12 Mistakes Commonly Made by Athletic Recruits
“Experience is a master teacher, even when it’s not our own.”
― Gina Greenlee
College recruitment is a life-altering process, and it designs your career path and gives you exposure and opportunities along the way. But it can also turn into a disaster if not handled properly.
You can either learn from your own mistakes or someone else’s. There is another choice; you can altogether avoid these mistakes by contacting some good sports services like Next Level Sport Solutions. These services help you improve your game by providing you with training and making your recruitment process smooth.
A player needs to stay true to themselves throughout the process and find opportunities that align best with their interests.
Listed below are some mistakes to avoid when recruiting season is at its peak:
Know Your Worth
The best thing you can do to yourself is stay true to yourself. No one better than knows your game and grades. After yourself, your high school coach can help you assess your worth.
When you know your worth, you will only focus on more likely colleges to select you. Keeping your ambitions high is good, but one must not forget their abilities and other factors that pitch in when deciding.
Colleges approaching you for recruitment are a great way to assess your worth. It is implausible that you are getting offers from a high division college, and you think of yourself as worthy of a lower division college and vice versa.
Be Honest
Thinking about lying on your resumes or cover letters? Don’t! College coaches don’t just recruit a high school-level player; they recruit a leader and a sportsperson. For the recruiter, it is crucial to locate a good athlete with a sportsman spirit. That’s why they visit games and talk to your coaches. It is a terrible idea to lie or brag about yourself. Bragging about your grades, behavior with team players, and your sports skills isn’t going to lead you anywhere because college coaches leave no stone unturned when finding themselves a good players.
Be honest with your recruiter and yourself. If the recruiter is approaching you, you have something to offer, so don’t downgrade yourself and stay crystal clear.
Show That You Are Interested
After receiving their first letter from college coaches, most students think they have gained a place on the college team, which is quite the opposite of what that letter depicts. That letter aims to alert the player that he is on the recruiter’s radar and now he must work harder to gain his place.
But in most cases, students do something opposite. They misunderstand the letter and stop working on it, and that’s when they are cut off from the list.
Once you’ve received the letter, you must answer the coach accordingly. Approach the coaches via email, and let them know about your recent achievements. You can send your video resume, cover letter, or personal statement. This way, you will stay connected with the recruiter, and he will know you personally.
Not Taking Your Overall Profile Seriously
Athletic recruits often don’t understand the importance of their academic and extracurricular profile. They think their athletic skills will get them into their desired college. When recruiting athletes, coaches see a player’s sports profile and watch his academic and extra-curricular profile. Your social media and intangibles also contribute to your college profile.
SO what should an athlete do to stand out? First of all, maintaining their academic profile is a must. So they must thrive for it. Another thing is to be careful on social media. In this world of TikTok and Instagram, students must save themselves from anything that can affect their recruiting process.
Surrendering Too Soon
One of the most prominent qualities of an athlete is persistence. An athlete doesn’t give up until the end of the game. And that’s what must be applied outside of the field.
Not hearing or getting rejection from one or two colleges doesn’t mean that you are not worthy of college admission. It just implies that those colleges were not meant to be your destination. In this situation, a true sportsman’s spirit is to show courage and keep applying to colleges until you are recruited.
The purpose of this whole process is to make you a good athlete. These recruitment processes make you ready for future hurdles.
Wasting Time
Waiting for someone to approach you for recruitment or not applying in your junior year of high school wastes your precious time. Smart athletes start working for their recruitment in their junior year, and by the time they are in their senior year, their recruitment is sorted.
You don’t need to wait for a recruiter to contact you or coaches to send your application. You can take help from your high school coach or your parents or even from any sports services, but at the end of the day, It is your responsibility to initiate your recruiting process. It shows your commitment to the game and your willingness to join the college as an athlete.
Indecisiveness
Lucky are those who have multiple choices to pursue their dream. One such situation can occur when you are applying for colleges.
As an athlete, if you have good skills and academic background, you are more likely to get selected by multiple colleges. And there is a fair chance that you can get confused.
The key is to select colleges based on your plans and financial conditions. The more time you take to decide, the more likely you will miss the opportunity.
Conclusion
A wise person continuously learns from the mistakes of others. Use your resources and the above guidelines to avoid any errors while making the most important decisions of your life.,
There are plenty of resources to get help from, such as Next Level Sport Solutions. Services like these help you improve your profile and increase the chance of your selection into your favorite college. It is now up to you; if you are an intelligent athlete.
