There is a huge difference between a personalized recruiting service and a technological based service.
Let me explain …
NCSA and other recruiting tech companies prey on your desperation and the fear that college recruiting is difficult. This is a HUGE RED FLAG to me. NCSA does hundreds of millions in revenue each year. Using a recruiting service, especially a technology-based one like NCSA, is not a guarantee of success. The bigger issue is that NCSA and other large recruiting technology businesses like them have become sales-oriented. They have become self-help, sales commission models with little or no personal recruiting help. You pay to use their online platform with the promise that coaches will find you, but you have to do it yourself with a little help from their technology.
As a college coach, I have had several former players get jobs at NCSA right out of college, and even myself was offered a job there at one point in my career. I know that it is a high-pressure sales environment and the personal touch is almost non-existent.
Recently, I had a conversation with an NCSA “Coach” about his role. Mind you, this is someone who played college volleyball, but never was a coach, and they are now responsible for sales calls with high school athletes in all kinds of sports. His job, is to sell the NCSA Recruiting Platform. If he can convince a family to financially commit, his job is basically done.
Recently, I had a conversation with an NCSA “Coach” about his role. Mind you, this is someone who played college volleyball, but never was a coach, and they are now responsible for sales calls with high school athletes in all kinds of sports. His job, is to sell the NCSA Recruiting Platform. If he can convince a family to financially commit, his job is basically done.
One of the reasons I started Top Student Athlete Recruiting is that I knew there was a better way, a more personalized approach that offered real help to get recruited. I am not alone in this mindset, there are a few others out there doing personalized recruiting work like me with a small portfolio of clients so we can actually make an impact and help connect those we work with to college coaches. I know from talking to people who have worked there that a client portfolio for an NCSA Recruiting coach is about 500 clients! In contrast, I limit myself to 50 clients in total at one time. In addition, I am specific to the sport of soccer, largely in part to the 25 years of coaching experience at the Division III level, where my teams were considered among the best year in and year out. I use all of those experiences and connections I built to help find the right fit for high school athletes wanting to play at the next level.
Did you know that NCSA pays clubs, tournaments, and even camps large sums of money to have access to their players
These clubs and organizations “partner” with NCSA and in return for receiving compensation, the athletes are signed up for an NCSA profile and entered into their system. From there, NCSA reps call, text, and email you and try to sell you on your dreams and want you to pay to “activate your NCSA profile so college coaches can see your information.” Then, after they sell you on the first level of their product, they try to get you to upgrade at an annual fee.
Clubs, tournaments, leagues and even camps may be tempted by the promise of tens of thousands of dollars upfront just for supplying the names of their participants to NCSA. These organizations sell your name for money. While it may be understandable that some organizations are desperate for funds to operate, a payday of $20,000 should not come at the expense of their members. NCSA and companies like it have lost sight of their purpose, which is to help prospects and their families with the recruitment process. They have become completely sales-oriented and have become self-help programs.
Many of my clients have started with NCSA, even paid for their services, but eventually sought help from me when they realized they were not getting personal assistance based on their situation and recruitment priorities.
NCSA’s model has generated huge profits but at the risk of a negative reputation. There are more than 10 pages of complaints to the Better Business Bureau that demonstrate the company’s greed and its lack of assistance to prospects and their families. NCSA has been acquired by larger corporations several times and is no longer interested in helping prospects and families. Rather, their focus is on acquiring more commissions and increasing shareholder value. They have forgotten why they started in the industry.
As a college coach, I have used NCSA in the past, but not in the way you might think. Like many other coaches, I would use NCSA to obtain the contact information of prospects in a certain radius of my college and then send them information about my camp to try to make more money for my program. I never used NCSA to search for players. My recruiting process has always been centered around building relationships and connecting with people, not scouring through thousands of videos on an online platform. Even now as a recruiter, I work with college coaches and players to make connections. I personally share video, academic information and contact information of a player with a coach and if they’re interested, they can reach out. But I’m always careful not to reach out to coaches who are not a good fit for my clients. For example, I won’t contact Clemson if a client isn’t good enough to play at Clemson.
Unlike NCSA, I make it a point to know the prospects I work with by watching them play in person, in addition to reviewing their game tape and highlights. This allows me to have a better understanding of their skills and if they would be a good fit for a particular college program. In contrast, NCSA does not have a personal connection with their clients, which means they won’t advise them on whether or not to reach out to a specific college program.
NCSA’s approach to making highlight videos can be problematic. While they offer to make these videos, it’s clear that they don’t put much care into the content or how it reflects on the player. In some cases, they use bad clips or show a lack of understanding of the game. For example, I’ve heard from one of my clients who was previously with NCSA that the person who made their video was a former field hockey player and not a soccer player.
In contrast, I personally make every video for my clients and take great care in selecting the clips that will showcase their skills and abilities. I ensure that the videos are high-quality and can help my clients gain recruitment interest, rather than potentially turning off coaches with bad clips or a lack of understanding of the game. Overall, it’s important to work with someone who takes the time to create personalized and high-quality highlight videos that accurately showcase your abilities.
I could go on and on but at the end of the day, it’s important to find someone who is dedicated to helping you succeed and who has the expertise and connections to make it happen. High-pressure sales tactics are often a red flag, as they may indicate that the recruiter is more interested in making a sale than in helping you achieve your goals. It’s also important to remember that the recruiting process is complex and ongoing, and that you need someone who will provide you with honest advice and support throughout. So take your time, do your research, and find a recruiter who truly cares about your success.