Every year almost 2,000,000 high school athletes compete to try and earn an athletic scholarship.
Despite this staggering number, only 180,000 athletic scholarships are given out every year, which means that only 9% of high school athletes will receive financial aid to play their sport at the collegiate level. It also means that intramural fields on campuses across the country are littered with athletes that had the talent to play at the collegiate level but just were not able to get enough recognition from college coaches.
In order to maximize your chances of receiving an athletic scholarship, you need to have a plan. To help you in that process, we have laid out some important tips to follow along on your recruitment journey.
- Do Research And Make Lists Of Realistic Schools
This is probably the step that gets overlooked the most but may in fact be the most important one. There are thousands of schools that offer collegiate sports and all of them have something to offer. It's important to understand that finding the school that is the right fit for you can be more important than just going for the best program possible.
The top programs, like Duke Men’s Basketball or Alabama Football, have the most competitive recruitment processes. And they may not be able to promise you the playing time or role you desire.
Instead of focusing all your efforts on these few schools, you need to broaden your search and find schools, coaches, and environments that complement your skills on and off the field or court. If you find a coach with a history of playing players like you, and the school matches your ideal living conditions, you are far more likely to receive an offer to play there.
- Participate In Virtual or In-Person Camps And Create Extra Film
Many programs at different schools offer summer and off-season camps for prospective athletes. This is a great way to make an impression on the coaching and recruiting staff.
After you have researched and found the program or programs you like the most, see if they offer any sort of off-season program or have a virtual showcase. These usually only last a couple of weeks and will help give you the chance to show your talents in person.
They also signal to the coaching staff that you have a particular interest in playing for that school and offer an easy way for you to create more film from activities other than your high school season. Something that other athletes will not have under their belt.
- Introduce Yourself To Coaches
Unless you are a 5-star recruit whose highlight reel is blowing up the internet, chances are not too many coaches have seen or even heard about you. With the massive number of athletes playing in high school, it is impossible for coaches to keep tabs on all of them.
So, the best chance you have at getting noticed is by taking that first step yourself. Send that first message with a link to your GMTM profile or share a graphic with your season's stats. If nothing else, at least this means that the coach or scout knows you exist, which gives you a massive advantage over other athletes.
Most likely it will also display your hunger and desire to pursue your goals, your courage to make a first impression, and your interest in that school or program.
