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November is here, and the early signing period is around the corner. Each year, student athletes scramble to find a college to sign with, while coaches look to lock down recruits. Most families begin to feel nervous around this time, and some even go as far as "freaking out". The general feeling is there will be no roster spots available if student athletes do not sign during the early signing period. Don't worry - there is life after November.

At SFA, we know that only a small percentage of the top players actually sign in November. Early signing can provide peace-of-mind, but waiting to commit until after the early signing period can open up a world of opportunities that were not available earlier. A number of college coaches are recruiting the same top players, and once they don't sign them, they continue to move down their recruiting lists. Opportunities open up for players at all levels. Players who sign early with their third or fourth choice could potentially miss out on a chance to play for their first or second choice. Settling on a school in order to be done by the early signing period often leads to unhappy college athletes - and ultimately leads to transferring.

Three- and four-star recruits are not the only ones that sign after the early period - some of our blue chip clients are also waiting until spring to sign. There are several reasons for this. A number of coaches that have more than one spot for a recruiting class opt to keep one of their spots open until the spring. They understand the benefit of waiting to see how "things pan out," and they also know that some of the top talent will hold out. Some of the players that have already committed will choose not to play as many tournaments since they have accomplished their goal of committing to a college. That gives unsigned players an opportunity to enter more tournaments and to showcase their skills to coaches.

A lot of college coaches are looking to bring in international athletes in January, and many of them are recruiting the same international players - which can make even more roster spots and scholarship money available after January. Transfers can open up roster spots as well. We selected a random pool of 25 D-I schools and reviewed their rosters. 23 men's teams and 15 women's teams had players on the roster that transferred. This shows that rosters are continually changing.

If you don't sign in November, do not panic. Continue your recruiting process as you have - and make sure to maintain your line of communication with the coaches at the schools that you're interested in. There's no need to rush. As the old saying goes, "good things come to those who wait". You never know what doors may open up for you after the November signing period.

Ivy Stylings

Tomorrow, the Countdown brings you to both Texas and upstate New York. We hear from 5-Star senior Karim Arem of Houston, Texas, who has committed to the Cornell Big Red. Check out that story - and all the other great stories we have for you on the Countdown to Signing Day!

• Oct 11 - Countdown to Signing Day
• Oct 14 - Hampton Drake Enters the Tiger Den
• Oct 15 - Brigante Keeps Open Mind, Chooses Sooners
• Oct 18 - Blue Chip Girls
• Oct 19 - Gabrielle Smith Fights On
• Oct 21 - NCAA Stance on Prize Money
• Oct 22 - Baker Newman a Commodore
• Oct 23 - Gabriella Castañeda Connects with FSU
• Oct 24 - Victor Brown Commits to the Cougars
• Oct 25 - Blue Chip Boys
• Oct 26 - Hannah King Returns to Athens
• Oct 28 - Coaches and Cheerleaders
• Oct 29 - Logan Staggs Joins the 'Cats
• Oct 30 - Josie Kuhlman Stays In-State at UF
• Oct 31 - Fall Scheduling in College
• Nov 2 - Maize and Blue for Najarian
• Nov 4 - There's Life After November
• Nov 5 - Karim Arem to the Big Red
• Nov 6 - Rodriguez Excited to Head to Louisville
• Nov 7 - Thomson on Player Expectations
• Nov 8 - Talking with BC Alum Justin Slattery

About Ethos School

We are excited to have Ethos School as the title sponsor of the Recruiting 101 series of articles at TennisRecruiting.net.

Ethos School - Transforming Education for Athletes

Ethos School is an online school committed to preparing next-level athletes with next-level learning opportunities through flexible, high-quality courses in a faith-based environment. Our online platform offers over 100+ a la carte courses for 4th-12th grade students, allowing families the freedom to pick and choose what course(s) they would like their child to take through either a fully homeschool or hybrid model. To date, Ethos boasts an AP pass rate of over 80%, with student-athletes going to universities such as the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Dartmouth, Auburn University, and more.

One of the unique aspects of Ethos School is our commitment to providing a holistic educational experience. Our students participate in a live 1-hour video session with their teacher and peers each week. These sessions offer enriching activities, opportunities to ask questions, discuss coursework, and present projects.

We are thrilled to extend an exclusive offer to TRN recruits like you. If you decide to enroll your child at Ethos School, we will waive the $95 enrollment fee. Additionally, we will provide a complimentary Academic Counseling session with one of Ethos' Academic Deans to plan out your child's educational journey to ensure they are on the right path for college and beyond.

To learn more about Ethos School, please visit EthosSchool.org - or connect with them on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, If you have any questions or would like to discuss how Ethos can meet your child's educational needs, please schedule a call here.

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About Ross Greenstein

Ross Greenstein is President and CEO of Scholarship for Athletes, an independent consulting firm that assists high school athletes and their families throughout the scholarship search and negotiation process. He is a graduate of the University of Florida where he played NCAA division one tennis and made the SEC all-academic team. He was also a former Minnesota State Tennis Champion in high school. Ross can be contacted at [email protected].