ultimately, you help yourself locate the right school, the right
program, and the right coach.
Other than the largest Division I revenue-producing pro-
grams, very few programs have a sufficient level of funding to
make full-ride athletic financial aid offers to the prospects they
are recruiting. This is especially true for Division II and III col-
leges (the bogus assertions concerning no financial aid based
on athletic ability at Division III colleges require a separate
section, which follows).
Consequently, these restrictions cause the coach to be very
careful about which prospects are offered athletic scholarships
or financial aid awards. It is essential to remember, for these
divisions and for NAIA, that the less money spent to recruit
any one prospect (which could be you) means there are more
funds available to recruit other prospects. The cheaper a coach
can recruit higher-quality prospects, the more funds are avail-
able to recruit additional good prospects. This means coaches
increase their chances to have better athletes than their com-
petition and ultimately, they can produce a winning program
and keep their jobs.
essential Companion Guide
To be able to follow the suggestions and learn the recruiting
rules in this guide, you must obtain an essential companion
guide, the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. You
can get a free copy from your guidance counselor or athletic
director. If a copy is not obtainable, call the NCAA and request
a copy. The NCAA number is (800) 638-3731. The Internet
address is http://www.ncaa.org.
Get prepared. Get moving. Get recruited.
Understanding the Recruiting Process 13