If you are a young student athlete who aspires to compete at the college level, the recruiting process starts now. Every year recruiting is accelerating and the competition is higher than ever. It’s important for even the top ranked athletes to begin the process early. There are no shortcuts to success, it’s vital that you put forth the necessary effort to maintain it.

“It’s not the will to win that matters. Everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” – Paul “Bear” Bryant

The recruiting process starts the first day of high school, making it important for athletes and their parents to prep long before then. It may sound crazy, a 13-year old thinking about what college they want to attend, but competition within college sports recruitment is fierce. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)allows coaches to start making contact with student-athletes as early as freshmen year! Granted, it isn’t personal contact but there are loopholes to the NCAA contact rules – another reason to be well prepared.

The NCAA allows contact after a recruit’s sophomore year of high school and allows recruits to make an official campus visit as soon as January 1 of their junior year.

Football scholarships, in particular, are extremely competitive. Just think about it, 84% of D1 prospects are identified by the end of their sophomore year. Their sophomore year!

For recruited athletes, the timeline for when you should do things to prepare for college differs from a regular student. Begin studying for your ACT or SAT by your sophomore year. Coaches want to see that you are taking the necessary strides to become eligible. Narrow down your college list by the end of your junior year so you know which coaches to contact. Begin logging statistics, share your achievements, and create highlight films for recruiters. Furthermore, don’t wait until the last minute to start sending out emails to coaches. Think of this as your athletic resume; what can you do to stand out from the rest?

There are plenty of avenues out there for students and their parents to begin building their athletic profile and get discovered; for instance, Next College Student Athlete. NCSA is the largest recruiting company that has the formula to success in helping navigate the competitive scholarship market. They have the ability to connect millions of student-athletes to approximately 50,000 college coaches.

The best possible thing you can do is to get a plan together. Get educated on the process and understand the rules so that you will be prepared for everything that comes your way. Take the initiative and don’t sit around waiting for success to happen, create your own success. With millions of athletes aiming for the same scholarship as you, it’s easy to go unnoticed. Your big opportunity may be right around the corner, and it will go to the one who is prepared.

Start your recruiting game plan. Build your presence. Get discovered.