GETTING NOTICED

TMBK Sports is not a recruiting service. However, we take pride in being able to help the athlete that has the communication skills to market themselves. A good plan combined with our products can help you GET NOTICED.

So don't waste your money on recruiting services or on-line databases. A bit of persistence will lead to success. Here are some suggestions:

1. Start with confidence in yourself. Draft a straight-forward letter describing your strengths along with your contact information, graduation year, GPA and SAT or ACT scores (if available). Include your height and weight if relevant and your athletic information such as position, statistics, times, accomplishments, etc.

2. Target 20-25 colleges you are interested in and choose schools at different NCAA levels. Look up contact information on the school's web site and fill out on-line recruiting questionnaires while you're there. Send out your letter to the colleges on your initial list.

3. Follow up with an e-mail or phone call in order to determine the coach's level of interest in you. At this point you're recruiting them and you'll start to get a feel for which schools at which levels of competition are for you.

4. Keep your high school coach in the loop. If the coach isn't willing to help you out with support and references, find someone else who will (a teacher, a guidance counseler, a principal, or a current college athlete)

BUT I'M NOT A SUPERSTAR

Remember, there are many players on college teams who fill the team player role as well. Just like high school, not everyone makes the headlines at the college level in fact most don't, that's just the nature of sports and the media.

And there's nothing wrong with contacting a coach at a school that might be above your talent level. The college coaching fraternity is a close knit community and often coaches at different levels will help each other out. We have seen this happen with one of our customers. In fact, after one year at a lower division school, he eventually ended up at the college dreamed of going to, the one he initially contacted.

The bottom line is having a plan and persistence.

ACADEMICS

If you're academic abilities are a good fit for a school of your choice, the coach may be able to help your chances of admission. Also, make sure you learn the time commitment the athletic program requires and make sure the academic opportunities and facilities match your interests and desire.

ON-LINE INFORMATION

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) site offers an eligibility clearinghouse with information on recruiting. It also identifies NCAA sports by college. Two free publications, "A Guide for College Bound Athletes" and "The Student Athletic Transfer Guide," can be ordered online or by calling (800) 638-3731.

To view the NCAA Recruiting calendar for your specific sports click here.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) does for small colleges what the NCAA does for large ones. This site includes similar information as the NCAA site, with links that offer recruiting information for a variety of sports.