Earning Scholarships and Being Recruited for College

Over a dozen athletes from our program at John Curtis signed (or will be signing shortly) a scholarship to compete in sports next year at the college level and at least half a dozen should follow suit next year.  One thing a high school and club coach should be aware of is how to get your athlete noticed and get him or her a scholarship to the next level.

First and foremost is grades.  This may seem a bit elementary and overt, but with the rising standards of the NCAA and the rising competition for scholarships, grades will play a factor.  Two kids who are even in ability and skill may come down to who has the best GPA in order to earn the scholarship because that athlete is less of a risk to be on academic probation.

The athlete should also come up with a list of reasonable schools they could gain admission to and their athletic ability fits into the ability level of the team at that school.  They should also consider how much of a scholarship is necessary to fund the cost of education at that institution.  Some schools might require a full ride, while others might only require a partial.

Next, coaches should develop relationships with the coaches in the local area and find out what positions and events are needed for the upcoming signing class.  A certain athlete might not be as highly touted as another, but the position he plays or event he competes in might be a higher priority for the team.  Coaches should also find out what the school can offer in terms of amount of money for scholarships.  Some schools might say full tuition but fail to note that housing and books are several thousand dollars not included in the scholarship.

Finally, unless you have been offered a full ride, everything is paid for, scholarship seeking can be a bit of a game, but you shouldn't always pass up a good deal because another offer may never come.  If you are looking for a nearly full scholarship, but most your offers are only books, and one offer is a half scholarship and you are one month away from graduation, it might be time to highly consider that half scholarship.  Yes, there is a chance a school will come along in the summer and offer you a full if they have an academic non-qualifer that drops from the recruiting class, but that is the exception and not the norm.

Usually, at most public institutions, if you can earn at least books, combine that with your money you get from filing your FAFSA, plus possible other academic scholarships and you will most likely not owe much at the end of each semester, and that should be a main goal of getting a college education.