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Every high school athlete dreams of glory on the court, and cutting down the nets as champions at the college level. After years of polishing their skills on the court, hitting the weight room, and learning the game, these athletes have prepared for the next level but nothing can prepare them for the difficulty throughout the recruiting process. Here’s  look at the recruiting process through the eyes of the recruit, and what they need to do to earn a scholarship.

First, lets take a look at some of the things recruits need to do to earn a scholarship.

1. Take the required classes to be NCAA eligible and get good test scores (ACT, SAT)
2. Register with the NCAA clearinghouse (register as an amateur athlete)
3. Excel on the court (display your athleticism)
4. Make a list of schools (ideal, realistic, back-up) and research schools
5. Go to summer camps (display good character and work ethic)
6. Create a recruiting tape (send to schools on your lists)

Next we will look at a breakdown of the recruiting process from the NCAA recruiting guidebook by year.

Freshman/Sophomore year:

• Recruits are allowed to fill out questionnaires, and attend summer camps.
• However, recruits cannot be contacted by coaches until the end of their sophomore year (June 15). At that point, phone calls and electronic correspondence are unlimited.

Junior year:

• Recruits can have face-to-face contact, off the college campus, but must be at the recruit’s school or practice facilities with coaches, other than the two-week recruiting period in April.
• During the April recruiting period, recruits can be visited at their school, or their residence by members of the coaching staff.
• Recruits can official visit college campuses after January 1 of their junior year.
• Unlimited phone calls and electronic correspondence continue unlimited.

Senior year:

• Unlimited phone calls and electronic correspondence continue unlimited.
• Recruits can have face-to-face contact, off the college campus, but must be at the recruit’s school or practice facilities with coaches till until September 9.
• After recruit has signed the National Letter of Intent, there are no longer restrictions on contact, and campus visits.

Throughout the process, recruits add and subtract from their college lists from their conversations and meetings with coaches. This process is a long one, spanning over two years and starting at a young age. At times, the process can be overwhelming being bombarded by texts, tweets, Facebook messages, letters, emails, phone calls, and visits. Overall, this process should be enjoyed. It’s an exciting time that not everyone gets a chance to go through. The ultimate goal is to find a school that offers you the best environment for your athletic and personal development to not only excel in college but in life after basketball.