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How Grades Can Enhance Your Recruiting Opportunities
Two student athletes just made the 2006-2007 ODP Winter Pools and both start on club teams that are extremely successful. Both student-athletes are left midfielders, around the same height and speed and have a similar style of play. Which student-athlete do you think a college coach is going to recruit? The recruiting reality is that the student-athlete with a higher GPA stands out to college coaches even more and is inevitably the player a coach will recruit.
Achieving good academic standing is the best way for a student-athlete to maximize his/her opportunities. When a college coach is considering a potential recruit, he or she will review grades and test scores first. A coach has to predict whether a student-athlete is going to be able to maintain the eligibility requirements needed to participate in college athletics. If a coach believes a student-athlete may not be able to keep up with the University and/or NCAA standards, than he/she will be less likely to add this recruit to the team roster.
Good grades and test scores can do more than just open doors; they can give a student athlete access to receiving additional financial aid. When a student-athlete is talented athletically as well as academically, they may be eligible to receive both academic and athletic money; ultimately freeing up athletic scholarship funds to continue to recruit stronger players and create a more competitive team. Since NCAA Division III colleges and universities cannot give athletic scholarships, most of the financial aid student-athletes receive are academic & leadership based funds.
Remember that education is your top priority as a high school and college student-athlete. It is imperative that you maintain good study habits and seek extra help! Make sure that you take the ACT and SAT early and more than once, as the NCAA Clearinghouse will combine your highest sub-scores. Lastly, the most important thing is to get a copy of the 2006-07 NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete from your counselor or print one from the NCAA website, http://www.ncaa.org/library/general/cbsa/2006-07/2006-07_cbsa.pdf. This guide includes directions on how to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse and lists the required core courses you must take if you plan to play college athletics.ABOUT NCSA
NCSA, the Official Scouting Organization and Provider of Recruiting Education for Cal South, is the premier source for matching high school scholar – athletes with colleges and universities across the country. NCSA is the "Eyes & Ears" of more than 40,000 college coaches, who rely on NCSA's experienced scouting team and instant response capabilities to provide them with quality prospective recruits. NCSA prides itself in educating high school student-athletes and their families about the college recruiting process. Please visit www.ncsasports.org for more information about NCSA.
