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In pursuit of a college football scholarship, it takes mastering the skill of passing accurately, blocking heat-seeking tacklers, or tackling ball-carriers made of vapor.
And then there is the complicated part.
“There are a lot of off-the-field things parents need to know,” said Diane Tagovailoa, mother of quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins and Taulia Tagovailoa of the University of Maryland.
At Saturday’s GPA Football Showcase and Combine at Saint Louis School, high school-aged participants will learn techniques from University of Hawaii/NFL alumni Jesse Sapolu, Ma‘a Tanuvasa and Isa‘ako Sopoaga; compete in drills and disciplines that will be recorded and shared with college programs, and meet with up to 30 coaches. (Register at hawaiispeedandquickness.com)
As founders of Raising Champions, Diane Tagovailoa and Lisa Sapolu (Jesse Sapolu’s wife) also will lead Parents Empower, a session that will help guide parents through recruiting; scholarships and financial aid, and preparing for college.
“Sometimes parents don’t know where to start,” Diane said. “My husband dealt with everything on the field — coaches and schemes and the playbook. Off the field, I did everything with academics and the media.”
Diane’s sons had diverse experiences in the recruiting journey. Tua, who attended Saint Louis School, was a highly regarded national prospect. Taulia attended Kapolei High before transferring to Thompson High in Alabama. Lisa’s sons grew up on the mainland and went on to play college ball — London Sapolu at UH; Roman Sapolu at Oregon State. Roman is now the Warriors’ co-offensive coordinator and O-line coach.
“I basically share a little bit of our journey, and I go over simple things like getting to know your child’s counselor at school,” Diane said.
During the session, parents are taught about the NCAA’s basic requirements and the Clearinghouse, which approves eligibility. A prospect needs to pass 16 core classes, with 10 of those courses completed by the end of the junior year, to be eligible to play as a Division I freshman. “Not every kid is going to get a D-I scholarship, but if you meet those requirements, then you know you already met the requirements for a D-II or D-III school,” Diane said.
She also said prospects should plan a graduation strategy. By earning a diploma in 3 1⁄2 years, Tua and Taulia were able to enroll in college a semester early.
Diane encourages students to take the SAT or ACT during their junior year. “You want them to relax and enjoy their senior year,” she said.
Most players upload highlight videos to Hudl, a service that allows college coaches to review a prospect’s game footage. Diane advises that the videos not exceed 60 seconds. “Anything more than a minute, no one is going to look at it,” Diane said, noting coaches review thousands of clips. “They don’t have time for more than a full minute.”
Diane said prospects should be careful what they post on social media. She encourages parents to help players work on their interview skills. She also said players should be open to reporters while also establishing availability.
“You want exposure, but these also are kids,” Diane said. “Parents have to make sure they’re in control. ‘This is the block where my son has time available for interviews. Outside of that, you have to reschedule for another day. He still has school.’”
Diane and Lisa will assist with “financial literacy” — tips on applying for grants and financial aid; and how to manage income from name, image, likeness deals. “A lot of these kids are coming into a lot of money before they even set foot on a field at the college level,” Diane said. “A lot of times when they see the money, they’re going to spend it. They don’t understand about the taxes they have to pay. … Football is going to be a vehicle to get you to college. But you want to think beyond.”
She also said parents should learn about everything about a prospective school’s academic support to medical care. “Not everything is going to be sports related,” she said. “We’re more than happy to help them navigate through some of that.”
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