What Student Athletes Need to Know

Many high school athletes dream of continuing to play their sport at the collegiate level, whether it is at a Division I, II, or III. From football and basketball to swimming, baseball, softball, and more, there are a number of sports in which student athletes can be recruited to play at the next level. However, it is important for students to understand the basics of the athletic recruiting process before deciding if it is an avenue they want to pursue.

Recruitment is a two-way street

Students need to learn everything they can about certain athletic programs and colleges in order to find the best fit. A coach can’t build a team without engaged student athletes, and those athletes can’t be engaged without knowing the ins-and-outs of the formal recruitment process.Here are a couple of things that students should know about the athletic recruitment process:

You may be a star athlete, but if you don’t have the GPA or test scores, there’s nothing a coach can do to guarantee your acceptance to the school. Even if you have an offer and a scholarship, you still have to meet the college or university’s admission requirements. Make sure you’re performing well in your classes and reaching the goal score needed on the SAT or ACT in order to improve your chances for admission. If you’re struggling in an academic area, consider hiring a tutor or test prep expert to help you improve your academic standing.

What ignites the athletic recruiting process for some students is receiving a letter from a coach. It’s important to remember that coaches and teams send out thousands of letters to high school athletes every year. Many times it’s just a marketing and sales tactic to get some athletes interested in a certain college. Remember, you are not being actively recruited until a coach calls you, invites you on a visit, or makes a formal offer to join the team.

Social media has revolutionized the college admissions process, and it’s had an even bigger impact on athletic recruitment. On the coach’s side, social media is a great way to reach prospective athletes with their program’s mission, goals, successes, and more. However, it has also added a complicated layer to the recruitment process in terms of who can and cannot have contact with certain athletes and when. The recruitment process is not formal until a coach calls, invites you on a visit, or makes an offer.Don’t take social media chatter seriously, but instead, use social media to learn more about a coach, the team, the school, and to promote yourself. Post photos and videos of your sporting events, and keep your social media presence clean. Coaches have been known to stop recruiting certain athletes because of inappropriate or offensive post on social media that were made by those athletes.

There are more than 7.8 million high school athletes in the US, according to most recent estimates. That’s a lot of students to keep up with, and it’s impossible for coaches to keep up with every athlete in their sport. If you’ve decided that playing your sport in college is a priority, it’s up to you to take control of the recruitment process. Let us help you.At 5th Quarter Sports Recruiting, our experienced counselors are available to guide you through the extensive athletic recruitment process. If applying to college as a recruited athlete is a priority for you, contact us today for more information on our services.

What Student Athletes Need to Know

At 5th Quarter Sports Recruiting we will develop a personalized strategy that will help you approach college entrance exams with confidence. We have partnered with serval companies to provide test preparation courses that will break down standardized tests into manageable units, giving you the skills needed to approach each question efficiently and effectively. Our instructors, master test-takers themselves, know the material inside out and are trained in the most effective test-taking tips and techniques.Courses are available on-campus and scheduled throughout the year, in the weeks before test dates. Choose the class that meets your needs to be ready on exam day.See the difference an test prep course will make.

College Scholarships for Student Athletes

While it's a dream of many high school athletes to get a "full ride" scholarship to play their sport in college, full ride scholarships are only rewarded to a fortunate few. For example, more than one million high school boys play football each year, but colleges and universities offer fewer than 20,000 football scholarships annually. Similarly, only about 4,500 track and field scholarships are available for over 600,000 girls who participate in the sport annually.Student athletes who compete in sports at the collegiate level can receive full or partial scholarships to fund their college education, but this may not cover full tuition or pay for everything a student needs. College expenses, including fees, textbooks, residence hall accommodations, or extra classes, necessitate additional funding resources. Limited funds and restricted opportunities for athletic scholarship options highlight the present need for more secure financial aid through other types of scholarship programs.