Where Does Recruiting Fit In?
If you’ve decided that you’re interested in playing a sport in college then recruiting needs to be one of your priorities, but we are talking top 5, not your number 1 priority. Student-athletes should think of recruiting as something that is always with them; it helps motivate them and guide them through their high school years, but it can’t be the only thing on your mind. Here are the top priorities you should focus on as a recruited student-athlete.
Without This Nothing Else Matters
School work is a vital component. If you don’t have the grades it doesn’t matter how good you are at your sport or how much communication you have with a coach. Whether you’re trying to get recruited as a student-athlete or not your first job in life is to get a good education.
If you’re not the best you can be in the classroom you’ll never get the chance to be the best you can be during competition. Also, the better your grades are, the more opportunities you’ll have to be recruited because you’ll qualify to attend more schools.
Never Stop Working to Improve
If you are too busy dressing yourself up as a good recruit and not focusing on being the best you can be on your field of play then you’ll lose opportunities as other athletes pass you by. Recruiting is not about packaging yourself to look like what you think coaches want, it is being the best student-athlete you can be. All coaches are looking for different things so if you keep changing your style to match a coach you’ll drive yourself crazy in the process.
Be Well-Rounded
Get involved in your community; colleges and coaches look for recruits with good character. If you volunteer or are a part of school clubs it shows that you’re interested in making your community a better place and it shows you have the ability to manage your time and multitask.
Take Time Out to Enjoy Life
Be a kid. Hang out with friends and family, go to the movies, the beach and dances. The important thing to do is to always keep recruiting in the back of your mind while doing these things. Ask yourself, “If I go here with my friends am I going to get myself into trouble?”
Remember with social media these days people know where you’ve been and coaches check up on their recruits and will stop recruiting student-athletes if they get in trouble or even appear to be in trouble. Have you ever heard of guilt by association? If you are somewhere that has trouble going on or with people up to no good, coaches won’t ask for your side of the story–they’ll just assume you make bad decisions.
Be the Complete Package
Recruiting fits in way down here. Make your lists, contact and update coaches, and be diligent in your goals. But don’t let it take over your life. Coaches are looking for well-balanced student-athletes; show them that you are the complete package. You also don’t want to get knocked off a recruiting list because you were over eager or bothersome.
If you are on top of your recruiting, stay organized and make a timeline of what you need to do and when, recruiting shouldn’t be too overwhelming. This is a fun and exciting time of your life; you only get to do high school once, so don’t stress, but don’t let it pass you by.
If you have questions or comments about where recruiting should fit into your life please use the comments section below or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.