True story: 

I'm leaving a college in the Boston area on my way to catch a flight.  I'm running late, which was fine with me because many of our On-Campus Workshops do run over (there are a lot of you laughing right now as you read this...you know why I'm late, how it's actually your fault, and how close I usually cut it when it comes to getting to the airport on time).

I'm stressing out a little, but love the challenge of beating the odds for some strange reason.  Then, it happens.  The printed map I have doesn't account for a road closure I just discovered at the on-ramp I'm supposed to be taking to Logan International.  How do I find the right road to take, and also make sure it's not packed with traffic on a weekday afternoon?

I turn to Google. 

Don't we all?  Admit it...what don't you look up on Google these days?  But did you know that Google actually has a lot of great, free tools that you can use to make you a better recruiter?  Even when you are in your car?  It's true.  I know, because I use a lot of those same tools to serve all of you on a daily basis (and to save myself from missing flights thanks to unexpected road closures).

So today, I wanted to share some of these great tools, tips and tricks with you as you gear-up for a new year of recruiting.  These are good, and will help make your life as a recruiter much easier:

1. Google Maps for your mobile phone.  Back to my Boston mis-adventure for a minute: When we last left our poor Californian facing the closed on-ramp, he was reaching for his cell phone.  How did Google save me that day?  I had downloaded Google Maps for my mobile phone .  Let me tell you that Google Maps for my phone has saved me time and money over and over and over again when I'm traveling.  It's one of the best tools I've ever seen.  When I was stuck in Boston, I went to my Google Maps program, and typed in "LGA" for the Boston airport code that was my destination.  Google Maps for your mobile phone also comes with free GPS tracking, so it automatically knows where I am.  It then routed the best way for me to access the same freeway.  As I'm driving, a little blue dot (my car) moves along the highlighted route that it has saved for me.  It also gives me turn by turn instructions on screen.  I made it to the airport on time (O.K., just barely) and I have Google Maps to thank for it.  It's free, comes with everything I just mentioned, and is just plain wonderful.  You can get a link for downloading the tool to your phone, as well as watching a quick demo of the product, by clicking here.  I can't recommend it enough. 
2. Google Maps for printing directions and maps.  Google, in my opinion, provides more tools than other map programs like Mapquest.  It provides clearer maps, is easier to print larger maps, and even lets you re-route your path after it comes up with your suggested route just by clicking and dragging the highlighted road with your mouse.  Getting maps to a recruit's house or high school is easy when you use this tool, combined with the mobile version.  Click here to go to Google Maps.  If you like Mapquest, you'll love Google Maps.
3. Google Maps to track your competition's recruiting.  Want to see a national map view of where the University of Texas recruits are coming from?  Click here.  Or, how about tracking the entire ACC when it comes to football recruits, and where they are coming from?  Click here.  I could go on and on, but you can try searching for maps that meet your specific needs.  Since these are largely created by obsessed fans, there is no shortage of interesting data on your competition.
4. Use Google for free directory information when you are driving.  Never call 411 on your cell phone or from your office line.  The charges for this service are outrageous ($1.50 or more on cell phones).  Instead, get better information for free by using Goog411, the free directory service from Google.  Dial 800-GOOG-411 (800-466-4411) and use their voice-activated menu to quickly get the information you need, and connected to the number.  All for free.  You can see how it works and get more information on it by clicking here.  
5. Get visual landmarks for your next recruiting road trip.  I do this a lot, especially if I have to drive a long distance from the airport to a college.  You can get 3D satellite imagery from Google and "drive" the route from the air using Google Earth.  You download it to your computer, and then zoom in on any area on earth for a really detailed view of the area.  Again, this is a tool that has helped me a lot in looking for landmarks when driving in new areas.  Find out more by clicking here.  Gotta tell you, this one is just out-and-out fun to have on your computer.  Amazing, also.  Take a look.
6. Get free e-mail updates on prospects you are recruiting.  Many of you have asked about services that you can subscribe to that will send you news about the prospects you are recruiting.  If you want to pay someone to do that for you, be my guest.  Or, you can do the exact same thing yourself - for free - with Google Alerts.  You just type in the name of the prospect you are recruiting (or anything else you want to keep track of) and every time new information or news about that person or topic appears in a newspaper or on the Internet, you are sent an e-mail alert that gives you the link to the information about that person.  This one is a no-brainer for any college coach, and you can't beat the price.  See how it works by clicking here. 
7. Create a blog.  I've discussed blogging at length before here in this forum, and will also be spending a lot of time going over new tips and training on blogging for coaches at the upcoming Recruiting Kick-Off Conference this August in Indianapolis.  Every coach should have a blog.  Period.  I won't get into all of the many reasons why it makes sense, since I don't want to give away our new information that we'll be discussing at the Conference (have you registered yet, Coach?) but if you already know why it's going to be essential for recruiting in the near future, go to Google to create your free blog.  Click here to get started.

There are a lot of other Google tools that you might find useful in your coaching and personal life.  You can take a look at a list of them by clicking here (I also recommend Picasa and the Calendar programs, so take a look...they are great!). 

Using Google for recruiting can make your recruiting life easier, and more efficient.  And, these are tools that fit into any budget and are easy to use. 

So get familiar with them now, and get a jump start on learning to use these helpful tools as we start another year of recruiting!