National Signing Day for college football has come and past now and we hope you enjoyed all of the excitement of it as much as we did. While this day may only be for college football, we feel that National Signing Day is relevant to all college-bound student athletes. This day marks a time when kids are living out their dreams and aspirations of playing at the college level. So whether you have committed to a school by now or not, the significance of this day has inspired us to give you a few helpful tips as you start reaching the end of the recruiting process.

If you have signed:

Congrats! After all the time you have spent enduring the recruiting process, you have finally found the right fit for you! You deserve time to celebrate with family and friends and take it easy, but don’t get off track too much.

Just because you have finished the recruiting process does not mean that you can just sit around and take it easy until the day you leave for college. You need to keep working on those skills, improve your game and keep trying to better yourself. Exercise regularly and play your given sports recreationally to keep you skills at tip-top level.

Also, don’t slack off on academics now just because you are committed to a school. Just because you have signed a letter of intent or are committed to a school does not mean they cannot revoke your scholarships. If you become ineligible to play, whether academically or for another reason, they can and will take away your right to play in college. So make sure to keep up with your school work and make time to study.

If you have not signed yet:

No worries yet; choosing a college that is the right fit for you in both athletics and other realms is a long process. You should never commit to a school until you know for sure that it is the one for you.

At this time, you should definitely have a good grasp on which schools you are seriously considering though. You also should have visited these top schools by now and should be working on a pros-cons list for each one. This will help put into perspective which schools have the essentials that you are looking for. If a school does not have one of your most important aspects you are looking for, you should not settle with that one.

Also, like the advice we just gave to your peers that have already signed, you need to stay on top of your game both athletically and academically. While the recruiting process is long and strenuous, you need to make time for the aspects that let you join this process in the first place. If you don’t keep up both athletically and academically, schools may pull their offers and you could be left with nothing.

Most importantly, for both those who have signed or have not yet, you should take time to enjoy this momentous period of your life. This whole recruiting process is a time you will never experience again. Take the time to reflect on this and make the most out of it.

Guest post by John Matich – Director – www.kickingsystem.com

Updating the recruiting list for the 2011 class jogged my memory about a few stories that may help demonstrate the reality of college football recruiting for kickers and punters. Here’s one about a student I’ve been working with for a few years, who I’ll call Joe.

Joe was contacted late in the recruiting process (January) by a solid Division 1 school—one on the verge of becoming a national presence—to discuss coming in as a walk-on. He’d been getting recruited by a number of other strong programs, but this school had always been his number-one choice.

After a few emails and phone calls from the coaching staff, Joe was ready to visit this school. He’d found out they were looking at another kicker who was offered a scholarship, but was struggling to get through the admissions process. Joe went on his trip, had a great time, and was told numerous times by the assistant coaches that “we want you and you will get into our school.”

Joe felt confident about what they were telling him and was waiting on admissions. In the meantime, he didn’t follow up with any other schools; he stopped recruiting, due to the fact he’d been told he was guaranteed admission at his first choice. A few more weeks went by with no word…

I personally called the coaches. They even told me, “we like the kid, we are hoping to get him in.” A few more days went by and I heard the kicker who’d been offered a scholarship got into the school. Joe was a little confused, and never really heard back from the school about his admission. He even received an email from the head coach about how much he was looking forward to working with him.

By now, signing day had passed and it was the middle of February. Although many kickers get signed or find a home as late as May, Joe knew the schools he’d been looking at had already used all their admissions spots. We had to scramble and find some schools that were willing to even look at him, including some local universities. As I write this, we’re still actively looking at schools.

The moral to this story should be obvious: don’t ever stop marketing yourself, regardless of how much you’re told you’re wanted. Coaches are looking for the best possible players and will stop recruiting a kicker in a heartbeat. Continue the recruiting process until you sign on the dotted line or get that admissions letter telling you that you’re in.

John Matich, is a former NFL and NCAA kicker and now owner and director of The Kicking System, which offers Camps & Private Kicking Lessons in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles.

Visit www.kickingsystem.com for top level football kicking videos, recruiting tips, tools and upcoming kicking events.