Recruiting Confidential: A Father, a Son, and Big Time College Football - Tapa dura

Velissaris' recruiting tale has many twists and turns, and every athlete dealing with big-time recruiting can probably learn something from his story. -- Steve Tucker * Chicago Sun-Times * ...an interesting read. Velissaris emerges as an honest, if tactiturn, soul in a somewhat dishonest world. -- Barry Temkin * Chicago Tribune * Recruiting Confidential is an intriguing look at the world of college recruiting, but most interesting is the personal story of James and his stepdad as they slowly negoiate the proces of deciding which college is best for James. -- Steve Powers * The Dallas Morning News * It offers the story we don't get to see very often unless we personally know someone who is being recruited by the 'big boys.' In short, Recruiting Confidential is just that-an inside look at something we read about, hear about and wonder about. -- Don Whitten * Oxford Eagle> * Insider politics, personal grudges and dishonesty can all be factors that make college recruits feel confused. David Claerbaut's new book informs and empowers families of would-be recruits in his story of how his stepson James is pursued through his junior and senior years of high school. It takes you behind the scenes of the Midwest college football recruiting machine and shows how the top programs really select their talent. -- Nick Parish * New York Post * High school athletes and their parents, high school and college coaches and anyone else interested in the world of recruiting should make Recruiting Confidential a must read... -- Burt Angeli * Iron Mountain Daily News * Claerbaut weaves a suspenseful yarn about Velissaris weighing his various scholorship options. In the process, Claerbaut has opportunities to expose the absurd nature of big-time recruiting, which features grown men who happened to be college football coaches calling Velissaris at home and solicitously inquiring, "Hello is James there?" -- Sean Callahan * The Instrumentalist * Claerbaut takes readers inside the process and its absurdities through the experiences of his stepson, James. Claerbaut names names and points fingers, all the while attempting to point out what's wrong with the recruiting world today. The story will be of interest to any athlete, parent, or fan who wants to know more about getting from here to "there". * Erie Times-News * Recruiting Confidential is the book to help prepare you and your sports phenom for the wicked ride of college recruiting. -- Brad Spencer * Chicago Parent *

What is it like to be a heavily recruited high school football star? James and step-dad Dave learn the ins and outs of the college courting process and share their inside story in Recruiting Confidential. With all the controversy surrounding NCAA compliance breakdowns, booster bribes and big time pressure in coaches and athletic staffs to bring the best of the best to their institution, how do this father/son duo navigate the murky waters of big promises and big expectations? Claerbaut reveals in honest reflection how the schools go about bringing star players to their team, what impressed them and what turned them off to various coaches and campuses. As the journey to a college decision nears, father and son discover a bond that has developed and hopefully will grow as James announces to the world where he will spend his college days-on and off the field.