Jimmer Fredette. Was a great college basketball player at BYU. He put up amazing numbers at the college level and he seemed to be unstoppable. Once he reached the NBA he was exposed as being very slow very awkward undersize and just could not make it in the NBA never sustaining any kind of career whatsoever.

The late great coach Mike Leach and his opinion on recruiting services. He's basically talking about the ranking of players and the evaluation of players. Rankings are worthless, they don't have much value and in my opinion the rankings of student athletes are just based on entertainment purposes.

https://youtu.be/EVjl0QRkLoI?si=n8NUtcdkPRnsdOPe

Here's some highlights from the short and brief NBA career of Ralph Sampson. I believe if he was able to play 15, maybe 18 years in the NBA he would be considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Name image and likeness what are the benefits and values are there negative sides what are the positive sides how will it benefit college student athletes

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) refers to the ability of college student-athletes to profit from their own name, image, and likeness.

This has been a significant topic of discussion and reform in college sports, as traditionally, student-athletes were not allowed to monetize their fame and personal brand while competing in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) programs.

Here are some of the benefits and values of NIL for college student-athletes, as well as potential negative sides:

Benefits and Values of NIL for College Student-Athletes:

1. Financial Opportunities: Student-athletes can now earn money through endorsement deals, sponsorships, social media promotions, and other opportunities. This allows them to financially support themselves and their families during their college years.
2. Fairness and Equity: NIL rights provide a level playing field for student-athletes who may not receive scholarships or stipends but are popular and marketable in their own right. It ensures that all athletes can benefit from their talent and hard work.
3. Entrepreneurship: NIL opens the door for student-athletes to develop their entrepreneurial skills. They can start their own businesses, sell merchandise with their branding, or offer sports camps and clinics.
4. Career Development: Student-athletes can use their college years to build a personal brand and develop valuable connections in the business world, which can benefit them long after their athletic careers have ended.
5. Incentive to Stay in School: The potential to earn money through NIL deals can be an incentive for student-athletes to complete their education and stay in school rather than pursuing professional careers immediately.

Negative Sides of NIL for College Student-Athletes:

1. Distraction from Academics: The pursuit of NIL opportunities could potentially distract student-athletes from their primary role as students, affecting their academic performance.
2. Pressure and Expectations: There might be added pressure on student-athletes to perform well both on and off the field to maintain or secure lucrative NIL deals, potentially affecting their mental health.
3. Inequality: High-profile athletes in popular sports may have more opportunities and earning potential compared to athletes in less popular sports or with smaller social media followings, potentially exacerbating inequality among student-athletes.
4. Compliance and Regulations: The complex landscape of NIL deals and the potential for conflicts of interest can create challenges for colleges and universities to ensure compliance with NCAA rules and regulations.
5. Team Dynamics: There's the potential for jealousy or friction among teammates if some student-athletes are more successful in monetizing their NIL than others.

In conclusion, the introduction of NIL rights for college student-athletes has both positive and negative aspects.

It offers financial opportunities and promotes fairness and equity, but it also presents challenges related to academic focus, pressure, and potential inequality.

Overall, the impact of NIL will depend on how student-athletes and institutions navigate these opportunities and challenges in the evolving landscape of college sports.

The days of the off-season are long gone. In the old days you played your season and at the conclusion you were done or you moved on to another sport. 

Nowadays, to excel in an individual sport, the commitment is towards the year-round development which is almost impossible to comprehend the time that must be allocated to just one sport. 

Regardless of the sport you play, the commitment has intensified due to the pressures of the recruiting process and the strategies that accompany it, which are confusing and impossible to understand to the naked eye.

Student-athletes are competing on a fiercely competitive level to gain the attention of college coaches and, more importantly, to rise above the competition from outside their city, town, or their state. There are intense battles in getting recruited, with some that require the student-athletes to be committed to their sport year-round.

The off-season is a thing of the past.

College coaches are under intense pressure to recruit the best available talent. 

Their futures are on the line. One misstep in selecting a student-athlete and giving the wrong scholarship to a player who has not committed could cost that coach his or her job and all their assistants as well.

The pressure has intensified for student-athletes to stay on course for their season. It's critical and equally important during the off-season.

Club teams that travels to exposure events, tournaments, and showcases are all about the exposure. Are you working diligently on your individual fundamentals that are required to achieve success athletically? Now this is a year-round commitment. Are you up to the challenge?

When it comes to the year-round commitment a key component is, video. If there is improvement from one year to the next, how will you attract the attention of college coaches without steady improvement? How will you show how much you've improved? 

You are in the laboratory of development a mad scientist working on all aspects of your game away from the viewing public.

Once you have  emerged from the Laboratory of Athletics you are now in superior condition, head and shoulders above the competition, and strong enough to attract a full scholarship which has been the coveted prize all along.

I'd like to know what you think of this topic. Do me a huge favor and leave me a comment below. Your comments are the oxygen I need to grow.

The football recruiting process does present many difficulties and many questions. 

When to begin the process?

 How to start the process?

 What information do I need?

 Do I need a checklist?

 How do I get a step-by-step guide?

The hardcore reality is there is no exact process or steps to follow because every student-athlete is different and every college coach is different in their evaluation of talent.  

A well thought-out recruiting strategy may work for someone else where they are achieving success, but that same exact strategy may not fit your needs.

The best advice is to begin the recruiting process early by developing a strong list of college programs to target. 

Your target list should include 50, 75, upwards to 100 programs. You want to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of a college scholarship or a strong financial package.

You will never know where the scholarship may come from, so it's important to target a large number of college programs from your home state and neighboring states.

Do not overlook academics! Grades are a critical piece to the recruiting puzzle. If you have bad grades you will be erased from the recruiting process.

I'm sure by now the conversation about grades has been drilled into the skulls of student-athletes for years, so there's no way you have not heard this message.

Be aggressive in the football recruiting process.

I'd like to know what you think of this topic. Please leave a comment in the comment section below. Your comments are the oxygen I need to grow.