To say Michael Theuerkauf is a great resource for recruits is an understatement. As the head cross country and track & field coach at Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, New Jersey for 25 years, a former student-athlete for the University of Virginia's track & field team where he was an ACC Champion in the shot put, and a former assistant track and field throws coach for Fairleigh Dickinson University, Theuerkauf is a certified recruiting pro. As a bonus, he's coached some of the top high school throwers in New Jersey for the past two decades, many of whom went off to compete at prestigious Division I institutions. He talks with us about navigating the recruiting process, finding the right college, and preparing for the college experience.
How do you use your own experience as a student-athlete to help support the ones you coach now?
Not every good athlete makes a good coach, but if you're able to balance your rapport with your athlete, the knowledge of the sport you have, while bringing in the experience that you had, you can help support young athletes through the same thing. Your coach may have never experienced those things and may have a hard time relating to them, having that experience myself, I knew what they are going through first-hand.
Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities and Campus Visits
What do you think an athlete should focus on most in choosing a school to commit to?
You want to look at where your ability fits in. For track, it's easier. You can look at your marks and see exactly where on the team you would be placed. You can see which conferences you would be competitive at. I think it's more important for athletes to choose schools where they will be more competitive, which, in turn, can lead you to more scholarship opportunities. A walk-on for a bigger school could receive a huge scholarship package for a smaller school in a different conference because they would make their championship finals.
How do you provide support for your high school athletes going through the recruiting process?
In track it's easier to see how successful an athlete can be earlier on. If they're hitting higher marks as a sophomore or junior their expected results or potential as a recruit is much easier to determine. It gives you more time to guide them in the process. As for any other athlete, we start by looking at their athletic performance and seeing where they match up competitively. We also bring in our Guidance Department to figure out which schools they could get into with their academic level. From there, an easy way to go about it is to cross-reference those lists and figure out what is the best fit for you from the schools that you see.
Related: How to Handle Multiple College Offers
What do you think is the most important thing an athlete should focus on the summer going into their first year?
Do whatever your coach wants you to do during the summer. Make sure to follow the programs that they send you. Overall you want to stay in a generally healthy state while also enjoying your time. Your college sport is going to take up a lot of your free time going forward and so the summer before starting that journey is going to be one of the last big breaks you have from training. So stay healthy, but definitely have fun.
Follow Michael and his teams!
Instagram:
@throwerforlife
@nvdtrackandfield
@uvatfcc
@uvathrows
@NVDtrack
@UVATFCC
@UVaThrows
Have a story idea or know an awesome athlete/coach we should interview? Email us at [email protected]
* Originally published on April 12, 2022, by Catherine Light
