Literally hundreds of tasks are necessary to achieve your goal of playing at the college of your dreams—ranging from tearing it up on the fi eld to making sure your No. 2 pencil is sharpened at SAT time. And each task, no matter how signifi cant or how small, presents a risk and an opportunity. Use the following checklist to avoid the pitfalls and make yourself the best recruit possible.

Prior to junior year

Set seasonal, yearly and overall high school athletic and academic goals

• Write them down
• Be realistic
• Keep them where you’ll see them regularly
• Assess your progress at the end of each season/school quarter

Maintain good academic standing

• Don’t cut class
• Strive for good grades
• Take advantage of study halls and tutors
• Don’t cheat
• Show respect to teachers and fellow students
• Avoid detentions and suspensions

Identify athletic weaknesses; research safe and effective methods, or professionals, to help you eliminate them

Develop good relationships with teachers who will eventually write your college letters of recommendation

Get involved in extracurricular and volunteer activities

Be aware of your off-fi eld lifestyle and the image it portrays

• Choose friends wisely; avoid troublesome crowds
• Keep online profi les clean
• Avoid drugs, alcohol and tobacco
• Don’t fight
• Don’t break the law
• Adhere to a reasonable curfew

Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss NCAA curriculum and grade requirements

Consider playing multiple sports to develop and display well-rounded athleticism

Maintain poise and sportsmanship at all times. College coaches watch you during competition, even when you are not playing. Always:

• Cheer on teammates
• Respond to referees and/or bad calls in a professional manner
• Interact positively with coaches on the sideline
• Keep your head up. Don’t pout regardless of score or situation
• Avoid fighting
• Celebrate with class

Have all athletic competitions videotaped for future use

Create a filing system to organize athletic awards, newspaper clippings and outstanding achievements

Research the best non-schoolsponsored athletic leagues in your area—club teams, AAU, summer leagues, etc.

Participate in non-schoolsponsored athletic competition

Create a resume that includes academic and athletic achievements

Send initial contact letters to college coaches at schools you are interested in attending

• Find name, address and other information about coach on school’s website
• Express your interest in playing for the program
• Include athletic and academic resume
• Attach a schedule of your games for the upcoming seasons

Create a filing system for materials and info you receive from colleges and coaches

Complete and return all questionnaires

Inform college coaches about camps and clinics you’ll be attending

Attend camps and clinics at schools you are interested in attending

Begin pulling clips and creating a highlight tape

Attend a college competition in your sport

• Contact parents of athletes on the college team’s roster to fi nd out if they’re happy with their son’s or daughter’s experiences with the team
• Observe the way the coach interacts with his team
• Gauge the level of play compared to your ability

Assess your athletic ability

• Talk to your coaches
• Measure yourself against other players at your position in your state/district/conference
• Compare your accomplishments to the high school accomplishments of players on rosters of colleges that you think you could play for

Begin thinking about the academic area of study you might want to major in, and research which schools excel in that area

Solicit information about colleges by talking to:

• Friends
• Guidance counselors
• College’s alumni

Talk with parents or guardians about:

• Cost and what you can afford
• Location
• Academic opportunities and programs
• Their academic and athletic expectations for you in college

Create a target list of colleges in each of the following categories:

• Likely admission
• Safety net
• Reach

Send follow-up letters to coaches who haven’t responded to your initial contact

Assess benefits of using a recruiting service

Familiarize yourself with the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Athlete

Open a dialogue with your high school coaches about the college coaches who have contacted them about you and the colleges that most interest you

Junior year

Register, prep for and take standardized tests

Register with NCAA Eligibility Center (must be done by end of junior year)

Schedule and take unofficial visits

• Find time to meet with coaches around their busy schedules
• Bring pen and notepad, and have a few questions ready about the program, the coach’s level of interest and his or her plans to remain at the school during your four years
• Provide coaches with your highlight tape and stat sheet
• Talk to players on the team
• Check out the facilities
• Go to a class in your area of interest
• Keep a journal to list pros and cons of each school and coaching staff after visits

Continue to update college coaches about your athletic successes

Update highlight tape with recent clips

Talk to athletes from your school who now play at the collegiate level. Ask about:

• The level of competition
• How college life and sports differ from their high school experiences
• Any additional advice they have to offer

Update wardrobe with clothes appropriate for meetings with college coaches

Send thank you note after any meeting with a coach

Have high school coach call college coaches to recommend you as an athlete

Prepare a list of questions for coaches when they call (they can call after May 1 of your junior year for football and after July 1 for most other sports). Cover these topics:

• Their level of interest
• Chance of an official visit
• Possibility of a scholarship
• Who they have at your position (height, weight, stats)
• Your upcoming game schedule and the possibility of their attendance

Senior year

Be prepared for an in-school visit from a college coach at any time

• Have questions ready in your locker
• Dress appropriately at all times

Retake standardized tests if necessary

Avoid senioritis—continue to take challenging courses and strive for good grades

Narrow down schools you’re interested in and eliminate those in which you defi nitely have no interest

Plan and take official visits. Remember, only five are allowed

• Bring pen and notepad. Have questions ready for meetings with coaches (see Communicating with a Coach, page 29)
• Talk to as many players as possible, not just the happy ones
• Go to a class in your field of interest
• Stay on campus
• Always conduct yourself properly
• Keep a journal to list pros and cons of each school and coaching staff after visits

Set time standards as to when you want to take phone calls from coaches

Assess financial needs by talking with parents and various schools’ financial aid offices

Apply for financial aid

Research and apply for alterative sources of funds

Once you begin receiving financial aid offers from colleges, share them with other coaches to improve your final offer

Create timetable for all application deadlines

Ask teachers for recommendations

Calculate your GPA and find out your class rank

Request official transcript from guidance counselor

Ask college coaches to waive application fees

Decide whether to apply early action or early decision

Write application essays early so you have time to edit and perfect them

Complete the rest of applications and mail before deadlines

Narrow college choices to your top three opportunities

Make final decision

Notify all college coaches you’ve been speaking with of your final decision

Contact your new college coach to receive strength and conditioning manual

Mail thank you letter and/or graduation party invite to
STACK at:
[email protected] or
1422 Euclid Ave, Ste. 1550
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Related Links:

Antonio Gates: A Recruiting Story Like No Other

Academics

Recruiting Support Network

Financial Aid

Self-Marketing

Researching Colleges

Effective Networking With a College Coach

Campus Visits

Gauging Interest

Standardized Tests

NCAA Rules & Regs