'Recruiting Consultants' - High Cost, Low Value

I received an email today from a Mr. Adams who asked, "Why are you charging parents $35? Randy Roger Events is free." (sic) Good question, since I am basically a nobody and Randy Rogers is the 'guru' of Texas high school football recruiting.

The answer is simple: You get what you pay for! So this is a good time to address the cottage industry of 'Recruiting Consultants'. These entities range from one-man operations to organizations with multiple staff. Most are headed by former college coaches. Some of them are unable to find employment in their field so they hang out a 'consultant' shingle.

As varied as they are staff-wise, they all have one thing in common: they are trying to get parents to part with their hard-earned money to buy their 'expertise'. Furthermore, the main focus of their endeavors are so-called 'blue chip', 'five star', or 'four star' recruits. (Translation: not my son)

Take Randy Rogers for instance: http://randyrodgersrecruiting.com/ Sure his Blue Chip Recruiting Roundup is free, but the schedule is one hour for weigh-ins and pictures, one hour listening to Randy Rogers, then a 30 minute guest speaker. Trust me, you'll leave that event with more questions than information, but don't despair. For $150, Randy will come to your home for a 90 minute consultation, $225 for the 'Total Access' treatment. His website lists 62 'client' schools, all but four of which are D-I. So unless your son is a blue-chip, you're not likely to get much attention.

Now not to pick on Randy Rogers, I'm sure the man has great insights that are of value to Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine as well as D-I college coaches through his published scouting report. My point is that he and most like him are only interested in the top tier players, yet the majority of high school football players go on to D-II, D-III, and NAIA schools.

I'd also like to share two personal experiences with recruiting consultants. In 2008, our booster club president paid a recruiting consultant to address the football parents. In all my years of listening to speakers, I'd never heard anyone so offensive. His greatest insight was that the best way for a football player to get face time with a college coach was to attend college basketball games, because when football season ended the coaches didn't want to go home to their wives at night so they attended basketball games! He also dizzied the parents talking about NCAA's high school core requirements, and of course offered to evaluate any one's son for a fee. (Your son's guidance counselor will do it for free!) What a waste of $300+ of booster club money.

The second experience is with a company called National College Scouting Association. http://www.ncsasports.org/ You may likely get a call from them as they reach out to high school coaches for rosters and contact information. One of their consultants will set up a conference call with parents and son, and when all is said and done will try to sign you up as a client. They quoted me $2600 and I said 'No, thank you'.

I know of two families who ended up engaging this outfit. One young man ended up signing with a D-II school, and the other with a D-III. What did it cost these families to get their sons signed? A 12 pack each of Amstel Light Beer.

When their high-priced consultants failed to deliver as promised and only 'found' one and three potential schools respectively, I sat at their kitchen table and reviewed a list I'd compiled of D-II and D-III schools and contacts. They developed a target list, put together marketing packets, reached out to the coaches, and got their sons commitments. And I got 24 bottles of Amstel Light, most of which are aging in the refrigerator in the garage, because I gave up beer for Lent! While I'm well-stocked on beer and won't take anymore in trade, $35 is a small investment to learn what you need to know to market your son to college coaches!

So the moral of the story is, buyer beware, and remember - no one can promote your student-athlete like you can!