Most high school students who love sports, and are good at them, dream of playing at the college level. Their parents are usually more focused on the financial rewards of the scholarship that comes with college athletic recruiting. To increase your chances of being offered a full or partial athletic scholarship, you have to understand how the process works.
Being good at your sport will only get you so far. You have to have the grades to make it as well. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can coast the last half of your senior year because your grades have been fine up until then. Coaches are most interested in your academic performance as you get close to graduation. If you have the grades, you have more choices when it comes to colleges. Researching and touring the ones you're interested in is a good idea around this time.
The way you respond to the coach makes a big difference. Instead of letting your high school coaches and trainers, your parents, or well meaning friends talk for you, you need to deal directly with the coaches. If you are contacted, you need to respond quickly and respectfully. A non-response is an indication to the school that you aren't interested. Mass emailing is a big mistake. It won't make the impression you want on coaches.
Sending a highlight or training video is great, if it has been requested. Don't just send them out spontaneously. The big college coaches watch about fifty of these things a week, and those are the ones they asked for. An unsolicited video might easily be trashed. If you get a positive response from a text, you might send a link to a short highlight video.
Parents play an important role in this process. It's important for them to know how to handle that role however. Not all good high school athletes want to play college ball. Trying to force the issue will backfire. Parents should never try to become a scout's best buddy. Scouts see this all the time, and it has no effect on them. Attending campus tours with kids, encouraging them, and then standing back as the athlete make the final decisions is the best plan.
If you know how the process works, you will understand that coaches can't even talk to you specifically about recruitment until you are starting your junior year. Before that they send out general school information and materials. They are allowed to send you questionnaires, but that's about all. Be sure to respond to whatever you get though. If you don't, they'll assume you aren't interested.
It's great to be excited about the prospect of getting recruited, but you have to be realistic. Most athletes aren't offered full scholarships to play ball. You should not think that, just because you get invited to a sports camp or receive a general admission letter, that coaches are looking seriously at you. Scouts go to games all the time. Unless one is going specifically to watch you play, it doesn't mean you might get a call from a coach.
An athletic scholarship is a great thing. It will offer you all kinds of opportunities, open doors, and pay for your education. In order to be considered for one you have to know how the system works and play by the rules.
Being good at your sport will only get you so far. You have to have the grades to make it as well. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can coast the last half of your senior year because your grades have been fine up until then. Coaches are most interested in your academic performance as you get close to graduation. If you have the grades, you have more choices when it comes to colleges. Researching and touring the ones you're interested in is a good idea around this time.
The way you respond to the coach makes a big difference. Instead of letting your high school coaches and trainers, your parents, or well meaning friends talk for you, you need to deal directly with the coaches. If you are contacted, you need to respond quickly and respectfully. A non-response is an indication to the school that you aren't interested. Mass emailing is a big mistake. It won't make the impression you want on coaches.
Sending a highlight or training video is great, if it has been requested. Don't just send them out spontaneously. The big college coaches watch about fifty of these things a week, and those are the ones they asked for. An unsolicited video might easily be trashed. If you get a positive response from a text, you might send a link to a short highlight video.
Parents play an important role in this process. It's important for them to know how to handle that role however. Not all good high school athletes want to play college ball. Trying to force the issue will backfire. Parents should never try to become a scout's best buddy. Scouts see this all the time, and it has no effect on them. Attending campus tours with kids, encouraging them, and then standing back as the athlete make the final decisions is the best plan.
If you know how the process works, you will understand that coaches can't even talk to you specifically about recruitment until you are starting your junior year. Before that they send out general school information and materials. They are allowed to send you questionnaires, but that's about all. Be sure to respond to whatever you get though. If you don't, they'll assume you aren't interested.
It's great to be excited about the prospect of getting recruited, but you have to be realistic. Most athletes aren't offered full scholarships to play ball. You should not think that, just because you get invited to a sports camp or receive a general admission letter, that coaches are looking seriously at you. Scouts go to games all the time. Unless one is going specifically to watch you play, it doesn't mean you might get a call from a coach.
An athletic scholarship is a great thing. It will offer you all kinds of opportunities, open doors, and pay for your education. In order to be considered for one you have to know how the system works and play by the rules.
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