James Leath is the Head of Leadership Development at IMG Academy, a sports academy in Bradenton, Florida. In this role, James develops and delivers curriculum for IMG Academy students-athletes across 8 sports and presents to visiting teams, companies and professional athletes. The topics include, leadership, character development, team work, and communication. This article was originally written for his personal blog, located at JamesLeath.com, where he writes weekly articles on coaching and parenting. This article was repurposed with his written permission.
“He is going to be shocked we no longer want him.”
“Come again?” I asked the college coach seated across from me at lunch. “You flew across the country to meet him, and now you won’t recruit him anymore?”
“He is a great talent, he certainly has the skills needed to play for us,” said the coach. “Sadly, he just won’t fit in well with our culture. It’s sad how many kids we come across every year that we cannot recruit, and it has nothing to do with their ability.”
One of saddest topics we discuss are stories of top high school talent being passed over because of behaviour off the field. High talent and low character is a poor combination.
I have heard these stories enough to feel compelled to write this so that it may be passed on to every high school athlete that dreams of playing in college. There are a lot of talented athletes out there, but talent alone will not land you a coveted roster spot. Your talent may get your foot in the door, but it takes a lot more to hit the field at the next level.
The recruiter is not there to see you throw, bowl, catch or hit for the thousandth time. He already knows your stats. He has likely seen you play. What he is looking for are called intangibles, the things that cannot be easily measured, but make all the difference.
Of the countless conversations I have had with college recruiters, here are the most common questions recruiters are searching for answers to, to decide whether they should recruit you or not.
What are you doing when you think no one is watching?
The more talented you are, the more people are watching you to try and see what flaws you are hiding. How do you treat your teammates, coaches, parents, and officials? Do you make eye contact with your coach when she/he is talking? What is your body language like when things are not going well? This all matters, a lot!
Are you one thing in person, and another person online?
Social media is the microphone of your character, and whether you agree or not, you will be judged by what you post. Please, pause and think before you post! If you wouldn’t want it on a billboard so your grandma could read it, you probably shouldn’t post it online.
Who are your biggest influences?
You will become like the people you hang out with the most. This includes who you follow on social media. Take a look at who you are following on social media sites, and in life, and unfollow those you do not wish to be associated with or become like.
Are you a great teammate?
One story to exemplify this:
“The coach asked our star prospect to put his phone away after his first set.
He did. He then pulled it back out after the second set. I stopped his coach from intervening again. We look for guys who can be trusted to do the things after being told once. During the third set, he finally put his phone down, but only because he saw his teammate struggling. The prospect, however, did not encourage him. I began to question his ability to be a great teammate, and if he would fit in with our team. Then, when the workout was over, the coach blew the whistle to start cleaning up. The prospect headed straight for the changing sheds, leaving his teammates to clean up. Definitely not a good fit for our culture.”
Do you make a good first impression?
One of the first things I teach all my athletes is the art of the handshake. Firm grip, eye contact, be fully present while you introduce yourself. The way you enter a room, command presence, shake hands and make eye contact are all things that will set them apart from the hundreds of other draft prospects.
You are always being watched – from the moment you get out of your car to the moment you leave the parking lot. The more talented you are, the more people pay attention. Give them a reason to remember you off the field.
Do you “sweep the shed?”
The most successful sports team in the professional era is not the NY Yankees, or the Boston Celtics, or Real Madrid, but a team from a far less known sport. It is the New Zealand All Blacks in rugby, who have an astonishing 86% winning percentage and numerous championships to their name. In the outstanding book, Legacy, written about the All Blacks (the most winningest professional team in the history of modern sports), author James Kerr discusses one of their core values that epitomizes the selfless attitude.
It’s called “Sweep the Shed.”
You see the goal of every All Blacks player is to leave the national team shirt in a better place than when he got it. His goal is to contribute to the legacy by doing his part to grow the game and keep the team progressing every single day.
In order to do so, the players realise that you must remain humble, and that no one is too big or too famous to do the little things required each and every day to get better. You must eat right. You must sleep well. You must take care of yourself on and off the field. You must train hard. You must sacrifice your own goals for the greater good and a higher purpose.
You must sweep the shed.
After each match, played in front of 80,000 plus fans, in front of millions on TV, after the camera crews have left, and the coaches are done speaking, when the eyes of the world have turned elsewhere, there is still a locker room to be cleaned ... by the players!
If the New Zealand All Blacks are sweeping their locker room, then why aren’t you out there helping younger players, picking up cones, arriving first and leaving last, and setting the example for others?
You are always being watched, so sweep the shed.
Do you show a sense of gratitude?
How you treat the people who take care of you matters. The coaches, the trainers, the ball boys – they are there to serve, but they are not your servants. True leaders serve those around them. When you are grateful, and treat others with the respect they deserve, people take notice. More importantly, it’s the right thing to do.
• Show gratitude
• Be a positive influence
• Do the little things
• Be a great teammate
• Make a great first impression • Sweep the shed
And always remember, whether you are online, on the field or in the classroom, someone is watching.
Your reputation is who people think you are; your character is who you are when you think no one is paying attention. Someone is always paying attention, and every recruiter has countless stories of passing on a talented athlete who failed the character test. You must be the exception. You must be extra-ordinary. That’s how you get recruited.