As a freshman in high school your main focus should be on your grades and training to become a better athlete. As you progress through high school you will need to know more about the recruitment process. However, for now we need to prepare you for the next 4 years.  Here are a few pointers that will help you prepare for the future.

-Study up!  Do not slack in the classroom.  It is extremely difficult to raise your GPA as you become an upperclassmen.  Making a commitment to make good grades your freshmen year will set the tone for the rest of your high school career.  It doesn’t matter how good you are on the field...you can't play if you become academically ineligible.  Plus coaches look heavily at your grades.  A smart student in the classroom can translate to a smart athletic IQ on the field.  We can’t stress enough how important your academics are. 

-Keep college on your mind.  Although there are more important things to focus on your freshman year, you should still think about colleges that might interest you. At this point you have no idea which college recruiters might be contacting you for scholarship opportunities. We just don't want it to be your senior year and you have not researched any schools. Having a few colleges in mind is a good starting point for when you begin contacting coaches. Look over the school’s academic and athletic information. If you still have an interest in the school then get the coach’s contact information. If you are an All-Star or MVP member we can provide that info to you. Store that information in the Recruiting Organizer offered by RecruitLook.com.  Now you have a list going with some possible schools that you can contact on a later date.

-Attend team and individual camps offered by the universities that you are interested in.  This is a good way for the coaching staff to recognize you and get to know who you are.  Coaches have an opportunity to converse and interact with you on a different level.  During this time coaches won’t be recruiting you but rather evaluating you.  Coaches take everything into account when making a decision on a recruit.  They’ll look to see if you are on time, if you are focused, do you warm-up or goof off, do you listen well to instructions, how do you interpret instructions, and the list goes on.  Just remember a bad attitude will leave a lasting impression.

-Don’t get caught up in the moment if you start receiving letters.  Your first collegiate letter is a big deal no doubt, however; as a freshman you are more than likely just being entered into a database.  A lot can change in three years, for example:  the coach could get fired, that program doesn’t need a player like you just yet, or the college doesn’t have any scholarships to offer.  Getting letters from coaches is exciting, but don’t think that a letter means you will be getting an offer.  Stay the course and continue to get better on and off the field.  Then the letters will start to become offers.