RECRUITING MYTHS

THE TRUTH

You can't believe everything you hear or see. Read below to view some of the most common misinterpretations about the recruiting process. Don't let your chance slip away because you dont know what the real deal is!

Myth #1: If You Are A Good Enough Student Athlete, They Will Find You!

Fact: Unless you're a nationally recognized "super star" athlete they will not be able to find you. Colleges and universities simply do not have the money or the resources to allow college coaches to scout in excess of 7 million (yes that's right - 7 million!) high school student athletes each year.

Every year tens of thousands of qualified student athletes go unnoticed simply because college coaches don't know who they are. Don't be one of the unfortunate ones who miss out.

You have to have someone working on your side who can market your abilities and qualifications to them. CSA Prepstar has been doing that successfully since 1982. We have a network of over 23,000 coaches at more than 2000 NCAA & NAIA schools, so you can be assured that every coach and college that's a "good fit for you", will know everything about you – both academically and athletically.

Myth #2: Grades Don't Matter.

Fact: Schools with great academic reputations have a very hard time finding enough good athletes with great academics. A solid GPA and a good SAT combined with decent athletic talent AND the proper exposure will provide you with more opportunities than you could have ever imagined.

Some of the Division III schools that cannot offer athletic scholarships CAN offer academic and other scholarships.

1. Anyone Can Earn A Scholarship If They're Talented FALSE

Think back to all your idols. How many of them made it on talent alone? How many of your friends or former teammates were able to obtain scholarships in a simple way? Unless you are getting consistent exposure at a National Level it is extremely difficult for College coaches to even know your name let alone express interest you, espescially since the competition level in Canada is viewed as not being as competitive as it is in America. Being the best player on your team or even your region isn't enough a Coach to take interest in you. Taking advantage of opportunities to expose your talents is what will put you in the best position.

2. All Really Good Players Go To America for Basketball FALSE

Hundreds of talented players every year make the decision to stay in Canada to play Post-Secondary basketball. Many players choose to stay in Canada then to go overseas because of reasons such as; Wanting to stay close to home and their family so they will have a solid supporting cast, schools that recruit them may not offer the exact programs that they want to major and minor in, many courses and often degrees are not weighed the same in America- so even if you were to graduate in America with a BA, it could not be transferable when you finish your 4 years and return home to look for a job. Choosing to play abroad is a huge decision for a prospect and their family, and staying home is by no means a bad thing. In fact, many athletes have successful careers in Canada and then are able to play overseas in Europe.

3. I Dont Need to be an "A" Student, All I Need To Do is Pass To Get A Scholarship FALSE

Grades play a HUGE role for prospective athletes. In fact throughout high school if one were to obtain the equivalent of a 4.0 (A) they can afford to score lower on their SAT or ACT's allowing them more leighway and taking off a lot more pressure than a prospect who barely got by and has to score high in order to get accepted into schools. Also, multiple schools in Division 1 and Division 2 can cover part of your scholarship based on how good your grades were in high school. DONT wait until its too late to become a successful scholar athlete!

4. Canadian Colleges and Universities Dont Offer Scholarships FALSE

Many colleges and universities offer scholarships and bursaries to students to help them financially. It's true these schools don't offer Full rides, they can provide multiple venues and opportunities to offset major costs for prospects.

5. It's Best I Let My REP/AAU Coach Deal With My Recruitment FALSE

This is a tricky one. In both America and Canada AAU Coaches deal with the recruitment of certain players, but there are certain rules and regulations that are broken in the process. The job of any coach is to DEVELOP your game so that you can put yourself in the best position to be successful. It is also the Coach's responsibility to win games. When it becomes an issue of recruitment what tends to happen is coaches will look out for certain players over others, putting multiple parents and prospects in vulnerable positions as prospects get older. This also puts the Coach in the position where they have more power than they are entitled to, where they can heavily influence decisions for prospects that parents or others may not see best.

 There are very very few paid coaching jobs in Canada, the majority are volunteer based positions, which usually end up being filled by parents who sacrifice their time and money to spend time with their children. Often times  issues like playing time and favouritism arise, and puts parents and children again in a bad situation. There should be an unbiased party between coaches, parents and athletes to avoid any instances where a prospect's eligibility or well-being is jeopardized.

There is No Future For Girls Basketball After College FALSE

Becoming a professional athlete is not an

Myth #4: There Are Very Few Sports Scholarships For Women!

Fact: Legislation woyhich mandates equal sports opportunities for college women is partly responsible for the increase in scholarships for women. Furthermore, scholarships for women in traditionally male-dominated sports, such as soccer and water polo have been added.

Some coaches say they are having trouble giving away the scholarship money available for these and other womens sports because currently there just are not enough women applicants. A major reason may be that many do not know these sports exist for women at the collegiate level.

Myth #5: If You Want A Sports Scholarship, You Have To Be Good Enough To Play At Division I Schools!

Fact: Over 150,000 sports scholarships are Available each year, and not all are from Division I schools.

Many student-athletes think only about NCAA Division I schools, the highest level of collegiate athletic competition, when they think of sports scholarships. It is understandable because these schools are the ones that you most often read about and see each weekend on television.

But, while these highly visible college sports teams draw the most attention, there are thousands of other colleges that offer competitive sports programs and award athletic scholarships to help pay for your education.

Myth #6: You Have To Be A Superstar To Win A Sports Scholarship!

Fact: Student-Athletes other than superstars are awarded the majority of the more than 150,000 athletic scholarships that are available each year.

Only 1% of high school athletes get 99% of the attention from college coaches and recruiters. These superstars, commonly referred to as blue-chip athletes, have extraordinary athletic talent, along with high profile scores, times and ratings. They top the list on scouting reports and are ranked nationally.

However, there are just a handful of these superstars compared to the thousands of other athletes who make an important contribution to college sports teams each year. Even the most competitive colleges sign only one or two of these high-profile athletes in any given year, while less competitive colleges usually do not sign any, but still offer as many scholarships.

So who gets the scholarships? You do, providing you know how to go about it! College coaches fill their rosters with student-athletes who have proven through past accomplishments that they are able to balance athletics and academics and have shown the commitment, dedication and time management skills to excel in these different areas.

Athletic seasons overlap with high school seasons, so coaches are often busy with their own teams when you are competing. Also, recruiting costs money. Many colleges simply do not have the budgets to search for athletes outside their immediate regions. They rely heavily on information that is sent to them about prospective student-athletes.

The most important concept here for you to understand is: if you sit back and wait, you will probably be overlooked. You have to get noticed to begin the recruiting process. "You have to draw attention to yourself." To get noticed, you must have a marketing plan of attack!

For the most part, scholarships go to qualified student-athletes who grab the attention of college coaches and maintain their interest through a concentrated marketing campaign.

Just as you would put together a game plan for winning your game, you must put the same kind of thought and care into winning a sports scholarship. It has been said that "any athlete that promotes him/herself shows a genuine interest in continuing his/her career and education."

You have to find a way to let college coaches know you exist and that you are interested in playing your sport at their school. You must make a concentrated effort to present yourself and your talents to coaches who will benefit from your addition to their team roster, but who, because of limited recruiting budgets and a possible lack of time, have never even heard your name.

If you need more information on CSA Canada, how we can help you, the student athlete (your teenage student-athlete if you're a parent), or if you have any questions about athletic recruiting, please use the "Contact" link at the bottom of this page.