The college search for athletes is a marathon, not a sprint, and the recruiting process can be, at times, both exhilarating and uplifting, especially when your personal plan is working on all cylinders. That said, even the best executed plans can run into road blocks or even stall completely.
Effective communication between prospects and college coaches can be a critical component in the final choice in the college search for high school athletes. That being the case, prospects should try to cultivate this skill early on in an effort to demonstrate their willingness to be an equal partner in the coach-prospect relationship.
Summer is right around the corner and for every prospect that is in the hunt to match his or her talent with the right college program, opportunity approaches. Summer opens up more time on the daily schedule and with that, the chance to close in on some key elements of the college search.
The average cost of a 4 year college experience has increased dramatically during the past 10 years and financial aid is becoming a hot topic in the college search for athletes. Competition for athletic scholarships is fierce and for some student-athletes and families (particularly nearly all male gymnasts and all walkons/Division III/Ivy League athletes), they also need to look at need-based financial assistance or alternative forms of grants and scholarships to help pay the freight. This article takes a simple approach in identifying key components of financial aid.
The NCAA Manual is the “go to” resource for prospects and families as they begin to build their education base in the college search. Between the Division 1, 2 and 3 manuals there is well over 1,500 pages of helpful information! The aim of this article is to direct you toward these resources, help you simplify your search and wrap your arms around recruiting terms, rules and procedures you will encounter as you navigate your personal college quest. First, let’s search for a copy of the manual! Go to www.ncaa.org. Click the “resources” tab. Under “Resources,” Click either the Division…
The college search for athletes is a quest, and unless you are the blue chip kid that the coaches are hovering over, you need a vehicle to drive the recruiting process in your favor. Personally, I believe the manner and how often you communicate with college coaches can make a big difference in your results.
*Link Updated*  This month, instead of an article, we're providing an MP3 podcast of a recent chat Tom Kovic and I had regarding early recruiting.  In the recording, Tom chats a little bit about the recruiting process, and how early recruiting has changed the recruiting process. You can play the audio file by clicking play below.  Or, you can download the file at this link.  (right click to "Save As") About Tom Kovic: Tom Kovic is a former Division I college gymnastics coach (Penn) and the current director of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he provides individual advisement for families on…

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A New Year is upon us and opportunity lurks. That being said, those who organize best, execute well developed plans and beat the bushes will maximize their success in college recruiting. You have the chance to create change, new commitments, a clean slate and a fresh opportunity to approach the recruiting process with renewed passion. This article attempts to outline general “class tips” that current prospective student-athletes can use in maximizing the college search in 2012.
The college search for athletes is an “individual” quest. A winning strategy for one prospect could be a losing strategy for another. I think we can all agree that when it comes to recruiting, the “blue chip” kids are going to be found…It’s just a matter of when. That being said, the majority of the prospects looking for a home on a college campus and as part of a varsity sports team are NOT blue chip kids and they should execute a personal plan of attack and begin to tackle the “grey areas” of recruiting.
Nowadays, college coaches, in many cases are encouraging prospects to commit early to their institution in an effort to wrap up recruiting and outdistance the competition. This article attempts to shed light on a variety of “options” prospects and families can embrace moving forward in the ever changing college search for athletes.  November is fast approaching and with that, early deadlines for college applications. Current seniors who have dedicated themselves to connecting early on with college coaches, providing them with the necessary evaluation tools coaches need to determine “potential matches”, have narrowed their list to a few or even one…
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