2 Big Myths About Being A Recruited Athlete

Myth: Athletic scholarships are full rides offered in the senior year of high school.

Not true. In fact, most athletic scholarships are partial (or equivalency) scholarships, as each team’s coach has a limited number of scholarships to offer each entering class. Other than football and basketball—the biggest athletic money generators for most institutions—only Division I tennis, gymnastics, and volleyball can offer full-ride scholarships for athletics. In recruiting athletes, a college coach can make a verbal offer as early as middle school, but it usually happens during freshman, sophomore, or junior year of high school, depending on the sport and the athlete’s ability.

Please note the word verbal. In marital wedlock, vows matter, but a signed marriage certificate matters more. Students need to sign a National Letter of Intent to be officially committed to a school, and that happens during senior year. AND EVEN THEN COACHES CAN BACK OUT OF THE AGREEMENT!!!! In our social media–driven world, too much is made of offers and verbal commitments. Do not believe that recruitment is secured until your child is on campus and has on a uniform.

Myth: Talented athletes can get into any school even if their grades are poor.

Unfortunately, there is some truth to this one. Athletes are not held to the same admissions expectations at many elite universities, but your son or daughter should not think they can get Cs and Ds in high school and then get into college with no problem. Recruitment depends on how much a coach wants them and will push for them in the admissions process. By the same token, a coach can look at a student’s GPA and test scores and immediately be turned off given the seeming lack of effort or ability. Coaches want to invest in student-athletes who will do well in the classroom and graduate. They can then boast about that fact to the parents of their next recruit. I urge you not to let your child get lackadaisical in the classroom. Grades, test scores, character, and effort all matter.

If you have an athlete and they want to be recruited, we should talk. Click HERE to schedule a Strategy Session.