High School Athletes: Perfect Fit U might have a scholarship for you

The following is a guest post by Rex Grayner, President/Founder of Student-Athlete Showcase, LLC

Let’s face it, moms and dads: Saving $100,000 (or more) for Junior’s college education is not a realistic possibility for most of us.

Even if your 529 plan hasn’t tanked, or if you have the money stuffed under your mattress right now, how can most of us write that kind of check in this unpredictable economic climate? The solution may be in the right arm of your varsity pitcher or the left foot of your midfielder.

Attention high school athletes: If your dream is to play at the college level, and you want to help mom and dad with this nightmarish bill, there’s likely a home (and money) for you – if you have the right game plan.

Only 5% of America’s high school varsity athletes ever don a college uniform; 95% never play beyond high school. But, competing for these opportunities has become serious business in light of rising college expenses and more competitive scholarship requirements.

In the past 15 years, college recruiting has changed dramatically, much in part to the advances in recruiting technology, video and the internet. The old adage “if I’m good enough, they’ll find me” is long gone. College coaches have tighter budgets, more rigorous admissions standards and their jobs are on the line virtually every year, so the emphasis on winning now is more prevalent than ever.

It used to be that an athlete’s senior year was the most significant season. Nowadays, despite efforts by the NCAA to strictly regulate when a college coach can begin courting a student-athlete, coaches have discovered ways to evaluate athletes and develop relationships with prospects well before the junior year. As a result, prospects are verbally accepting scholarship offers, in many cases, before the coach is even permitted to pick up the phone and call them.

So, if you’re a parent of an athlete who aspires to compete at the collegiate level and (just maybe) get a chunk of that education paid for, here are four keys to your recruiting success:

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