Yesterday was just the beginning of learning about the NCAA guidelines and today I am looking at a more in depth view. I have realized how easy it can be for teams to stumble on regulations because there are so many of them but every team wants to try to keep an edge over the other when recruiting student athletes. Know that I am more involved, I also have to be careful on some of my interactions and I am no longer allowed to attend any high school games at all. I found it interesting because I used to watch local players and went as a fan of the game but now it is conflict of interest. I also have many friends who are coaches around the state and my communication with them has to be carefully monitored and kept strictly on a friendship basis and not involving any of their student athletes. It is also very comforting going through this process with an athlete I recruited while I was a General Manager for an Arena/Indoor Organization. Chris Rutledge was named the offensive line graduate assistant which is a drastic step in his career because he just started coaching 6 months ago. Chris played at the University of Miami and had opportunities in the NFL and CFL. He has a great football mind and I know he will do a great job and earn the respect from all his colleagues. The days have been very long this week but I enjoy them because I do not feel like I am working when I am involved in football. I truly love this game and looking forward to my next days on campus. The first game is away at Tulsa and this is the time to begin to prepare for the season and opening game. I got to write some more letters to recruits today which included some inspirational quotes as well as my touch of motivation to do well on the field but also in the classroom. I have seen some paperwork enter our office from recruits that do not meet the grade point average or are borderline which can stir FAU from spending time trying to recruit them.
Practice two begins and my focus today was viewing an athlete who is being highly recognized by the NFL and there are scouts already scheduled for visits. I also will be assisting the NFL scouts with any needs while they are in the building which is something I am looking forward to. I am also working on projects to keep in contact with recruits by writing letters, assisting with social media and also learning what the NCAA guidelines are for what is allowed because there are very particular rules that apply and if broken, it can hurt the program. I did learn today how Twitter is one of the leading social media methods used with student athletes today. We were also working on posts and game planning for what prospect or commit to contact and when. The coaching staff is getting busier now that practice has started so there are more office needs that I have also been working on. I got a few minutes to talk with the Head Coach (Charlie Partridge) and it was very enlightening. I did learn by speaking with him to never hold back on your career and never give up and the small things always seem to be overlooked but they are not. We also talked about how he game plans practice during the off-season versus in season. I enjoy speaking to coaches because there is truly no book or webpage that will teach you how to coach. Learning on the experience is very common and being mentored by other coaches happens quiet frequently. I also expressed my interest in the program and expressed my thanks for the opportunity.
Today marks the first day of training camp and it denotes the beginning of football season. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to be working with such a great staff but also with a program that is working its way up the charts to be one of the elite football programs in the country, The first portion of the day started with watching practice and analyzing the type of talent the team contained as well as what talent has the ability to continue their careers beyond college. Upon finishing practice, the next action for the day was the start of putting together information for recruits for high school student athletes that graduate in 2017 and 2018. There was also a recruit that decided to visit the school unofficially with his mom to see if there would be a potential fit. The family mentioned they did enjoy the trip and the school visit. There were also a variety of meetings throughout the day with the coaches and others with the whole team. I also was in charge of watching some game film on prospects and writing a reports on them. The day started early and finished late but I am looking forward to the next day to work with the team.
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AuthorMy day to day experience with FAU Football from my perspective by Feddy Azofeifa. Archives
November 2015
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