How to Catch a College for Junior

So Junior is a senior in High School and is playing pretty well, but he has not been recruited by any Division 1 (D1) colleges. This means that Junior is not playing well enough to attract interest from D1 coaches or he does not have the ability to play at that level right now. In either case, you need to consider the non-D1 options. D2, NAIA and some Jr. colleges offer athletic scholarships. D3 schools offer academic and leadership scholarships that can greatly supplement the cost of a college education. Many of these colleges cannot afford to find Junior, so you have to go fishing.

Get Your Fishing License

First things first. You MUST register Junior with the NCAA Clearing House! According to the NCAA, “All prospective student-athletes intending to enroll in an NCAA Division I or II institution for the first time on or after August 1, 2007, must complete the NCAA Amateurism Certification questionnaire”. SAT/ACT scores must also be posted to the clearing house. Check the Clearing House website for other special requirements.

What Kind of College Do you Want to Catch? (Build a list of prospective colleges)

How good is Junior? Which level is the right one for him? You need to know this or at least have a good idea about where he fits. You want to get a free college education if at all possible. This means D2, NAIA or D1 Jr, colleges. Is Junior good enough to receive a scholarship at this level? You need to know if this is a possibility. Get some help, check out my article, Get a Second Opinion! What does Junior want to do with his life? What will his major be? What is his GPA? SAT\ACT scores? All of these factors play a part in deciding what kind of school you go fishing for.

Selecting potential colleges to market is not a simple task. You must consider many factors, not the least of these is what Junior wants to pursue as a career and what schools are a good fit for his aspirations. You can obtain lots of information via the internet. Most colleges have websites with general information about the school, degree programs, academic focus and accreditations. US News and World Report ranks colleges based on academics and other criteria. Take some time and do some research. Talk to co-workers, friends and relatives. The bottom line is you need to develop a list of schools that fit your needs. If Junior wants to be a civil engineer and play college basketball, you will need to identify schools which match his needs in both areas.

Baiting the Hook (Create an Info Sheet and a Video Tape)

You need to develop a comprehensive but concise information sheet and a video tape, if possible. This “press pack” will be sent to prospective schools on your list. I have talked to several college coaches to identify the information that they want to see. Be brief on your info sheet, but also be thorough. Bullets are better than paragraphs. Here is what your “press pack” should include:

Personal vitals
Name, Parent(s), Address, DOB, Class, School, Phone #s, eMail Address

Athletic Vitals
Height, weight, time in the 40, vertical leap, etc.

Basketball vitals
Team(s), Position, current year stats, previous year stats, names of Junior’s coach
(es)/trainer contact info, extraordinary accomplishments/awards

Academic vitals
Class Rank, GPA, SAT/ACT scores, extraordinary achievements/academic scholarships received, clearing house status

Game schedules
Where can you see Junior play? Web links to articles/info about player (if any)
Personal statement: why you want to go to this school, personal goals and aspirations

Other Activities
Hobbies, civic and/or community activities/awards

Video tape:
Highlights, continuous play footage, personal greeting from Junior talking about his aspirations

The Other Activities section could be very important. Academic and leadership scholarships can help in the absence of a full athletic scholarship. Remember your goal is to get the education paid for!

Going Fishing!

Most of these schools probably do not know that Junior exists! You will have to market the schools that you are interested in. Here are some things that you can do:

1) If the schools you are interested in have online athletic interest forms, fill these out and submit them.

2) Have one of Junior’s coaches contact the school for you. Be sure to have an information package ready to send to coaches when requested.

3) If you know people who know college coaches or athletic directors or just have enough influence to cause a coach to take a look at your “press pack”, ask them for help! A number of kids get a foot in the door because they know somebody that knows somebody!

4) You will probably have to send out some unsolicited “press packs:. Start with he schools on the top of your list. Contact the assistant coach directly (most head coaches delegate this job) via email and/or direct mail. Addresses can usually be found on the schools website. Inform the coach of your interest. Include an info sheet with a video if possible. Don’t be discouraged if your response is negative or non-existent. There are lots of schools out there, and there is probably one that is a fit for Junior. You just have to keep plugging.

Be aware that most “unsolicited mailings” will not be fruitful. Be patient and continue to cast out your bait. You are looking for a few good strikes! You just need the right ONE to reel in.

OK. Now it is time to go fishing to catch that college for Junior!