How to Determine Your Talent Level

Clearly one of the most crucial steps of the athletic recruiting process is to determine how talented you are and how it relates to college athletics and the various divisions.  If you do this wrong and overestimate your talent level and are really a Division III athlete but try to get the attention of a Division I coaches, you will likely waste valuable time.  Conversely, some athletes are really of a Division I level, but for whatever reason they don’t realize it, if they are recruited and attend a DIII school they would instantly become an elite athlete and while I would rather be a big fish, there might always be that question of whether or not you could have played at a higher level.

The major problem with assessing your talent level is that you often just judge your talent as it compares to your teammates and opponents in your league.  Yet, college coaches have a bigger picture view since they recruit in a larger geographic area and see many more players.  So what can you do to get a better assessment of your talent level.

Here are some thoughts:

• Go to colleges to watch practices or games.  Unfortunately the only sports which are on TV are big time football and men and women’s basketball.  On occasion some others do make it, but it is usually the best of the Division I programs.  Once there, make an honest evaluation of your (or your childs) talent as it compares to that team.  Keep in mind, there is a major difference between 16 or 17 years old and 20 to 22, so some projection must be factored in.  In addition, these visits are good to get feedback about what you like and don’t like about the school itself.
• Go to camps and showcase type events, partly to get recruited, partly to get evaluated by a coach, but also to see where you stack up against the bigger recruiting pool. 
• Ask any coach that is with you on a regular basis, high school, travel, lessons.  These people know more then we give them credit for.
• Ask any college coach that has seen you play either during a game, camp, or through video.
• If you have a friend that is currently playing college athletics (or a parent of one) who knows what the high school level is like and now knows what the college level is like is a great person to ask.
• Individual sports have an easier time since a distance, time, or other result (handicap in golf for example) makes it easier to have a clear cut idea of talent.

Wayne Mazzoni has been a college coach since 1992 and is currently at Division I Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.  He is also an author and speaker on the athletic recruiting process.  You can visit his website at www.WayneMazzoni.com.