It’s not easy for Hawaii’s student athletes to get recruited by colleges on the mainland. Like international student athletes, Hawaii’s student athletes (and college coaches) are limited by distance and travel costs. It can be harder to get recruited if students do not have the opportunity to gain exposure at mainland tournaments, camps and showcases, where college coaches tend to look for possible recruits. Every year, many outstanding athletes are overlooked for one simple reason: the college coaches didn’t know they were there. However, Hawaii students are welcomed into college athletic programs because of the versatility they will be able to bring to college programs.
In order to be recruited, Hawaii athletes will need to take the initiative and reach out to college coaches. Research colleges, send a video to coaches, communicate online and ask questions — and this summer is a great time to get started reaching out about your skills and interests! Coaches who have heard directly from student athletes will be more willing to help with admission and possibly to extend scholarship offers to student athletes whom they have heard from and have seen play. Coaches are seeking athletes who not only have talent but also work hard, have character and initiative, indicate potential and have the academic prerequisites for admission.
Depending on your sport, start contacting coaches and building relationships with them as early as possible, perhaps even in eighth or ninth grades. Try to get them to know your name without being annoying. Use the internet. Visit colleges’ athletic department sites as well as admission sites, collecting as much information about the colleges and the difference in their sports programs as you can. Fill out the prospective student athlete or recruiting questionnaires. You’re looking for a school that will be a good fit for you and your talents, athletically and academically. Get a realistic evaluation of your talent, if you can. There are many different levels of competition and it’s important to understand where your specific skill set may fit. Coaches and evaluators face immense pressure to fill their slots with the most gifted athletes they can find, so don’t be disappointed if you are not a realistic recruit for the highest levels of college athletic competition in your sport. You still can play! Attend showcases, tournaments and college sports camps if you can. The director of the camp is usually the college head coach. If a college does show interest in you, answer any request they have immediately. If a coach or school is requesting more information, chances are you are probably being seriously considered. Ask your club and/or high school coach to help.
The college coach will be the one to advocate for you with the admissions department and they can offer scholarships if the school is a member of the NCAA DI or DII. The college coach will evaluate not only your athletic ability, but also your academic abilities. Many schools require you to maintain a certain test score and grade point average to apply and play on their team, so it’s important to have excellent academics to go along with your athletics.
Even if you are not a recruited student athlete, you shouldn’t give up on the idea of playing a sport in college. You can try “walking on” to a college team, or try playing at a less competitive college. Overall, the graduation rates of student athletes are higher than those of the rest of the students. They have more fun, have a built-in group of friends, travel, and feel better prepared for life after college. Eight out of every 10 student athletes earn their diplomas, and more than 35 percent of them earn postgraduate degrees. To a large extent, this is because student athletes get higher levels of support and they are aware of the importance of balancing social, academic and athletic responsibilities.
Check out this article for more details on how to get recruited:
http://westhawaiitoday.com/sports/local-sports/ins-and-outs-getting-recruited
College Goals is a team of four college admission professionals with expertise in every facet of the college search and application process, and decades of experience. David Prutow, former Director of College Counseling at high-performing private and public East Coast secondary schools, lives in Waikoloa and focuses on supporting Hawaii-based students and on guiding athletes through the admission process. For more information, check out our website: www.collegegoals.com.
Important Dates
Aug. 1 The 2017-18 Common Application launches.
Aug. 26 SAT Test: register by July 17 (late registration available
http://sat.collegeboard.org/register)
Sept. 9 ACT Test: register by Aug. 4 (late registration available
http://www.actstudent.org/regist/index.html)