the college recruiting process: freshman year
The first day of high school can feel overwhelming, but for a student-athlete with a dream of playing in college, the pressure can feel even greater. While it might seem like you have years to worry about college recruiting, the truth is that your freshman year is arguably the most important time to lay the groundwork for your future. This year isn't about getting scholarship offers—it's about preparing yourself to be a top recruit in the years to come. Thinking and acting strategically now will save you a world of stress later. In today’s college athletic landscapes, it’s not uncommon for verbal offers to be arranged as soon as your summer going into junior year. So freshman year is definitely not too early to begin taking the college recruiting process seriously for many sports.
This is your playbook for freshman year, designed to help you navigate this critical time without getting lost or discouraged.
The Mindset: What to Think About
Before you dive into a checklist of things to do, you need to get your mind right. Your freshman year is about building a foundation, not chasing attention.
Academics are Everything: This is your number one priority. Period. A coach can find a great athlete, but they can't change a student's transcript. Your freshman year grades will be on your academic resume for the rest of your high school career, and they will be looked at by college coaches and admissions offices. Focus on earning the highest grades you can, especially in core classes like math, English, science, and social studies. The NCAA requires a minimum GPA on core classes, so starting off with good grades will help the rest of high school feel easier.
Find Your Passion: High school sports are a major time commitment. The long practices, travel, and constant pressure can test your love for the game. Use your freshman year to decide if this is something you genuinely want to do for the next four years, and possibly beyond. If you truly love your sport, the hard work will feel less like a chore and more like a journey toward a goal.
This is the Year to Build: Think of your body as a long-term project. Your freshman year is the ideal time to focus on fundamental strength and conditioning. It’s also a time to refine your basic skills. This is not about being a finished product. It's about building a strong, injury-resistant body and a refined skill set that will give you a competitive edge as a sophomore and beyond. Put extra emphasis on injury resistant. It might not be flashy, but adding yoga, balance, and flexibility exercises will go a long way.
The Action Plan: What to Do
With the right mindset in place, here are the concrete steps you should be taking during your freshman year.
NCAA Eligibility Center: With a goal to play in Division 1 or Division 2, go to eligibilitycenter.org and create your account with the NCAA. The NCAA manages this platform to ensure amateurism and academic eligibility and it’s recommended to make your initial profile during your freshman year of high school.
Meet with Your Guidance Counselor: Schedule a meeting with your high school guidance counselor early in the year. Ask them to help you select NCAA-approved core courses and to create a four-year plan to ensure you're on track to meet eligibility requirements.
Create a Simple Recruiting Profile: You don't need to send it to coaches yet. This is for your own organization. Create a simple profile on a platform like RecruitReach. This will be your central hub for all your information. You can begin to fill it with your basic information, a list of your favorite teams and coaches, and your early stats. Doing this now will save you from scrambling to find information later.
Start Your Highlight Reel: You don't need to hire a professional video editor right now. The most important thing is simply to get footage of every game. Ask a parent or a friend to record. Get both close-up and wide-angle footage. As you go, keep a running list of your best plays so they’re easy to find later. By the time your junior year rolls around, you'll have a library of footage to pull from.
Start a "Dream School" List: This is a fun and low-pressure exercise. Begin a list of colleges you find interesting. Don't worry about whether they’re a realistic option right now. Just start researching. Think about things like the school's location, academic programs, campus size, and the sports program’s reputation. This is about finding the schools that are the right "fit" for you. A platform like RecruitReach has all this data on schools so you can begin marking down your favorites.
Get to Know Your Coaches: Your high school and club coaches are your biggest advocates. They will be the ones college coaches call when they want a character reference. Make a great impression on them. Show up on time, work hard in practice, be a good teammate, and always have a positive attitude.
Don’t Be Afraid to Attend a Camp: While it's still too early for most coaches to begin full-on recruiting, attending a college camp can be an invaluable experience. It gives you a chance to see how a college practice is run, to meet college players, and to get coached by members of a college staff. It's a great way to learn what it takes to play at the next level.
What Not to Do in Your Freshman Year
Just as important as knowing what to do is knowing what to avoid.
Don't Stress About Offers: You are not expected to have any scholarship offers in your freshman year. Don't compare yourself to others or get discouraged if coaches aren't contacting you yet. The process is a marathon, not a sprint.
Don't Over-Specialize: It's okay to play multiple sports. Many of the most successful college athletes played multiple sports in high school. This can make you a more well-rounded athlete and prevent burnout. For example, many football and soccer athletes will run track and field in the spring to work on their sprinting, endurance, and explosiveness.
Get Sleep and Proper Nutrition: Freshman year you likely still have a lot of growing to do. Getting proper sleep and nutrition ensures your body has the energy it needs to reach its full potential.
Your freshman year is your chance to build a rock-solid foundation. By focusing on academics, skill development, and simple organization, you are setting yourself up for a successful recruiting journey. Enjoy this time, embrace the hard work, and trust that a little bit of effort now will lead to great things down the road.
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