Promote Yourself to College Coaches - CollegeAthletes.com

Promote Yourself

In football (and many other sports), 98% of all scholarship offers are finished before the end of December

Getting your name out to coaches is something that starts when you are an incoming high school freshman, not a graduating senior. There are three types of high school athletes:

1. The student-athletes who gets recruited - If you are being heavily recruited, be thankful. Most athletes have to deal with finding an appropriate school and sending letters to prospective universities. But as a highly recruited athlete, here are some things to keep in mind:

❍ Find out if you will have a chance to compete for a starting position. ❍ Make sure you would be happy at this school if you were not in athletics. ❍ See how many pro athletes have been produced by that school. ❍ Ask about other players being recruited for your position.

2. The self-promoted student-athlete - Prepare to work. There is a lot involved with promoting yourself. However, once you find an appropriate school that is interested in you, the experience is often more rewarding to this type of athlete. The additional time you have invested often prepares you better for college and helps you decide which university is right for you. Here are some things to keep in mind:

❍ Research. Use every available resource to find out which school is right for you. ❍ Find a match. Find a school that matches your skills, personality, and goals. Everyone wants to play in the biggest

conferences, but be subjective when evaluating yourself. ❍ Contact the coach to introduce yourself. If the coach shows interest, be prepared for your interview with the staff.

3. The student athlete who should have been recruited. This can be very frustrating. You are one of the best players on your team. Your teammates are getting recruited, but you aren't. Sometimes its hard to promote yourself when you know you are better than other athletes getting scholarships. But try to put those feelings aside and get to work. Playing college athletics will change your life and its something you want to participate in. You need to become the self promoted student athlete mentioned above. If its already too late to get a scholarship at an NCAA institution, consider going to a junior college.

Whether you have 10 offers, or are the self promoted athlete; here are some tips that will help you to get the best athletic scholarship possible:

● Get good grades. Working hard in the classroom will payoff huge for you as you get recruited. ● Get the attention of collegiate coaches by attending summer camps and showcases. ● Take the practice SAT so you are familiar with the testing process and questions. ● Register with the NCAA clearinghouse. ● Take the SAT/ACT. Many people will take this test twice to ensure they get the highest score possible. ● Fill out a questionnaire for the school you are interested in. ● Attend any recruiting events that your high school coach is traveling to. ● Prepare your highlight and game films to be sent out. ● Be very responsive when communicating with schools that are interested in you. ● Be prepared to take recruiting trips.

http://www.collegeathletes.com/athletes/promote-yourself.html 9/15/2009 7:57:15 PM