Monday, November 18, 2013

Doing a Personal Evaluation of a Prospect

       One of the main reasons that I stand on the sidelines during varsity football games is that I watch the actions of my top prospects. One of the reasons that I watch my top prospects in other sports is to watch their actions. One of the reasons that I talk to people about my top prospects is that I want to know what their actions are away from sports. Finally, one reason that I like to speak with my top prospects is that get an idea how well they communicate. Personal evaluations are important to me.
Citizen - Is my prospect a good citizen in and away from school. How does he dress? How does act in school? Does he do work on community projects? Is he respected by his teachers and other coaches?
Introvert - Is he outgoing? Does he tend to be by himself? Does he keep his emotions to himself? On the sidelines does he stay away from the team?
Team player - Does he stay involved with the team on the sidelines? Does he offer encouragement to his teammates? Off the field, does he do things with the team. Does he encourage the younger players?
Training habits - Does he take care of himself physically? Does he follow training rules? Is he guilty of using drugs? Is he consistent about following the rules? Is he on time?
Attitude - Does he have more than the average "swagger?" Does he look down on his teammates? Is it always a teammate's fault, when things do not go right? Is he approachable after a game?
Coachable - Does he listen to his coach on the sidelines or in practice?  Is he willing to make changes to his playing style? Does he change his technique or revert back to his old ways?
Enjoys football - Does actually enjoy and have fun playing the game? Does he get excited on the field? Can I see it in his eyes, when I ak him about playing the game?
Lazy - Does he take plays "off" during the game? Is he late to the field? Does he miss workouts in the off season? Does he work hard in the classroom?
Bad actor - Are his emotions on the field for real? Does put on the "tough guy" image? Does he bully his teammates people around him?
Stability - Does he too high or too low during a game? Does he play under control? Away from football does he make sound decisions? Does he get really "down" on himself?
Quitter - Does he give up or shutdown when things go bad in the second half? After he makes a mistake, he does he bounce back, or does he quit? Does he finish things that he attempts?
Family background - Living with both parents? Influence of parents? Professons of parents? How many siblings? Living environment? Parents involvement in recruiting process.
       This a long list of questions that I ask myself, when trying do a personal evaluation of a prospect. But many questions intertwine. Really does not take long to get an idea of prospect's personal qualities, but I see them more than one time.
      I do not go into detail with college coaches, unless there is a real issue. I put very little in writing. Most importantly, I do not give this information to people, other than college coaches.
      Finding answers to these questions really helps me understand the prospect and sometimes to see where the prospect is "coming from."I do offer suggestions to prospects, and, at times they are not always appreciated.
      I really believe evaluating a prospect's character and family backgound is not only important to college coaches, but to me, as well.

No comments: