00:01.56 bizzyweb Jave do you know who Andy Williams is no yeah but he he his most famous song is a Christmas song that it's it's the most wonderful time of the year 00:04.91 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Um, like the old country singer. 00:07.46 _JeffHowell76 Um. 00:15.47 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh yeah, yeah. 00:18.21 bizzyweb And as we're recording this. It's it's September the leaves are stawing so the earth wind and fall is going to start to fall here in Minnesota the earth wind and fire jokes are are right around the corner as we look twenty first to September and for me, it's the most wonderful time of the year because my. 00:18.46 _JeffHowell76 It's true. 00:29.53 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 00:37.43 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Theater sign here. 00:37.65 bizzyweb My wife who's an educator and my son who's 9 are finally getting out of the house and getting away from me. So I know that you are on the other side of the spectrum and that one of your kids. 00:41.13 _JeffHowell76 Have. 00:49.39 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb It is. 00:54.54 bizzyweb Is about to head to college and who is also a tremendous athlete and so she's hoping to to play collegiate sports. So as my gift to you as as your benevolent podcast co-host I have found I found you help in order to do that. 00:57.56 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Yes. 01:07.97 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb People for hot time. 01:13.61 bizzyweb So our guest today is Jeff how old Jeff is a couple of chapters ahead of you in the class where he had a a kid who was recruited to play college sports and. 01:13.63 _JeffHowell76 Nice. 01:26.90 bizzyweb Jeff is a burgeoning expert in the experience and has since created a curriculum in a class that he sells on how to help parents navigate through the recruitment college recruitment process. So welcome Jeff. 01:35.68 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb 3 excellent up. Yeah. 01:42.98 _JeffHowell76 Hey thanks guys and it is nice to see both of you again. We were just talking beforehand that um Dave and I have a history from way back when I lived in Minnesota and had my own web development business back in the early aughts 01:45.98 bizzyweb Yeah. 01:58.44 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 02:00.36 _JeffHowell76 And so Dave and I have been connected through that for and for many years and so it's always good to see Dave again and congratulations on having a senior. What? Um what? what school does she go to. 02:05.42 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Yeah, absolutely. 02:16.36 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Ah, well right now she's in Champlin Park high school in Minnesota and um, she's also looking to go to a Wisconsin school because she has a very particular set of. 02:19.18 _JeffHowell76 Okay, yeah, that makes sense. 02:30.84 _JeffHowell76 Yeah, sure. Okay, so she's going to play volleyball. 02:31.00 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Not necessarily skills like Liam Nihan but particular set of goals where she wants to be a interior designer and do sports coaching so volleyball coaching is what you yes nameing. 02:47.41 _JeffHowell76 In Wisconsin that would make it a d three program because the only d there are no d 2 programs in Wisconsin. The only one is the only d one is obviously you do Madison so it looks like you've got a good good selection of d three programs to go to as well. 02:50.91 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So. 02:54.98 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. Yeah, yeah I think. 03:01.71 bizzyweb Well let's let's ah, let's break. Let's let's ah ah, let's break that down a little bit farther. So like because the the point of our discussion day is hopefully to help not only promote your class Jeff but also helps to help. 03:07.66 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Yes. 03:17.67 _JeffHowell76 Nop. Sure. 03:19.81 bizzyweb Help ah parents. So what's the difference between a division one a division 2 and a division three school. 03:24.47 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Um, yeah. 03:26.54 _JeffHowell76 Awesome! Great Question. So The colleges and universities are broken up into um from the athletic side. There are really 3 different organizations that operate the athletic departments. So you've got the and Ncla which is you know everybody knows you've got work called the N a I a which is another athletic organization that oversees University athletics and is unfortunately and sadly overlooked. 03:45.70 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb They know. 04:00.81 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Bringing to. 04:03.39 _JeffHowell76 The and Ai level of competition actually is quite good and then you've got Juco Junior college so between those 3 almost every collegiate sport falls under each one of those 3 banners now there are some outliers. There are some. Um, you know national know and so n ccaa which kind of runs some of the christian um universities and there are some other independent athletic groups kind of Notre Notre Dame is 1 of the most famous ones that that maintain their dependency. 04:34.53 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Are all right? yeah. 04:43.50 _JeffHowell76 And most of the time. But although they play football in the nca basketball they're playing um, where are they at now on basketball. Yeah acc yeah anyway, so ah, with that's true. Yeah, actually there's 3 of them there. Stanford. 04:47.41 bizzyweb You used to play in the big east now I think they're in the agency. Everybody's in the Acc Stanford's in The Atlantic Coast conference now. 04:59.50 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 05:00.44 bizzyweb Cal and an Smu and to in Dallas is now part of the Atlantic Coast conference yeah 05:02.89 _JeffHowell76 Sm sm you and for the ascc. Yeah, what cause that the pac 12 just dissolved more or less all right? So the so when you got the incident a you've got you've got 3 different divisions you got d one d two and d three now. Ah d one are going to be your main. 05:16.70 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 05:22.42 _JeffHowell76 The schools that you've heard of the most. Obviously you know university of Minnesota Wisconsin all the big 10 teams Acc Scc Pac 10 biggies still ivy league so you've got all of these. 05:29.80 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Here. 05:40.42 _JeffHowell76 Ah, universities that you're familiar with there's about 160 some odd d one programs now the d one programs are broken up in it further. You've got your Fbs which is a football bowl series and then the Fcs which are what used to be the old d one a. So schools like ndsu would be an own d one a program and they are in the f cs which means they have of their own playoff system. Okay, um, so the the d one is kind of split up kind of down the middle. 06:15.76 _JeffHowell76 But 80 or 90 schools and d in fbs where they play for bowl games and then you've got the other one that has the more traditional playoff system and then d two are going to be schools I guess in Michigan you'd look at Grand Valley ah fair Estate Saginaw Valley Northwood kind of they're they're in the gleac division which is the kind of great lakes division. Um, in Minnesota, you've got like southwest Minnesota State would be a d 2 program um Duluth d two program. So those are ones that are still very. 06:36.54 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Okay. 06:50.64 _JeffHowell76 Highly competitive. They're just sort of at a different level. They have their own playoff system on yes. 06:54.16 bizzyweb And it kind of it kind of varies but depending on the sport right? Some some colleges have d 2 programs like like Minnesota state. You mentioned they have ah an incredible hockey team. So that's a division one hockey team but the school itself. 07:02.62 _JeffHowell76 Right? Correct that's correct. Yeah I was just going to get into that with with the different sports that that also depends on you know what? what? what sport they play so like like St Cloud State For instance. 07:09.39 bizzyweb Not a division one school. 07:11.70 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Connect with. 07:21.94 _JeffHowell76 Um, would still be a d 2 but their cocky program plays at a at a higher level. Um, and then you've got a d three programs which there's there's a ton of those typically those are smaller private educate private schools. That um, so good example would be like Concordia well actually Concordia in in St Paul is and and a I school um would be a a couple of d 3 programs augsburg um. 07:43.95 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb 4 07:55.41 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Yeah, most of the most of the private schools in in the cities are so like augsburg Mcallister Hamlin but I know that well St Thomas the big thing St Thomas was doing too well and so. 08:01.69 _JeffHowell76 Yep, good right? Yep, those are gonna be d 3 programs used to be. 08:12.39 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb The rest of the schools in that conference kicked them out and they went all the way up to D one. 08:15.13 _JeffHowell76 I know they went to d one the other in the pioneer league get fact. Ah Joe was my son was recruited by by Saint St Thomas um one of 1 of my good friends is actually best friends with with coach Glenn and we kind of made a connection that way. 08:15.57 bizzyweb Yeah, yeah. 08:21.47 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Um, yeah, ah yes. 08:33.46 _JeffHowell76 And it just didn't work out Joe didn't want to go to St Thomas which I don't just fine so he but he so he ended up at a d three program in Chicago um, one of the major differences between the different division levels d 1 3 2 and 3 Um. 08:37.24 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Half get. Ah yeah. 08:51.29 _JeffHowell76 Outside of competition and exposure is the ability to provide athletic scholarships. So obviously D one programs can provide a full ride to any athlete that they want. 09:02.41 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 09:06.69 _JeffHowell76 D 2 schools are typically limited to about fifty forty to 50% of the tuition as an athletic scholarship and then the rest can be either made up through your typical student loans. But also they can also provide academic scholarships to help fill the gaps. 09:10.90 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Who. 09:26.55 _JeffHowell76 Ah d 3 programs are not able to provide that athletic scholarships. They are only able to provide academic scholarships which which this is how Joe is playing for lake forest as he's on an academic scholarship and a I a schools are. 09:39.81 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb In. 09:45.43 _JeffHowell76 Usually able to provide athletic scholarships. Not always full rides what that has been known to happen and then juo to kind of. There's really no money there because there that yeah, that's. 09:51.48 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh. 09:57.15 bizzyweb We can do. We can do another 2 hours in the juco process. 09:57.37 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb For my yeah. 10:03.53 _JeffHowell76 That's a whole that's a whole different ball game. Um, and so like obviously my experience is in college football right? But what I found is that a lot of the which well I'm sure we'll get into a lot of the skills and experience. That we acquired through this process of getting Joe to Lake Forest a lot of those things can be translated to other sports right? with with maybe the exception of ah baseball just because. Not only, you're you're dealing with just not only the school. Um, but you're also you have major league baseball sort of in that process too because of ah, a lot of and Mlb right, right? and so they don't always. 10:40.13 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 10:47.48 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh. 10:48.44 bizzyweb Major League Baseball has a considerable feeder system. 10:56.23 _JeffHowell76 You know if you've got a kid who is really good. They may forgo going to college and they may go straight to you know, like ah straight to minors to go play. So. 11:03.84 bizzyweb The prose. 11:05.85 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So integrity. 11:09.13 bizzyweb Got it? Okay, so there there there's really there are some standards in each recruitment process but depending upon the school depending upon the kid it all very varies. Wildly. 11:26.64 _JeffHowell76 Um, yeah, it does. 11:27.41 bizzyweb so so what how could a parent when they're meeting somebody for the first time. Um, what do they need to do to sort of prep the kids like do you do you need to make your own highlight reel. 11:39.54 _JeffHowell76 Right? Yeah, so so here's kind of how the process and I'll start from the beginning on this because you there are many many many things that happen and that should happen prior to even getting in front of a coach. So. 11:47.52 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Nick. 11:57.64 _JeffHowell76 The very first thing that you want to do um now I'll preface this by saying that there are opportunities for a parent and a student athlete to utilize a service to go after and work this process for them places like Ncsa. 12:12.79 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Guys. 12:17.42 _JeffHowell76 Or other independent individuals who are offering a service to navigate this process for them to make the connections with the coach to do the highlight real sharing to to kind of do the process right? There are services that do that I take a different approach. 12:23.17 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 12:35.86 _JeffHowell76 And I empower the student athlete and the parent to navigate this process on their own now that isn't to say that um I won't help guide so I've got 3 different options to help parents out I've got the online course that's sort of self paceed that they can purchase. 12:42.30 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 12:52.59 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 12:56.60 _JeffHowell76 Kind of navigate that course on themselves they go into the the site they purchase the course. It's a 2 hour video and they can stop and start they can go back to it anytime and sort of um work through the process on their own at a self-paced. 13:13.95 _JeffHowell76 I've got an in-person seminar that I offer to schools and other organizations where I come in and I kind of do ah a few hours seminar where then the parents can ask questions or they can then go to the site and get the self-paced course themselves and then I've got another option where I actually will help and assist a parent. And their student athlete kind of go through the process I won't do it for them. Um, but I'll help guide them right? So if they want that extra that extra handholding from me I'll go through and I'll I'll help them out and kind of go through the process with them just to help guide them. 13:34.93 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb In. 13:50.68 _JeffHowell76 So the first thing you want to do is once you kind of um realize and feel that you know what my student athlete or the student athlete feels hey I'm good enough to go play at post post high school I've got the skill set is something I want to do. 14:03.40 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Or. 14:08.55 _JeffHowell76 Doesn't matter exactly which level I play what what competition I play for but I want to play sports post high school and so once that decision's made Denis sorted goes to well where do I want to play what what programs are out there. What schools offer. 14:13.75 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So. 14:26.33 _JeffHowell76 Both the academics that I'm looking for but also the opportunity to play and there are a variety of factors. A lot of them personal. You know could be the location could be the how well that school is academically um. You know you you could get down to looking at the the records of whatever school you know sports program you want to play for and if if they suck to let's be honest, you may not want to go there right? You may look at it and say that isn't for me. Um, but once you've identified a few schools. 14:53.30 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Right? hope. 15:02.62 _JeffHowell76 The first thing you want to do is you go to that school's athletic website and you fill out the recruitment questionnaires. Um, you go to whatever page a lot of times they're going to be on that main page when they're starting to push recruiting um but more often than not, you've got to go with the. 15:11.95 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Over. 15:21.49 _JeffHowell76 To the actual individual sport football basketball baseball volleyball fencing um and fill out a recruitment questionnaire and that will get your student athlete to name on their list. Most colleges will have a servers that they use. That will allow them to sort of grade the prospective athlete and then also um, catalog all their information and talk about okay when did that when were they recruited how often have they been talked to that kind of thing. Um, 1 thing to note about that is is d one typically. They have limitations on the amount of online connection that they can have um and a lot of those connections will start sort of in the september time. Um d two and d 3 typically don't have those same restrictions. So um. 16:17.25 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Um, dig it. 16:17.36 bizzyweb Oh sorry, some did sound and sound like you you kept going and kept going there. So um, no, no, no no kid. Yeah, you feel keep going keep going keep going. 16:18.72 _JeffHowell76 Um, yeah. 16:24.39 _JeffHowell76 No I heard somebody breathe and I'm like oh is somebody going to ask a question here. Um, yeah, so so once once you fill out that recruitment questionnaire the next thing the very next thing you need to do is get on Twitter or x however, you want to call it. 16:26.52 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb No, this is all brilliant that. 16:41.30 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Finished. 16:41.29 _JeffHowell76 Or even threads because that is still a thing um to varying degrees and you go find those coaches on Twitter and you follow them and you follow their recruiters and you follow every coach you can. 16:50.81 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 17:00.91 _JeffHowell76 You follow every coach that play that works in the athletic department. No matter what sport it is you follow? Um, you know if it's a football program. You follow the main school's football Twitter account you follow the baseball you follow softball you follow volleyball. You follow every one of those um for every school that you. 17:04.45 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 17:20.54 _JeffHowell76 Are considering or thinking about reaching out to all right? So once you've done the recruitment questionnaire you follow them on Twitter if you follow? Yeah yes. 17:21.71 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Only. And to clarify Jeff this this should be done by the student right? I mean we're a Dave parent of high school students shouldn't be out following and and spamming and connecting with this should all be by the athlete because we're trying to put the connection between the athlete and the coaches of the recruiters right. 17:37.12 _JeffHowell76 Now. 17:45.15 _JeffHowell76 That's correct now 1 thing to note is obviously you can have this student's Twitter account on your own phone and so that's kind of what I did right? So I helped Joe out with this process. Um, because obviously he's. 17:46.16 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 17:49.61 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Threat Yeah, and me. 17:59.75 _JeffHowell76 Doing school and he's doing practice and he's doing homework and he's doing lots of other things that he should be doing and be responsible for so he and I had a conversation and this is what you should do as as a parent of a student athlete have a clear line of communication with your athlete and say. 18:04.45 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb 1 18:17.53 _JeffHowell76 Okay, let's let's get your Twitter account on multiple devices and let's talk about who's going to be be responsible for what? Um, we said I have more time in my day to start doing some research and following all of these accounts. We talked about which schools. 18:35.47 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh. 18:35.58 _JeffHowell76 So I didn't just do it blindly. But we we talked about with schools which programs and and whatever um the other go ahead who. 18:39.74 bizzyweb I want to interrupt a second because I think they're somethinging really important that we probably glommed over s 3 ads which is but at. But so yes I get having having the student. Do the following is important. 18:45.19 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb New. 18:57.11 _JeffHowell76 Um. 18:57.80 bizzyweb But I think the one a of this is very important, especially if you're gonna get your parents involved is clean. Your socials before you turn them over to dad because the next step is not only ours is dad gonna be in there all up in your business. Um. 19:03.70 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Who yeah. 19:04.68 _JeffHowell76 Um, yeah. 19:12.40 _JeffHowell76 Are right. 19:14.86 bizzyweb The coaches are going to be looking at you too because they're now this is an open a value to process that they're gonna be looking at you. So I think that was probably thing you were go to say but I wanted to clear that up because the last thing I want is my kid and in my my a feed let alone's knowing what he's doing. 19:19.89 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Staff. 19:20.56 _JeffHowell76 Yeah, and. 19:31.81 _JeffHowell76 Right? And into I mean yeah, that is something I do mention um in in a blog post that I've got plus Also in the course you're not wrong about that. However, what I found is that most of the um. 19:40.83 bizzyweb Yeah, yeah. 19:49.12 _JeffHowell76 The the things that you may not want to be public aren't typically on Twitter they're going to be in Instagram or something else. But you're you're right about that. Absolutely make sure that when as a student athlete when you are starting to. 19:52.76 bizzyweb Yeah. 19:54.51 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb New hair. 20:05.32 _JeffHowell76 To work this process and be serious about it. You want to be very careful about the things that you post 1 be careful about what's what's publicly available to potential recruiters. Um, you know if if they see some some stuff on Instagram that that is questionable then. 20:06.33 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 20:14.74 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 20:21.72 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Anyone. 20:24.38 _JeffHowell76 You know they're they're going to Mark you for that. So not, you know, don't worry about just your Twitter account but you want to worry about your Facebook and your Instagram accounts as well. That's a really good point I'm glad that you brought that up. 20:27.38 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Great. 20:32.78 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So scroll through and make sure that you've called out anything that you said celebrating 24 or you know any of those other things right? Yeah, so yeah, yeah, yeah. 20:39.88 _JeffHowell76 Great or political pull anything political. Yeah. 20:42.78 bizzyweb Are any other sort of dates on the calendar yet. 20:48.33 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Political or students related if you were burning a pile of books at the end of your school year in celebration. Maybe not doing that and making sure that you're cultivating the way forward. Yeah, it seems like kids in particular that have been completely digitally native and completely. 20:51.81 _JeffHowell76 Yeah. 21:06.32 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Mobile device native now they just stream of consciousness this is where they think this is where they where they interact and they don't have a filter anymore. It just doesn't matter and it's a big deal amongst folks that are making decisions about their futures. 21:08.52 _JeffHowell76 Um. 21:12.29 _JeffHowell76 yeah right and yeah right I think I think I'll add to that instead of not just Instagram or Facebook because most most teenagers aren't on Facebook anymore. Anyway. 21:26.80 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Who right? right? like. 21:32.29 _JeffHowell76 Um, and snapchat is sort of an outlier because most of that content is hidden publicly anyway, so you can't have access to it. Um, but obviously you want to look through your Tiktok accounts. Um, and Instagram that's going to be where most most everybody is hanging out these days anyway. 21:43.40 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 21:50.33 _JeffHowell76 And so definitely just just be careful. Um, yeah, clean first. so so again once you've kind of gone through your accounts then you start following these these athletic departments programs coaches. 21:51.40 bizzyweb Lean first clean first. 22:02.10 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Yeah. 22:09.10 _JeffHowell76 Um, and you have that conversation with your student athlete and the parent about which programs you want to follow? That's when you start making those connections now. Um, that's after you've done the recruitment questionnaires you do the social media. And what I found is in in addition to following the programs that you are interested in you follow everybody. You go to the suggested follows that are in each of those individual coach profiles and these follow them all. Now the reason why isn't necessarily because you may be interested in a program from North Dakota you know or or California but the more accounts you follow and the more active you are just sort of as social media works. Um. More likely you might show up in a suggested follow for a coach or or a recruiter because you're you're being more active so that's ah you know that's something kind of that annoyed Joe a little bit was like I just was following all these people these small schools in North Dakota South Dakota Louisiana whatever he doesn't want to go play for a school in Louisiana because it's too humid. He doesn't want to do that. But what happened from there or um is that a couple of coaches from there were connected to some coaches in Arizona and the the coach. 23:31.90 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 23:37.15 _JeffHowell76 Coaching staff at Lake Forest where Joe ended up going to. They do a a huge recruitment push in Arizona and they do a a couple of camps during the summer in Arizona and just through the the magic of social media algorithms Joe happened to pop up. 23:46.97 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 23:54.80 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh. 23:56.25 _JeffHowell76 In in one of the the wide receiver coaches feed right and happen to look at it. So I as highlight real and started to reach out to Joe this was this was late in the process for us too like we we were. We already had a handful of um of of schools that Joe had narrowed down to because he had received maybe and a dozen offers. We've had maybe a dozen official visits. Um, had offers in hand official offers in hand. 24:31.97 _JeffHowell76 Know with the letter and with with and Ai schools. We had some scholarship money you know so we had all that that in hand. Um, and then we we did kind of 1 last visit round of visits where we stopped in Lake Forest we came up to see st thomas we went to go see southwest Minnesota state. 24:45.70 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb 4 24:50.47 _JeffHowell76 Went to Mcalister and no, we we skip Mcallister because after the visit in Lake Forest Joe was like this is the place for me to to be but he wanted to at least look at St Thomas because they had put a lot of effort in talking to him in any case. So. We we went through that whole process and um, but those extra those extra um, kind of connections you make can sometimes make a huge difference where a coach or a recruiter finds you that you didn't actually. 25:28.60 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Is. 25:29.35 _JeffHowell76 Initially reach out to so that's kind of the beauty of doing this process is that 1 1 thing 1 thing else to keep in mind is you may go after all the different schools and programs that you are interested in but occasionally and more often than not actually from what I'm finding with some other. Ah, parents I talked to a program will pop up that you didn't intend to even look at like I didn't even know Lake Forest existed until until this coach popped up and it ended up being the best fit. Um, so you just have to be. 25:54.76 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Who Yeah, a. 26:08.63 _JeffHowell76 You have to work that social media process as as much and as hard as you can because that's where the coaches live the coaches live on Twitter um, or or in on social media. So once you've done all that the recruitment questionnaire following on social media. Um. 26:09.20 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 26:15.60 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Sure sure well. 26:28.17 _JeffHowell76 You follow that up with an email as as as old school and traditional as that might be I've got an email template that's on my website that you can take that content. Edit it for your own and personalize it but you can. 26:30.90 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Who who. 26:40.67 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb He. 26:44.66 _JeffHowell76 Use it as a Twitter dm you could use it as a traditional email and just send that out having that extra point of connection is really important and you you just make a schedule and know that you're gonna follow up with an initial email kind of with a follow up email. 27:00.17 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb You know can mention from there you another one hopeful. Oh. 27:03.71 _JeffHowell76 If you don't get any connection from there. You do another 1 right? So that so that's kind of the next step or the process is you making those other quote unquote offline connections with an email um and depending on where you are in that process what we know what grade your athlete is in then. 27:20.84 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Um, yeah. 27:22.78 _JeffHowell76 Then you have the opportunity to then start looking at camps in showcases to go to during the following summer so if you happen to be say a sophomore or going into your sophomore year you're in a great position because. 27:26.83 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh sure. Yeah. 27:40.15 _JeffHowell76 How you have this sophomore year to start putting together your highlights. Um and start putting together your your video reel then this coming summer in 24 at the time of this recording then you are able to do your research and find out which camps are. 27:43.30 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Half. 27:53.39 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb For. 27:59.21 _JeffHowell76 Or are out there which showcases are out there for you to attend most of the time you won't start seeing those until springtime. Usually when those are scheduled and so you can use um a site like riser RYZER you be able to find. 28:06.54 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh. 28:15.95 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb He. 28:18.90 _JeffHowell76 Basketball football baseball and a volleyball camp so you typically on those and you can find out where those are and do as many as your time or budget allows right? because they aren't free but they get you in front of a ton of extra coaches. 28:22.30 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Here. 28:36.36 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Hold. 28:38.44 _JeffHowell76 Some of the bigger ones you know might have a dozen programs in attendance like so you go to ah to a basketball camp that's hosted by you know the uofm and you might have a dozen other programs there helping out you know so you you go maybe with the intention of a. You know, becoming a gopher but then you've got a bunch of other scouts over there evaluating talent and deciding on who they're going to reach out to I say hey this kid's good. This kid's good and you just want to get your skill set. Out there. You want to showcase what you can do no matter who is who it's in front of but for me I always look to I always look for the camps that had the most amount of programs there so you kind of maximize your exposure as much as you can and the beauty of the beauty of those is that. Then you'll you'll get get introduced to different coaches that you may not have seen online or for via Twitter then you start connecting with those coaches and then again you know the more the more connections you make the better. 29:47.59 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb You right? Yeah's that's ah so it's it's the art of networking and the art of connecting as a student. Um, probably you know earlier than you thought you should have you know a sophomore year most kids aren't aren't thinking of college yet. 30:03.16 _JeffHowell76 No. 30:04.88 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And so you know making sure that you're already looking at that that early is really important for those student athletes and are there are there specific like real winning strategies or things that like does every highlight real need to include I know this is all different by sports. But you know is is there. 30:07.70 _JeffHowell76 Yeah, you kind of have to. 30:19.26 _JeffHowell76 Of it. 30:24.39 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Like 1 thing that you need to include like do you always have to have a good starting package like hi. My name is x y z I'm interested in being a student athlete at your school or just kind of generally I'm I'm I'm a football star. 30:29.40 _JeffHowell76 Now. 30:35.86 _JeffHowell76 V. 30:41.59 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And I'm looking for the best possible fit for my skills and you know by the way here's a ninety ninety yard pass that I just made or whatever right? none of that. Okay, sure. 30:51.13 _JeffHowell76 None of that you don't do any of that. No um, if you want to put one together and pin it to your profile. Go ahead and do that right? but it isn't going it may help but that isn't what coaches are looking for coach coaches have. 31:01.36 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Here. 31:06.86 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Trip in. 31:06.88 _JeffHowell76 Very limited amount of time that they can evaluate talent because they're looking at multiple multiple athletes. So here's what what I've heard and what I've encouraged parents and their athletes to do don't embellish your video. All you do is you and. 31:21.35 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh. 31:26.31 _JeffHowell76 Now most of the time if you're part of a program that's that's worth a darn. You're going to have um, you're going to have video and they're all going to be on something called HuddleH two d l right so you can have your huddle highlights and your coaches are going to break those highlights down for you. So all you need to do then is go to huddle. 31:35.44 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Yep, yeah. 31:44.30 _JeffHowell76 And pick whichever highlights that you're a part of that you want to showcase. So then what you do is you this for football basketball baseball. Whatever it might be whatever play that you want to highlight you highlight yourself first I put an arrow put a circle Whatever right. 31:46.27 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Sure. 32:02.89 _JeffHowell76 And then let the play run and then stop it and then go to the next play do the same thing. Highlight yourself let the play run and so on do that for maybe a ninety second to 100 and you know ninety second to 2 minute realel right. 32:04.18 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 32:15.10 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And. 32:18.53 _JeffHowell76 Um, having you know, handful of of your best plays for that group of games that you're that you're sharing. Um, and the reason why you don't want to have all those extra embellishments because the coaches don't care. They just want to see what you can do. Okay, um. 32:24.48 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh. 32:36.53 _JeffHowell76 And so having the graphics and the video and the music is great. It's fun and don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with that and you certainly should do one just to have a sort of like ah introduction. But if you're sharing stuff with coaches. They don't want to see that they don't care so you put your highlight reels together. You share. 32:38.74 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Right? right. 32:55.50 _JeffHowell76 Via Twitter you share via Dm you share those via email. Um, now if you're a sophomore now you're going to have a handful of those great use them have them on huddle and start sharing them. Um, but what I found and what I think is going to be the most important is your junior year. 33:01.90 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb For her. 33:13.85 _JeffHowell76 Your junior year is where everything is going to happen. Everything's going to open up and everything's going to change so your junior year is kind of where you want to perform at your best senior year you still have opportunities for that. Um, but. Your ability to get in front of at higher levels say d 1 is a little bit more diminished because by the time you're a senior most d one programs already have their rosters full right? So um, so your junior year is kind of. 33:38.75 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Right? They're committed tonight. 33:43.11 bizzyweb Which is an astonishing thing to think about that as kids are going into their senior years. They're that most division 1 schools have already picked their athletes. 33:45.83 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Yeah, in a tro. 33:47.80 _JeffHowell76 Yeah. 33:53.12 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So. 33:55.48 _JeffHowell76 Most of the time. Yeah, now you do have chances to to get in to some d one programs, especially the like the ah the fcs ones? Um, but obviously d two d three you've got you've got more time 1 thing to note about sort of commitments is. You've got the early signing day which always happens in December that is kind of um, an outlier I mean those are going to be your fivear athletes right? Those are goingnna be the ones that have been recruited since there' have been eighth graders in in school like they're just out of your mind. Fantastic athletes those the ones that always go to like Alabama auburn. Clemsson you know scc schools. But if you're still like a 3 star recruit. Um, and you're you're feeling discouraged that maybe you're not getting as much exposure like around December you don't have that that quote unquote a great signing day. You still have time I mean signing day opens February first right. 34:48.61 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Sure. 34:50.90 _JeffHowell76 And there's there's always this pressure of and I'm talking specifically football here. You know there's always that that like oh I've got to have a sign I was I got to have a decision by February First that's not true. Um you you have until actually the middle of April to fully commit. Um. Obviously you don't want to wait that long but um, so so the kind of the the phantom pressures that you feel about having to be signed by a certain date. Um, depending on the program that you're a part of you've got plenty of time. Um. 35:20.38 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Okay. 35:23.72 _JeffHowell76 So but for the highlight reels. Definitely you want to put as many of those as you can as long as you've got a lot of um, a lot of film to put together right? And if you're a starter on a program basketball baseball. Whatever I mean you're going to have that film and you're going to have your your your choice. 35:32.92 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Left. 35:43.35 _JeffHowell76 Of great highlights to put together. Um, so you definitely want to you Definitely want to have um, kind of your your reels put together as quickly as you can. 35:53.12 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Sure. Okay I I'm ah like 1 of the things that my daughter when she was in club. Um they they warned her and guarded her against you know the some of the services that I think you mentioned before the. Submission services like we'll put together a real for you for only 3 grand or whatever and that you know if you have a good club that you're a part of right for the most part they'll help you on some of this as well. Correct. 36:08.42 _JeffHowell76 Um, now. 36:17.40 _JeffHowell76 Um, yeah, yeah I mean if you're a part of any program again that that's worth anything. They're going to have a huddle account right? Um, for whatever sport and. 36:23.81 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Who right. 36:33.81 _JeffHowell76 I Know it's a little bit different baseball. It not quite huddle I can't remember what they call it. But so there there are services that most programs will use and they'll hold those highlights for you. Coaches can split them up or you can split them up. Whatever. 36:35.44 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Oh. 36:42.28 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Got it a. 36:50.91 _JeffHowell76 So you don't need to go to a service and spend 3 grand on getting a video put together because while it's great in while it's there's the production value is huge. It's your skills that really are going to tell the story. 37:00.51 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Um, right right? So there's no, there's no substitute for good networking and great highlights and your highlight real or your huddle or whatever the. 37:14.79 _JeffHowell76 Um, from. 37:19.50 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Tool that you use in your high school sports career is really the equivalent of your resume and so if you have that dialed in and and completely ready and if you're thoughtful about where you're going and what you're going to do you probably have the best chance possible. 37:22.62 _JeffHowell76 Um, yeah, right. 37:32.90 _JeffHowell76 Um, yeah, and and you don't even need to if you don't have huddle because I've talked to some parents who who their program doesn't. 37:34.27 bizzyweb I want I want to I I got a person that I want owner. Yeah I want to read it a redirect a little because I and I I I I want to throw Dave under the bus a little so Dave Dave is a smart guy. Brilliant guy. 37:46.58 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So. 37:53.82 bizzyweb But he doesn't necessarily know a lot about sports other than he know he is aware that there are sports So um, for for parents who don't. 37:59.20 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb I Like sports ball. 37:59.53 _JeffHowell76 First. 38:06.81 bizzyweb Have a career in sports or have played sports themselves. What are some things that they need to look out look at and evaluate helping their kids evaluate a program. 38:21.42 _JeffHowell76 Well there there are a couple things that that you can use. Um when you get to the athletic website of the school that you're looking at you can look at um, the first thing I always look at is the record of the previous season. You know if. If they have more losses than wins that yeah maybe not a program that you might want to be a part of right if it isn't that important to you sure if if you care more about location of this of the institution and the taka type of academics. They provide totally up to you. But if you're serious about playing at a competitive level always look at their record the next thing to look at to evaluate a program is to look at how long the coaches have been there. So if you got a coaching staff that's brand new and. The previous couple of years records aren't that great. You know why right? So the the the coach was fired because they were not that great and so nick I have it now you have a new staff that's coming in that is not only trying to evaluate navigating a new program at a new school. 39:15.87 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Right. 39:25.21 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And that is from. 39:30.88 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 39:33.60 _JeffHowell76 They're also doing the recruiting trying to get kids in that um to fill their programs and fill their roster. So that's a lot that you're asking. You're asking the staff to do quite a bit at that point and so do you really want to be a part of. 39:39.27 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Here. 39:52.45 _JeffHowell76 That program. Um, if if they're not um if they're not going to be able to put as one ah hundred percent attention to getting that program to to be as good as it needs to be um and then just sort of check out like the other athletic departments right. 40:00.37 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Right? right. 40:10.90 _JeffHowell76 Look at the other sports that you know maybe if you're going to play basketball. You know, check out volleyball check out football check out in any of the other sports that are there and kind of look at the same thing look at records look at staff log longevity. Ah, how long's the athletic director. Been there that kind of stuff. Um and that kind of give you a really good picture of the kind of the athletic health of that institution. Um, and whether or not that's a school that might be worth your time right. Now you might be ah 1 of those entrepreneur type kids and say hey I'm going to go help build this program. Great. Go after it. You know that I'm sure they would love to have you um for us that literally wasn't that wasn't viable for us. That's not something that we wanted to go after we wanted an established program. And have ah a history of success. So. 41:04.95 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Cool. But and there's there's so much that goes into this too right? I mean as you're looking at the overall I mean there's a balance between academics and scholarship and I think it might be also important to kind of level set with your student. 41:19.60 _JeffHowell76 Um. 41:24.11 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb That you might not get a the money that you're hoping for if you try to go if you try to go D One you know it's competitive. It's almost like pro sports at this point with some of these programs. Um, so you have to be realistic in what you're going to do So maybe. 41:28.56 _JeffHowell76 Right. 41:36.54 _JeffHowell76 Right. 41:43.21 _JeffHowell76 Um, I said. 41:43.50 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb You know, keeping d one and d 2 in in the hopper in your consideration process is going to be important. But even then just because you're a star athlete at your high school that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be a star athlete even at a at a. 41:45.99 _JeffHowell76 If. 42:00.15 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb College that you're accepted at and that you might even get get a program for and I bring this up because we have friends of ours. Their daughter was an absolute rock Star volleyball player. She got recruited and got a significant scholarship at a midwest school and. 42:02.74 _JeffHowell76 Right. 42:18.50 _JeffHowell76 Um. 42:19.24 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb She's going to be a senior. She has not played more than one set of volleyball in her entire college career and I'm talking that's one set is you know up to up to 25 points one. So she's played about a half hour out of her entire college career. 42:27.16 _JeffHowell76 Yikes. 42:31.10 _JeffHowell76 Right. 42:38.80 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb And she's she's just she's on the bench. She's watching. She's incredibly useful to the team but she's six one she's a rock star. She was a crusher her her school was her school one state the year that she was a senior in in volleyball. So. 42:38.97 _JeffHowell76 That's rough. 42:45.27 _JeffHowell76 Um, yeah, yeah. 42:54.29 _JeffHowell76 Um, my. 42:55.36 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb It doesn't necessarily mean when you go up to some of these incredibly competitive. Um sport or incredibly competitive programs. Yeah, there might be a different role for you So being realistic about what you're looking at is important. 43:02.30 _JeffHowell76 Right? right? Yeah, you got to be honest with yourself. You know that. 43:07.98 bizzyweb And that's part is yeah I mean that's part of sports on the whole is that a higher the higher level you get the the more fierce The competition gets. 43:11.92 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Experience here and. For whom. 43:17.56 _JeffHowell76 Yeah I mean honesty with yourself is a vital component to this whole process. You know you can say no you see Joe came out of 8 man football. Okay rural Michigan 8 man football. 43:30.73 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb A. 43:35.80 _JeffHowell76 And there there are a lot of kids who they say they see that and they play in that environment and they're like well forget it I can't play a college right? because who who wants to who wants to bring who wants. Ah a kid who only plays 8 man football. Um. 43:53.50 _JeffHowell76 You don't want to discount yourself right? Football is still football. The skills are still the skills like the matter if you play ape man or traditional eleven man doesn't matter right? You're still, you're still able to play if you if you have the skills and you're able to show that you can do great things on the field. Yeah. But you also have to be realistic like you're not going you most the time you're not going to be able to get the attention of Nick Sabin if you're playing 8 man football in the other upper peninsula of Michigan right? I mean let's just be honest that doesn't mean that you're not good. 44:28.30 bizzyweb Exable Legendary college football coach. Well enough just for Dave for other people who are listing. 44:29.23 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So for Dave. Yeah, thanks. 44:30.88 _JeffHowell76 Right? So so but if you think you can play do your research and figure it out and see if you can right? that just means you might you might go to a lower level school and if you're thinking about going. 44:37.89 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb But and right church. 44:49.64 _JeffHowell76 If you're thinking about d three then then you got to have good grades because because d 3 schools are mostly yeah because well d three schools are private. They're going to be twenty thirty forty Fifty $60000 a year right? That's ah, that's a pretty big college Bill. So. 44:52.69 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb You got to pay your way somehow. 45:09.43 _JeffHowell76 You know, maximize your ability to to get some of that academic money if you've got a you know 3 point 5 or higher then you've got the opportunity to get some of that money. 45:14.60 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Right? right? and I should throw in there that just because it's an academic scholarship. There's lots more money than you would expect out there that you know schools are yeah we we mentioned St Thomas before I'm ah I'm a tommy and. 45:27.13 _JeffHowell76 Yeah, um. 45:32.50 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb You know college has tripled since I went to school the the tuition you know it's like 60 something a year now and there's a lot of financial aid out there for anyone that's serious. So if you're a grade student and a great athlete. 45:36.91 _JeffHowell76 Yeah. 45:49.40 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb There's definitely options out there for you so again, don't get discouraged just because you may have gotten a c in 1 class or because you know you're you're on an 8 ight-man football team I mean there's definitely options out there. The key is hustle and the key is showing your. 45:53.49 _JeffHowell76 Um. 45:58.45 _JeffHowell76 Right? right. 46:06.34 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Goals and in not being afraid to kind of make your own luck at least in my opinion. 46:09.66 _JeffHowell76 Yeah, no yeah and you're not wrong about that. That's that's one hundred percent this the mindset that needs to go into this process. You know, trusting yourself not not belittering belittling your skillset but saying. 46:18.89 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So. 46:27.78 _JeffHowell76 Okay I can do this hey mom and dad. What do you think? let's try and go after this and getting your parents on board and then coming to my site and learning how to empower yourself to navigate this process right? because. 46:29.83 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Evening. 46:39.84 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Well and and that's a perfect. That's a perfect segue Jeff because I want to make sure that everyone gets to your site because this is as we've been going through. Yeah, you've got lots of easy questions and answers and you know tools and I know you have some really great resources. 46:44.70 _JeffHowell76 Yeah, yeah. 46:59.10 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Tell us how to find you and and where to go right? Well good answers. Yeah. 46:59.35 _JeffHowell76 Um, yeah. 47:00.96 bizzyweb They they're easy questions with their hard answers and it alls it lot of family talk and it's ah it's a great guide to helping navigate but is a. 47:04.13 _JeffHowell76 That's true. 47:12.94 bizzyweb it's it's it's a whole secondary recruitment beyond just the the college you want to be. It's the team you want to play on. So yeah, cheap luck Jeff where where can people find this. 47:16.17 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb In. 47:17.78 _JeffHowell76 Um, right? So it's Jeff Howell Dot me j e f FHOWELLDotME and everything you need is going to be there. All of my. 47:29.85 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Love it. 47:32.81 _JeffHowell76 All of my personal socials are going to be there the college recruiting socials are going to be up in the top menu. Um, there is a immense amount of content on the site especially on the blog I've gotten you know. 47:49.59 _JeffHowell76 Probably three months worth of content there and I've got more scheduled. Um, there's ways to contact me my emails all over there. There's ways to um, buy the course. There's ways to talk to your athletic director about having me come in and do a seminar. There's the sort of per. 47:55.91 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb Millions. 48:03.59 bizzyweb And by the way the the course is not expensive at all. It's very reasonable and I think definitely worth the money. it's it's it's the price of a couple of Amazon books. 48:08.88 _JeffHowell76 Now. 48:16.30 _JeffHowell76 Yeah, yeah, and and and the reason why I do put ah put a money On. It is really um, yeah I could have done it for free. But I found that if you are actively trying to do something to to better yourself and to put yourself in a position of of getting recruited. You got to have a little bit of skin in the game right? So if if if it was free. You'd kind of go through it and make ah I don't really want to do it or you just don't have the same motivation. But if you if you plunk down some money Now, you've now you're you've got that little extra motivation to be successful at this process because you've paid for it. Um. And so that's kind of like the that's kind of my thought process with it. But I did try to make it affordable. Um, because. 48:54.80 bizzyweb Yeah, well, it's not I guess what I'm trying to say is is you know in terms of helping you out with a cheap plug. It's it's it's it's it's something that's worthy of the investment and if not a big investment and the value that you're going to get out of it is tremendous. 49:04.18 _JeffHowell76 No. 49:11.45 _JeffHowell76 I Yeah I appreciate that and yeah, thank you I mean it's um, that's kind of what my thought process was to. 49:15.95 bizzyweb Perfect Jeff thank you so much for joining us and good luck to to look for us this football season. 49:21.32 Dave Meyer_ BizzyWeb So the first is for most you yeah right on. 49:23.98 _JeffHowell76 Yeah, man, go go forsters.