The college recruiting process is difficult for students and parents. While it is a potentially life altering decision for a student, it can be even more difficult for a parent. You want your child to make the best decision possible, but you may know which decision may be the best. Most parents don't know where to start when their child start going through the athletic college recruiting process. If you keep these three main points in mind, you will have a head start in comparison to many other parents going through the same process.

Your Child Needs to Want It
Desire is a very important aspect in all sports. Coaches look for desire in their potential recruits. Desire is also something that is particularly difficult to measure. Many potential college players do not take the initiative themselves to get in touch with a college coach. Most players either depend on their coaches or parents to make the contact and do the hard work.  Make sure your child is involved in the quest to find the right school for them.  Coaches, however, are always looking for leaders. They want the players who will take the initiative. Players who get in contact with coaches and staff by themselves are extremely valuable to coaches because it shows leadership, initiative, and desire. .

College Recruiting is Similar to a Job Interview
Although it is not apparent to many job applicants, the traditional goal of a job interview is to test if the job is mutually beneficial to both the job applicant and the potential employer.  Everyone tries to put their best foot forward when they are interviewing for a new job. You wear your nicest clothes and put a smile on your face. Your goal is to convince your potential future boss that you are going to be able to do the job. You should behave appropriately and show your talent. The college recruitment process is no different. Every time a college sees a potential recruit, the recruit is being evaluated. Things that are often overlooked during evaluation are the non-athletic aspects of the recruit.?

• How the recruit interacts with their teammates?
• How punctual they are?
• How confident they seem during the interview process? Do they ask a lot of questions? Are they engaged?

Many times, a coach will not evaluate a recruit’s athletic ability if the player is lacking in other important areas like the ability to function as a team member.

Athletic Ability Isn’t Everything
Most recruits don’t understand how important academics are to the recruitment process. There are many times when athletes do not have the grades to become admitted to a college they are getting recruited at. If a student isn’t admitted to a university, they won’t be able to play at that school. Many potential college athletes overlook this important aspect and it is crucial that parents play an active role in their child’s academic lives. As a parent, it is crucial that you take time out of your busy schedule to monitor your children’s academic progress.

Many athletes overlook the possibilities of playing at other collegiate levels, such as NCAA II, III, NAIA and Junior Colleges. These schools do not offer nearly as much scholarship money as Division I schools, but they offer an outlet for the high school athletes that want to continue playing at a high level. Playing team sports in college helps students prepare for life after college by helping them learn time management, leadership, and other important life skills. There are also numerous other opportunities for scholarship money that your son can apply for.