HSFB Summer Prospective Camps
If you're a high school football player, you may be wondering how to get noticed by college coaches and recruiters… Summer Camps can be overwhelming, but they are highly necessary. I’m willing to bet you’ve either received TONS of “personal” invites to camps or have received nothing at all. Either way, where do you go from here? Let’s dive in!
Attending football camps is a great way to get your name out there and showcase your skills. In this blog post, we'll answer some common questions about high school football prospective camps and provide tips for getting noticed in the world of high school football.
First, let's talk about the best high school football camps. Some of the most reputable and highly-rated camps include the Adidas Rivals Camps, Under Armour All-America Camps, and The Opening Camps. These camps are known for their high level of competition and top-notch coaching staffs. Attending one of these camps can be a great way to improve your skills and get noticed by college coaches. BUT, not everyone can attend the actual camp. They are elite for a reason! If you want to attend you must attend one of their combines, test your numbers, and be reviewed to see if you have the measurables to be invited to the actual camp with other top prospects. I would highly recommend these combines to get your official numbers and get a baseline early in the summer. If you get invited GREAT! If not, you got to train with some of the top rated players in the country and get your official times to work off of. I would recommend finding the combine closest to you and attending that! Just pick one, though it really doesn’t matter.
But are other football prospect camps worth it? There are showcases, school camps, 3rd party camps, and other small camps you can find. These types of camps are geared specifically towards players who are interested in playing college football. They provide an opportunity to showcase your skills in front of college coaches and recruiters. However, they can be expensive and may not guarantee exposure to college programs. Some require a lot of travel, which may not even be worth it. My advice is to research the camps thoroughly before deciding to attend one - I’ll tell you more about what you should look for below.
If you’re not a rated player or currently have a ton of D1 interest I would HIGHLY recommend sticking to your local region and local schools. If you don’t hold a D1 FCS offer how can you expect to go get an FBS offer? Before anything, attack your local FCS Schools and secure a small offer, then move up! All school hosted camps are definitely worth it, but expenses can add up quick with extensive travel, hotel rooms, food, and more, so sticking local (preferably driving distance) is a great way for you to save and start building some local hype. All local D2 and D3 schools attend these FCS camps, so I would stick to the local FCS Camps to start.
You MUST be realistic for this phase. Me personally, I was not. I drug my mother across the country in hopes to pick up big time D1 offers from camps when it was totally unrealistic. Power 5 Schools already have their recruits and unless you put on an absolute show at their camps you won’t get noticed = wasted time and money. Also, most Power 5 Camps have thousands of players there, so your chances aren’t great. Go to a local FCS camp where you can work 1 on 1 with their positional coach, establish a relationship, and build a future connection.
BEWARE: Just like there are TONS of great camps you can attend, there is also a lot of BS camps just looking to make a quick buck off of you. They may promise 20+ big schools, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t lying. Here’s a good rule of thumb - stick to school camps. Anything outside of that is not guaranteed. I’m hoping to launch some camps this summer to give you all some insane value, but outside of that beware and do your do-diligence. You can always DM me and ask my opinion, could save you tons of money and time!
Exception: Lauren’s First and Goal Camp - I LOVED this camp! For a great cause and a lot of big schools were in attendance.
Also! Schools will "personally” invite you to their camps just to get them filled. Unless you’ve talked to a coach specifically it’s likely just something they sent to a list of a bunch of kids. These invites can come in the form of email or mail! Just know that if you have never talked to the Head Coach of a school in your life and he sends you a camp invite randomly, it’s not him… But if it’s within driving distance (5 hours max) go for it!
Now, let's talk about how to get noticed in high school football. One of the best ways to get noticed is to attend football camps and showcases (and ball out!). It's important to build relationships with coaches and recruiters, both in person and on social media. Take the extra 30 minutes after the camp to introduce yourself to the coach, look them in their eyes, shake their hand, give them an athletic business card, and tell them thank you. You should also focus on improving your skills and performance on the field. One big time catch, interception, shove, or play can get you put on the ESPN Top 10 if it’s filmed - think about it (and always film your reps at camp)… Ball out and give it everything you got!
Now, let's talk about the physical requirements for playing football at the Division 1 level. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, most Division 1 football players are at least 6 feet tall and weigh over 200 pounds. However, there are exceptions to this rule. It's important to focus on building muscle and gaining weight in a healthy way, rather than just trying to hit a certain number on the scale. This is where contrast training, plyos, speed training, positional training, rest, recovery and more come into play. (hint hint*** 5 Star Football Package has all this done for you and will prepare you for combines with the combine prep within all packages!!)
If you're a parent looking to get your child scouted for football, attending football camps is a great way to get noticed by college coaches and recruiters. You should also focus on building relationships with coaches and recruiters, both in person and on social media. Encourage your child to work hard and focus on improving their skills on the field. Investing in one of my packages is a great start. Worst possible scenario - it doesn’t work and I give you your money back no questions asked. But, I’m not worried, because everyone who has gotten it has seen absolutely insane results - i expect no different for your son!
In conclusion, attending football camps and showcases is a great way to get noticed by college coaches and recruiters. It is something you need to do this summer is you are a freshman or older. Whether you're a quarterback, a lineman, or a wide receiver, there are camps and showcases available to help you improve your skills and get noticed. However, it's important to do your research and choose the camp that's right for you. While some camps may be expensive, they can be a worthwhile investment if they lead to exposure to college programs.
Remember, playing football at the college level takes dedication and hard work. But with the right mindset, work ethic, and exposure, you can turn your high school football career into a stepping stone towards a successful college football career. Good luck!
Coach Isaac
