MYSTX Field Hockey

2009 Guide To Recruiting

For the Mystx Student Athlete

Thank you to the dedicated staff who worked diligently preparing this guide.Not to be duplicated. Copyright Mystx Field Hockey Club, 2009. All rights reserved

©Mystx Field Hockey Club

INDEX

Introduction

Prospective Student-Athlete Timeline

College Board

College Visits

Contacting College Coaches

NCAA Eligibility Center

NCAA Field Hockey Programs

National Letter of Intent (NLI)

Recruiting Rules

Recruiting Terms

Resume

Scholarships and Commitments

Shirts

Showcases, Camps and Clinics

Video

USA Field Hockey Programs

Resources and Links

References

INTRODUCTIONThis information is intended for exckusive use by members of the Mystx Field Hockey Club.It is meant to help guide you and your parents through the college selection process. It isimportant for each college bound athlete to select an institution that is the best fit for them inall ways so be sure to consider academics, athletics, geography and finances.

All information presented here is a guide and each student athlete will follow a differenttimeline and process. Every path to college athletics is a unique one so don’t bediscouraged. Do your research, ask lots of questions, be honest and be persistent!

When starting the college search process keep in mind that if you want to play incollege and you aren’t in the top 1-2% of players you will have to market and promoteyourself.

Your Mystx coaches and Director are here to help you. Please feel free to list your Mystxcoaches as references in communications with coaching staffs during the recruitmentprocess.

All of our coaches contact information is listed on www.mystxfieldhockey.com.

PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE TIMELINE

Freshman Year

Sep-Nov Fall Hockey!Begin your hockey ResumeBegin your hockey VideoFamiliarize yourself with Recruiting Terms and Recruiting Rules

Dec-Feb Indoor Hockey!Update your Resume with fall accomplishmentsBegin to learn about NCAA Field Hockey programsBegin researching Summer Camps

Mar-May Spring Hockey!Update your Resume with Indoor accomplishmentsSign up for Summer Camps

Jun-Aug Summer Hockey!Update your Resume with spring accomplishments

Sophomore Year

Sep-Nov Fall Hockey!Begin Contacting CoachesSend your HS hockey schedule to collegesAttend college games in your area

Dec-Feb Indoor Hockey!Send your Indoor hockey schedule to collegesUpdate your Resume with fall accomplishmentsContinue to learn about NCAA Field Hockey programs and begin narrowingyour list of schoolsBegin researching Summer Camps

Mar-May Spring Hockey!Send your spring hockey schedule to collegesUpdate your Resume with Indoor accomplishmentsSign up for Summer Camps

Jun-Aug Summer Hockey!Update your Resume with spring accomplishmentsSend your summer hockey plans to colleges

Junior Year

Sep-Nov Fall Hockey!Register with the NCAA Eligibility CenterRegister for the PSATSend your HS hockey schedule to collegesUpdate your Video at the end of your fall season and distributeAttend local college gamesIf PSAT results aren’t up to par, research and register for SAT prep courseRegister to take College Board exams in the winter or spring

Dec-Feb Indoor hockey!Begin making Unofficial VisitsTake College Board exams or prep courseUpdate your Resume with fall accomplishmentsSend your indoor hockey schedule to collegesNarrow your college search list againResearch Summer Camps

Mar-May Spring hockey!Update your Resume with indoor accomplishmentsSend your spring hockey schedule to collegesTake College Board exams or continue prep courseSign up for Summer CampsContinue making Unofficial Visits

Jun-Aug Summer hockey!Send your summer hockey plans to collegesUpdate your Resume with spring accomplishmentsUpdate your VideoContinue making Unofficial Visits

Senior Year

Sep-Nov Fall hockey!Begin making Official VisitsBegin applying to collegesTake College Board exams or continue prep course if neededAttend local college gamesSend your HS hockey schedule to colleges

Dec-Feb Indoor hockey!Update your Resume with fall accomplishmentsSend your indoor hockey schedule to collegesContinue making Official/Unofficial Visits

National Letter of Intent (NLI) Signing Period

Mar-May Spring hockey!Continue making Official/Unofficial VisitsSend your spring hockey schedule to colleges

Jun-Aug Summer hockey!

COLLEGE BOARDwww.collegeboard.com

College Board TestsInstitutions may handle and weigh these test scores in a different way. For example, if youtake exams more than once, some institutions will consider the highest combined score,some will consider the SAT Writing score while others may not. College Board now offersthe choice of only reporting certain of your scores to the institutions of your choice. Whenyou register you are given the opportunity to have your scores reported to up to 5 institutionsfor free and more at an additional charge. Before you send all of your scores to the schoolsyou are interested in you may want to find out what their policy is.

Test scores will no longer be accepted as reported on a high school transcript so alwaysrequest that your SAT and ACT scores be transmitted to the NCAA Eligibility Center byusing code 9999.

College PlanningCollegeBoard.com offers many college planning tools including My College QuickStart™ afree personalized planning kit for all PSAT/NMSQT takers. You may:

o View a detailed online PSAT/NMSQT score reporto Prepare for the SAT using a study plan based on your resultso Connect to detailed profiles of suggested colleges, majors, and careers

College ResearchCollegeBoard.com offers numerous research tools. Visit the site to learn more.

College FinancesCollegeBoard.com offers valuable information and tools about the cost of college and how tofinance school.

COLLEGE VISITSFor recruiting purposes, there are two types of college visits: Unofficial and Official

Unofficial visitAny visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. Theonly expense you may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to ahome athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like and may takethose visits at any time. The only restriction is that you may not speak to the coach oncampus during a dead period.

Official VisitAny visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the college. The collegemay pay all or some of the following expenses:• Your transportation to and from the college;• Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college; and• Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a homeathletics contest.

Before you make an official visit to a college, you must provide that college with a copy ofyour high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score and register withthe Eligibility Center.

General TipsAny time you plan on visiting a college campus email the coach to let them know andrequest a few moments or a more in depth meeting depending on your interest. If possible,plan your visits for a time when the college isn’t on break.

If you are watching the home game of a college you are interested in you may be able tovisit with the coach after the game. If you do, always introduce yourself by name and highschool. You may speak to a coach on their campus at any time without violating RecruitingRules except during a Dead Period.

If you want to speak to the visiting team’s coach you must follow the Recruiting Rules sinceyou aren’t on their campus. In the case where this is allowed email them ahead of time torequest a few moments after the game.

Any time you visit the campus of a program you are interested in you should research theschool and its hockey program ahead of time, especially if you have a meeting with thecoach planned. The coach may incorrectly gauge your interest based on your knowledge orlack of knowledge about the program. Take a few moments to visit the program’s websiteand see what their schedule is like, how their season is going or went, what conference theycompete in and so on. A coach appreciates it when you’ve done your research.

Be wary of a coach who “bashes” other institutions or their coaching staffs. Form youropinions based on information you have gathered directly or from trusted sources.Recruiting is a business and like any other business, some are more cutthroat than others.

A visit is the best time to gauge your “gut” feeling about a school so pay attention to yourinstincts!

Questions for the College Coach

Player PersonnelHow many players do you carry on your roster?How many players are you replacing through my recruiting class?How many players typically travel and see substantial time?Do you play freshmen?Describe the role of scholarship vs. non-scholarship athletes?Do you hold try outs?

ProgramDescribe a typical week during fall season, off season and non-traditional season?What are the program goals?Does your program receive good budgetary and institutional support?What equipment does each player receive?

TeamDescribe the personality of the team?Do the players live together?

CoachWhat is your coaching style?What is your coaching philosophy?Describe your communication style.How long have you been at this school and how long do you plan on staying?

AcademicsWill I miss many classes because of games/travel?Do players in your program graduate on time?What is the team’s GPA and how does it compare to the dept and the school?How many of your players are on academic probation?What academic support is available for athletes?Is priority scheduling available for athletes?

Campus LifeWhat is the availability of on-campus housing?Do you require your athletes to live on campus?Do your athletes participate in sorority life or other clubs or activities?Are your student-athletes able to have a job?

What is your philosophy on studying abroad?

Financial AidWhat is the total cost of a year at your school (tuition, room, board, books, fees, etc.)?Is financial aid available for summer school?Is financial aid available for fifth year students?Have you ever decreased a scholarship?Have you ever not renewed a scholarship?Do you ever increase scholarships?If a player is injured and no longer able to play, would you renew their scholarship?For “need based” institutions, how would you describe your financial aid packaging?

CONTACTING COLLEGE COACHESContact the programs you think you may have an interest in. Some recruits still send lettersbut the majority of recruits now write by email. Anything that sets you apart from thehundreds of other prospects helps whether it’s unusual stationary, a handwritten note or apersonal anecdote or message.

Initial contact by a parent is acceptable but the majority of the contact should be from theprospect. This doesn't mean a parent shouldn't monitor communication between coachesand your daughter. You may want to create an email address just for recruiting.

The best practice is to either bcc the institutions you are interested in or write to each oneindividually. It doesn’t make a good impression if you send a mass email with a visiblerecipient list. If you are copy/pasting your message be careful to use the correct info. Acoach who receives an email addressed to City U won’t be impressed if they work atCountry U! Mistakes happen but first impressions are important.

• ALWAYS mention your grad year. College coaches often get emails from prospectsand can't respond because they don't know if a response is permitted. Prospectscannot be put in a recruiting database without a grad year.

• Large attachments tend to push mailboxes over size limits and may be a nuisance sokeep attachments as small in size as possible.

• It is never too early to start writing. Many prospects are beginning to contact collegesin their freshman year.

• It is never too late. Many prospects enter the process in their senior years and find agreat place to play college hockey.

Complete the institution's online prospect form – you should find this on the departmenthome page or sport page. This shows the coach that you are interested and have spenttime on their website.

In Division I institutions are permitted to reply once to players who write before their junioryear to inform them of the recruiting rules.

Don’t be discouraged if a coach doesn’t respond every time. It is your job to sell yourselfand be persistent. Many coaches have hundreds of players in their databases and receivenumerous emails every day. Do what you can to stay on their minds and be noticed.

Continue to keep in touch, send your resume and video if available and let the coach knowwhere you will be playing. Keep in good contact, especially with your playing schedule,because when a coach attends a recruiting event their list of “players to see” usuallyincludes prospects who have written and expressed an interest.

If you are contacted by a program you have no interest in let the coach know that you arenot interested. Coaches appreciate honesty.

NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTERWhat is the NCAA Eligibility Center?

The NCAA Eligibility Center (previously known as the NCAA Clearinghouse) will certify theacademic and amateur credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish tocompete in NCAA Division I or II athletics. To assist with this process, the Eligibility Centerstaff has fostered a cooperative environment of education and partnership with high schools,high school coaches and college-bound student-athletes. Ultimately, the individual student-athlete is responsible for achieving and protecting his or her eligibility status.

Academic-Eligibility Requirements

Academic Eligibility Rules are extremely complicated. One of your best resources is yourhigh school guidance counselor. It is important to identify yourself as early as possible toyour guidance counselor as a student who plans on participating in college athletics. TheNCAA publishes a Guide for College-Bound Student-Athletes that explains academiceligibility in great detail. Visit http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=263

Amateurism

If you want to participate in NCAA Division I or II athletics, you must also be certified as anamateur student-athlete. The Eligibility Center will determine the amateurism eligibility of allfreshman and transfer college-bound student-athletes for initial participation at an NCAADivision I or II member institution. In Division III, certification of an individual’s amateurismstatus is completed by each institution, not the Eligibility Center.

When you register with the Eligibility Center, you will be asked questions about your athleticsparticipation. The information you will provide will be reviewed and a determination will bemade as to whether your amateurism status should be certified or if a penalty should beassessed before certification. If a penalty is assessed, you will have an opportunity to appealthe decision.

The only method is to register online. Go to www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR PIN!! You will need it in the future. Center ContactInformationNCAA Eligibility Center:Certification ProcessingP.O. Box 7136Indianapolis, IN 46207-7136

Package or overnight delivery:1802 Alonzo Watford Sr. DriveIndianapolis, IN 46202

Web address:www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

Eligibility Center customer serviceRepresentatives are available from 8 a.m.to 6 p.m.,Eastern time, Monday through Friday.U.S. callers (toll free): 877/262-1492

NCAA FIELD HOCKEY PROGRAMSIn the fall of 2008 there were:

77 Division I teams with an average of 19.74 players per team25 Division II teams with an average of 19.24 players per team155 Division III teams with an average of 18.75 players per team

You can easily research every NCAA Field Hockey program athttp://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-fieldh/ncaa-w-fieldh-body.html

The NCAA “Statistics” page http://www.ncaa.com/statistics/w-fieldh-stats.html includes linksto:

2008 Individual and Team Statistics (and archives)2008 Team and Player National Ranking Summary (and archives)Coach/Student-Athlete LookupTeam-By-Team Yearly StatisticsRecord BooksAttendanceStatistical Trends

The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll is published on the NCAAsite. It is an opinion poll. Each week every member institution is provided the opportunity torank the top twenty teams in their opinion. Voting is voluntary but strongly encouraged by theNFHCA. To determine how many coaches voted each week simply total the number of firstplace votes in the poll.

RPI is a ranking based on a mathematical formula which includes takes into considerationyour win/loss, win/loss of your opponents, strength of schedule and other categories.

There are also a handful of non-NCAA Field Hockey programs such as Lindenwood (NAIA)and these programs do not follow NCAA recruiting rules.

Be sure to discuss your options with your high school, club and other coaches that you trust.Keep in mind that the opinions that matter the most are yours and your parents. Often thebest way to gauge whether a school is a good fit for you is to make a visit to the campus,meet the coaches and the team and stay on campus overnight. If you get the chance,observe a practice and go to a game.

NLI - NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENTThe National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a voluntary program administered by the EligibilityCenter. No prospective student athlete or parent is required to sign the National Letter ofIntent, and no institution is required to join the program.

By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend thedesignated college or university for one academic year. Pursuant to the terms of theNational Letter of Intent program, participating institutions agree to provide athletics financialaid for one academic year to the student-athletic, provided she is admitted to the institutionand is eligible for financial aid for financial aid under NCAA rules.

An important provision of the National Letter of Intent program is a recruiting prohibitionapplied after a prospective student-athlete signs a Letter of Intent. This prohibition requiresparticipating institutions to cease recruitment of a prospective student-athlete once aNational Letter of Intent is signed with another institution.

Restrictions are contained in the NLI itself. Read them carefully. These restrictions mayaffect your eligibility.

The Field Hockey Signing Period begins the first Wednesday in February. For 2008-09 highschool seniors this period began February 4, 2009 and ends August 1, 2009.

If you have questions about the National Letter of Intent, visit the Web site athttp://www.national-letter.org or http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/nli or call 877-262-1492.

RECRUITING RULES

Summary of Recruiting Rules for Field Hockey - Division I

YEAR IN SCHOOL RECRUITING METHOD RULE

Sophomore orearlier

Recruiting materialsYou may receive brochures for camps andquestionnaires.

Soph or earlier Telephone callsYou may make calls to coach at your expense only.College coach cannot call you.

Soph or earlier Off campus contact None allowed

Soph or earlier Official visit None allowed

Soph or earlier Unofficial visit You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits.

YEAR IN SCHOOL RECRUITING METHOD RULE

Junior Recruiting materials You may begin receiving September 1 of junior year.

Junior Telephone callsYou may make calls to the coach at your expense.College coach may call you once per week startingJuly 1 after your junior year.

Junior Off campus contact Allowed starting July 1 after your junior year.

Junior Official visit None allowed

Junior Unofficial visit You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits.

YEAR IN SCHOOL RECRUITING METHOD RULE

Senior Recruiting materials Allowed

Senior Telephone callsYou may make calls to the coach at your expense.College coach may call you once per week startingJuly 1 after your junior year.

Senior Off campus contact Allowed

Senior Official visit

Allowed beginning opening day of classes your senioryear.You are limited to one official visit per college up to amaximum of five official visits to Divisions I and IIcolleges.

Senior Unofficial visit You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits.

Senior Evaluation and contacts Up to seven times during your senior year.

SeniorHow often can a coach seeme or talk to me off thecollege’s campus?

A college coach may contact you or your parents/legalguardians not more than three times during your senioryear.

Summary of Recruiting Rules for Field Hockey - Divisions II and IIIDIVISION II DIVISION III

Division II Division III

RecruitingMaterials

A coach may begin sending you printedrecruiting materials September 1 of yourjunior year in high school.

You may receive printed materials anytime.

Telephone calls

A college coach may call you once perweek beginning June 15 between yourjunior and senior year.You may make calls to the coach at yourexpense.

No limit on number of calls or when theycan be made by the college coach.You may make calls to the coach at yourexpense.

Off-campus contact

A college coach can have contact with youor your parents/legal guardians off thecollege’s campus beginning June 15 afteryour junior year.A college coach is limited to three in-personcontacts off campus.

A college coach may begin to havecontact with you and your parents/legalguardians off the college’s campus afteryour junior year.

Unofficial visitsYou may make an unlimited number ofunofficial visits any time.

You may make an unlimited number ofunofficial visits any time.

Official visits

You may make official visits starting theopening day of classes your senior year.You may make only one official visit percollege and up to a maximum of five officialvisits to Divisions I and II colleges.

You may make official visits starting theopening day of classes your senior year.You may make only one official visit percollege.

RECRUITING TERMSContact - A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or yourparents off the college's campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coachhas any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you arecompeting or practicing.

Contact period - During this time, a college coach may have in person contact with youand/or your parents on or off the college's campus. The coach may also watch you play orvisit your high school. You and your parents may visit a college campus and the coach maywrite and telephone you during this period.

Core Courses - Course that are academic, four-year College preparatory and that meethigh-school graduation requirements in one of the following areas: English, mathematics,natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, non-doctrinal religion orphilosophy.

Dead period - A college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or yourparents on or off campus at any time during a dead period. The coach may write andtelephone you or your parents during this time. NCAA Field Hockey observes a dead periodin Division I from Wednesday prior to the National Collegiate Division I Field HockeyChampionship to noon on the day after the game and during the period Monday throughThursday of the initial week for the signing of the National Letter of Intent.

Early Signing Period - This is a one-week period in the beginning of November duringwhich student-athletes can sign a National Letter of Intent. Signing this letter commits themto that particular school for one year. Field Hockey does NOT have an early signing period.

Evaluation - An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or athleticsability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or compete.

Evaluation period - During this time, a college coach may watch you play or visit yourhigh school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with you or your parents off thecollege's campus. You and your parents can visit a college campus during this period. Acoach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.

Financial Aid - Money received from a college or from another source, such as outsideloans or grants. Financial aid may be athletically related or based on criteria such asacademic achievement or financial need. Also referred to as scholarship.

Initial Eligibility - Initial Eligibility refers to the academic eligibility status of an incomingfreshman. Under NCAA rules, incoming freshman must be certified as eligible by the NCAAEligibility Center before they can be involved in college sports.

Nonqualifier - A student who hasn't met the academic requirements for entry into adivision I or II member institution. A nonqualifier can't practice, compete or receiveinstitutional financial aid for one academic year in Division I and II, and has three seasons ofcompetition in Division I.

Official visit - Any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by thecollege. The college may pay all or some of the following expenses:• Your transportation to and from the college;• Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college; and• Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a homeathletics contest.

Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the college with acopy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score andregister with the Eligibility Center.

Partial Qualifier - A term used in Division II only. A student who has met part of theacademic requirements, a partial qualifier may practice on campus and receive institutionalfinancial aid, but can't compete for one academic year.

Prospective - You become a prospective student-athlete (“prospect”) when:• You start ninth-grade classes; or• Before your ninth-grade year, a college gives you, your relatives or your friends anyfinancial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to students generally.

Qualifier - A student who has met the academic requirements outlined for the particularlevel of play. A qualifier may practice, compete and receive institutional financial aid in herfirst year of enrollment at a Division I or II college.

Quiet period - During this time, a college coach may not have any in-person contact withyou or your parents off the college's campus. The coach may not watch you play or visit yourhigh school during this period. You and your parents may visit a college campus during thistime. A coach may write or telephone you or your parents during this time.

Unofficial visit - Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you oryour parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is three complimentaryadmissions to a home athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you likeand may take those visits at any time. The only time you cannot talk with a coach during anunofficial visit is during a dead period.

Verbal commitment - This phrase is used to describe a college bound student-athlete'scommitment to a school before she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent. Acollege bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbalcommitments have become very popular for both college bound student-athletes andcoaches, this "commitment" is NOT binding on either the college bound student-athlete or

the institution. Only the signing of the National Letter of Intent accompanied by a financialaid agreement is binding on both parties.

Walk-on - A student who does not receive athletics institutional financial aid (scholarship),but who is a member of a college athletics team.

RESUME PERSONALYear of HS graduationEmail addressAddressDate of BirthHeight/WeightHome phone #Cell Phone # (optional)A photo showing a clear image of your face

ACADEMICName of SchoolGPAClass RankPSAT/SAT, ACT scores. For each test, list the score for each section.Academic awards or honorsAcademic Interest

HOCKEYHS Coach name, email address, phone # (get permission to share this info)Name of club(s), coach name(s), email address, phone #Your position(s)Awards/honorsStatistics (Field players: goals, assists; GKs: shots, save %, goals against average)USA Field Hockey program participation, Futures participation, be specificCamps/clinics/tournaments and awards/results OTHEROther interests (i.e. community service, academic groups or hobbies)Other sport participation and awards/honorsLetters of recommendation from teachers/coaches are optionalNewspaper clippings are optional - quality, not quantity is a good rule.

If there is information you aren’t comfortable making semi-public then do not include it. Besure to include that info when you write to college coaches. If a prospect doesn’t includetest scores or grades that is usually a clue that the academics aren’t up to par. It is better tobe honest with a coach than try to “hide” poor academics. Nothing is worse than beingrecruited to an institution then finding out you don’t meet its academic standards.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND COMMITMENTSScholarship basicsAn NCAA athletic scholarship is a one year renewable financial aid contract.

If a student-athlete is receiving institutional financial aid based in any degree on athleticsability, that financial aid MAY be reduced or canceled during the period of award (e.g.,during that year or term) only if the student-athlete:

1. Renders herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition;2. Misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid

agreement;3. Commits serious misconduct, which warrants a substantial disciplinary penalty (the

misconduct determination must be made by the university's regular studentdisciplinary authority); or

4. Voluntarily quits the sport for personal reasons. In this case, the student-athlete'sfinancial aid may not be given to another student-athlete during the term in which theaid was reduced or canceled.

Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability MAY NOT be reduced,canceled or increased during the period of award:

1. Based on a student-athlete's ability, performance or contribution to a team's success;2. Because an injury prevents the student-athlete from participating; or3. For any other athletics reason.

It is important to keep in mind that while the coach may represent that they will renew aplayer’s scholarship each year, it may not be guaranteed. It is important to ask for thecoach’s philosophy on scholarship renewals, reductions, increases and cancelations.

Many times a player is accepted as a recruited walk on with the hopes of gaining ascholarship in the future. Never assume that this is possible or likely. Ask the coach howoften that has happened and what the likelihood is of that happening in the future.

The Verbal CommitmentUntil a recruit signs a NLI which binds them to an institution, a prospect can only verballycommit to a school until they are able to sign. When a prospect verbally commits to a school,it is a personal promise to the coaches that she will sign an NLI during the signing period. Aprospect should never make a verbal commitment until she is prepared to do so. Thismeans:

• She is 100% satisfied with her choice of institution• She is 100% satisfied with her choice of field hockey program• She has not felt pressured to make a choice before she feels ready

• Her academics (including SAT or other college prep scores) are suitable foradmission to the institution.

• She and her parents have fully explored all costs of the institution and are ready andable to cover the cost.

Once a prospect has made a verbal commitment it is appropriate to inform other programsthat she is no longer considering them.

NCAA Scholarship Statistics (Division I and II)

Maximum # of full field hockey scholarships permitted per academic year:Division I: 12 Division II: 6.3

What does this mean?If a Division I program is allowed 12 full scholarships that doesn’t necessarily mean they arefunded for 12. Many programs are not “fully funded,” meaning the athletic department doesnot budget them the full maximum. Keep in mind that 12 is not per recruiting class but perroster. In other words, if a program carries 24 players on the roster and the program is fullyfunded then those 12 scholarships are divided among the 24 players in whatever way thecoach feels is appropriate. That could be 12 full rides and 12 non-scholarship athletes, 24half-rides or any other combination.

# Of girls participating in HS: 58,372# Scholarships awarded: 699*Students received: 1680Total $ in millions: 17.6Average % of full: 42Yearly value: 10,464

*Scholarships may be divided between more than one playerNote: Data encompasses freshmen to seniors. NCAA data is the most recent gathered andis from 2003-04. HS data is from 1999-2000 and represents the year in which most collegeathletes received athletic aid were participating in HS sports.

What does this mean?This loosely means that 1 out of every 34.75 high school field hockey players in 1999-2000received an athletic scholarship and the average amount of that scholarship was $10,464.That’s just fewer than 3%.

What else do I need to know?Field Hockey programs are generally limited by what is called “countable aid.” This meansthat certain other aid may have to be counted by the institution towards their sport limit. Inother words, your package may include other types of aid that are not athletic scholarship,per se, but still count towards the program’s maximum number of scholarships. In somecases if a player is offered an athletic scholarship that player may no longer be eligible forinstitutional need-based aid.

Now I’m completely confused!Ask the coach lots of questions. If you have a meeting with a coach and leave not knowinganything about how that institution handles athletic, academic, need based and other aid orscholarships then you need to email and ask. Don’t ever assume!

SHIRTSRed shirtThis term describes the most common "shirt" situation. Red means “stop” as in “stop fromplaying.” The NCAA allows a player five years to complete four seasons of eligibility. Playersstill receive their scholarship, still practice, still do everything the other players do, they justdon’t play in the games. It is important to note that, at least at the Division I level, a red shirtMAY compete in outside competitions in the non-traditional (spring) season.

The purpose is to preserve a year’s eligibility instead of using it on a year when the playerprobably wouldn't see much playing time. If you finish your freshman year and haven’tplayed in any games you may apply for red shirt status to preserve that year of eligibility.This is important to know, especially if you decide to stay in school for a fifth year or decideto transfer.

Some programs mandate red shirting for some or all incoming freshmen. If this is the caseat an institution you are interested in and you have received a scholarship offer be sure toask the coach if they plan on renewing your scholarship for that fifth year of eligibility. Insome cases you may actually be able to get grad classes paid for by your athleticscholarship!

Medical Red shirtThis term describes a red shirt taken when a player is injured or becomes ill early in theseason and isn’t predicted to be back on the field soon. A player who applies for a medicalred-shirt and meets the strict criteria will have that partially used season fully restored andpreserves that year of eligibility. In other words, if you play two games in your secondseason of eligibility and tear your ACL you may apply for a medical red shirt and restore afull second season of eligibility.

Gray shirtThis term describes the situation where prospect signs a letter of intent in February, butdoesn't report in the fall with her teammates. She delays entry to college until midyear. Theadvantage is that the player gets an extra spring practice season before their first fulltraditional season with the team. This is more typically found in football programs.

Green shirtThis term is used to describe the situation where a high school senior forgoes her springsemester in high school to enroll in college in January. Green means “go” as in “go early”. Ifthe college staff thinks she may be able to play right away as a freshman, it provides herwith the opportunity to go through spring practice, learn the system, and get acclimated tobeing on campus. There are many downsides to this situation and this term may not becovered by your scholarship so ask lots of questions. It takes a lot of prior planning toensure she can graduate from high school early with the proper core courses and testscores and gain early admission to the institution.

SHOWCASES, CAMPS and CLINICS

ShowcasesThese events are typically robin play with some or no teaching portion. College coaches areinvited to attend these events and receive a player information guide. This is not a complete list, many more exist. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement orrecommendation of these programs. Before you sign up for any of these events it is a goodidea to explore fully and ask the organizers for a list of the Colleges/Universities representedat the last session offered. SOME HAVE AGE REQUIREMENTS SO PLEASE READ WEBSITES CAREFULLY!

Name Web Address Location

Showcase Field Hockey ShowcaseFieldHockey.com PA/NJ/CT

Focus Field Hockey FocusFieldHockey.com VA

College Quest CQSports.net PA

College Connection WhiteMountainSports.com PA/MA

Head to Toe HeadToToeHockey.com MO/PA

IAS Select IndoorActionSports.com MA

Keystone State Games KeystoneGames.com PA

Northeast Field Hockey NEFieldHockeyShowcase.com NY

Surf & Sand Field Hockey SurfAndSandFieldHockey.com NJ

USTC College Showcase Go2USTC.com PA

Camps and ClinicsCollege summer camps and day clinics are a fantastic way to “test drive” an institution andcoaches. Day clinics are an especially simple way to get a good feel for an institution’s staffand facilities without spending a lot of money. At clinics each player has a better chance ofbeing coached by the staff they are interested in. It is perfectly acceptable to ask who will bedoing the coaching before you register.

At a summer camp, you aren’t guaranteed to be coached by an institution’s staff. Before yousign up find out if each coach employed will work with each camper or if they do it team style(one coach works with the same group of campers for the entire session). You should alsofind out if the camp is operated on the institution’s campus.

If the institution you are interested in doesn’t run a summer camp, ask the coach if he or shewill be working at any camps.

VIDEOA video can be an extremely useful way to market yourself. Of the prospects that make anddistribute a video, approximately 85% use DVDs and 15% post footage online. A coach whohas a DVD in hand is more likely to look at it again but an online video is more easilyaccessed away from the office. Online videos are easier to update. Sites used areYouTube, your own website, recruiting service website.

Send a video to the schools you are most interested in. If money is an issue then you canlet them know you have a video and will send upon request.

Video tipso Do everything at top speed. It doesn’t help the coach to know you can do

something perfectly at half speed. Game pace at all times!o Always label with your name, high school, grad year, email addresso Always use a tripodo Make sure the prospect is easily identifiable in game clipso Always include a description of what is on the video and when the footage was

taken (i.e. game clips vs. city high Oct 2008, game clips from NITs Mar 2009)o It isn’t necessary to have the video professionally done unless you don’t have the

equipment or know howo Music and effects are fun but not necessary

Video content1. Individual Skills (on gym floor or turf or other smooth surface, grass as a last option)

Field PlayerIndividual stick skills with a change of speed and directionPassing/Receiving (push pass, sweep, choke hit, hit)Defensive footwork with a change of direction and speedSprinting with and without the ballShooting (strong side, reverse, chip, drag flick)Specialty skills (insert, stick stop, penalty stroke, aerials)

GoalkeeperFootwork – breakdown steps, drop steps, change of direction, recoveryClears – toe, instep/redirect/jab, crossover, punchSaves - slide tackles, dives, aerials, 1 v 1sDefending penalty strokes

2. Game clipsInclude 1 to 10 short game clips. Make the clips long enough so it is easy to identifythe prospect and see the play develop. Outdoor clips are preferable but indoor clipsare also acceptable.

USA FIELD HOCKEYUSA Field Hockey is the national governing body for the sport of field hockey in the UnitedStates and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the FederationInternationale de Hockey (FIH), and the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAFH).

USA Field Hockey has approximately 19,000 members and supports programs designed toeducate and promote the sport of field hockey.

USA Field Hockey programs where prospects are typically recruited may be divided into twocategories: those that require Futures participation and those that do not.

Programs Requiring Futures Participation*Regional Futures Tournaments**National Futures Championships (Virginia Beach, VA)**Regional Rumble (Virginia Beach, VA)

Programs Not Requiring Futures Participation**National Field Hockey Festival (Indio, CA)**Disney Showcase (Orlando, FL)**ESPN RISE Games (Orlando, FL)**National Indoor Tournament (Virginia Beach, VA)

TalentlinkUSA Field Hockey also maintains a database of athletes that is accessible by collegecoaches. Basic information in each player who participates in one of the programs listedabove will be included in the database at no charge. A prospect may pay to includeadditional information and have to ability to contact colleges directly through Talentlink.

In many cases information may be incorrect either because of a data entry error or becauseincorrect information was provided by your coach. Because this information is used bycollege coaches for recruiting purposed it is extremely important to ensure your bio iscorrect!!

*Some player info may be provided to college coaches depending on your region**Player Info Guides for ALL age group divisions are sold to college coaches for these USAField Hockey events through Talentlink.

RESOURCES/LINKSAmerican Education Services

American Indian College Fund

College Board - This site will guide you through the entire college search and applicationprocess. Register here for the SAT.

FASFA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Fastweb.com

Federal Student Aid

Finaid.org

GoCollege.com

Hispanic Scholarship Funds

International Education Financial Aid

NAIA – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

NCAA - Call the NCAA publications hotline at (800) 638-3731 and ask for a free copy of theGuide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete which contains the registration forms and aClearinghouse brochure. The Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete may also beviewed online by visiting the Student-Athlete Eligibility and Recruiting Section of the NCAAwebsite.

NFHCA - This is the site of the National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association. The NFHCAsponsors the weekly college poll and many collegiate and high school awards.

Scholarships.com

USA Field Hockey

REFERENCES

Elsasser, B., Materson, G. The Recruiting Process: How to Protect and Help Your Athleteretrieved from http://www.familyresource.com/parenting/sports/the-recruiting-process-how-to-protect-and-help-your-athlete?via=feed

Ferriss, L. (2008). College Recruiting for the Elite Athlete retrieved fromhttp://www.momsteam.com/successful-parenting/parenting-elite-athletes/college-recruiting/college-recruiting-for-the-elite-at?page=0%2C0

Ginsburg, R. (2008). Will Playing Sports get our Kids into College? Psychology of Sportretrieved from http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/psychology-sport/200804/psychology-sport-will-playing-sports-get-our-kids-college

Harris, L. (2001). Let the Game Begin: College Athletic Recruitment. Parents’ Pressretrieved from http://www.parent-teen.com/colleges/collegeathletes.html

Kadet, A. (2008). Parents Spare No Expense in Children’s Sports. Smartmoney Magazineretrieved from http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/budgeting/parents-spare-no-expense-in-childrens-sports-23367/?hpadref=1

McCormick, B. (2005). Maximizing Player Development Opportunities for the Elite HighSchool Athlete retrieved fromhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7015/maximizing_player_development_opportunities.html.

Pennington, B. (2003). As Team Sports Conflict, Some Parents Rebel. The New YorkTimes retrieved fromhttp://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E7DA1638F931A25752C1A9659C8B63

Pennington, B. (2008). Expectations Lose to Reality of Sports Scholarships. The New YorkTimes retrieved fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/sports/10scholarships.html?ref=sports

Siegel, A. (2008). Elite Local Athletes tackle the high-pressure world of college recruiting.The Eagle-Tribune retrieved fromhttp://www.eagletribune.com/pusports/local_story_279023750.html

Sondheimer, E. (2008). Elite club teams not for everyone. Los Angeles Times retrieved fromhttp://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/25/sports/sp-sondheimer25