Most athletes believe the athletic recruiting process starts when you get a phone call or letter from a college coach during your Junior or Senior year in high school. While that may be true for some, the reality is the recruiting process starts much earlier and continues to do so every year. The reality is you can never start too early but if you get a solid plan in place by your Sophomore or early into your Junior year you will be ahead in the recruiting game.
Blame it on the economy, higher demand for college aid, limited sources for free money, increased competition among coaches and colleges or a host of other reasons, but competition for college athletic scholarships has never been higher. Coaches also have more information about recruits at their disposable with the rise of the internet. It is never too early to start the process if you have the desire to play college sports.
High school freshmen should contact their high school guidance counselors to make sure they are in the right course track to graduate with all NCAA academic qualifying courses. Summer camps and travel teams allow you to be seen and identified by college coaches as early as 7th or 8th grade.
We have never heard from any recruit that they started too early in their high school career to be prepared. The opposite is of course true. Wait too long to take action and that phone call offering a scholarship is unlikely to happen. Get a solid plan in place now so you are ahead of the competition throughout the athletic recruiting process and get the college athletic scholarship you deserve.
Related posts:
- The High School Coaches Role in the Recruiting Process
- College Athletic Scholarships for International Students
- Athletic Recruiting- What Do Recruiting Letters Really Mean?
- College Football Scholarships- Start the Search Now!
- 5 College Athletic Scholarship Recruiting Myths & Truths
