Sometimes, a little guidance goes a long way.

For high school athletes looking to play in college, it’s overwhelming to step into a whirlwind recruiting process with thousands of other athletes, and try to stand out from the crowd.

Between establishing college contacts, creating highlight videos, and staying in top athletic and academic form, the recruiting process can take its toll when undertaken alone.

But with the NCSA, the National Collegiate Scouting Association, the pain of the recruiting process has been taken away.  

The NCSA is an athletic recruiting network that helps over 35,000 college coaches and over 250,000 student-athletes connect to get the most out of the college recruiting process.

The goal of the NCSA is twofold: to educate prospective college athletes about the recruiting process, while providing a means for college coaches to find the recruits best suited to their programs.

In its charter, the NCSA sets out to answer five questions essential to the success of any prospective college athlete. We list them below:

Q: When does the recruiting process start?

A: It’s never too early to start thinking about being recruited. College coaches start to identify 7th and 8th graders as recruits and even offer scholarships to prospects before their freshman year in high school.

Q: Where do coaches recruit?

A: Most coaches attend tournaments, games, and camps with a list of student athletes they will evaluate, compiled using information from reliable sources. Each player needs to be pro-active in getting their name, academic scores and athletic achievements in front of coaches very early on, as most Division I prospects are identified by the end of sophomore year.

Q: How do coaches evaluate student-athletes?

A: College coaches do their initial evaluation by looking at video, requested or received from reliable sources. After watching video, a coach may decide to have a member of his or her staff make an in-person evaluation.

Q: Where can I play?

A: Great schools exist at all levels, and only 6% of all student-athletes play at Division I schools. Have clear expectations of the college programs you qualify for based on athletic and academic performance, whether that’s DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, or NJCAA. (And, yes, DIII schools provide financial packages, too!)

Q: What is my current coach’s role in the recruiting process?

A: Never rely solely on your high school coach. Student-athletes and their families are ultimately responsible for connecting with college coaches. Take ownership of the process, and meet with your coaches and gain a clear understanding of who will be responsible for every aspect of your recruiting process.  

While education is a huge part of the recruiting process, it’s only the start of the services provided by the NCSA.

Student athletes and their parents receive recruiting education and analysis to see realistically what colleges they match. If qualified, they gain access into the Network and their own Recruiting Management System. Custom services are also available for them like: Video Analysis, production and hosting, College Coach Tracking, and even one on one coaching throughout the process.

College recruiting is a long and arduous process, and it is not easy to tackle on your own.

Get started by creating your free Recruiting Profile and joining the NCSA Athletic Recruiting Network here or call 866-579-6272 to receive a priority recruiting analysis.