Athletic Scholarship Advice for HS & JuCo Athletes
A: It’s natural, even the best athletes doubt themselves at some point. You will likely have many people tell you that you won’t make it, you aren’t good enough, that you aren’t talented… believe me, it’s extremely tough to tune out and ignore, but you must ignore it! To build mental toughness you must commit yourself to becoming the …
A: Relax—GREATNESS takes time! Players don’t develop over weeks or a few months, it takes a year or years to begin to see significant differences. It’s up to you to decide if you are willing to put in the time and it’s up to you to remain mentally tough. People tell me almost every day that I won’t succeed, …
A: Having the goal of playing sports on the collegiate level comes with great sacrifice. It won’t be easy, it’s a time-consuming process and you will have to devote a lot of energy to improve and play on the next level. And once you’re a collegiate athlete, you will still have to find a balance and ultimately sacrifice certain time …
A: Coaches recruit Junior College players in the same way as they recruit high school players. In fact, many NCAA programs and coaches put quality time into scouting and evaluating Junior College players every season. If you are playing at a Junior College and aren’t hearing from NCAA coaches, you must do some footwork on your own and send …
A: None, other than not spending all four years at an NCAA campus and coming in as a freshman with your signing class. I’ve worked with several players who began their playing career at a Junior College, and several who went on to play professionally. And, most programs and coaches put quality time into scouting and recruiting Junior College …
A: The Junior College route is a great one for players who feel they aren’t getting the interest from NCAA schools that they want to play for. Most NCAA programs and coaches put quality time into scouting and recruiting Junior College players so it’s definitely an option to look into if you aren’t happy with where recruiting is going as …
A: Whether helping your child choose a school as a blue-chip prospect with 50 scholarship offers or as a Division III non-scholarship athlete, it is very important to develop personal selection criteria that will help them through the process – and prioritize it based on their non-negotiables and preferences. Before the process becomes overwhelming, what are the core factors that …
A: Injuries, in most cases, are more mentally challenging than physically challenging to recover from. And depending on when your injury occurs (freshman year vs. junior year), you may have a little tougher route to getting scholarship offers, but it’s not impossible. Yes, you can come back from most injuries—it just takes plenty of extra patience, work and faith. This …
A: Within many programs, walk-on slots are just as competitive as scholarship spots. Many teams have children of former players, boosters and university staff on their roster as walk-ons. If you think your opportunity will come as a walk-on, it’s best to approach coaches in the same way a scholarship player would with game film and their Student-Athlete Resume, and …
A: Yes, if you are able to provide quality backup minutes to a starter, you will probably earn playing time and possibly a scholarship – but it may take you a few seasons. I’ve worked with walk-ons who saw significant playing time, who earned scholarships and who were major contributors to the team, but they were players who put in …