By Matt Valentine
Most often when athletes think about being recruited they imagine receiving letters from colleges, phone calls from coaches, trips to campuses, and ultimately scholarship offers. The fact is however, that a majority of high school athletes will never be courted in such a dramatic fashion. Only about .8% of athletes playing sports at the high school level will be offered a Division I scholarship. Considering that that leaves a vast majority of athletes out of the picture how do the majority of athletes get recruited?
THE FACTORS:
Talent. The first and most obvious factor is talent. Talent of course, thrusts the athlete into the spotlight and forces coaches to notice them. a colleague of mine, Gus Ornstein was a highly touted prospect coming out of Fieldston Prep School, in the Bronx, NY and his experience is vastly different from that of your average athletes. If you are as talented as Gus playing at the next level is not your biggest concern, picking the right school is. For people in this situation Gus offers a word of advice, “you need to be happy with wherever you are in case football (or whatever sport you play) does not work out for you”.
It is important for athletes with this level of talent to keep in mind that sports is not the only reason you are attending college. Go on as many visits as possible, talk to as many atheletes as possible ,or even just members of the student body. Find out what they like about the school and what they don’t. Measure what is truly important to you and determine if this is the place you want to spend the next 4-5 years of your life.
Grades. It’s a phrase that some athletes fear…academic eligibility and it is an important and sometimes overlooked factor in being recruited. Proving throughout your high school career that you can handle your academic workload and shine on the field can set you apart from other recruits who may be a star on the field but a disappointment in the classroom. Remember, coaches are not going to waste a scholarship on an athlete who may be sidelined for academic reasons. Another important factor is testing early. Take the SAT or ACT in your Junior year of high school, as many colleges can offer scholarships earlier than you might think. Put your head down, do your work and get a leg up on the competition!
Marketing. Think of yourself as a brand, a product that you are trying to sell. Unless you are one of the rare, elite, nationally recognized recruits you’re going to have to go out there and put yourself on the coaches map. This should start as early as your sophomore year. Write coaches letters, and let them know that you are interested in playing for their school. Make sure your letters are specific, include the coaches name and the name of the university you are interested in. Showing that you took the time to craft a specific letter to that coach and that university will show him or her that you are truly interested in playing for them.
Along with letters you should work on creating an athletic portfolio. First, put together a highlight reel of your best plays, the reel should be about 3-5 minutes in length and really showcase your most outstanding skills. Include an athletic resume with all the pertinent information, height, weight, stats, awards, SAT/ACT scores, high school transcripts and any letters of recommendation. Follow these steps and you should be hearing from some of the coaches who you want to play for.
Another important thing to keep in mind is to make sure your applying to schools that fit your level of ability. Not all of us were made to be the starting quarterback at Notre Dame, or the 103 pounder at Iowa. Be honest with yourself, if you don’t think you can compete at the Division I level,there are plenty of terrific Division II and III athletic programs that offer full or partial academic scholarships and give you the chance to continue playing the sport you love. If you’re not sure about your athletic ability ask your coach and tell them to be straightforward with you, they’ll point you in the right direction.
Attend Camps. There is no better way to get noticed by college coaches then to play in front of them. A number of universities offer camps for rising high school prospects during the summer and winter months. not only will you get the chance to put your skills on display, but you will also have the opportunity to be coached by coaches at an elite level. These camps do cost money so check to see if they fall within your price range. If you’re wondering how to find out about these camps just access some university websites, or ask your athletic director or coach if they know of any camps going on.
Network. Its most often a term used when speaking about the job market, but networking can play an important factor in getting you recruited as well. You have probably played for more coaches in your lifetime then you can even remember, use them all to your advantage. You never know if the coach of your old AAU team or old travel team has some collegiate connections, contact them and ask them for their help it couldn’t hurt to try. You may even have some old teammates who have gone on to play at the college level, use all the contacts you’ve made throughout your athletic career to your advantage! It may only take one glowing report from a friend or coach to get you to the next level.
Recruiting Services. Keep in mind that there are a number of recruiting services that will help to get you noticed. If you and your family decide to go this route make sure that the service is reputable and produces real results. Try and speak with other athletes that have used the service and see how it worked for them. Don’t waste your time or money on a service that may never get you into a college. Also, remember that free sites like SportsGist.com can be valuable recruiting resources as well, giving you the chance to post highlight reels, stats, and other information for fee, for anyone, including college coaches, to take a look at.
