Start early. If you are planning to go for an athletic college scholarship while in high school, you should start early. Starting at a freshman level is crucial. You can develop or hone your athletic abilities as well as ensure that you have enough time to start with your academic eligibility. Contrary to what most people think, you still need a good balance of academic and sports credentials. If you do not have enough courses on your transcript, you may not qualify for a college athletic scholarship.
Choose a sport that will work with a list of colleges you want to attend and that fits your natural talents. The sport you choose should be the sport that the colleges also offer.
Get the help of your school guidance counselor. The counselor is there to assist the students with their needs. Meet with your counselor and discuss about your plans on how you can avail of athletic scholarship in college. Your counselor will be a great source of information and can assist you with writing an application letter and any other eligibility requirements you must meet.
Get help from your coach. Oftentimes, coaches can help lead would-be future college athletes to the right path of being accepted. They can give you valuable pointers to hone your athletic talents so that sports scouts will notice you.
Improve and work on your athletic skills at all times. After all, you are looking for an athletic scholarship and your performances on game day is what will get recruiters and the media looking your way. It can improve your chances of being recruited if you show you value teamwork, maturity and sportsmanship. You need to work on your image to make yourself noticeable. So, work hard on the image that you project every time you are playing or competing.
Contact the coaches and get more visibility by visiting colleges or universities. Introduce yourself by making phone calls, by writing to them or by doing personal visits. Coaches rarely reach out to high school sports athletes unless it is the latter part of high school--from the junior to senior year. By reaching out to them first, you are showing great enthusiasm. Respect their time and make an appointment. Do not feel bad if they cannot see you right away for they have a lot of work to do. Many students like you want to meet them. Be patient until you get that appointment confirmed, and then show up on time and ready to show them what you have to offer.
Start marketing yourself. If star athletes in your school always get the attention of the local newspaper, you can gain attention by going to community programs, volunteering and getting a sponsor. It also helps if you are good in your sport. Also, help mentor young kids in your community so that they can develop into future athletes. The local organizations as well as the media will surely notice the deed.
Hire the services of an athletic scholarships recruiting company. Just be aware that these groups, although some are legitimate, may be very costly. Therefore, this is something that you would want to think or decide to do with your parents since they may need to help you pay for the fees.
Assess the colleges that will be a best fit for you. You assess their academic and sports offerings. See if they can offer you success in your studies, since your goal with a college scholarship is hopefully to graduate.
Read the requirements for college bound athletes from the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) handbooks. Check out their links under "Resources."