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Believe it or not (and you'd better believe it), just because you're the best on your team doesn't guarantee recruitment or a scholarship offer. Just because you set state records doesn't mean you'll go to the school of your dreams. And just because a college recruiter is telling you everything you want to hear doesn't means you'll get what's being promised.
Up until the point when you start getting recruited, all the running, lifting, straining, pushing, sweating, winning, and losing you've done has been the easy part. Again and again, you'll hear parents share their dismay at the recruiting process. So many parents had no idea how exhausting and confusing it is. Many student-athletes never knew how cold and businesslike recruiting procedures are. Because they were unprepared, the experience was even more frustrating. Worse, that lack of preparedness can lead to devastating consequences.
 | As you begin the recruiting process, you need to: |
- Carry a portfolio notebook. This notebook should include 4-x-5-inch cards on which you can jot down questions you need to ask coaches and recruiters.
- Have copies of your academic and medical records. Your medical records should include a detailed medical history on injuries, allergies, and medical conditions that trainers should be aware of.
- File and catalog questionnaires you receive from interested colleges, including the names of recruiters and coaching staff.
- Begin creating a list of things that are important to you — and continue to add to it as you go through the recruiting process. When discussing potential schools, list things that are most important to you, such as school traditions, athletic facilities, winning records, graduation rate among athletes, or geographic location of a school. This list will help you remain focused as more schools show interest and you research individual schools.
- Create a list of pros and cons for each school you make contact with. Include the names of recruiters and coaching staff you meet, along with your impressions of them. After an aggressive recruiting period, the names and attitudes of different recruiters begin to blend together, and you may not clearly remember who you liked or disliked (and why).
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