State Your Intention

Students who desire to compete athletically must make that intention clear to prospective coaches and athletic programs. Do not assume that coaches will find recruits. Also, do not assume that, by sending a video and personal stats, you are being pushy. Briefly stated: "Recruit Thyself." Each prospective student-athlete must make his intentions clear to his high school coach (to enlist support) and the college coaching staff. Using video and a summary of personal statistics (via an athletic résumé) will be very helpful.

To best position your case, you should:

• Prepare an athletic résumé to be sent to athletic departments is recommended for most prospective athletes. It should be a simple one-page résumé including name, uniform number, position, statistics, recognitions, address, phone number, school name, address and phone number, GPA, SAT/ACT info, and high school or club coaches' names and contact info.
• Plan for an evaluation. With very rare exceptions, college coaches will need to see you play in some way or another. This is why a highlights film is helpful. Understand that in the current age, almost all sports evaluations occur in the summer. Those student-athletes who are active in summer leagues and tournaments are much more likely to be recruited than those who do not compete in the summer.
• Make a highlights video. Yes, videos help. Many college coaches have stacks of videos on their desks. You must ask the coach what kind of video is preferred — game footage, skills, etc. Have your video sent directly to that athletic program.
• Gather letters of recommendation. Recommendations from your current coach are most useful when they are sent to other coaches. When a college application asks for a teacher recommendation, they mean a classroom teacher.
• Make use of technology and the internet. Most athletic programs have links at their sites specifically designated for the prospective student-athlete. These links often lead to a questionnaire or an email that will notify the coaching staff of your interest.
• Remember that NCAA regulations apply to the coaching staff. "Contact periods" and the like are not obstacles for you to visit a college campus and meet with a coach. We recommend that student-athletes do not wait for an official visit invitation that may or may not come. The prudent student-athlete will embark upon an informed and engaged college search in much the same way all other students will do.
• Beware of companies that offer to help get you recruited through their apparent connections to athletic programs. The services they offer are often identical to the steps you can take for yourself.

Please do not believe those who would define the term "recruit" as describing something that begins with a college coach. If you want to be recruited, you must make that clear to prospective schools and athletic programs.

Please remember that the college admission office is the final arbiter in granting admission, not the college coach.

NCAA Initial-Eligibility

If you are considering schools that are NCAA Division I or II, you must complete the NCAA initial eligibility review. The NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known as the NCAA Clearinghouse) is notoriously understaffed and overburdened. It is in your best interest to begin this process no later than the summer before your senior year.

Some of you will be interested in establishing eligibility to play sports in an NCAA Division I or II program. The procedure is as follows:

• Apply for eligibility after your junior year (NCAA eligibility forms are available at web3.ncaa.org).
• Fill out the information requested on the form.
• Make sure to include your payment.
• Give the appropriate copies of the Student Release Form to Gilman's College Counseling Office.
• You must request that ACT or SAT test scores be reported directly by the testing agency to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
• The center will issue a preliminary certification report after you have had all your materials submitted (official six-semester transcript, ACT or SAT scores, student release form, and fee).