Alternative Facts in the Recruiting Process

Alternative Facts in the Recruiting Process

Guiding Future Stars is a student-development company that is committed to transforming the next generation into excellent students, great athletes, and extraordinary people.   GFS assists prospective student-athletes and their families navigate through the recruiting process by educating them about what it takes to play at the next level, how the college recruiting process works, and how to be a successful student-athlete.   We will guide them in their pursuit to find the school that will provide them with the best college experience.  And we will inspire them to chase their dreams to play in college and be successful student-athletes who excel in the classroom, on the field, and in their personal lives.  There are 8 million high school student-athletes in the United States, and approximately 8% of them will go on to play in college.   The recruiting process for many prospective student-athletes and their families can be a daunting task, tricky to navigate, confusing and at certain times discouraging.  To help you understand how the college recruiting process works, you need to be aware of the realities of playing college sports and not the alternative facts you may hear. Having a better understanding of what is true and what it false will help you have a successful recruiting experience.   Here are the Top 5 Alternative Facts of College Recruiting.

#5 Division I is the Best / Only Option for Playing College Sports

So many prospective student-athletes are so focused on playing Division I so early in the process that they forget to look at other options.  Playing Division I athletics is an amazing accomplishment and if you have the drive, the skill level, and the ability it is definitely something you should pursue.  Remember, sports outside of DI Basketball and DI Football it is very difficult to receive a full athletic scholarship.  You can find athletic scholarships at the NCAA Division II, NAIA, and Junior College levels. As you search for schools you want to find one that is going to provide you with the best college experience academically, athletically, and personally or socially.  There are thousands of schools to choose from that will offer you a great education, and opportunity to play a sport that you love while building an educational foundation for your future.   Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships but they do offer merit scholarships which is academic and extracurricular based.  There are many more opportunities to play DII and DIII athletics compared to Division I.   So do your research and keep your options open early on in the process.

#4 If you receive an email from a college coach than you are being recruited

The first thing you should be aware of are the recruiting rules and regulations for your sport.  What can a college coach send you and when can they send it?  If you know the answer to these two questions it will be help you understand what that email means.   College coaches send out thousands of blanket emails to prospective student-athletes to spark up interest in their programs, camps, and clinics.  The second piece to this is knowing the difference between being identified vs. actually being recruited or pursued.  If you received what you think is a personalized message than you are moving in the right direction.  However, if your correspondence is not personalized, it may just be a sign of interest, but you are not actually being recruited yet.  Any form of correspondence from a college coach can jump start a relationship so take advantage of each opportunity.

#3 My Coach will get me recruited

Coaches play an integral role in the development of a young athlete.   They may also play a role in your recruiting process.  Your coaches main role is to coach not get you recruited.  In all likelihood your coach has other responsibilities outside of coaching like another job, family, etc.   As a prospective student-athlete you have to take ownership of your recruiting process with assistance from your recruiting team; parents, coaches, teachers, and guidance counselors.  Each of them will play a role in your recruiting process.   You have to do much of the grunt work to allow your Recruiting Team to help you. If your coach is willing to help, provide them with information on the schools you are interested in and your student-athlete profile.  Your coach may have a lot of connections in your sport, talk to him/her about where you think you could play and be successful and reach out to those programs first and then have your coach follow up.   The college coach will almost always like to hear from the student-athlete before one of their references.

 #2 My Academics don’t matter if I am a good athlete.

STUDENT-ATHLETE… It is simple you are a student first, athlete second.   In some cases it is true that an elite athlete will be highly recruited despite being a poor student.  However, most college coaches want to invest in student-athletes who are the total package.   When coaches begin evaluating prospective student-athletes they look at 4 things;
  • Academics
  • Athletics
  • Attitude
  • Character
The more boxes you can check off as a student-athlete the better chance you have at being recruited.  If a coach is comparing two similar prospects, a majority of the time they are going to choose the good student, who has a great attitude and high character.  #1 If I am talented, a College Coach will find me College coaches will not just magically find you to recruit you.  You must be seen.  For about 98% of the college student-athlete population a recruit has to initiate the contact.  That’s usually where college coaches begin the process, look at the kids who have expressed interest in them.  Outside of DI Football and Basketball, most colleges have a limited recruiting budget.  They can’t afford to travel across the country looking for recruits randomly.   Therefore, if there is a school or program you are interested in then contact them. It’s the only way to start the process.  There are thousands of prospects just like you who want to be recruited.  What are you doing to separate yourself from the crowd?  If you are just sitting on the sidelines hoping a coach will call your number then you are going to be on the bench a long time.  Do you need a little more direction or guidance in your recruiting process than pick up one of the following GFS College Recruiting Education Resources to help jump start your college search process.  college-recruiting-playbook-coverThe College Recruiting Playbook ($24.99) is a student-athletes guide to finding the right college to fit their academic, athletic, and personal needs.  Finding the right college for your student-athlete doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with College Recruiting Playbook, you can navigate the five phases of the recruiting process with surprising ease. 1. Planning and Preparation 2.  Communication 3.  Gaining Exposure 4.  Decision Making 5.  Beyond the Decision This step-by-step guide walks parents and students through everything they need to know and do in order to find the best college athletically, academically, and personally.
 Discover the answers to these questions and much more
  •           What does it take to play at the next level?
  •           What are the academic requirements to play in college?
  •           What are the differences between DI, DII, DIII, and NAIA?
  •           What do college coaches look for in prospective student-athletes?
  •           What are the Three Key Elements of Gaining Exposure ?
  •           What is a verbal commitment?  What is a National Letter of Intent?
  •           What are the 50 questions every prospective student-athlete should answer?
  •           And much more
Written especially for high school athletes, this guide is also an essential read for parents, teachers, and coaches. By utilizing the included organizer and looking at the process from more than an athlete’s point of view, you can form the best strategy for your young athlete’s near and distant future. Start planning today for your teen’s bright tomorrow!
The College Recruiting Academy E-Course ($34.99) is a on-line interactive course designed to educate prospective student-athletes about what it takes to play at the next level, how the college recruiting process works, and how to be a successful student-athlete. The course built on the Adaptera Learning System provides a learning pathway for prospective student-athletes to help them navigate through the college recruiting process. E Course Features
  • Recruiting 100 Videos
  • Recruiting Corner Articles
  • Recruiting Playbook Action Items
  • Inside Recruiting with College Coaches
  • Student-Athlete Spotlight with former student-athletes
  • Overtime (Additional Features)
The College Recruiting Education Bundle (Book + Course ; $44.99) screenshot-2017-01-17-at-11-34-59-am

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