Getting recruited to play sports in college can be a grueling process for many high school athletes. There is a ton of rules, regulations, and tips that you should understand to enter the recruiting game.

It is important to get prepared for the recruiting process before high school starts. The NCAA and NAIA look at each year of classes taken during high school, not just Junior and Senior Year. It is wise to know which classes you need to be eligible to compete at the NCAA level. But that’s just one piece of the recruiting process. Here are 3 goals to set for yourself before you begin the process of recruitment.

Get Organized

Begin by collecting all your academic and athletic information and compile them together in a profile to send to coaches. You will also need to keep track of which schools you are interested in, and what you need to send to each school. If you are talking to a handful of coaches, it is important to know when you talked to them, and what you discussed. Managing all this information on top of practice and school work is a lot to handle, which is why it is so crucial to get organized early and stay organized. You can use spreadsheets, word documents, apps, calendars, or whatever you think will help you keep track of it all.

Strive for Good Grades

Student athletes get recruited because they are good students, as well as good athletes. You should establish good study habits before you begin high school. Make sure that you’re completing all your assignments, papers, and studying for your tests. College coaches want to work with athletes of good character and who recognize the responsibility of being a student-athlete by not overlooking the importance of their studies. Getting a high GPA and doing well on the SAT/ACT can also land you more scholarship money through an academic scholarship in addition to an athletic one. Don’t limit yourself with poor grades. Regardless of your skill level, you will not be eligible to play at the D1 level with inadequate grades and test scores.

Fully Commit

The recruiting process is a lot of work. And you’ll be doing almost all the work yourself; don’t rely on anyone else to get you recruited, it’s up to you. You should take some time and discuss your goals and make sure college sports is the future you want. From start to finish, you will be the one involved in everything, from putting together your video and profile, to emailing and calling coaches. When you commit yourself to finding an opportunity to play in college, you are more likely to achieve that goal. Make it happen!