Evaluate

• The level of competition that best suits your talent
• The graduation ratio of student-athletes at your colleges of interest
• The location of the colleges you are considering

Paperwork

• When you decide that you are interested in playing collegiate sports, talk to your coach and let him or her know your intent to play collegiate sports. Your high school coach needs to be able to give a positive recommendation to college coaches.
• Give your coach a folder with copies of your unofficial high school transcript in case a college recruiter or coach asks about your academic profile
• Division I and II athletics requires registration with the NCAA Clearinghouse
• Have at least three recommendation letters available
• Always write a Thank You letter to anyone who assists you in recruitment
• Student-athletes need to be proactively calling and writing college coaches
• Promptly complete the student-athlete questionnaires that most universities will send back to you when your tape is received so that you are entered into their athletic database. If you receive duplicates, we encourage you to complete the forms again. Remember: This does not mean you are being actively recruited. However, without this information, the prospective coaches cannot easily access your information.
• Highlight videos are valuable. The tapes should be identified with the student's name, phone number, jersey color, number, and school name. Highlight videos are meant to grab the coach's attention and spark interest. Hopefully, after viewing your video college coaches will request a game tape and eventually attend one of your games.

Activities and Conditioning

• Participate in as many sports-related activities (club and summer leagues) as possible. Tournaments are crucial.
• Junior year and the summer after may determine whether or not you receive an offer.
• During spring workouts and summer camps, recruiting coaches will be present; therefore, maximum exposure and prime conditioning is critical.
• Attend summer camps prior to your senior year. Research and attend camps coached by the university's own staff, as well as camps with colleges that have shown interest in your talent. Remember: This may be your only opportunity to be seen. Always ask for feedback from the camp coaches.

Academics and Character

• Your athletic career is always secondary to academics. Remember: Scholarships are awarded both academically and athletically. Excellent grades demonstrate discipline off the field. Recruiters at academically elite universities look for high GPAs, test scores, and class ranks.
• As an athlete, you should always exhibit good sportsmanship on and off the field. You never know when a college coach is watching. One demonstration of poor sportsmanship could be a deciding factor whether or not you receive an athletic scholarship, or remain a potential prospect.

Parents

• Coaches prefer to hear from the student, not the parent.
• Overzealous parents can hurt the athlete's recruiting chances.
• Earning an athletic scholarship is the responsibility of the athlete and parents, not the coach.
• The recruiting process should be approached urgently and seriously. Do not procrastinate and later wonder why your son or daughter did not receive any athletic offers.