4 College Recruiting Considerations When Choosing a High School
Did you know that finding the right high school for your kid is just as important as finding the right college? The high school that your student ends up attending can have a direct impact on their ability to get admitted and succeed in college.
There are several things to consider when looking into high schools for your incoming freshman. Making the right choice in a high school is especially important for student-athletes who want to continue to grow in their sport and eventually compete in college.
Here are four things to consider as you search for viable high school options:
1. Playing Time is More Important Than Name Recognition
Many parents are attracted to big-name high schools that have reputable sports programs. While being a part of a highly competitive program is good, if your son or daughter won’t be given any playing time, it won’t help them develop as a player. While they will get ample training and practice, if they don’t get enough game situation experience, college coaches won’t be interested in them.
2. Academics Open More Doors Than Athletics
Being an active athlete is always a great asset to helping high school students grow and develop. But being a star athlete isn’t the most important part of high school; academics are. Doing well in classes and scoring well on the SAT or ACT demonstrates to college admissions how well the student might do at their school. Students who earn high GPAs and work hard in the classroom will be more attractive to college coaches as well. Coaches want student-athletes who are dedicated to earning a college degree.
3. Interview (don’t Interrogate) the Coaching Staff
In becoming more familiar with a prospect high school, it will be important for you to be able to go in and talk to the coaches. You can discuss the training and practice schedule with them and get a good idea of how your child might function under their leadership. You can also ask them exactly what is expected of their athletes and know what is expected of you as a parent. That way, everyone is on the same page, and this can help prevent disputes and complications down the road.
4. Being a Multisport Athlete
There are hundreds of student-athletes who compete in multiple sports in high school. This demonstrates a lot of character that college coaches look for in prospects. Being able to time-manage between multiple sports and still do well in class shows the coach that they work hard and are dedicated. However, when it comes to junior or senior year, college coaches will be looking for athletes who are concentrating on one specific sport and specialize in their development there. While there are a few sports that may have some overlap in technique and skills, college coaches are more interested in athletes who have committed themselves to one sport and have developed and gotten the experience they need to compete at the college level.
Here is our free guide to Preparing for the Recruiting Process.
Is your high school coach helping you in the recruiting process? Do you have questions about how to work with your coach to get recruited? Ask your questions in the comments section below or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+!