Myth:    (You might think) "If I play in a gym or swim in a pool or play on a field I will get on college coaches' radar screens." (I call this the gymhouse effect -- as opposed to the greenhouse effect.)

Truth:    Don't depend on being noticed merely because you spend hours on a court, in a pool, or on a field competing. Get on a coach's radar screen by sending a personal letter -- addressed specifically to the coach at colleges where you believe you can play and where you are interested in attending and competing. Team players, consider following up with a videotape of yourself in action. In other words, pre-market yourself before you play in tournaments, attend showcase events, and before your season begins.

Myth: (You might think) "I must use a recruiting service or scouting service to get noticed by college coaches."

Truth: You can do the job yourself with Sports Dreammakers' assistance -- and get better results for less money. Most traditional recruiting or -- as they have been recently renamed -- "scouting services" don't send stuff to college coaches that allow you to appear special. College coaches prefer to receive a piece of mail directly from the student-athlete or your high school coach. In addition, fancy promotional materials ie. professionally made videos, professionally made resumes or profiles are not necessary to attract the attention of a college coach. Your time is better spent paying a private coach to increase your skills or on a tutor to improve your grades. The Internet is a powerful tool.  Sending e-mails with a short bio and your stats and video footage to many people is so simple that this is the way recommended by most college coaches. Remember, colleges have online forms for prospective student-athletes.

With most recruiting services,  your resume arrives in a stack with tens of other athletes. This is not the best way to approach college coaches. College coaches (especially at the top levels) have specifically said -- and on many occasions -- that they often throw away stacks of resumes or delete e-mails that they receive from these services. They don't want to patronize these businesses BECAUSE college coaches know they are often not the way student-athletes should be reverse recruiting themselves. In addition, when you send something directly to a coach they know you are truly interested in them. The scouting services that are valid are usually connected with large tournaments where college coaches regularly attend.

Mostly, Division I schools don't use the recruiting services. College coaches that use recruiting services tend to be NAIA schools and Division III schools because they don't get out and travel to as many of the big tournaments because of their limited recruiting budgets and smaller coaching staffs. Some of the smaller schools with low recruiting budgets will send out a questionnaire to student athletes (mostly in their region) if they receive info about a student in a mass mailing from a recruiting service. Remember, receiving a questionnaire does not mean you are being recruited.  It is just the first step in a long process.

BOTTOM LINE: You don't need to use a recruiting or scouting service to get a scholarship or to find a school where you can play your sport.

Also remember that you can send out "mass mailings" all by yourself, but add a personal touch with your signature at the end. Type: Dear ___________ and fill in the blank with each coach's name. See the NAIA and NCAA website links under our resource tab to see a list of colleges that host your sport. That way coaches far away from your region know you actually would consider attending their school. Coaches have had many experiences with finding a talented athlete who could help them, only to learn that the student athlete thinks their school is too far from home. If you would like to go to a school far from home it is especially important for you to send out personal letters.

Think of it this way... A  college coach receives a stack of resumes for many different athletes. They arrive in a single large envelope from a national recruiting service. They all look similar -- other than minor variations in height and weight,etc. The college coach immediately knows that this resume has been sent to college coaches all over America in a packet exactly like the one they received. What makes the coach think that the postage expense of sending a letter, or the time it takes to send an e-mail is worthwhile? If that coach is across the country, what makes him or her believe the student-athlete is truly willing to leave home to come play for the coach?

Stand out! Send personal letters with your information and your signature to stand out. Before you pay any service to "help" you get recruited, ask them to define exactly what they will do for you. Ask for a sample of the material that a coach will recieve on your behalf. If they decline -- go the other way. If they want more than $25, call a few coaches whose schools you are interested in and see if they use the recruiting service. When you think of it that way -- why not just call the schools and tell them you are interested in them? Eliminate the middle person -- unless you are considering more than 50 possible schools. Under 50 -- you can send the letters yourself.

Myth: It is My High School Coach's Job to Help Me Get a Scholarship

Truth: Your high school coach probably does not have the time to properly market each athlete on their team. They may or may not know what you must be doing to get noticed by college coaches. They may focus on the Division I level players. Either way, take the initiative! Be proactive, work hard to get better in your sport, and get on the recruiting lists of your dreams. It is YOUR job. Your high school coaches' job is to field calls, give you mail you receive at the school, and be a solid reference if you are deserving of it.

I received a letter from a college. This means they'll offer me a scholarship.

Myth: (You might think) I just got a letter from a Division I or Division II school. The scholarship offer will certainly be coming soon.  I can stop marketing myself.

Truth: Schools send out hundreds and even thousands of these letters. An offer of a scholarship will nearly always follow an offer for an official paid visit (as a high school senior) and an offer of a home visit by the coach. Ask the college coach specifically what their level of interest is in you as an athlete for their program. Or have your high school coach make a call to find out.

I have plenty of time to market myself.

Myth: ( You might think) I'll send out my letters later.

Truth: Why? Even if you are only in seventh grade you can send a letter to a college coach! Ask them when their summer camps will be. Why not?

For high school athletes, realize that sending out stuff in your junior year should open some doors, but the top colleges have their recruiting lists formulated far in advance. If you wait until you are a senior, scholarships will still be out there. To be safe, and to allow yourself the most opportunities, send out your info as soon as you finish this sentence. You're still here? What are you waiting for? Your future begins now! Go! Do What You Dream!