Lights On Recruiting

Recruit: Amanda Wellick Level 10 Gymnast Class of 2013

2011-01-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a college gymnastics recruiting website for Amanda Wellick from Legacy Elite Gymnastics in Illinois. She is a level 10 and a sophomore in high school.

http://www.awellick2013.com

Recruiting Websites help College Recruits get noticed

2011-01-18T23:47:00.000-08:00

The competition is rising for college sports scholarships. College recruiting services all over the nation now have more athletes than ever to pick from, but less money to offer on scholarships due to the current recession and cuts in education. There are several ways that you can help yourself or your kid get noticed in the sea of qualified applicants. But if you're reading this, you know all the standard means of getting noticed amongst college recruiting services. Let's look beyond the basic steps to competing for a college sports scholarship, and find out what really works in today's society.

A key step today in getting a sports scholarship is for an athlete to have a professional website. These web pages should contain your stats, YouTube and other videos, biographical information, academic credentials, photos, news coverage and press releases, and other information that you would normally hand a college recruiter in a folder. By having all this information tidily packed into a well-developed website, you make it easy for recruiters to find you, keep tabs on you throughout your high school or junior college sports career, and contact you when they're ready to send out a scholarship offer.

Whether you're looking for a scholarship in football, cheerleading, basketball, tennis, track and field, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, golf, gymnastics, cross country, volleyball, swimming, or any other collegiate sport, the key is to get noticed by the recruiters. And getting noticed in today's information pumped society means utilizing all available methods of marketing your talents to college recruiters.

The NCAA Scholarship! What are the differences?

2010-12-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

In the United States, the National Collegiate Athletic Association covers the spectrum of college level sports and is the main athletic conference. The NCAA offers a number of scholarships to its athletes at the Division I and Division II levels. These scholarships usually cover the entire tuition fee, plus some extra expenses. If you are a Division III athlete, you may not get a full scholarship, but will get some financial aid in the form of grants. These grants are often based on your performance and can cover more than 50% of the tuition fees.

In the Division I and II, sports are classified into two categories:

1. Headcount Sports
2. Equivalency Sports

In headcount sports such as football, there are a fixed number of scholarships that cover everything from tuition to room and boarding fees. If, for example, there are 100 scholarships in Division I football, then only 100 players can get that scholarship. In most colleges, not all scholarships are given to the students; some are kept aside for any transfers, walk-ons, etc.

In equivalency sports such as baseball, there are a fixed number of schloarships that, again, cover tuition, room and boarding fees. However, in equivalency sports, colleges can award these scholarships howsoever they wish. They may choose to give you 25% scholarship, another player 50%, and a third player 100%.

For obvious reasons, there are more scholarships per team in Division I than Division II. As a high school athlete, you must make sure that you spread your efforts to get into a sports program across Division I, II, and III colleges. The competition in Division I colleges is extremely difficult, and since most high school athletes focus all their attention on getting into a DI school, they miss out on getting even inot a DII or DIII school where the may have been eligible to receive 50% or more in scholarship. Thus, one piece of advice I can give you as an athlete is to cast your net far and wide when it comes to getting into a college sports program.

Maggie Lundeen signs gymnastics National letter on Intent

2010-12-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

Maggie Lundeen of Palmers Gymnastics in Illinois signs her National Letter of Intent(NLI) to William and Mary University. Maggie talks about her journey, why she chose William and Mary, and her goals for the upcoming season.

Recruit: Natalie Rothebauer Level 10 Gymnast Class of 2012

2010-12-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a college gymnastics recruiting website for Natalie Rothebauer from Trinity Gems in Illinois. She is a level 10 and a junior in high school.

http://www.natalierothbauer.com

Recruit: Rachel Chambers Level 10 Gymnast Class of 2012

2010-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a gymnastics recruiting website for Rachel Chambers from Buffalo Grove Gymnastics in Illinois. She is a level 10 and a junior in high school.

http://www.rachelchambers2012.com/

Guide to scholarships from Active.com

2010-10-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

Each year more than $1 billion is awarded to over 126,000 student-athletes across the country. While there is no guarantee of getting a scholarship, there are ways to increase your chances. Get ahead of the class with this guide on how to cover your college expenses by doing what you love.

Where do I start?
Start by registering with the NCAA eligibility center. Although there is no deadline, the NCAA recommends that you register early--by the start of your junior year. And be sure to update your participation information regularly. For specific information on eligibility requirements refer to the college-bound student-athlete guide available at NCAA.org.

Keep in mind that athletic scholarships are awarded through the colleges, not through the NCAA. Once you have chosen a handful of schools that you are interested in, you should find out what the individual schools' requirements and application procedures are in addition to the requirements outlined by the NCAA.

Notice that requirements are different for division I and division II schools: division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships so check with the institution you plan to attend.

How do I choose between Division I, II or III schools?
You should evaluate your talent honestly and select a number of schools that suit your athletic ability and that interest you academically. Make a list of schools that include dream colleges, realistic options and fallback schools.

Can I get a scholarship if I am attending a Division III school?
Since division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, you don't have to register with the eligibility center. If you are interested in a division III school, you should contact the coach and the institution to find out what their requirements are.

Although division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, they will most likely help you find funding from other sources if they really want you to play for their school. The better your grades and test scores, the more money you will likely receive.

How can I get my hands on some of those unclaimed scholarships that people are talking about?

"There is the perennial rumor that 'millions of dollars go unclaimed each year' but that is usually unfounded and pertains to non-athletic scholarships that might have very specific criteria," says Sue Biemeret, a college consultant at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

For example, there are scholarships for students with a particular surname; if no one applies to that college with that surname, the scholarship may go unused that year.

That said, there are scholarships out there that are not well-known. Some sports are less popular and less competitive than others. If you play two sports--or think you could pick up a less popular sport--start thinking about which one will more likely put you through college. It might be easier to get a scholarship for rowing or golf than for soccer.

Women's sports that are defined by the NCAA as emerging sports are intended to provide additional athletic opportunities to female student-athletes. They are new and therefore less popular. Emerging fall sports for women include archery, badminton, equestrian, rugby, squash, synchronized swimming and team handball.

Will a scholarship cover me for all 4 or 5 years of college?
Scholarship amounts vary for each athlete. They can range from a partial scholarship that only covers books to a full ride that covers tuition, room and board. Athletes can receive a maximum of five years of funding over a six-year period.

They are awarded on a yearly basis and renewed annually. The amount that you receive each year is based on your performance and a year-end evaluation; it does not hinge on how much you received the previous year and a renewal is not guaranteed. Find out up front what parameters you will be evaluated on at the end of the year and be sure that you are striving to achieve them.

Can I supplement my athletic scholarship with other aid? And is there a limit to how much money I can get from a school--athletic and otherwise?
This fluctuates by school. Some schools have limitations on how much you can supplement an athletic scholarship and some have caps on how much money you can accept in total.

What could jeopardize my chance of getting a scholarship?
A number of things can bring your scholarship dreams to a dead end. These include but are not limited to the following.

Playing for a professional team
Receiving prizes or money for athletics
Doing drugs
Participating in illegal sport's betting
Accepting gifts or money from prospective coaches
Signing or having an agreement with an agent before eligibility expires