland and having stacks of VHS tapes all over the office. I would review what I could in the office, but found myself having to take them home and on the road trips just to keep up! Regrettably, because of volume and inconvenience, I’m sure there were a lot we never got to. Fortunately, today it is much easier now and a lot more convenient with online video available. There is nothing better for a coach than having the opportunity to recruit and evaluate players on the computer at his desk!

The purpose of having a video is not necessarily to get an offer from a college coach. However, using video to promote yourself to coaches can definitely make a difference and vault you onto his staff’s radar. Just as with football coaches, baseball coaches can use video to assess and determine the next steps to take with a prospect. “Does he have the ability to play at this level?” “Should we contact him, his coach and/or scouts in area? “Do we need to see him play in person, and if so, when?” Writing a letter or an e-mail to a coach is a step in the right direction, but without having the opportunity to evaluate your ability and skills on the field, there is not much else working in your favor. Providing video increases the chance that someone on the coaching staff will respond favorably.

So, what is the most effective way to deliver video footage? Personally, I’m a big fan of presenting footage prior to an unofficial visit, or as follow-up to that visit. Having an idea of what the coach thinks of you as a player prior to your visit can save you a trip or help you prioritize your visits to certain schools. I’ve even seen players bring up their video during the visit, so that they can get in-person feedback from the coach they are meeting with! Regardless of the situation, you should include a proper cover letter addressed to the coach. You need to introduce yourself, why you’re interested in the program and make reference to the video provided. Don’t expect a coach to watch your video without a proper introduction!

Please remember that this isn’t an audition tape- coaches need to use this for evaluation first and foremost. Anything above a display of your athleticism and baseball skills can lead to unwanted distraction of a coach’s attention and can be a turnoff. Leave the duty of first impressions to in-person visits to campus. The following should be avoided in athletic footage:
• Music
• Interviews
• Play-by-play from Mom and Dad!
• Any other unwanted noise(s).

It’s no longer considered far-sighted to have video available for review; rather, it’s now essential. Baseball plays more games than any other intercollegiate sport, players train every day while on campus, and the coaches are on the road recruiting when they’re not playing or training. Many times, you have to go above and beyond to reach these coaches throughout the year, whether they are on the field, in their office or on the road. However, more coaches are beginning to make full use of the technology today. Remember, there is no “dead period” in the recruiting process if you have a video, so take full advantage while you can!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

Understanding Baseball Scholarships

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Undoubtedly, financial aid is one of the most confusing pieces of the college search process. Balancing college visits, letter writing, and applications can be a difficult task on its own, but trying to add the scholarship component without a full understanding of the process can be downright frustrating. There is no cookie-cutter system with differences among divisions, conferences and individual schools. I’d like to take this entry to address some common misconceptions and give you a coach’s perspective on the distribution of athletic scholarships.

Unlike football and basketball, which are allotted 85 and 12 full scholarships, respectively, Division I baseball only has a maximum of 11.7 scholarships at a time for the entire team. Rather than giving each player a “full ride,” baseball coaches are given the responsibility of dividing the total scholarships among their players, deciding how much and to whom. This makes baseball an “equivalency sport.” Given a roster cap of 35 players, a maximum of 27 players can be on scholarship, with the minimum athletic scholarship level at 25%. Typically, positions in the middle of the field get the most attention first: pitchers, catchers, middle infielders and center fielders with speed. These positions comprise 65-80% of a program’s scholarship budget.

One glaring misconception I need to point out is that not all Division I programs have the full 11.7 scholarships. In reality, only half are considered to be fully funded. This makes the concept of a full ride to play college baseball everything but a myth: baseball has the second-lowest average scholarship award at $5,806, leading only men’s riflery! Furthermore, there is no such thing as a guaranteed four-year scholarship. Coaches will evaluate the player’s performance on the field and in the classroom, along with their scholarship on an annual basis. In most cases, the scholarships will only go up, but I have seen and heard of player’s scholarships being reduced and/or taken away completely.

Parents, you need to be prepared to significantly fund your son’s college education. All coaches understand the financial burden families face to send their children to college. However, you cannot get caught up in the value of a scholarship--it is not a translation of your son's worth, nor does it dictate playing time! All coaches have the task of putting together the best team possible, many with limited funding, and have to address both priorities and depth. To put this in another perspective, a 30% or more athletic scholarship is considered a major commitment on behalf of the institution.

A while ago, I wrote a blog entry about how I put together teams at the University of Maryland and what I looked for in prospective players. In addition to the “Three Aces” that I mentioned, there is one critical “4th Ace” that I left out: affordability. In addition to finding ACC-caliber players that had the grades to be admitted to the University of Maryland, I also had to recruit players that had the financial means to attend! Not only was it extremely challenging to find players that matched all three criteria, but I considered myself fortunate to get two of three.

Keep in mind that there are plenty of other options out there for financial aid, including FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), academic scholarships, and grants. The key to securing these different packages is to be proactive and do your research. You’ll never know until you’ve applied, and you can’t afford to wait around!

As a wrap-up, here is the breakdown of each division’s scholarship allotment:

NCAA Division I: 11.7
NCAA Division II: 9.0
Junior College: DI and DII: 24 DIII: 0
NCAA Division III: 0
NAIA: 12


Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

10 College Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid, Part 3

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

As I’ve written in my last two entries, there are plenty of ways for players to limit their college options. I’d like to close out this discussion with four final points:

#7) Not Understanding the Scholarship Process

The first thing to understand is that there are not many college baseball scholarships to go around. For example, a fully funded Division I program has 11.7 scholarships to award players on their team. This doesn’t mean 11.7 scholarships for the incoming recruits, but rather 11.7 scholarships to spread out between a maximum of 27 players on the team, from freshman to seniors. Most schools are not fully funded, so most programs will have less than the maximum amount of scholarships.

Because of these limitations, coaches have to be very efficient with their scholarships. They will spread out scholarships to players in their program such that, for example, one recruit is given a 33% scholarship and another player is given a 67% scholarship. Therefore, don’t expect to receive a scholarship, because they are rare. And if you are offered a scholarship, don’t expect it to be a “full” scholarship!

If you do receive a scholarship, keep in mind the scholarships are year-to-year. They are reviewed annually by the coaching staff and can be adjusted. You may be given a 33% scholarship your freshman year and a 40% scholarship your sophomore year. However, coaches can also reduce a scholarship or remove it completely.

#8) Relying on Your High School or Summer Coach to Find You a College

While there are numerous high school and summer coaches across the country that go the extra mile to help their players compete at the college level, it is important that you do not rely entirely on this source. It is rare that a high school or summer coach can pick up the phone and have direct contact with college programs across the country. In addition, keep in mind that a high school coach’s main job is likely as a full time teacher, and most all summer coaches have a full time job. While they may have good intentions, your college search may not be high on their priority list.

It is important that you take advantage of all of your resources. Use your high school or college coach as a reference throughout the process, but it is best to leave the true college search to the professionals. Also, make sure that you take the initiative throughout the process.

#9) Visiting Colleges That Aren’t a Realistic Athletic and/or Academic Fit

Lots of money and time can be wasted traveling around the country to look at the wrong schools. You need to be honest with yourself from both an academic and athletic standpoint. Concentrate your time, energy and money visiting schools that are academically and athletically realistic based on your ability. Do research to find out more information on each college’s academic requirements, and the level of competition on the baseball team. If you need help finding out schools that would be a good college fit, contact a Player Development Coordinator at Baseball Factory after your tryout is completed and our scouts have evaluated your skills.

#10) Letting Your Parents Do the Talking When a College Coach Asks you’re a Question

College coaches are recruiting YOU, not your parents. Thus, it is important that you are the one communicating with them throughout the college recruiting process. When you meet with coaches, you should be asking and answering questions. It is OK for your parents to participate in the discussion, but you should be taking the lead. It is important that YOU pick up the phone and call coaches- they want to hear from players and professionals in the baseball industry, NOT parents.

So, what to take away from all of this? Players that learn to take the initiative and keep an open mind in the college recruiting process will find themselves with better options, regardless of academic or athletic ability. There are many different ways for you to take your recruitment into your own hands on the field, in the classroom and in front of your computer. Be careful to avoid these common recruiting mistakes, and you will be able to find that perfect fit athletically, academically and socially!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

10 College Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid, Part 2

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Last week, I started a discussion on common mistakes that players and parents make in the college recruiting process. All of these “pitfalls” can lead to a major limitation of your opportunities come decision time, and should be avoided at all costs. I’d like to continue that discussion in this week’s entry.

#4) Never Getting a Professional Edited Video and Evaluation

As I mentioned in last week’s entry, college coaches are not able to get out to many games, tournaments or showcase in order to see you play. Instead, many coaches rely on receiving a professionally edited video and a detailed professional scout evaluation from Baseball Factory in order to learn about players and begin recruiting them. From the comfort of their office, they can view video footage of a player and read an evaluation from a source they trust. This is a great way for them to narrow down their recruiting list before spending money to travel and see their top recruits in person.

In addition, the difference between a homemade family video and a professionally edited video is huge. Coaches have very hectic schedules, so they don’t have time to watch an hour-long unedited video of you performing in a game. They want short, quick clips of you defensively, on the mound, or at the plate. Most homemade family videos that are sent to coaches end up in the trash.

Not getting an unbiased professional evaluation can also hurt your college recruiting efforts. Keep in mind that in a college coach’s mind, your parents are biased and your high school coach is biased. Providing a college coach with an evaluation from a professional scout gives him an unbiased opinion that he can trust.

#5) Waiting Until Your Senior Year to Begin Marketing Yourself to Colleges

We suggest that players begin marketing themselves to college coaches the summer before their Sophomore year in high school. Start writing letters to college coaches to let them know of your interest in their program. While they probably won’t be out to see you play or even begin recruiting you heavily, they will start a file on you for their records and will keep up with your high school career on and off the field.

Players who wait until their Senior year to begin the recruiting process are at a major disadvantage, as coaches don’t have nearly as much time to recruit the player. There are fewer times to see the player in person, gather information from other coaches and scouts, and make a true assessment of the players ability and work ethic. It is hard to tell if the player has improved through high school, which is important for a college coach in determining if the player will work hard and improve during his college career.

If you are a Senior and are just now getting started: don’t panic! It is certainly not too late, but you will have to work harder over a shorter span of time. The lesson is, start early and be proactive.

#6) Not Sending Back College Questionnaires in a Timely Manner

If you contact a coach and he sends you a general questionnaire to fill out, make sure to get it back to him as soon as possible. Many players get offended by receiving a general questionnaire from a coach. “Why didn’t he write something personal? Does he not want to recruit me?” The truth is that the coach wants to get more information on you before he starts recruiting you.

College coaches use general questionnaires to gauge a player’s interest and begin a file on a player. If you take your time sending it back, or don’t send it back at all, the coach is going to assume that you aren’t interested in his program. In addition, make sure to send back questionnaires to colleges, even if they aren’t from a school you are pursuing. The more schools that are interested in you, the more leverage you have in the recruiting process. Keep all options open until you are ready to make a final decision.

By now, you should start to see an underlying pattern behind all of these common mistakes. Waiting to be discovered and leaving everything up to chance is the surest way to put a quiet end to your playing career- It is up to you to get the recruiting process started!

Be sure to check back next week when I wrap up my list of recruiting pitfalls.

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

10 College Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

I know we’ve spent a lot of time talking about things players can do to help themselves in the college recruiting process. One thing I haven’t spent a lot of time on is the many different ways players can hurt themselves in the process. Unfortunately, these common “pitfalls” will always leave a player with fewer opportunities to play college baseball. As we go through and discuss these restrictive attitudes and actions (or lack thereof), I’d like you to find ways to integrate our advice into your own college search routine. I guarantee that you will find yourself with more opportunities to choose from by the time you make your decision!

#1) Dedicating More Time to Your On-Field Activities than to Your Schoolwork

The first question that every coach asks our recruiting staff at Baseball Factory is, “What are his grades?” If a player doesn’t have good enough grades, there is no reason for the coach to begin recruiting him. Therefore, it is important that you spend as much time possible studying and improving your grades as you do improving your game. Showing a coach that you are not an academic liability will give you more options you will have at the college level.

In addition, the NCAA has recently announced a rule change that will require players to maintain their eligibility through the entire year. In the past, players were only required to be academically eligible in the fall in order to compete in the spring. Starting in 2008, players will need to be eligible during both semesters in order to be allowed to play on their team. Adding this to the APR (Academic Progress Rate) makes it that much harder for coaches to risk recruiting a player who may struggle academically and lose eligibility. So, if grades weren’t already incredible important to you, they have to be now. Study hard!

#2) Limiting Your Search to Only Division-I Schools

This is a problem that we come across every day with players and parents. There is a mentality out there amongst high school baseball players and many parents, which we call DI-itis, that if you aren’t going to be able to play baseball at a Division I program, you shouldn’t play at all. Getting stuck in that mindset will limit the options you have at the next level.

The truth is that there are many Division-II and Division-III programs across the nation that can compete with Division I programs. There are over 1,600 college baseball programs and less than 300 of them are Division I. More importantly, you have to find the best fit for you. Limiting your options to the Division-I level will make the job that much harder! Keep the goal of playing college baseball at the forefront, not playing Division-I college baseball.

#3) Expecting College Coaches to Come See You Play

College baseball is not a revenue-generating sport like college football and basketball. As such, college coaches have very limited recruiting budgets, not to mention hectic schedules trying to manage their teams while recruiting for the future. While it is smart to send college coaches your spring, summer and fall baseball schedule, don’t expect them to come see you play.

Many players expect coaches to see them in one of their high school games and begin recruiting them because of that performance. The truth of recruiting is that a coach normally won’t attend a game unless they already have interest in a player that is performing. There is also the chance that the day a coach does show up at one of your games, you aren’t playing or have a poor performance. You need to take additional steps to make yourself stand out above the other 200 players that coach is recruiting.

Write the coach a letter, e-mail him or call him to set up a meeting at his school to ask questions about his program. Get a professionally edited video tape made for the coach to review. Take the initiative yourself and you will open many more doors. The more interest you can generate by being proactive, the more likely it is that a coach will see you play at some point.

Check back next week when I continue to discuss more common mistakes in the college recruiting process.

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

The Two or Three Sport Athlete Dilemma

Rob Naddelman: Through a Parent’s Eyes

I am currently on an airplane flying back to Baltimore from Baseball Factory’s Under Armour Southwest Tournament in Peoria, Arizona. As a sidebar, wow is it hot in Arizona at this time of the year (our in-car thermometer read 133 degrees at one point during the week)! I decided to write this blog while still on the plane because the topic of playing multiple sports was brought up during this trip and I wanted to comment on what transpired during the discussion while it was still fresh in my mind.

As a part of our Player Development events at Baseball Factory we usually try to include a parent/player seminar on the college recruiting process. During the seminar we cover key topics to be mindful of as the recruiting process begins to unfold, and we open up the forum for parents and players to ask questions. In Arizona, the seminar was run by me and our Senior Vice President of College Recruiting, Kelly Kulina. A lot of good questions were raised by the parents in attendance, but one that came up in particular sparked a lot of discussion. The question was how Kelly and I felt about players competing in multiple sports, and what the general consensus was from college baseball coaches on the topic.

This topic is a highly debated one in our field. I could easily defend both sides of the argument on whether it is more beneficial for an aspiring college baseball player to strictly focus on baseball or to play other high school sports. To be completely honest with you, there is no right answer to this question, and there is not an overwhelming consensus on it from college coaches. However, I can give you some good guidelines to consider as it relates to your son and what he should think about before making a decision.

1. Does he really love playing the other sports? It seems like a simple question, but not all families look at it from this point of view. If your son really doesn’t enjoy the other sports that much and is just playing them because “that is what he has always done since he has been little,” then I think it could be time to give them up and focus on baseball.

2. Who is he satisfying by playing the other sports? If as a parent you played football/basketball/soccer, etc. and your influences are getting in the way of this decision, take a step back and let your son speak on the matter and what he wants to do. Also, is he playing football because the football coach is “pressuring” him to do so? Or does he feel like he doesn’t want to let the team down if he doesn’t come back for his senior year? In my opinion, these are not good reasons to continue playing a sport if his dream is to play college baseball.

3. Is he a contributing member of the other sports teams to the same degree he contributes to the baseball team? If your son excels in baseball, but is just a secondary player in the other sports, it may not be in his best interest to keep up with the other sports.

4. Are you overwhelmingly concerned about injuries? This is a really good one to consider, especially for pitchers. Are you willing to take the risk of playing football, even if it means hurting your pitching arm? Pitchers in particular really have to think hard about playing football where their shoulder can be exposed to serious injury.

My personal opinion is that baseball players do learn a lot from playing other sports as it relates to the mental side of the game and developing key athletic skill sets as well. Football players learn a “never say die attitude” and they usually are mentally tough baseball players. Basketball players are well conditioned athletes and that usually bodes well on the baseball field. Soccer players usually show good lateral mobility and agility which also is a big part of baseball. So the benefits can be quite substantial, not to mention that it also helps to prevent burnout from focusing only on baseball.

As a high school athlete, I played baseball, basketball, and ran cross country so I saw first-hand some of the benefits from playing more than one sport. There are a good percentage of college coaches that like to recruit multiple sport baseball players because they think it creates well-rounded athletes with a variety of skill sets and competitive instincts. Try using the four questions above as a guideline and attempt to make the best decision for the player when considering these options. If you decide to stick with more than one sport, just don’t abandon baseball completely during the fall or winter seasons so you are not starting from square one once the baseball season kicks off again in the spring.


Rob Naddelman is the President of Baseball Factory. Naddelman is a former two-time All Ivy League Third Baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, where he competed in a College World Series Regional. He has served as the President of Baseball Factory for the past 13 years, and also is the Executive Director of Baseball Factory's charitable arm The B.A.S.E. - H.I.T. Foundation. Naddelman and Steve Sclafani (CEO) have been featured in Business Week and CNN for their work in building Baseball Factory into the nation's leader in player development and college placement.

The APR: Cause and Effect

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

As we enter the stretch run of summer and student-athletes prepare to head back to the classroom, I believe that now is a good time to go over the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), and how it affects the college baseball landscape.

The APR, which was introduced in 2005, measures the ability of each Division I team’s student-athletes to make progress towards receiving a college degree in a reasonable span of time (five years). In the most practical terms, it measures the academic performance and retention of Division I student-athletes from year-to-year. The NCAA created the APR to promote success in the classroom and graduation for all sports. It also serves as an institutional-wide metric of support for student-athletes.

The NCAA assigns points for certain criteria a scholarship athlete fulfills. The two criteria are retention and eligibility, which are assigned once during the fall and once during the spring for a total of four points. To calculate a team’s APR, the total number of earned points for the team are divided by the total possible points for the team, and multiplied by 1,000.

The benchmark number for APR has been set at 925, which translates roughly to a 60% graduation rate. Evaluated on an annual basis as well as four-year intervals, teams that exceed this level will benefit from positive public recognition, while those that fall below this benchmark are subject to a variety of penalties. Given college baseball’s enormous schedule (56 games), first-time offenders may lose 10% of their schedule. Down the road, repeat offenders can lose 10% of their total scholarships, practice time, postseason competition and even lose their Division I status!

While all Division I sports are subject to the APR, the nature of college and professional baseball make it especially vulnerable to special challenges and consequences. Beyond the short-term benefits and penalties involving the APR, I believe we will see a major long-term impacts including:

• More college players in summer school than ever, which will have an adverse effect on development and collegiate leagues. There are also financial ramifications, as families will have to pay for the extra credit hours out of pocket, as scholarships will not normally cover these.
• Coaches will have to weigh the academic liabilities of their prospective recruits more carefully. This will mean that more kids will be driven to professional baseball, as they will not be given the chance to prove themselves in the classroom. Division II, Division III, NAIA, and JC programs will also benefit from a trickle-down effect of more talented players without the necessary grades to play Division I.
• Smaller schools, located in colder climates, will be more affected by penalties such as reduction in schedule because they are already subject to the loss of games through weather. This will exacerbate the competitive inequality between northern and southern schools.
• Coaches have always been evaluated on wins and losses, but now the success of their athletes in the classroom is more important than ever. This all will add to the pressures of winning on the field!

In the long run, I believe the APR will have a positive effect on Division I sports. In the short-term, however, it will create some indirect hurdles for college coaches and prospective college baseball players and will put more emphasis on the academic piece than ever. Bottom line, as long as you take care of business in the classroom, these hurdles will not affect you in the college search process and, if anything, will make you more of a commodity!

Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

The Power of Now

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Greetings from Kiwanis-Wallas Park! For the past two weeks, the Baseball Factory has been operating the Kelly Kulina All-Star and Elite Summer Baseball Camps in the Howard County area. The camp was designed to teach and hone the fundamental skills of baseball, while all of the proceeds went to the B.A.S.E.-H.I.T. Foundation. Even as our focus shifted away from recruiting and onto youth development, I had a chance to speak with many of the campers about my experiences with the recruiting process, and I feel that there are still some excellent points to make to our younger prospective student-athletes.

As a former associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, I tried looking at prospective student-athletes in terms of the “Three Aces”: 1) Attitude, 2) Academics and 3) Athletic Ability. While athletic ability may be an obvious choice, I think too many players overlook attitude and academics. If a player can’t show me the attitude necessary to compete and willingness to learn, I don't want him on my team. And as for academics, coaches simply do not have the time to waste on athletes who are academic liabilities. Everyone loves to work on their game, but few spend the same amount of time on their studies, which ultimately, will make or break you in the end. For you younger players, you all can work on these two areas starting today- make them a priority!

My staff and I spent a great deal of time trying to instill lessons that can be applied to both on and off the baseball field. The biggest point I made to our campers is that, no matter how hard you throw or hit the ball, you won’t be playing college baseball if you don’t show a coach:

• that you have the discipline to improve your skills beyond physical ability and, more importantly, study hard and effectively in the classroom.


• a willingness and an interest in learning about the game.


• character inherent to a team leader, and someone that will always represent themselves (and their school) in the best way possible.

Granted, not all of this has to start on a baseball field. Instead of finding ways to avoid chores, try actively volunteering to help your parents with everyday tasks around the house. As for school, be proactive and ask your teachers for areas they believe you can improve on, and how to do so. I believe you’ll find that if you change how you approach daily issues and activities, you’ll find a change for the better on the field, as well.

There is no better time than now to focus on being a better player, student and person. The intangibles such as leadership and self-discipline don’t happen overnight. It takes a concentrated effort to change your habits, whether it be how you approach homework, chores or taking extra infield groundballs. So, why not give yourself as much time as you need? Just like in the recruiting process, there is no such thing as “putting it off until later.” Unfortunately, in life, “later” happens in the blink of an eye!


Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

The Truth About the NCAA Clearinghouse

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

One of the more frequent questions our staff gets throughout the recruiting/college search process is the NCAA Clearinghouse. I’d like to take some time to explain what the Clearinghouse is, how it operates and what you need to do to make sure that you’re on track to accomplish what you want to at the next level, both academically and athletically.

The NCAA Clearinghouse, now known as the NCAA Eligibility Center, regulates, maintains and processes all eligibility certifications. In plain English, the Clearinghouse makes sure that all prospective student athletes at the D-I or D-II level are academically eligible for intercollegiate sports and are certified as amateurs. For more information on academic eligibility requirements, check out the NCAA Freshman-Eligibility Standards Quick Reference Sheet. Assessing a player’s “amateurism” simply means checking for professional contracts, prize money or placement on professional rosters. Your amateur status will determine your eligibility for scholarships, team practice and intercollegiate play. For more information on amateurism, please see the NCAA’s Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

Players that register with the Clearinghouse will fall into one of three categories: 1) qualifier, 2) partial qualifier and 3) non-qualifier. A qualifier is eligible for scholarship money, team practices and games. A partial qualifier is eligible for athletic aid and team practice, but cannot play in intercollegiate games for one year. A non-qualifier cannot practice or play games in his first year. One important distinction to make is that being academically eligible for intercollegiate play is NOT the same thing as being admitted into the school. It is possible to be eligible and not offered admission to a particular school, and vice-versa!

When I was coaching at Jacksonville University and Maryland in my early years, each individual university’s Admissions Office had to determine eligibility for their incoming student-athletes. When the Clearinghouse first came about, there were a lot of concerns of how it was going to work, and what benefit it would have for student-athletes, athletic departments and academic standards. More so, would it more trouble than it was worth? After seeing both ways, I can honestly say that, after some bugs had been worked out of the system, it has definitely made a tremendous difference for admissions and college coaches. The effect on academic standards is pretty obvious, but even for coaches, the ability of the Clearinghouse to provide accurate and updated information regarding a prospect’s academic record is a major help in the recruiting process.

For players, registering with the Clearinghouse during the junior year may prove to be a useful compass when deciding which level of athletics to pursue from an academic standpoint. For example, if a prospect has a 2.0 GPA and historically does not test well, it may be worthwhile to look into community college. As I have stressed in my previous blog entries, finding the right fit academically is very important for your overall happiness and success in college. If you’re struggling with academics now, playing sports at the D-I or D-II level may not be the best formula for success on the field or the classroom right now.

So, what does all this mean? College coaches can no longer afford to waste time with “borderline” players. There are too few spots for many prospective student-athletes out there that are comparable on the field. The players that get the job done in the classroom are the ones that will get the last spot on the team, not because they’re a better player, but because they are less likely to be a liability down the road. It’s important to remember that coaches aren’t just looking for the best players; they’re looking for the best players that are going to represent their school, community and program in a positive way. Position yourself to be an asset, not a liability, for a coach and a baseball program!

The Keys to an Effective Visit

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Players in the Exclusive Program recently took part in our 2008 Junior Visit Days, held at various schools around the country. Just to highlight some of our visits:

• At the University of Virginia, our players had the opportunity to meet with Coach Eddie Smith and discuss the Cavalier’s program and recruiting in general as well as meet with an Admissions Officer.
  

• While our visit to Salisbury University was mostly rained out, including a chance to watch the postseason-bound Sea Gulls play an intersquad game, our players were still able to meet with ABCA South Region Coach of the Year Doug Fleetwood.
  

• At the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, our Exclusive Players had a chance to go on a campus tour as well as meet with Coach Bob Mumma before watching the Golden Retrievers take on the University at Albany.
  

• On the west coast, our players had a chance to meet with Coach Chad Addison and see the University of California – San Diego play CSU Monterey Bay.

These were great opportunities set up by Justin Roswell and Woody Wingfield, but players shouldn’t wait to be invited to campus! There are many ways to get on campus beyond attending a college camp, just as long as you are proactive and plan ahead. Therefore, I’d like to take this week’s entry to discuss several opportunities to learn more about schools you are interested in.

Just FYI, high school players are allowed to take as many unofficial visits as they want. An unofficial visit is any visit to a college campus during which time the college or coach pays for none of your expenses including hotel, transportation, food, or even a bag of sunflower seeds. If the coach or another member of the university pays for anything, the visit will be considered an official visit.

Unofficial visits should be treated as fact-finding missions. On this visit, you should tour the campus and facilities, meet with someone from the admissions office (if the institution conducts interviews) and meet with someone from the baseball program. Typically, schools will have set times for campus tours and information sessions and display them on the Admissions Office web page. The school may also include an Information Session along with the tour; depending on your schedule, this may suffice over an individual meeting with an Admissions officer.

When trying to visit with someone from the baseball staff, do not show up to the coach’s door and expect him to have 30 minutes, or even 10 minutes, to sit down with you. If you set up a meeting with the baseball staff ahead of time, they will usually set aside time to answer your questions and discuss their program. Please realize that you must set up this meeting, not the coach nor your parents. Generally, this can be accomplished via e-mail with one of the assistant coaches. However, sometimes the admissions office can assist you in scheduling a meeting if you mention that you are a prospective student-athlete.

Come prepared with questions. Use this visit to learn as much as you can about the school, program, and coaching staff. Dress appropriately to talk in-person with admissions officers and coaches. Make sure you have questions ready to help you fill in the blanks in regards to what you already know about the school and program. Be honest and up front with the coach as he is gauging your personality and interest throughout the interview. Be tactful and make sure that you – not your parents – are initiating the conversation and developing the relationship. It is your future at stake, so take an active role!

Here is a laundry list of what you should try to accomplish on a visit:

• Take a campus tour (You can usually arrange one with the admissions office. At some schools they run hourly, but try to call ahead to make sure).
  


• Meet with a member of the admissions office or take part in an Admissions Information Session.
  


• Meet with a member of the coaching staff.
  


• Tour the athletic facility, including the baseball field.
  


• Meet with a player from the team.
  


• Sit in on a class (only during the school year).
  


• Go see a baseball practice or game (during the fall/spring season).

It’s never too early to begin visiting colleges to get a feel for the different campuses and baseball programs that are out there. Just taking a drive through a campus in your travels will be time well-spent in the long run. In the perfect world, you should start early and see as many schools as you can. This will greatly assist you throughout the college search process. You need to know what you’re looking for in a school and baseball program before any decisions are made and unfortunately, you can’t do this from your home!


Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.

College: Training for Success On and Off the Field

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

As I mentioned in my previous post, anybody who plays the game has dreamed of making it to the Major Leagues. It’s the ultimate goal to have as a baseball player, and I applaud anyone that shows the desire to make this dream a reality. However, I’m a firm believer in the role college plays in a young man’s development, both on and off the field. There are many reasons to continue you