1. the Greek ideal was that sport should be a preparation for life in general. - Sir Roger Bannister, the first sub 4 minute mile and Sports Illustrateds 1 st Sportsman of the year

2. Make a list of 20-25 schools you might like to attend. Break down that list into D-1, D-2, and D-3 schools. You can find a list of these schools online via google or NCAA.org Review the roster for their football team to see the depth and talent they have at your position. Its NEVER too soon to contact coaches. If you really want to play at the college level, start your contacts in your sophomore year. Generate ONE letter: This is your first contact with the coach. Make it concise and too the point, Dear Coach……., My name is………. I play football for Atlee High School…….. Make your letter short, this is the first of many contacts you will have with this coach. Include a High School academic/athletic resume.

3. Use this same letter for each school, just changing the name of the coach and the school. Make sure you make the changes in the body of the letter where appropriate. If you know anything about the school or coach personalize it, for example, you may have attended his camp, add that to the letter. As the season progresses, you should email the coach, congratulating him on a big win etc. Put your name along with the topic in the subject line, so the coaches become familiar with your name. CAMPS: Ideally, the summer after your junior year is when you attend recruiting camps or camp at a particular school you are interested make school visits

4. Ideally, the summer after your junior year is when you attend recruiting camps or camp at a particular school you are interested make school visits To prepare for these camps: meet with Coach Johnson before November of your Junior year Apply for recruiting camps before Christmas of your junior year If you feel strongly about a particular school, make sure you attend their summer camp By the end of your Junior year your list of colleges should be manageable at about 10 target schools. FILMS College coaches are interested in Varsity films only. JV and Freshman films are irrelevant, because of the level of competition and the player is still growing and developing.

5. All Varsity game films will be posted on SwinkTV.com. For a membership fee, you will have access to the footage that is already edited by play and in a format that is easy to create highlight films. Your next contact with the coach will be a highlight tape. This tape should be about 10-12 minutes of highlight clips, followed by a full game against a strong known opponent. The college coaches are looking for: Clips – Specific skills, ie. speed, strength, ability catch Full Game – Intangibles, ie. does the athlete hustle on and off the field, how does he interact with his teammates, opponents, officials, etc., what does he do when the play is away from his side of the field. Coach Johnson can recommend people who specialize in highlight films, if you need assistance. When you send these films your season will be over, so update your resume with any honors. Personalize each letter to these schools. Congratulate the coach on a good season, if applicable, or any awards he or his players might have won. This info can be obtained from the team website and goes a long way to letting the coach know how that you are a serious recruit.

6. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of all your contacts. List the schools, their info, and every contact (letter, tape, phone call, email, questionnaire) by date. You will start to get lots of mail and phone calls from coaches, and if you dont keep track, it gets confusing. The NCAA rules for recruiting are intended for the college coach, but it would not hurt for you to be familiar with them at NCAA.org/rules. You will also need to register with the NCAA clearing house at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net www.ncaaclearinghouse.net VISITS After your Junior season start scheduling visits with the coaching staff. If the coach is very interested in you, they may make an offer for an official visit. Students and colleges are limited to the number of official visits they can make, so choose wisely. If you dont get invited, ask if you can visit unofficially (at your expense). Most coaches are open to this, and you can still meet them and tour the campus.

7. Sophomore year – Summer camps and contact letters Junior year – Meet with Coach Johnson regarding recruiting camps by November. Continue to send letters, highlight films, and emails to coaches. Junior year summer- Recruiting and other camps. Visit colleges, make appointments to meet coaches. Senior year – Narrow to 3-5 schools. Constant contact. Call coaches, email, respond to questionaires.

8. The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur. -Vince Lombardi, 5 time NFL Champion Coach for the Green Bay Packers Sacrifice. Work. Self-discipline. I teach these things, and my boys don't forget them when they leave. -Paul Bear Bryant, 6 time National Champion Coach for the University of Alabama - Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. Read Jacob: jjac17@aol.com or (804) 399-7928 jjac17@aol.com