One of the most common questions NCSA receives from parents and athletes who are going through the recruiting process is:

 

"What can I do to get recruited and noticed by college coaches?"

 

While the answer is not always simple and usually requires far more work than any parent ever expects every family needs to understand what they need to do.

 

After working with thousands of student athletes and college coaches, NCSA has been able to answer that question through a list of five action steps that every student athlete and family must accomplish in order to be successfully recruited.

 

Here is the list:

Over the next five articles, we will focus on one of the steps in this process beginning with the first thing that must happen: Evaluation.

 

An objective third party evaluation of a student athletes' athletic and academic ability about what colleges and universities they might qualify for must be the first step every family takes. Without that knowledge, the recruiting process will lack the direction needed to find the right fit.

 

Often parents and student athletes are unsure of what level of play their abilities might make them a good candidate for. Unfortunately, many families tend to overstate their abilities, which can lead to unrealistic expectations of DI scholarships offers.

 

80% of the opportunities to play collegiate athletics fall outside of the DI level, which means that the vast majority of collegiate athletes are playing at the DII, DIII, NAIA, and NJCAA levels. These schools offer not only wonderful academic experiences, but also attractive financial packages for serious student athletes. Many families discount DIII opportunities simply because they do not offer "athletic" scholarships. A study done about NCSA's graduating class of 2008 revealed that our DIII athletes received an average of over $21,000 in financial assistance. If you understand how DIII recruiting operates, you will quickly realize there are other avenues for financial assistance that can make these schools more affordable than the in-state alternatives. If you are only pursuing DI colleges and universities, you are hurting your odds of playing at the next level. Here are three simple evaluation steps to follow:

Sending athletic information to a DI college coach when your academic and athletic qualifications dictate you might only be a DII athlete is a no win situation. The college coach will not spend his limited resources recruiting that student athlete and the families will waste time, effort, and money pursuing the wrong opportunities.

 

Next edition we will explain the second recruiting step you NEED to take:Build an Athletic and Academic Recruiting Website

 

NCSA is the leading provider of college recruiting technology, data and education for more than 35,000 college coaches and 200,000 recruits. To start building your free recruiting profile and join the most trusted source of recruiting information, visit www.ncsasports.org or call the NCSA Scouting Center at 866-579-6272.