Working towards a goal or a dream can be incredibly taxing. We understand our clients are working towards the goal of playing their sport in college. Early practices, late practices, double sessions, weight training and more, plus academics, work and a social life are a lot to fit in for the student athlete. Many athletes do an excellent job of creating a balance of the many demands in their life. But sometimes, becoming burnt-out may seem unavoidable. Below you’ll find some tips to avoid the burn out and keep that balance going in your life.

Check In With Yourself

Only you can know if you’re headed for a burnout. Every now and then, do a mental check-in to make sure your head is still in the game and you’re still on the path you want. Are you overtired? Are you stressed out? Is your schedule out of control? Take some time to do inventory of your day to day life and ensure you are happy and still working towards a goal without overworking yourself.

Continue Playing All the Sports You Love

There is much debate on specializing within the world of student athletes. Essentially, there are two schools of thought. Some may argue that only focusing on one sport is the best way to ensure a college roster spot, while others say playing multiple sports looks best to coaches. Many, however, will agree that playing multiple sports helps to avoid the burnout. If you like soccer and baseball, play both if possible. The switch between sports can help to avoid a burnout and shows coaches dedication on another level as well as an ability to balance. To learn more about the importance of multiple sports, click here.

Take a Break

While there is the opportunity to play your sport year round between club teams, camps and high school, it is important to take some time off. Take a few days or even a week to rest your body and mind. When you get back to your sport and training you will feel that much more energized!

Reassess ad Reorganize

Sometimes you don’t just need a break, but you need to shake things up completely. Would getting your workouts in in the morning free up more time for homework at night? Is it really necessary to stay out really late on Friday night to be dragging for Saturday morning practice? Along with checking in with yourself, sometimes you need to reorganize and prioritize things in your training plan. This can range from checking how you are fueling your body to what time makes the most sense for you to squeeze in a weight training session so you still have a social life. See what works for you!

Enjoy

It’s pretty hard to burn out on fun. As long as you are enjoying the journey as a student athlete, keep working hard. Some athletes may never feel burnt out. As long as you’re still enjoying yourself and training the best you can, keep moving towards your goals!

Additional Resources

If you are feeling stressed about the College Sports Preparation process then contact us for advice and sign up for our free guide HERE to learn more about the process and action items to take

Are you looking to feel more confident as you look to prepare for college sports and the recruiting process? At SportsForce we hear many different questions, opinions and stories from student-athletes, parents and coaches all the time.

Here are some of the most common college sports recruiting questions our staff receives:

When do college coaches start recruiting?

What are college coaches looking for?

How can we maximize exposure to college recruiters?

What do we need to do and when do we need to do it?

What about the SAT, ACT, financial aid, NCAA Eligibility Center, etc…

Here are two simple and proven ACTION STEPS you can use today to begin taking control of your sports career and college sports goals.

Step 1: Student-athlete assessment

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Ask yourself “What type of college experience am I looking for?”

Attention student-athletes:

You need to reflect on what type of experience you are looking for. Write your thoughts down in a casual format (bullet points are fine) and be able to verbalize what type of college experience you are looking for.

Attention parents:

We recommend parents asking this question and letting your son or daughter answer this question with no undue pressure. See if your student-athlete can describe the type of experience they are looking for.

GOAL = To get a clear idea of what college experience you want as a student-athlete.

2. What are your key college decision factors?

Create a list of all of the key decision factors and give 1 to 5 points for each decision factor (5 being an extremely important decision factor).  We recommend doing this on a spreadsheet and then ranking the potential colleges you are interested in by using this system to create an overall point total for each school.

Potential decision factors including: Academics (Majors offered, career development, alumni), Athletics (level of competition, W/L record, tradition), Social environment, Size of school, Public vs. Private, Cost, Location, Coaching Staff, Intuition (gut feeling, emotional connection)

GOAL = To have a proven ranking and college decision making system to know what potential colleges you are really interested in.

To accelerate your education on the college sports preparation and recruiting process I recommend signing up for our FREE SportsForce College Sports Recruiting Guide.

* FREE Sign up click HERE

To get access to more advanced college recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and RESOURCES section.

The SportsForce team, which is comprised of former college and professional athletes and coaches, is relentlessly committed to providing an ongoing education to help you best navigate your journey as a student-athlete, parent or coach.

Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional and affordable College Sports Recruiting Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.

www.sportsforceonline.com

info@sportsforceonline.com

858.350.5889

Ryan Fobes, a SportsForce athlete and second baseman for Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA, has accepted an athletic scholarship to play for the University of Sioux Falls Men’s Baseball team.  SportsForce caught up with Ryan and asked him a few questions about his recruiting process and ultimate decision to play for the USF Cougars.

What factors made you decide on the University of Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls is a tightly knit community and one of those towns where ‘everyone knows everyone’.  I think attending a University that you can be up close and personal with is important. 

Were there any other schools you were seriously considering?

I was seriously considering attending Whittier College. However, I just didn’t get that feeling where you know it’s going to be the right fit like I did with Sioux Falls.

What are you most looking forward to most about playing for the University of Sioux Falls?

I think the team’s chemistry is what has carried the team to a record breaking season this year, along with coaching.  The Cougars have a great young coaching staff, who really know the game of baseball. Coaches who teach you the little things about the game are what make you a better ballplayer.

What advice would you give to other student athletes looking to play in college?

Grades. Grades. Grades.  You don’t have to be the best player on the field to get a scholarship.  Work ethic in the classroom is just as important as on the field.

Congratulations to Ryan for signing with the University of Sioux Falls! Be sure to visit Ryan’s SportsForce profile (http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/rfobes) or check out his highlight video below.

SportsForce alumnus and Oral Roberts University athlete, Tyler Saladino was named the Summit League Player of the Week. Tyler is an infielder for the ORU Golden Eagles. ORU reported Tyler’s accomplishment on their site:

Saladino collects Player of the Week honors after leading the Golden Eagles to a series sweep over Western Illinois. The junior hit .688 (11-16) for the week with a 1.500 slugging percentage and .762 on-base percentage. He registered at least one run and two RBI in each game vs. WIU with nine and 11 totals for the week, respectively. He also added 11 hits, three homers, two doubles, a triple, a stolen base and three walks, while striking out just once in 16 at-bats.

Highlighting his week were a game-winning three-run homer in the opening contest of the Western Illinois series and his game-ending two-run home run in the eighth inning of the finale, which ORU won by a run-rule score of 14-4.

For the season Saladino is batting .374 with 10 home runs and 43 RBI. In Summit League play, he’s off to a .545-4-24 start over ORU’s first 12 league games.

The Golden Eagles are 22-17 overall and lead the Summit League with a 10-2 record. ORU next faces IPFW in a four-game Summit League series which opens 2 p.m. Friday in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Check out Tyler’s highlight video below or be sure to visit his full SportsForce profile here.

For the full article visit the ORU Men’s Baseball page here.

SportsForce is excited to share the announcement of La Costa Canyon and NC Starz Elite player Alex Pardieu’s commitment to Florida State to play Men’s Lacrosse.

Florida State Men’s Lacrosse shared the news in a press release:

La Costa Canyon senior midfielder Alex Pardieu will attend Florida State University in the fall.  LCC High School is located in Carlsbad, California.

The 5’10”, 165 pound Pardieu was a four year varsity letterman and as a junior, was named All-County and All-Conference in the highly competitive San Diego section.  Most recently, he was invited to play at the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England on the U19 team.

“Alex can break down a defense and get his hands free for a shot or to get the offense moving”, said LCC Head Coach Dallas Hartley.  “He plays team defense on and off the ball and is great in transition”.  Added FSU Head Coach Bill Harkins, “We are excited to have Alex join the program”.

See Alex’s Full SportsForce Profile at: http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/apardieu

Headlined by a quintet of players from the two-time state champion Oceanside Pirates, Brady Hoke announced a class of 27 recruits yesterday on National Signing Day.  The largest Aztecs recruiting class since 2005 is the latest sign of Hoke’s attempt to cleanse the program of its losing ways.

“All programs have a blueprint of what they want to be,” said Hoke at a Montezuma Mesa press conference (video below), “The biggest thing for us is to recruit guys who have character.  We want to recruit guys who come from winning programs.”

In that case, reaching out to John Carroll and Oceanside High is a natural start.  The six-time defending CIF champions and two-time state champs are coming off a 13-0 season.  The late addition of speedy cornerback/slotback Jerry Whittaker (who decommited from Arizona) to a group that already included linebacker Rene Siluano, cornerback King Holder, linebacker Jake Fely, and defensive lineman Kenneth Galea’i gives Hoke his first clear win in local recruiting.

Yes, the biggest fish in what might have been the best year for prep talent in San Diego history still left the pond.  There are no obvious superstars like Tony Jefferson, Ricky Seale or Thomas Molesi in Hoke’s class.  But you’ve got to start somewhere, and the class of 2010 for SDSU reflects months of hard work reconnecting with local prep coaches who had backed away in the Craft/Long era.

–See more San Diego Prep News at 619Sports.net

Brandon Johnson came back from a major achilles injury to play a 5th year with the Toreros.  In the process he has become USD’s all-time leading scorer, but a 9-18 season has put a sour edge to what should be a season of celebration.  Brandon joined 619 Sports after USD practice at Jenny Craig Pavilion to reflect on his career and the challenges he has faced:

–Story and video courtesy 619Sports.net

SportsForce (www.sportsforceonline.com) is hosting a pre-season college baseball prospect video combine for top Southern California players looking to take ownership of their careers and maximize exposure to college coaches around the country. The SportsForce combine is a one day event held on Sunday, February 14^th beginning at 9 AM at Westview High School in San Diego, CA. The SportsForce College Baseball Prospect Video Combine is focused on assisting college level prospects, and is an ideal opportunity for unsigned seniors, top juniors looking to get nationwide college exposure, and elite sophomores and freshman who want to get on the college recruiting map early.

Here’s an example profile of top up and coming player that is getting actively recruited.

Corey Oswalt – 3B / SS – Madison High – 2012

See Corey’s full SportsForce profile at: http://www.sportsforceonline.com/athletes/coswalt

If you have a son that is looking to maximize his exposure to college baseball coaches and need an easy, professional and affordable way to market him to colleges around the country, then the SportsForce athlete profile package and combines can help. The simple truth is that there are over 1,000 college baseball programs across the country, but most college coaches don’t have the time, – or the recruiting budget – to attend many games and evaluate many players in person. SportsForce’s custom online player profiles and professional combine skills videos – which will be offered at a discount for this event – are the solution to the lack of college recruiting exposure that even many quality high school athletes experience.

For a few hundred dollars, the SportsForce packages for 1-Position or 2-Position players include professionally shot baseball skills videos, a custom edited and labeled recruiting highlight DVD, and a one year SportsForce online profile membership.

SportsForce is NOT a recruiting service. We have assisted almost 1,000 student-athletes and families and have had an 80% success rate over the past 3 years. Our staff has over 50 years of combined college and professional baseball experience and clearly understands the needs of today’s student-athletes, sports parents and college coaches.

For more information about SportsForce athlete profile packages or upcoming combines please contact:

Event Director – Andrew Beinbrink

Phone – (858) 350-1786

Email – info@sportsforceonline.com

www.sportsforceonline.com

National Signing Day for college football marks the deadline in which the nation’s top talents must make their final decisions in regards to which prestigious college programs they will grant their services to. Possibly facing the toughest decision of their lives, these young men have wisely chosen to take it down to the wire in order to explore all of their college football options. The miscalculation of playing for the wrong coaches or system could cost them a chance to play in the NFL. Due to the significance of these decisions, we at SportsForce are honored to be heavily involved with the college recruiting goals of some of the country’s top student-athletes. Our unique relationship with student-athletes and their families allows us to assist in securing the proper college recruiting exposure for them, while ultimately seeking what is most beneficial to the student-athlete during the college sports recruiting process. So far this year we’ve had the pleasure of covering some of the nation’s most elite football players such as Dillon Baxter [USC], Brennan Clay [Oklahoma], Ricky Seale [Undecided] , Damien Williams [Arizona State] and Kenny Stills [Oklahoma] just to name a few. In a year where college football has been shaken up by a multitude of coaching changes, a little recruiting guidance could go a long way.

With four of the top ten players in the nation undecided on where they will play ball, many of the top college recruiters will be working overtime this year. Plenty of big names are still up for grabs; most recognized is the massive offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson (2), who many believe is the best player in the nation and is expected to head to either Ohio State or Florida. Surely the return of Florida head coach Urban Meyer doesn’t hurt the Gators chances of landing Henderson. Keenan Allen (5), who has been compared to NFL star Ed Reed, is suspected to be a Clemson Tiger on signing day. Owamagbe Odighizuwa (8) is expected to leave Oregon in order to attend The University of Nebraska, while top ranked running back Marcus Lattimore (10) currently looks as if he’ll be staying home in South Carolina and playing for the Gamecocks. Other Notable predictions are Outside Linebacker Christian Jones (20) to stay in Florida to play for the Seminoles and Wide Receiver Markeith Ambles (24) to USC.

Wednesday February 3^rd is when all the college football recruiting speculation and uncertainty will end, but the day should not expire without a few surprises. Anything is possible since this is the last chance for many teams to improve their rosters in order to make a run at next year’s championship game. National Signing Day TV specials should be airing on local channels all across the country, so don’t forget to tune in as some of the most prestigious college football programs fight to the very end for the nation’s top remaining talent.

[ x] – Committed college

(#) – National ranking based from Rivals.com

I am an executive recruiter by day and High School Varsity Head Coach by afternoon.  I rub elbows with top level executives nationwide in the retail world.  I coach and speak to executives about their professional experience and how to effectively communicate their skill sets and successes in order to make them the best candidate for the job they are interviewing for.  I have coached hundreds of professionals, critiquing their resumes, improving their interview style, preparing them with potential questions and rehearsing answers.  I am a master interview preparer but when it came to preparing myself to interview for a Girls Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach role – I was terrified.  Scared stiff, actually.

I counseled with my boss, college teammates, fellow High School Varsity Coaches and college coach friends and acquaintances regarding strategy and preparation.  I took all of their advice and combined it with my own knowledge of executive recruiting to answer all of my questions.  The result: I got the job.

Q: How does one prepare for a Head Coach interview?

Prepare a coaching book, ideally a 3 ring binder including:

-Detailed practice plans with objectives and coaching notes, draw out your drills.

-Drawn out offensive and defensive strategies

-Offensive plays drawn out

-Goals and game plan for the season including: County / State Championship, highest GPA, implement a study hall for student athletes, create a relationship with teachers to ensure grade accountability, community service project to promote teamwork off the field.

-Letters of Recommendation

-Professional resume including ALL coaching experience

Talk to your friends who are coaches and players, pick their brains, talk to parents of student athletes you have coached – ask them what concerns they have for you coaching, they will have some and stress that you want to hear them to overcome them.  Create a coaching philosophy and write it down.

Q: What is the Athletic Director looking for?

An accountable, responsible, assertive individual, who is confident, articulate, strategic, plays by the rules and values sportsmanship.  Always speak and think in the best interest of the school.  Read the school’s mission statement and be sure your coaching philosophy is in alignment with that.  The AD wants strong student-athletes and he wants a coach who will be there long-term, not one season.

Q: Who will I be going up against?

You may be going up against another Varsity Head Coach, the JV Coach, the Assistant Varsity Head Coach or a parent.  Whichever the case, do your homework on the other candidates and cater your strengths to eclipse their weaknesses.  Think strategically and be careful to NOT mention their names.  Any advertisement is good advertisement; do not waste your precious time in front of the panel by addressing your competition.  Take the high road and focus on yourself.