Frequently Asked College Recruiting Questions

College freshmen often need direction. Collegiate teams provide structure that help athletes succeed on the field and the classroom. You know your athlete better than anyone.
How do they respond to independence? What is their level of maturity? Are they self starters? Do they respond well to a structured schedule?
You can answer this question if you consider how your athlete would respond to being held accountable vs. virtual freedom.

This may be one of the most common frequently asked college recruiting questions. Generally, college sports scholarships are institutionally known as an Athletic Grant in Aid. This means that athletes are offered allowances for tuition and expenses toward the cost of a year of college education.
Each college has an "in state" and "out of state" rating for the cost of tuition, room & board, and expenses. This rating indicates the maximum amount that will be allowed to a student by the institution. Full and partial AGI are available depending on the sport, college association and division, and coach recommendation.

Depending on the level of collegiate association play the benefits will range from good to awesome.
For example at the Junior College level athletes often get access to registration priority, a team admissions counselor, team swag (workout clothing), trainer medical assistance, travel meal allowance, study hall and academic support, and an immediate interaction with peers that offer an opportunity to foster friendships quickly.
At the NCAA Division I level athletes will often receive all of these benefits at a level far above NJCAA with separate facilities for each team.
In addition freshmen days are structured from morning to evening and are often required to attend study halls and report to academic advisors.

This is a question that has many layers. What division does your athlete want to play? What is your athlete doing to make themselves better at their sport or more successful in the classroom? Does your athlete play on a competitive local, regional or national team?
Answers to these questions along with college showcases will give you an idea of where your athlete might find their best fit.

Most coaches follow logical steps to filling their college roster. Here is a simple list of tasks that every coach must accomplish:
- Gather a list of prospective athletes
- Send out recruiting letters, questionnaires, and camp invites
- Conduct evaluations
- Extend verbal offers and scholarships

Coaches use the following methods to create a list of prospects:
- Recruiting media sites
- Third-party recruiting services
- Recommendations from high school or club coaches
- Emails and messages from recruits
- Camps and showcases where they can see many potential recruits in one place

Here are a few of the benefits to playing collegiate sports:
- Access to registration priority
- A team admissions counselor
- Team swag (workout clothing)
- Trainer medical assistance
- Travel meal allowance
- Academic support & study hall (often mandatory for freshmen)
- Immediate interaction with peers that offer an opportunity to foster friendships quickly

College coaches often have an assistant coach handle initial recruiting, especially at higher levels. Identifying these individuals is often a benefit to future interactions.
Best ways to contact coaches:
- Email
- Third Party recruiting services
- Ask your High School and Club coaches for help
- Camps an showcases offer a chance for athletes to talk directly to coaches at the end of the event

Every Coach has an ideal athlete in mind. But if they are pressed to give the best characteristics of the ideal college athlete it might look like this:
- Determined
- Coach-able
- Athletic
- Supportive
- Intelligent
...and most important, an athlete that will not cause the coaching staff trouble.