ATHLETIC
SCHOLARSHIP STATISTICS
Statistics rarely lie. And unfortunately, the numbers show that the recruiting game is a tough process to go through. There are more than seven million high school athletes, but there are college roster spots for just two percent of them. Getting to the NCAA Division I level is even tougher. Just one percent of those seven million student-athletes get a full ride to a Division I program. The recruiting process takes work, and earning an athletic scholarship is far from easy.
High School Athletic Scholarships Are Increasing Each Year
There are plenty of high school athletic scholarships available from colleges-about 150,000, equaling more than $1 billion-but they won't come looking for you or your student. Instead, the student-athlete hoping for a scholarship has to make sure he or she stands out from the pack and catches recruiters' and coaches' eyes. Fortunately, funding for athletic programs continues to rise (according to USA Today, athletic budgets typically rose by 25 percent from 1995 to 2001), increasing a student-athlete's chances.
Tips for getting a scholarship
Coaches can’t recruit you if they don’t know who you are
In any given year a college sports program will begin their recruiting efforts by actively evaluating hundreds of potential recruits. Coaches won’t be recruiting you or offering you a sports scholarship unless they know who you are. It is your responsibility to get the coaches attention by emailing them, calling them or by joining online recruiting networks.
Don’t let academics hold you back
Academics can often be the deciding factor between two equally talented athletes. Don’t assume that just because you are a college level athlete and meet the minimum requirements a school will be willing to accept you. College athletic programs are under a lot of pressure to keep the academic performance of their student athletes up and coaches are unwilling to take a risk with an athlete who isn’t a good student.
