Freshman Recruiting Checklist for Student Athletes

Freshman Year Recruiting Checklist 

I found creating these checklists from a variety of sources online a great reminder set to follow for the whole college recruiting process.  If you think that you are going to pursue an athletic scholarship, these are great guidelines to follow, and can even help in college planning in general, even if the college athletic career does not work out.  Below is the first in a series of checklists to follow, and it focuses on athletic, academic and seasonal items you should follow your Freshman Year:

Timing	Category	Item
All Year	Academics	Hit the ground running in School, and give 100% in all areas.  Good grades plus stellar athletic stats = More Options
All Year	Academics	Take challenging classes, AP and Honors
All Year	Activities	Round out your overall resume by participating in clubs, community and leadership activities
All Year	Academics	Identify any problem areas immediately and seek teacher or tutor assistance to make sure you have a solid foundation for future classes
Fall	Recruiting	Download or Purchase the NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete and read it with your parents.
Fall	Recruiting	Review NCAA Academic Requirements to make sure you are taking the correct courses: NCAA Student Athlete Worksheet and NCAA Academic Quick Reference Guide
Fall	Academics	Begin to build a target list of schools that offer your sport, and meet your criteria.  The College Board has a great tool that lets you enter your criteria (size, location, etc.) and gives you a list: College Board School Selector
Fall	Academics	Meet with High School Guidance Counselor to ensure your courses will meet your goals
Fall	Academics	Start researching your target schools academics and testing requirements and compare to your curriculum and Counselor path
Fall	Athletics	Use the Internet to research your sport and find out what type of marks, times and benchmarks are required to be considered for athletic scholarship
All Year	Athletics	Ask for evaluations from high school and club coaches for a reality check
All Year	Athletics	Define strength, benchmark and competitive goals with coaches for the year
All Year	Athletics	Work with outside strength / agility programs and outside coaches / clinics to enhance skills
All Year	Social Media	Make sure you use Facebook, MySpace and all other internet accessible sites in a mature manner.  Coaches look!!!
All Year	Social Media	Establish a Twitter Account, YouTube Account, Acceptable Email Address (no inappropriate words) and setup a BLOG.  If you don't have Facebook, do that as well.
In Season	Athletics	Make sure you keep a log of all your stats, collect all photos and video clips and any newspaper clippings.
In Season	Athletics	Coaches look for good athletes, but also want leadership and good sportsmanship.  Make sure you rise to the occasion.
In Season	Athletics	Evaluate your performance pre, during and post season, and perform a reality check (do you make the cut)
In Season	Athletics	Utilize your social media and send periodic updates on new records, milestones, pics, etc.
In / Post Season	Recruiting	Create accounts on BeRecuited, Takkle, etc. and make sure your profile is complete and updated.
Summer	Athletics	Attend Nationally recognized camps and events for exposure.  If possible, attend a camp at a target school.
Summer	Athletics	Enroll in strength and agility training specific for your sport
Summer	Academics	If available, take advantage of summer school to knock an additional class out, especially one that may require additional focus.

Want more? These are available for download at the Recruiticus Athletic Scholarship Site