There are plenty of steps that you can take as a college recruit to make the process of earning an athletic scholarship easier. NCSA can help make sure that you do every little thing that you can to separate yourself from other recruits, which can help you earn an athletic scholarship.
1. Develop your game plan and get evaluated by a third party. Involving a third party like NCSA can help make finding sports scholarships much easier. College coaches are inundated with information from potential recruits, but they rely heavily on evaluations from third parties that they trust. A neutral talent evaluator can provide honest answers about your skill level, which helps you set realistic goals about where you should look for an athletic scholarship.
2. Post your academic/athletic resume online. Providing easy and organized access to your highlight videos, statistics, and academic information makes a coach’s job much easier. NCSA has the largest digital platform available to high school athletes, which makes it extremely easy to post profiles and videos and makes you immediately visible to hundreds of coaches. College coaches need to know about you before they’ll spend the time scouting you in person.
3. Create a winning highlight/skills video. College coaches watch hours of video from recruits, so you need to make yours count. Learn exactly what coaches in your sport are looking for. Some coaches may want detailed skills videos and limited in-game footage. Others may only want to see your in-game skills.
Don’t send coaches unsolicited DVDs or expect to be seen on YouTube. When a highlight video comes from a trusted recruiting expert at NCSA, that video will be seen by college coaches.
4. Contact 50 to 100 realistic college athletic programs.There are more than 1,800 colleges with athletic programs, so when you’re a college recruit you’ve got plenty to choose from. Starting with a large pool of schools can help ensure that the perfect fit rises to the top when the recruiting process is over. It’s important to know that the majority of college athletic programs aren’t in Division I, so set your expectations accordingly. There are plenty of opportunities for scholarships for college at the Division II, Division III, NAIA or junior college level.
5. Realize that it’s not a four-year decision. It’s a 40-year decision.Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions of your lifetime. Do your research and make an educated decision when you pick a school, not only as an athletic recruit, but as a student. Input from a neutral third party can help match you up with a school that’s an ideal fit for you during the four years that you are there.
