Coach Mitchell has provided me with a wealth of information. Her perspective for the journey of a student-athlete is invaluable. I thought that my son's talent would automatically get us a scholarship. As a former student-athlete myself, I wish I had her insight when I was coming along, but luckily, with her help, I've been able to provide it for my son, a current student-athlete. Thanks Coach Mitchell.
--- Dad of a promising future D-1 Point Guard - Carlos Sanford
A NOTE TO PARENTS
Congratulations! By checking out our website you have taken an important step for your teenager's future. Our site offers more free information about the college sports process than any other out there! Try www.sportspectator.com for some great background information and basic rules for each sport.
We started Sports Dreammakers because we heard so many sad stories about recruiting services that take advantage of parents -- and prey on their fears.
Often parents make the mistake of thinking that because your son or daughter has skills, talent, determination, and a great heart for his or her sport the college coaches will be knocking down your doors. Now all you have to do is wait for that college coach to see them in action and start offering scholarships. Isn't that how it's supposed to work? This isn't the case for most student-athletes.
Few athletes are recruited this way and even fewer athletes are offered "full rides." There are many things that you and your athlete might consider doing to help your student-athlete reach their dream of being a college student-athlete. Paying to have your athlete's profile listed online isn't necessary -- you can do this for free! Using a recruiting service will cost much more than necessary and the effectiveness of going that route is questionable at best -- just ask a college coach! Consider using our Quick Start Package for student-athletes.
Just click here for a chance to unlock some of the secrets for student-athletes at a price that is affordable for every family.
We call this section The Bleachers to honor the hours and hours that you -- as a parent - have spent watching and supporting your children and teenagers as they take their journey through sports and hopefully into college.
Benefits of Playing College Sports
If your child wishes to play college sports -- it could be the best thing for them. Instead of distracting them from their studies, statistics say otherwise. Student-athletes have a coach to answer to, and that coach is often quite interested in what grades their college athletes are making.
Playing college sports teach many important lessons that translate into the corporate world: teamwork, discipline, persistence, and more. Being a former college athlete will look great on a resume later, and many employers know the value that former student-athletes will bring to their company.Whether or not your student-athlete is good enough for a Division I scholarship, their experience at a different level can be equally valuable.
The Recruiting Process
The College Recruiting Process is sometimes a lengthy and involved process. As you know, helping your student find the perfect college match takes time work. It will involve making a plan, networking and developing relationships with several or many coaches. College recruiting success is not an accident, but a result of perseverance. If you sit back and expect things to take care of themselves, the opportunities might pass by your student. Get exposure, make contacts, and follow up early and often.
Click here for answers to important questions
The NCAA Eligibility Center
Every student-athlete who wishes to walk-on or earn a scholarship to a Division I or Division II Sports team must register for the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly the NCAA Clearinghouse.) For Division I, students need 16 core courses and for Division II, complete 14. Then the GPA for those core courses must meet an index that matches the ACT or SAT scores (Division I only). For Division II you must have a 2.0 GPA and minimum Test Scores.
Click here for the Sports Dreammakers document to guide you through the NCAA Eligibility Center Registration.
Admissions Help
Getting Into College
Student-athletes who wish to attend high level academic schools with sports can use their athletic background to help in the admissions process. Imagine having a special advocate on campus helping your child be admitted to a school where they must stand out in order to be admitted. College coaches are considered a valuable part of the recruiting process of bringing prospective students to the college campus. They have standards to uphold, but are often given a bit of flexibility. This is one of the best kept secrets about Division III, and other levels of college athletics at elite liberal arts colleges. The resume of a strong athlete often has a boost at admissions time. Many private and public colleges and universities ask their coaching staff to turn in a list of student-athletes they are recruiting. Coaches usually turn in their list before admissions decisions are made. Often, the athletic department gets a special appeals list that the director of admissions will work to admit the coaches' "wish-list" of student-athletes to the school. Fair or not, wouldn't you rather be on the student-athlete side of this? Contact Sports Dreammakers for more information on how to make this happen for you.
Why might this be fair?
Student-athletes will have an extra support system while on campus that the average student won't have. Students who have the potential to succeed, even if their grades are not as high as other incoming students, will often be admitted - based on having potential and based on a coach vouching for them. Admissions departments realize the influence that a college coach has on a student-athlete, and the amount of importance a coach has in the potential success of a student-athlete.
The resources listed under the student-athlete tab will help you and your athlete find the best spot for them. Please check back for more later, as we are working on putting together special parent pages.
As a parent of a student-athlete there are a couple of things you should know if your teenager is to play sports at any level.
* If your student-athlete isn't the star of their team, they may still find a successful college sports experience. Small schools, community colleges, and startup programs often need filler players for their roster.
* Student-athletes with strong parental support are most successful when it comes to finding the right spot for them at a college. During this pivotal point in your teenager's life, they need you more than they'll ever admit. Studies have shown that students with strong and consistent parental support are more likely to attend selective colleges.
* Scholarships are great, but there are other forms of financial aid and rewards available for athletes.
* The competition is more intense than ever. Student-athletes must use reverse recruiting by marketing themselves.
* Even outstanding athletes should market themselves to get on "the lists" of college coaches everywhere. Top athletes should not just sit back and see who recruits them -- why not reach out and pick the schools you want to recruit you?
* Walk-ons at Division I and Division II scholarship programs can have a great time, get great coaching, and find much value in their experience.