NCAA RECRUITING INFORMATION
Players:
Please send game footage and contact all college coaches you are interested in playing for their programs. Seniors you can contact a coach twice a week. Be proactive and let those schools know you want to play for them. Make sure you do your SAT and ACT early and have all your core classes to be NCAA eligible. Only 3% of high school players get scholarships, so here are things you need to know. You need 16 core classes for DI (14 for DII). All schools are different, so check your school to see what are considered core classes.
Tips:
Let's not get crazy here, the first thing you need to do is be REALLY good at your sport! Coaches don't give athletic scholarships to athletes because they crafted a good letter or their parents said the right things on the phone. In most sport there are a shortage of scholarships, not athletes wanting them.
If you do have the ability to compete for an athletic scholarship, there are a few basic things that you want to make sure you do. Click below for a simple 5 Step Plan to help you on your journey...
![5 Steps]()
SEVEN MORE TIPS FOR RECRUITING SUCCESS
1. Cast a wide net- Understand the competitiveness of the recruiting process. There are thousands of athletes competing for each scholarship available. Sure you can have a few top choices but you better have a contingency plan that includes HUNDREDS of possible options for a sports scholarship.
2. Be realistic- In addition to the schools you see on TV, athletic scholarships can be awarded at NCAA D2 schools, NAIA schools, NJCAA Schools, and lower levels of NCAA D1. Although NCAA D3 schools do not offer scholarships specific to athletic ability, they can often offer financial aid packages that compete with schools that do. Leaving out these levels will severely limit your chances of getting a scholarship.
3. Be persistent- You need to stay on the minds of coaches by continuing to update them on your progress, your playing schedule, and your interest in their school. Coaches typically don't give out scholarships on a whim, so continue to develop your relationships with them. The recruitment process is relationship building. You don't typically marry someone you just met. A commitment like that takes time. Get started early building relationships with coaches.
4. Be likeable- In addition to talent, coaches look for athletes that they personally like. Show your personality in the recruiting process without turning coaches off. Be confident, but not cocky. Coaches care more about what you are going to do for them than what you did in high school, so scale back on selling your stats or honors and sell your character and personality.
5. Be the glue- Every kid competing realistically for an athletic scholarship has loads of talent. The difference is often the intangibles. How do you make your teammates better? How coachable are you? How hard-working are you? These intangibles can make or break your chances.
6. Be visible- You need to be in front of coaches as often as possible. This includes camps, clinics, showcases, club team events, etc. Of course you can't be everywhere at once, so make sure you are taking advantage of the events you are at by communicating with college coaches about where you will be competing. Having a good video is another way to be visible in place of being at every event. More importantly, make sure college coaches see that video!
7. Get your grades up- What do grades have to do with athletic scholarships? More than you probably think. First of all you have to be able to get into each school. Secondly, coaches don't want to recruit kids that will be academic liabilities. Thirdly, coaches can use less of their limited scholarship money on you if you qualify for academic scholarships. And, finally, coaches can save their academic waivers if you meet initial admission criteria at high academic schools. Bottom line, your grades matter...a lot!
Click the following links for more information on eligibility:
NCAA Clearinghouse Eligibility Requirements
Click here for a detailed, printable document.
Please Click the following link to register for the NCAA clearing house for DI or DII sports.
NCAA Eligibility Center
Click here to register for the NAIA:
http://www.playnaia.org/
