INTRODUCTION

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By reading this Guide, you are giving yourself an enormous advantage over your competitors—thousands of
other high school athletes your age who also want to play college sports. Gaining admission to the college of
your choice can be an overwhelming experience for the average high school student. The task is even more
intricate for athletes.
Success requires a solid plan, attention to detail, and disciplined execution. Unfortunately, many high school
athletes looking to continue competing in college do not have a true understanding of how the recruiting
process works, and never reach their athletic or academic potential.
Because athletic programs often change—some coaches leave, new ones arrive—school and athletic
programs change their focus and adapt to rule changes—it is important to have the most current information
available in your search for the school that meets your athletic and academic needs. This Guide provides
a road map for you to follow when making the jump from high school to college sports. If you avoid the
mistakes most high school athletes make, promote yourself aggressively, and improve your athletic and
academic skills, we are confident you will find a school that is right for you!

What We Want To Accomplish

Our goal is to help you find a college where you will be able to:

• Receive a quality education to prepare you for life after college, whether or not it includes athletics.
• Compete on a college team as a starter or an important role player.
• Possibly earn an athletic and/or academic scholarship.
• Obtain the best financial aid package to lower the expenses of college for you and your family.
• Feel confident in your college selection, reducing the chance of transferring or dropping out.

A Big Decision

We hope you’re excited about the opportunity that awaits you: the chance to attend college and continue
your sports career. College promises to be one of the most enjoyable, rewarding, and memorable times of
your life. We want to make sure you select a school that meets all of your needs.
Choosing which school to attend is a big decision. College is where you will develop many of your lifelong
friends. It can determine where you eventually live, what livelihood you choose after athletics, and the
possibility of making a professional team. It’s even where you may meet your future spouse.
So, devote whatever time and energy you need from now until the end of your senior year to make sure you
promote yourself in an intelligent and informative way. Although your parents, coaches, and teachers can help,
your future rests in your hands. Are you motivated and determined enough to do the required work? We
hope so, because the results of your efforts could pay dividends the rest of your life.

Start Early

Don’t wait until your junior or senior year to begin your college search. As you will learn in this Guide, finding the right school for you requires a continuous effort over an extended period of time. We recommend you begin your search once you enter high school. If you are currently a junior or senior, your effort will need to be more disciplined, intense, and focused than most other college bound athletes.

Maintain A Positive Attitude

Unfortunately, the college recruiting process can be filled with disappointments: you don’t
perform well in a big game, meet or showcase; you don’t have the statistics you hoped
for; you learn that your top school doesn’t need an athlete like you; or no one offers you
a scholarship. Whatever roadblocks you face, do your best not to get discouraged. Try to
maintain a positive and upbeat attitude and have confidence that you will ultimately reach
your goal. Confidence is an important key to success in life, not just on the athletic field.

Assumptions

If you are reading this Guide, we assume you would like to gain a better understanding of
the college recruiting process. You probably feel confused and are unsure what steps you
should take to attract the attention of college recruiters. Most of your anxiety can be
avoided if you are aware of the recruiting process. That’s where we can help.
This Guide is loaded with useful information to give you the confidence and skills you
need to market yourself and give you a better chance to identify and attend the
school of your dreams.
We’re also assuming that few coaches outside of your local area know your
name, even if you’re an outstanding athlete with tons of potential. Also, athletes
from warm-weather climates, competing in outdoor sports, have the advantage
of training year-round, generally making them more experienced athletes.
The opposite is true for a sport like ice hockey, where a cold climate is definitely advantageous! Although you
may be at a disadvantage because of where you live geographically, don’t be discouraged. We’re going to show
you how to generate attention from coaches all around the country, whether you live in sunny San Diego,
California or chilly Bangor, Maine.

Get Your Degree

There are countless stories of high school athletes who seek lucrative professional contracts but never get
them. We want you to realize you have a much better chance of becoming a successful businessperson,
doctor or lawyer, if you graduate from college first. Once you receive a college degree, no one can ever take
it away from you. It can help lead the way to financial security for the rest of your life.

Let Others Help You

It is important that you share this Guide and advice with your parents, coaches, guidance counselors, and
any other people assisting you with your college search. You will benefit immensely from the opinions and
experiences of people who have your best interests at heart and have been down this road before.

Why We Wrote This Guide

Since 1991, our company has helped thousands of young athletes with dreams of competing on the collegiate
level. Even though most of these top athletes aspired to compete at the college level, few of them got the
chance and their careers ended prematurely. We couldn’t understand why this was happening so we decided
to learn everything we could about the college recruiting process and share it all with you.

The information we’ve compiled features extensive research with hundreds of college coaches, guidance
counselors, high school athletes, and parents.

Here’s What We’ve Concluded:

The main reason so many talented student-athletes never realize their dreams of competing in college is because:

• They don’t understand the recruiting process.
• They don’t apply to appropriate schools.
• They don’t prepare academically and athletically.
• They don’t promote themselves properly.

We don’t want this to happen to you!

With thousands of college athletic programs in the United States, we know there is a school out there that
needs an athlete just like you.

Now, let’s go find it!