How to help your athlete earn college athletic scholarships

Introduction

If your young athlete is serious about playing his or her sport at the college level, there is much you need to learn about the recruiting process. This article will address the athletic side of the equation and touch on basic elements of the process. As this interview underscores, finding the right fit for your student-athlete is critical.

By: Jeff Gordon

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Tips & Warnings:

Understand that colleges are looking for talent. It can be raw ability, if the player can be coached. Individual honors and gaudy high school or club/amateur numbers often aren't enough to generate interest.
Make sure your student-athlete has a positive relationship with his or her coaches. Their recommendations play a big role in the recruiting process.
The same rule applies to parents.
Take the time to learn the NCAA recruiting rules. Don't allow reckless coaches to endanger your athlete's eligibility.
Register your athlete with the NCAA clearinghouse by the end of his or her junior season. Make certain the grades are in order and core class requirements are being met.
Don't dismiss the junior college route. The competitive level can be quite high in many sports and the price -- especially compared to many Division III schools -- is quite attractive. Top JUCO programs offer great springboards.
Don't discount the prep school route. It can provide a one-year alternative to JUCOs, providing another year to build academic credentials and showcase skills to four-year coaches. Many of these prep schools offer scholarship assistance.
Remember that NCAA schools can demand four-year commitments from athletes, but retain the right to terminate a scholarship after one year. Can you trust the coach recruiting your athlete?
Be wary of smaller schools that use athletics to keep enrollment numbers up. Some college recruit twice as many athletes as they really need, just to get more kids on campus. Odds are, the athletic experience won't be great in this scenario.
Be wary of the charter schools that have popped up to promote athletics. Being moving an athlete to such a school, make certain there will no collegiate eligibility trouble.
Don't let talent brokers, middlemen or even your athlete's coach dictate the collegiate choice. What does your athlete really want? This should be a family decision.

Step1

Understand the recruiting process particular to your athlete's sport. Where do college coaches locate athletes? How do they evaluate those athletes? What exactly are they looking for? What, if any, connections do your athlete's coaches have with college-level coaches? Do your homework.

Step2

Maximize the visibility of your athlete. The higher their profile, the more likely they will appear on collegiate radar screen. In many sports, what happens at the club/amateur level is more critical than their high school activity. Athletes in top club/amateur programs are far more likely to attract interest. Football is one of the exceptions, of course, so the caliber of the high school program looms large.

Step3

Gain honest, independent evaluations of your athlete's true value. Talk to coaches in the sport. Remember that a small percentage of high school athletes earn college scholarships. An even smaller percentage get offers from NCAA Division I schools. But there are great opportunities at smaller schools. Where does your athlete fit into the big picture? This will help you target the right schools at the right level.

Step4

Understand the different competitive levels. NCAA Division I schools offer the best opportunities, obviously, and are highly selective. Many Division II programs offer great opportunities, too, but with fewer scholarship dollars. Division III schools cannot offer athletic scholarships, but many offer attractive financial aid packages to student-athletes. NAIA programs which can offer athletic scholarships in addition to financial aid packages. Junior colleges offer aid plus the opportunity to showcase skills for coaches at four-year schools.

Step5

Contact coaches directly. E-mail them your athlete's resume and a link to their action video. Or mail them the resume and with an action video. Ask your high school and/or club coach to make contact as well.

Step6

Recruiting services can help package and promote your athlete, but proceed carefully. Check their track records. Rely on recommendations from other parents you trust. Seek advice from your athlete's high school and club/amateur coaches. Don't throw money down the drain.

Step7

College camps can be beneficial. Some coaches use them as recruiting/assessment tools. Others don't pay much attention to unfamiliar players. Which camps actually have value? That is another homework assignment for the savvy sports parent.

Step8

If your athlete does get recruited, get to know the coaches involved. Ask a lot of questions. Make certain the school is a good academic and social fit, too. So many kids eagerly accept a scholarship or aid package to play at sport somewhere . . . only to discover, a semester or two later, that it was the wrong fit.