How to help your athlete earn college athletic scholarships

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.