High School Sports Recruiting

SENIORS, COMMIT AND SIGN WHEN YOU ARE READY…AND NOT BEFORE. In the end, the time for you to commit and then sign is when you know it is the right situation for you. Consider everything when making this life changing decision. Academically, does the college offer the course work you need to secure the degree you want to earn? Athletically, which program will allow you the best chance to compete for a position as early as possible and which coach best complements your style of play?

Geographically, which campus is best positioned for you to enjoy. Philosophically, which school most resembles how you look at life? Socially, what institution offers you the environment you want to live the next four or five years? And, financially, which offer fits your family’s budget? When you can answer these questions with as little emotion attached as possible, only then will you know which choice is best for you.

JUNIORS, YOUR GPA MUST BE AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE. You have heard NSR say this time and again. Believe it. The higher your core course GPA, the more college doors that will open for you. If you are lazy in the classroom, your grades will show it and count on this – you will not attract the attention from as many colleges as you should. Starting now, regardless of your current academic status, resolve to reach your academic potential. Talk to your teachers. Share your dream, not the dream of playing college sports, but of achieving academic excellence. Take your books home. Turn off the television, your cell phone and computer. Buckle down. Read. Study. Focus. Take control of your academic future today.

SOPHOMORES, FIND AN ACADEMIC MENTOR. It is natural to have a mentor in sports – someone you look up to, someone you go to when you are in a slump or when things don’t seem to be going your way. Do the same in your academic endeavors. Find a teacher, a person in your community, a relative or even a classmate who you admire for their intelligence and for the way they approach all things related to academics. Approach this person and let them know that you want to excel in the classroom over the next three years. Ask if you can meet with them once a week or once every two weeks to discuss how you are approaching school work, your study habits, distractions you face with peers at home and at school. If you apply this strategy, you will find someone who is more than willing to become your sounding board. You will see a difference, gain confidence and attain results.

FRESHMEN, TAKE PRACTICE SERIOUSLY. A famous NFL football coach, Vince Lombardi, once said, “Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” Practice to far too many freshmen is a time to socialize and have fun with friends in between drills and speeches by the coach. If you have that attitude, you will face the consequences of poor game, match or meet performance. Practice is like study time for a hard class. If you put in the hard work, effort and focus, you will get good grades. When you put on your practice uniform, get serious. This is the very best time to improve in every aspect of your sport. Forget about social hour. Lock onto what is happening. Listen intently to your coaches. Execute each drill with a high degree of effort. You will get better faster and as you grow in your sport and you will have these days of learning and practicing the fundamentals to thank for it.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS BEING DISCUSSED IN THIS POST PLEASE CONTACT US AT hssportsrecruiting@yahoo.com

The ACT is a widely used college admission standardized test. It has four mandatory subject tests: English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science. There is also an optional Writing test which some colleges require. Knowing how to take this key test can mean earning significantly more academic awards when applying to colleges. Read the following tips to improve your chances of gaining added points. But, be sure to get plenty or rest the night prior to the test, get up an extra hour early, eat a relaxed, healthy breakfast, and arrive at least 20 minutes before test time. You will find all these suggestions will result in a better outcome.

General Tips

Answer the questions you find easiest first. Come back to the others later.
Don’t spend more than a minute or two on any question.
As you work on a section, keep track of how much time remains. (It’s a good idea to bring a reliable watch.)
Answer every question. There is no penalty for guessing.
Be careful to mark only one answer choice per question.
Write in the test book in any way that will help you.
Consider all answer choices before you choose one. Use the process of elimination to narrow your choices.

English Section Tips

Consider the writing style used for each section. The correct answer choice will be the one that works best with the writing style used.
When asked a question about something that is underlined, consider how the underlined portion fits with the rest of the section.
Examine each answer choice to see how it differs from the others.
For items that include “No Change” as an answer choice, choose this as your answer only if you are sure none of the other answer choices are correct.
Reread the underlined portion with your answer choice to be sure it is correct.

Reading Section Tips

Read the passage carefully before you read the questions.
Focus on the main ideas in the passage. Underline these. Don’t get lost in the details.
Try to identify how ideas in the passage are connected.
Refer back to the passage as you answer each question.
Mathematics Section Tips
Work out the problem before looking at the answer choices. When done, choose the answer choice that matches your answer. If none match, redo the problem.
Don’t overly rely on your calculator. Some problems are best worked out manually. Some don’t even require calculation.
The questions focus much more on reasoning than on calculation. If you find yourself doing complicated calculations, you’re probably on the wrong track.
Make sure your answer choice makes sense. A calculation error can lead you to a wrong answer choice.
Check your work.

Science Section Tips

Given the complexity of the passages, it may help to make some simple notes as you read them.
Cross out irrelevant information.
Don’t be overly concerned with any technical terminology. Technical terms usually have little to do with the correct answer choice.
Be watchful for conflicting viewpoints in some of the passages.
Writing Section Tips
Organization of your response is very important. Use a five-paragraph essay that includes an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Plan your response before you begin to write it.
Stay with the topic throughout your response
Vary your sentence structure and word choices.
Use specific examples wherever possible.
Write legibly.
If you have time, check your grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling.
These tips can help you get the most out your knowledge, skills, and abilities when you take the ACT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT TAKING THE ACT/SAT OR COLLEGE RECRUITING IN GENERAL, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

hssportsrecruiting@yahoo.com

Division I

Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least seven sports for men and seven for women (or six for men and eight for women) with two team sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each gender as well. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria. For sports other than football and basketball, Division I schools must play 100 percent of the minimum number of contests against Division I opponents — anything over the minimum number of games has to be 50 percent Division I. Men’s and women’s basketball teams have to play all but two games against Division I teams; for men, they must play one-third of all their contests in the home arena. Schools that have football are classified as Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Football Bowl Subdivision schools are usually fairly elaborate programs. Football Bowl Subdivision teams have to meet minimum attendance requirements (average 15,000 people in actual or paid attendance per home game), which must be met once in a rolling two-year period. NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements. Division I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division I school cannot exceed.

Division II

Division II institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, (or four for men and six for women), with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria — football and men’s and women’s basketball teams must play at least 50 percent of their games against Division II or Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) opponents. For sports other than football and basketball there are no scheduling requirements. There are not attendance requirements for football, or arena game requirements for basketball. There are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division II school must not exceed. Division II teams usually feature a number of local or in-state student-athletes. Many Division II student-athletes pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student loans and employment earnings. Division II athletics programs are financed in the institution’s budget like other academic departments on campus. Traditional rivalries with regional institutions dominate schedules of many Division II athletics programs.

Division III

Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are minimum contest and participant minimums for each sport. Division III athletics features student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete’s experience is of paramount concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities available to students, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.

IF YOU THINK YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER IS A CANDIDATE FOR COLLEGE SPORTS THEN IT IS UP TO YOU TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP. PLEASE VISIT THE BLOGROLL LINK IN THE LIST TO THE RIGHT TITLED A. YOUR FIRST STEP TO PLAYING COLLEGE SPORTS TO START THE PROCESS