As the season starts to get rolling, it is great to see area teams getting national attention. Apopka travels to Mississippi to play South Panola on Friday. Next week PrepStar magazine will be hot off the presses with Seminole High's Andre Debose, Ray Armstrong and Dyron Dye gracing the cover of this national recruiting publication. Along with being PrepStar Dream Teamers, the three Noles are ranked in ESPN's top 150 in the country and are being recruited by everyone who is anyone.

Some other players that have appeared on the cover of PrepStar while high school stars and have gone on to become college stars.  Chris Wells (before he became Beanie), Ohio State, Mark Sanchez USC, Lorenzo Booker, FSU, and Philadelphia Eagles. Tyrell Pryor, Ohio State (he will be a star). 

The last players from Florida to be chosen to be on the cover, Ernie Sims, Florida State and Detroit Lions, Keith Rivers, USC and Cincinnati Bengals, Xavier Lee, FSU and Florida's Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow. Congratulations to Armstrong, Debose and Dye, this type of recognition only brings more college coaches to the central Florida area to find more players and thats a good thing.

The beginning of football season is a time for dreamers. The time of year when every team is undefeated with dreams of winning their district and making a play-off run much like Boone and Osceola of 07’.  Fans of teams find themselves looking ahead at their teams schedule trying figure out which games they can win to make the play-offs.  In the end the teams that are best prepared for the long grind of the season are usually playing in December. They are the teams that prepared second teamers to step up in case of injury. They have discovered the season is not a sprint but a marathon and how well you prepare yourself and if you are peaking at the right time will determine a state championship.

The recruiting process is also often long and drawn out like a marathon, again preparation is needed for success. First of all try not to get caught up in all the hype, and worrying about things that you have no control over. Such as: Why didn’t this coach call me? What player talked to what school? Who is getting letters from that school?).  Try to focus on things you can control… The effort you put in the classroom, every day, 100%. The effort on the football field, don’t go hard one play and coast the next two. Be a team leader! Make the teammates around you better players.  Finally, make smart decisions off the field that keep you out of trouble. There are enough good players out there that college coaches don’t have to take someone that is “high risk”.  It is only September, it is a long season and even longer recruiting season good luck.

 In all the years I have been working with athletes in the recruiting process, I have been amazed at how many athletes fail to prepare for the SAT test.  To me it would be like playing the season then not practicing the week of playoffs… no film sessions, no timing drills, no new plays, no Game Plan …… no victory!  In the recruiting process, the SAT test is equivalent to the playoffs. The better you score, the better chance you have of getting a scholarship. Score too low and become a non qualifier.

It's that time of year, you can feel it in the air, see it and hear it.

The thud of shoulder pads, the click-clack of cleats as they cross the concrete and coaches blowing whistles and shouting, ‘One more gasser.’  Football season is upon us and I find myself singing that line from an old Andy Williams Christmas song, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”