3 Mistakes No High School Athlete Can Afford To Make


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If you hope to be recruited and play college sports, there are three mistakes you can’t afford to make in high school:

1. Thinking Grades Don’t Matter

Grades should be your No. 1 priority! Don’t wait until your sophomore or junior year because that is too late. Coaches want athletes who can be successful in the classroom because your education is what is going to be your future. First you must be academically eligible to even have an opportunity to play in college. When an athlete has good grades, it’s one less thing a college coach will have to worry about when it comes time to travel and missing classes during the season. Remember: You are a student-athlete, not an athlete-student.

2. Being Lazy

Athletes miss out on opportunities simply because they don’t respond to college coaches through email, social media, text messages or phone calls. Yes, phone calls! Some coaches like to call you so they can get better insight into your personality through a phone conversation vs. hiding behind text messages. You should always respond to a coach no matter the situation because that college coach took the time to reach out to you. It is also important to respond back to college coaches in a timely manner. If it takes you a week or two to respond back to a coach, it shows them you are not really interested in that program.

3. Believing D-1 Is The Only Option

Not true! There are SO MANY colleges and universities that you never have heard of or know are out there, leading to more opportunities for you. There are more than 2,000 colleges and universities that have athletic programs in all divisions in the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA. Many athletes only know about the four to six colleges in their backyard, plus the other top Division I colleges in their sport. Because those are the only colleges the athlete knows about, he/she only sends information to those coaches and attends only their camps. Do not put all of your eggs in one basket. Look at all options. Do you want to go to a school and sit on the bench or go to a school to play and be an impact player?


National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.

If you are ready to take your recruiting to the next level, click the Get Scouted button below to be evaluated by an NSR College Scout.

Get Scouted  Scouting Careers

5 thoughts on “3 Mistakes No High School Athlete Can Afford To Make

  1. What about all the camp invites should they responded to every single one of those ? I know a lot are computer generated . But how can you tell them apart ,when daughter is a softmore as far as what’s more personal or not.

    • CJpavy that’s a great question. That’s where NSR’s experience and understanding of the recruiting process is invaluable. We help athletes decode coaches emails and camp invites, so you are focusing on the right opportunities that are a fit and not wasting time or money on the wrong ones.

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