THE PROSPECTOR
Summer 2008
College Prospects of
PO Box 71 Clinton CT 06413
Phone/Fax: (860) 664-0424 Internet http://www.collegeprospectsofct.com
Steve Karp, Contributing Editor - steve@collegeprospectsofct.com
Steve Karp - Director
Table of Contents:
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#August 1st Means Changes at NCAA DI |
#"New" SAT Yields Similar Results
#Former Golf Clients Shine |
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# Available Scholarships | |
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#Welcome New Prospects |
# Sports Sponsorships |
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#Stafford Loan Interest Rate Drops |
# Local Contact Information |
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Much has been made of 08/08/08 as the opening date of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing – that date was chosen because the number eight is associated with good fortune in Chinese culture - but a much more important date for would-be NCAA Division I athletes hits the calendar a week earlier.
Among the important changes to NCAA bylaws that go into effect on August 1 are an increase in required core courses from 14 to 16 and new transfer and financial aid limitations for baseball.
The NCAA first announced the Division I core course change in 2003. In order for a freshman to be eligible to compete in Division I athletics after August 1, 2008, the athlete must be certified with a minimum 16 core courses by the NCAA Clearinghouse (since renamed the NCAA Eligibility Center). The NCAA now requires one additional math course – three of Algebra I or higher - and another in any of the core subjects. The certification process is still taking place for many 2008 graduates so there is no way of knowing how many will be caught up in having too few core courses.
In Division I baseball, the one-time transfer exception has been eliminated. Baseball now joins football, basketball and ice hockey as men’s sports where an athlete who transfers must sit out one year. Regulations for baseball players who receive financial aid have been changed to require a minimum 25 percent athletic scholarship and a cap of 30 players on a team receiving financial aid. The limit drops to 27 players in 2009-10.
NABC Addresses Early Commitments
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has urged its members to not accept verbal commitments from young hoopsters until at least after their sophomore year, but will coaches abide?
Reaction by Southeastern Conference coaches is mixed, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Kentucky head coach Billy Gillespie says he would like to go along with the suggestion, but he added he would not sit by while other coaches he recruits against ignore the plea. Georgia head coach Dennis Fulton adds he does not think such a gentleman’s agreement will work.
The debate “How early is too early” has been raging for many years, primarily in the sports of basketball and football. The issue rose to the surface again recently when University of Florida head coach Billy Donovan accepted a verbal commitment from Austin Rivers, who just finished his freshman year. Austin is the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, a long time friend of Donovan’s.
Kentucky coach Gillespie himself accepted two early verbals this spring, from an eighth grader in California and a freshman from southern Ohio.
Of course verbal commitments – technically - are worthless. No paperwork can be signed until the prospect is a senior and a lot can change in a teenager’s mind over a period of two or three years.
We do not expect the practice of chasing early commitments to change despite the wishes of the NABC. The emphasis on winning is too great and no coach will accept a competitive disadvantage. If even one or two coaches decide they will not abide by the agreement, the plan crumbles. It sounds good in theory, but without hard NCAA rules prohibiting the practice, it will never become reality.
Welcome New Clients
Adam Williams - Basketball - Wethersfield High School
Randall Hunter - Soccer - Middletown High School
Siobhan Blancaflor - Soccer - Haddam-Killingworth High School
Maggie Riddle - Basketball - Cheshire High School
Russell Spaeth - Football - Haddam-Killingworth High School
Fiona O'Dwyer - Basketball - Stamford High School
Lena Rosenzweig - Basketball - Granby Memorial High School
Stafford Loan Interest Rate Drops
For students who borrow through the Stafford Loan program, the interest rate is dropping 0.8% effective July 1st.
The new rate for Stafford Loans taken between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009, is 6.0 percent. The federal government is lowering the rate as part of a plan to cut it to a little more than three percent over the next three years.
The maximum amount a student can borrow through the Stafford Loan program has also been increased.
Rates for PLUS loans, those taken by parents to close the remaining cost gap after all financial aid has been offered to a student, remain at 7.9 percent.
Paul Simon’s classic song “The Boxer” features a lyric, “After changes upon changes, things are more or less the same”. The College Board, guardian of the SAT, says the “new” version of the test (which isn’t so new anymore), yields results that are not unlike the previous version of the test. If this development counts as “news”, and that is questionable, it prompts applause from the test's proponents, scorn from its critics, and little surprise from admissions deans.
College Board officials say the revisions to the exam—including the addition of a writing section in 2005—did not diminish its value to admissions offices. It turns out the writing section is more predictive of freshman grade-point averages than the other two sections, critical reading and math. However, the best predictor, at least marginally, continues to be the student’s grades in high school.
So far, colleges have had a mixed response to the writing section, which includes a 25-minute essay. The NCAA does not take the writing section into account when determining a prospective athlete’s eligibility for college competition.
Perhaps the most significant changes in the SAT affect students—not colleges. The revised test lasts three hours and 45 minutes (45 minutes longer than its predecessor) and costs $45, up from $29.50.
The College Board's research evaluated data on approximately 150,000 students at 110 four-year institutions.
Former Golf Clients Shine
Former CPOA clients have been making a mark in professional golf recently.
Marva Hall, our European coordinator and one who keeps a watchful eye on her former clients more than anyone else, reported these results over the past month:
Robert Dinwiddie (Tennessee State) broke the course record at Wentworth Club in England, shooting a 63 during the second round of the European PGA Championship in May. In June, Robert qualified to play in the U. S. Open Championship at Torrey Pines in California. He finished tied for 36th, but was in the top ten as late as Saturday afternoon. At month’s end, he was ranked 78th on the European PGA Tour.
Luke Donald (Northwestern) was headed for a high finish at the U. S. Open before withdrawing during the final round with a wrist injury. A favorite to make the Ryder Cup team in September, Donald is currently ranked 36th on the European Order of Merit and 25th on the PGA Tour FedEx standings.
Ross McGowan (Tennessee), former English Amateur champion, is ranked 64th on the Euro Tour. Also a U. S. Open qualifier, Ross made the cut and finished tied for 77th. He has two top ten finishes on the European PGA Tour since early May.
Chris Devlin (Alabama-Birmingham), playing on the NGA Hooters Tour here in the U. S., has one top five finish this season. Chris also qualified for the U. S. Open at Torrey Pines but did not make the cut.
Stuart Manley (West Florida), a former Walker Cup player for England, is 175th in earnings on the European Tour.
Karen Stupples (Florida State) tied for 31st at the U. S. Women’s Open Championship that concluded on June 29th. A CPOA Board of Advisors member (along with Luke Donald), she is in the top 20 on the LPGA Tour’s money list, earning just shy of $400,000 so far this season. Karen is a past champion of one of the major tournaments on the women’s schedule, the British Open.
Becky Morgan, an NCAA All-American while at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, is 57th on the LPGA Tour money list this season and has one top 10 finish. She is third on tour in driving accuracy and ranked in the top 50 in putting.
Many other former clients are performing well on various tours worldwide.
Be sure to visit our website to and see what college coaches are seeking in the way of talent for the next year or two.
http://www.collegeprospectsofct.com/availscholarships.htm
Sports Sponsorships
University of California – Davis, NCAA Division I, is adding a field hockey program to begin competition in the 2009 academic year.
Charleston Southern University, NCAA Division I in Charleston, SC, has dropped its men’s tennis team.
Regis College, NCAA Division III in Weston, Mass., is adding men’s soccer, men’s tennis and men’s lacrosse to its sports roster. Regis was founded as a college for women only in 1927 and just began admitting men last year.
University of Rochester, NCAA Division III in Rochester, NY, is adding a women’s rowing team that will begin competing in 2009.
Division III Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA, is elevating its men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track teams to varsity status beginning in the fall.
High Point University, NCAA Division I in High Point, NC, is dropping its men’s tennis program, effective immediately.
Polytechnic University, NCAA Division III in New York City, will sponsor a women’s lacrosse team beginning in 2009.
Local Contact Information
If you would like to play sports in college, you have good grades and you are not receiving questionnaires in the mail, contact our local office as soon as possible.
Steve Karp
(860) 664-0424
www.collegeprospectsofct.com opportunities
Every month college coaches from across the nation make direct contact with CPOA regarding available scholarships. Visit our website and see what's being offered in your sport. Remember, what you see is only the tip of the iceberg.
CAN YOU COMPETE AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL?
Many parents and students ask me if there is ability to play at the collegiate level. My answer is always in three parts --
#1 Ask the high school or club coach, they usually have the ability to determine if your son or daughter can play at the collegiate level.
#2 -- Based on performance statisitics, I can help to determine at what level in college a student-athlete could compete. An example -- in the 100m Dash, a time of 10.2 - 10.7 is within the NCAA Div I Qualifying Standards, while times of 10.7 - 11.1 is within the NCAA Div II Qualifying Standards.
Does a student-athlete need to have these times to perform at the collegiate level? No -- in most cases, college coaches are looking for athletes who have these times or continue to improve and have the potential to reach these times!
In other sports where performances are not timed -- the judgement of a student-athletes ability is mostly subjective.
#3 -- Ultimately, the only person(s) who will determine if a high school student athlete can compete at the collegiate level is the college coaches. THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE AS MANY COACHES AS POSSIBLE KNOW ABOUT AN ATHLETES ABILITIES!
How can you ensure as many coaches as possible know about your child's abilities? Use the CPOA Program!
CONTACT SHEETS
Remember to keep track of all questionnaires, calls, etc from college coaches with the contact sheets found in your STUDENT PACKET. Email me at steve@collegeprospectsofct.com if you need additional copies! Also, it is your responsibility to send me your updated contact sheets every (30) days.
NCAA ELIGIBILITY CLEARINGHOUSE
Every CPOA Student-Athlete has received a NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete as part of the STUDENT PACKET you received when you joined the program. In this guide, you find instructions on how to apply for your NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse Number. Eligibility is based on what core courses have been completed, SAT scores and overall gpa in core courses. NCAA approved core courses, by high school, can be found at http://actrs7.act.org/ahs.
STUDENTS APPLY FOR THEIR NCAA ECN AT THE END OF THEIR JUNIOR YEAR. HOWEVER, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO REVIEW ELIGIBILITY AS EARLY AS THE SOPHOMORE YEAR TO ENSURE THE CORRECT COURSES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED! For more information about the process, email steve@collegeprospectsofct.com for a NCAA Guide or call 888-ASK-CPOA (CPOA Program Members Only).
INTERNET UPDATES
If you have update information for your internet profile, please forward to steve@collegeprospectsofct.com. Remember, you automatically receive (2) two free updates per year. If you've upgraded your program to receive unlimited updates ($100 fee), you can send updates every day/week if you'd like. Updates take approximately 72 hours to be made online.
REFERRAL PROGRAM
Do you know of a high school student athlete with the ability to perform at the collegiate level? A teammate from high school? Club team? From the newspaper? Let me know at steve@collegeprospectsofct.com and if that athlete signs with CPOA of Connecticut, your favorite school, booster club, etc. will receive a donation in your name as a referral fee! Call Steve at (860) 664-0424 for more information and copies of CPOA brochures for distribution to prospective athletes.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in working part-time helping High School Athletes achieve their dream of playing sports at the collegiate level while receiving financial aid -- call Steve at (860) 664-0424! We're looking for part-time scouts. Scouts can be graduating College Seniors looking for a summer job, Mothers looking for a part-time job or anyone looking to supplement their income!
THE CPOA MARKETING PROGRAM -- Massive Exposure
The CPOA marketing program uses marketing methods (direct mail supplemented by email, video, video streaming, internet, and phone calls, as well as mailed updates) to create massive exposure to college coaches. Why? We feel that by marketing a student-athletes skills both on the field and in the classroom to as many schools as the student is qualified to participate, we will create opportunity. The more schools interested in a student -- the better! As coaches begin to narrow their choices for scholarships based on roster openings, student ability, and personal fit -- its important to have as many schools interested as possible. Just as students have top 10 lists of preferred schools, so do coaches -- with ranked lists of potential scholar athletes. If you are ranked number #2 on a coaches' list, and #1 takes the scholarship, you don't get an offer.
How do you get on multiple recruiting lists? Join the CPOA program -- check out the available packages at http://www.collegeprospectsofct.com/cpoaservices.htm.
RECRUITING SEMINARS
College Prospects of Connecticut is planning to conduct several recruiting training sessions over the next few months. These sessions will include the basics of the recruiting process, how to choose the right college, review of NCAA rules and regulations, and how to best navigate this important process of college selection. Please let us know if you have interest in hosting one of these sessions for your teammates (students/parents) or teams/booster clubs (coaches).
