Here is a checklist of things that must be done to get a scholarship. First, start this process early. I recommend the 8th grade summer before 9th grade.
1) Build a website. Why build a website? Research what coaches like. They LOVE it when the athlete reaches out to them personally. Not through a recruiting service, but personally. What’s the best way to do this? By having your own website. Not a free website through wix or some service like that. But your own personal domain name. www.yourname.com com.
When you send out an email to coaches, it will come from: you@yourname.com
It doesn’t get any more personal than that!
The website should be simple yet professional. It should have easy access to all information that you will be providing coaches.
2) Skills video – The skills video is just that. It shows your skill sets for the positions you want to play in college. You may need to update the skills videos periodically.
3) Highlight film – There are two types of highlight film.
a) The first highlight film type is just all your best plays. This is pretty self explanatory.
b) The second is a compilation of every play you participate in. This highlight film is not showing just your best plays, it is showing every time you are involved in a play. The purpose of this highlight film is to give a coach an overall view of your playing without having to watch hours of raw game footage.
Feel free to create as many highlight films as necessary.
4) Raw game footage – Raw game footage is just that. Unedited complete games for coaches to watch.
5) Scouting report from someone that is unbiased, not related to you, not a coach. Someone that will give an honest assessment of you as an athlete and person.
6) Transcripts – You need a copy of your most recent transcripts updated regularly available for coaches to review.
7) Coaches Recommendation letters.
8) Plus you will want an introduction to you.
After the website is in place. Now you will want to start contacting coaches of colleges you are interested in playing for/attending. You will want to contact the coaches every 30-45 days and contact them every time something happens to you. Either an athletic or academic achievement. The whole purpose of this is to build rapport with college coaches. The earlier you start, the better opportunity you have of connecting with a coach and achieving a scholarship.
The other thing you will want to do is, get to every single college specific camp you can get to. Especially those colleges you really want to attend. This will give coaches more information about you as an athlete than watching a whole season of games. It allows them to honestly assess your athletic abilities and determine how you will fit in their program.
In your junior year, you will want to register for the NCAA and NAIA eligibility centers. This lets colleges know you are interested in competing in college as a student-athlete. It also allows colleges to monitor your academics, making sure you are meeting all the requirements.
Through this whole process, make sure you are maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher throughout your high school career. 3.5 is the magic number that opens up as many college opportunities as possible.
College scholarship offers can come at anytime. Generally starting your sophomore year. But, most of these are verbal commits. In other words, it is not real until your senior year. Rather it is a gentlemen’s agreement.
A word about travel/club sports. These tournaments give you an opportunity to play against other like minded athletes. Generally at a higher level than regular high school sports. Can you get recruited by just going to tournaments? Yes, it can happen. Many times an athlete needs to be a real standout athlete to not do anything else but play in tournaments to get a scholarship. Generally doing everything, using every piece of the puzzle assures success.