January 13, 2012

The recruiting process can seem cryptic to some. Parents with athletes looking to play at the next level can find the task of getting video to recruiters, as well as making sure they’re meeting all of the NCAA’s requirements can be quite daunting. Here are four things coaches, parents, and athletes should know about the recruiting process:

Start early.

It’s never too early to start with the recruiting process. You may not have the video you want until your junior or senior year, but you can certainly start working on the academic part. The classes you take your freshman year carry just as much weight as those you take in your junior or senior years. It is not uncommon for 33% of NCAA Core classes to be satisfied in your freshman year of high school. Don’t wait until the last minute – start preparing now.

It’s important to educate yourself about exactly which classes you’ll need to take. The NCAA doesn’t look at the ‘fluff’ classes – only the core classes. They also just approved a higher academic GPA requirement, which will take affect with the 2015 graduation class. Athletes will be required to have a 2.3 GPA rather than 2.0 – this can make a big difference.

To put this into perspective – a star athlete who is a C-average student will now need to get five B’s in their high school career to raise their GPA from a 2.0 to 2.3.

Take matters into your own hands.

You can’t assume that the coach or counselor is going to handle the recruiting process for you. If it’s important to you, you should speak with your coach about the game video, then work on it yourself. 

If you have questions about academics, you should speak with your counselor, then take matters into your own hands. The national average for counselors to students is currently 500:1. Counselors can help tremendously, but just might not have the time.

Game film is critical.

It might already be obvious, but is worth saying again: game film is critical. You don’t need much. Start off with 10-12 of your best plays. If recruiters are interested, they’ll contact your coach for more information and more video.

When it comes to effects on your video:

• Spot shadows: can be useful – particularly with football.
• Music: Coaches don’t care about it. College coaches watch film with 10 other things going on, and will turn it down most of the time.

Character is a key component.

There are very few athletes who have the game-changing talent that will cause a coach to put up with poor behavior. It’s important for recruiters to know that you’re not only a top-notch athlete but also a top-notch individual. Have you been volunteering or taking a leadership role in school organizations? The same goes for social networks. Anything you put on a social network can be seen by someone else, and recruiters are learning to use these social networks to assess the character of potential recruits.