You’ve got to be real with yourself. You have to understand who you are as a student. You have to understand who you are as an athlete. And, you’ve got to have an idea of what type of school is going to make you happy. If you truly want to play your sport at the next level, the first step in the college recruiting process is just being real with yourself.
Listen, I know you want this process to move in fast forward. You want to start getting offers so you can hurry up and make a commitment. But, before you start firing off game film to a bunch of random programs, do me a favor. Pause for a moment and ask yourself some questions about who you’re trying to get recruited by.
1: With your grades and test scores, can you get into this school?
2: Do have the physical ability to play for this program? I mean, do you really know what it takes to play at this level? Are you comparable to the players on the current roster?
3: Would you go to this school if you weren’t an athlete? Seriously, could you see yourself fitting in on campus, meeting friends, going to class and living day-to-day life at this school?
Here’s a guarantee for all you high school athletes out there: if you can be honest with yourself, your college recruiting experience is going to be amazing. You’ll have options. You’ll be less stressed. And, you’ll end up at a school that wants you, as much as you want them. Sounds about right to me!
The USA TODAY High School Sports Tips are provided by our recruiting partner, Playced.com.
