While the college athletic recruiting season is one of much anticipation and excitement for successful collegiate athletes, the process to securing a college athletic scholarship is actually a long, arduous one. It will take several years of hard work, but by following this guideline for high school athletes, you’ll improve your chances of getting that scholarship.
Freshman Year
It’s your freshman year of high school. It’s a year of firsts and a year of settling in to high school life. This is also the time to start thinking about your future plans. Even the top athletes will not get offered a scholarship to play in college, so start meeting with a guidance counselor to make sure that you’re taking the courses you need. Develop good study habits early – you’ll need these in the years to come!
It’s also the time to really begin training hard to become the best athlete you can be. Attend camps. Take workshops. And work with your coaches to develop your skills. This is also a good time to start researching colleges that you may want to consider. Follow their teams and track their programs to get a good idea of whether or not you could see yourself playing there.
Sophomore Year
Now that you’re settled in to high school, it’s time to really increase your athletic and academic preparation. Keep your grades up, and work to become a valuable member of your team in terms of skill, work ethic, sportsmanship and leadership. In the coming years, your reputation as a person on and off the field will precede your skills on the field.
As the end of your sophomore year approaches, get ready. Your next two years will be very business – and very important – to your success in securing a scholarship.
Junior Year
The junior year is perhaps the most important in terms of catching the eye of college recruiters. Keep focused, and start making contacts. Call coaches and visit schools. Remember that many very good athletic scholarships, and programs are housed at smaller schools that don’t have large scouting budgets, and those programs are looking for successful student athletes.
There are certain restrictions on coaches in regards to contacting you. In most cases, coaches cannot contact you until late in your junior year, and even then are restricted to the amount of contact they can make. You can make contact with them, though, to express your interest and catch their attention. The adage of “If you build it, they will come” really holds true as you build your athletic resume.
Finally, at the end of your junior year, register for the national clearinghouse that acknowledges you are an amateur athlete unsigned by a professional team.
Senior Year
Be ready! This is the year where you will hopefully be receiving calls and inquiries from the coaches you’ve attracted. Keep reaching out to those you’re interested in, and keep focusing hard on your academics and athletics. You should have taken the required entrance exams – SAT or ACT – either in your junior year or early in your senior year.
If you aren’t getting the calls you were hoping for, don’t give up. Keep at it, keep trying, and keep an eye on your future as a college athlete.
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