Long Island, especially in football is behind in recruiting education, NIL education, and what is involved at the highest echelon of competitive football. Competitive football is a violent and competitive sport. Families across the nation that are driven to play at the highest level make decisions and considerations that those playing recreation ball would deem “over-the-top”. Take a look at most world-class athletes in any sport and there is a fanatical parent or coach behind every player. Venus & Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Jim Kelly, Brett Favre to name a few.
Recreational football provides a great platform for kids who just want to play fall football. But for those wanting to play at the highest level of the sport, the Long Island Elite National Team program is their home.
Long Island: We live in an entitled and liberal region when it comes to many things, and as a result we are often behind the 8 ball when it comes to football. Families who play in the recreational leagues are just not willing to make the sacrifices and take the extreme measures needed to rise to the top.
The Long Island Elite National team program is not just a travel tournament team, it is a program of coaches who were former college and NFL players, and leaders who have a national connection to college recruiting and professional football. LIE495 develops, educates, and instills character traits that remain with players long after they age out of the program. No program in New York has a more robust Alum list of high profile players or a wider network of college preparatory and recruting resources.
RECLASSIFYING
IS “RECLASSING” LEGAL?
Yes 😂 And it is done in many sports. For example there are some local Long Island Lacrosse players that did not reclass once, but twice, and three times! Some of these players ended up being the #1 ranked high school players and went to #1 ranked Lacrosse colleges.
WHAT IS RECLASSING?
Reclassing is done primarily in Lacrosse, Football, Basketball, and Hockey; sports where an extra year of mental and physical growth and development allows New York State players to compete on the same age and level of their peers on a National Recruiting level. New York is one of 7 states whereby kids can be anywhere from a year to almost 2 years younger than other players getting recruited for college. While this isn’t a big disadvantage when playing in the local “bubble”, it’s a huge disadvantage when you are competing with players from Texas, Florida, etc for a scholarship in college.
IS RECLASSING NECESSSARY?
Only if you want the highest chance of playing at a top school or have aspirations to play professional sports. While the overwhelming majority ot top players are the oldest ones in their recruiting class, there are exceptions to every rule. This is not a right or wrong answer, it’s simply about statistics. Reclassing provides New York State players with the highest chance of reaching the ceiling of their career. It is one more thing for obsessed players to have in their toolbox.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF RECLASSING?
👉 Being able to compete at the same age and same level as your recruiting counterparts across the country. If you don’t reclass you are competing for Division I scholarships against kids who are anywhere from a year to almost two years older than you.
👉 You will be physically bigger because you will have longer to grow.
👉 You will be more mature and advanced mentally.
👉 You will have the highest chance to be recruited when going up against the rest of the country as compared to players that do not reclass.
WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OF RECLASSING?
There is only ONE potential drawback. 👉 SOCIAL!
If you are not a kid that makes friends easily, or you are attached to your friend group, reclassing is probably not for you. There are no other drawbacks to reclassifying, only benefits. Anyone who tells you otherwise is ignorant and not dialed in to the national recruiting world in any sport.
HE’S ALREADY BIG, HE DOESN’T NEED TO RECLASS.
This is more ignorance by people who are not in touch with the real world of D1 college recruiting and professional sports. This is 100 percent absolutely not true. You are competing against players across the country for college scholarships. In fact if you’re big already you are doubling down on your chances for success when competing against the rest of the country’s players who are also BIG and a year or two older. Every (ethical) edge that you can get counts!
“TRUE FRESHMAN”
This is another ignorant statement by parents who decide not to reclass, and just have no clue about national recruiting for college and professional sports. It’s a jealous dig on the overwhelming success of reclass players.
For those of you who don’t know much about this, think about it in it’s very simplest terms: Do you really think a college coach cares whether a High School freshman is a “True Freshman” or not? 😂 THEY DON’T! They care about how big, fast, and talented a player is, and how much they can help thier team. They do not care whether or not he is a “True Freshman”.
The only time you ever really hear “True Freshman” is when a parent goes out of their way to say “my son is a “True Freshman” and what they are really saying is that they are jealous of the success that reclass players have had. It’s a mechanism the parent uses to make up for the fact that their player is not on the same level as a reclass player. College Coaches don’t care whether you are a True Freshman or a Reclass when they are recruiting, they care who is the biggest, fastest, most talented, and smartest and who has good character traits. Stop saying this ignorant “True Freshman” nonsense. You expose yourself as an insecure parent when you say it. No one cares! What’s funny about this statement is the number of ignorant people who realize how much of an advantage reclassing is, and then later on when they have this epiphany and realize how great of a tool it is; they send their kid to a year of “prep school” at the end of high school.
WHEN DO I RECLASS?
You can reclass (repeat a grade) in any grade, but it has to be done before 9th grade. You cannot reclass once you start 9th grade. Your only option after 9th grade is to go to a private prep school and/or do a year after 12th grade before college.
IS THERE AN AGE FACTOR?
The only limit is that in New York state you cannot turn 19 before July 1st entering your senior year.
CAN I RECLASS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL?
Your chances of reclassing in public school are probably slim. We live in a culturally liberal region and as a result our education system is prone to what is popular and traditional. Depending on your district, you may be able to reclass in public school if you show a good case for why. The awesome thing is that if your district doesn’t let you, you can simply wave goodbye and send your child to private school for the reclassifying year. Freedom and freedom of choice is great! America is great!
CAN I RECLASS MORE THAN ONCE?
Absolutely, as long as you adhere to the senior year age guideline, and as long as you’re prepared for the commoners calling you crazy! On the flipside, you’ll get to laugh in their face later when your son or daughter hits their achievements!
RECLASSING IS CHEATING
This is literally the dumbest and most ignorant thing a person could ever say. If you hear someone say this, run, run faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar away!!!!!!!!
WILL RECLASSING GUARANTEE ME A SCHOLARSHIP?
No silly! Not at all! There is no shortcut for hard work, having the right measurables, and having elite talent. Reclassing is just one more tool you can add to your recruiting. People don’t just reclass because they think they are going Division I. Sometimes people who have had late growth spurts reclass, people who have had illness that stunted their growth, etc. The most important thing to understand is that reclassifying is not essential to playing D1 sports, and it is certainly not a guarantee of ANYTHING!
HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR THE SCHOOL TOUR AT IVY LEAGUE NEXT THURSDAY, AND WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ON RECLASSING, RECRUITING, AND NIL?
THE SCHOOL TOUR IS OPEN TO ALL SPORTS NOT JUST FOOTBALL!