College coaches don't rely on newspapers for recruiting

http://highschoolsports.masslive.com/news/article/7238664218454778376/no-connection-between-newspaper-and-athletes-being-recruited-for-college/

I wish I could have written this.

 

So satisfying.

 

Tremendous job.

And yeah, coaches used to use newspaper clippings to recruit and sign athletes. That went out, oh, around the time that the television was invented. Now there's considerably more resources. Parents should comprehend that.

 

*stands up and starts a slow clap*

 

More like the Internet was invented. In high school in the early 90s, catcher John Doe went 3-for-4 with a homer and a couple of RBIs or something and an outfielder Pete Smith had a good game. Somehow the local paper in the roundup wrote "John Smith" and "Pete Doe". A few days later our homeroom teacher drops off a letter from a college coach addressed to "John Smith" clearly ripped off from the newspaper.

 

;D

 

(bowing toward Mass.) WE'RE NOT WORTHY!

 

Whether or not the underlying proposition is true, this article was not at all persuasive.

 

I couldn't disagree more.

Michigan scouted Zack Novak only after seeing his stats. I believe this example is explained better elsewhere, but I can't recall where I read it. Here's a piecemeal account. Jeff Eisenberg of The Dagger (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Big-Ten-preview-How-Zack-Novak-became-Michigan-?urn=ncaab-wp4743):

And where did that word come from? Ruth Lincoln of The Michigan Daily (http://www.michigandaily.com/content/2009-03-17/novak-scholarship-toughness?page=0,2):

Obviously, this doesn't prove Jackson -- or whoever tipped Jackson -- saw the name in a newspaper (although, I believe the other account of events I can't find confirms that detail). But whoever discovered Novak easily could have gotten that same info in a newspaper.

Of course, college teams don't recruit players solely because of what they read in newspapers. They scout and talk to coaches and players. But how do they know which players to watch, ask about and interview? No database exists with every high school player in America, and especially small schools don't have the resources to create anything even close to complete. So, coaches often rely on stats and all-league teams -- often found in places like newspapers -- to begin their search.

If Mrs. Novak had called the local paper and her son's scoring numbers were listed incorrectly, and she said it might cost him a scholarship, she probably would've been right.

 

I don't think coaches scour newspapers to find players to recruit, but if your kid is in the paper, it could catch the eye of a coach. Or if you send a packet of clippings that might be enough to warrant a partial scholly at Podunk Tech. Or if the kid is all-county, it could tip things in your favor.

Some of the smaller schools and non-rev sports have almost no recruiting budget and have take kids they have never seen. I am sure getting your coach to lobby for you and having persuasive films is better, though.

 

You couldn't disagree more?
None of the "proof" you provided supports your theory.
I talked to a gentleman who runs a service for high school athletes who want to play sports in college. He puts together the highlight videos and a package and sends it out to schools where they could play.
Had an AD tell me at the guys presentation to the school's athletes, he walked in with a newspaper and ripped it in half, then said "no college coach cares what shows up in the newspaper."

 

In just about every non-rev sport, and basketball, college coaches don't care what a kid does for his or her high school team. They recruit kids based on what they do for AAU or club teams. Most newspapers don't cover AAU and club the same way they cover high school.