How I Earned an Athletic Scholarship
By: Alyssa Atkinson
Tags: Running, Fitness, Education, Inspiration, Personal Development

How I Earned an Athletic Scholarship

The steps I took to get recruited to run in college.

When I was in high school, my single greatest dream was to run for a large university. Though I had no idea how to make that dream a reality, I had a wonderful support system to cheer me on along the way.

I was also lucky enough to have a very knowledgeable coach who helped me through the process.

These are some of the steps I took to earn my athletic scholarship.

1. Establish a good training regimen

If you work hard throughout high school and develop good habits early, you will have a chance to run for a Division I college and come out on the other side with a college degree, little to no college debt, and many amazing memories.

I made a serious commitment to the sport of running my freshman year of high school, and I was able to make steady and gradual improvements.

It’s not important where you start from. What’s important is where you end up.

While my freshman times wouldn’t have been good enough to earn me a scholarship, the improvements I made by the end of my junior year were enough to gain some interest from college coaches.

2. Run respectable times

Race results speak volumes when it comes to college cross-country and track recruitment.

Many college coaches will identify potential recruits and base scholarship money solely on the times that athletes have run in high school.

Therefore, it is important to finish your high school career with at least a few solid race results to send out to college coaches.

3. Progress each year

Showing progress each year is something that college coaches look out for. It shows them that you are strong, tough, resilient, and in the sport for the long haul.

Having a love and passion for the sport of running is just as important as performing well.

Therefore, take a gradual approach to running in order to get stronger every year.

4. Fill out recruitment questionnaires

If you have had some successful races, you will likely start receiving letters from college coaches, especially in your junior and senior years of high school.

Typically included in these letters are questionnaires that are provided for you to fill out.

It is incredibly important that you do so, as it allows coaches to get a feel for your training, injury history, and how you will fit into their program.

5. Contact coaches

Sometimes coaches will call you to talk about their programs and get to know you better. Don’t be intimidated by this step.

Listen to what they have to say, and ask questions to get a feel for their program and school.

Remember to be proactive. The goal is to find the school that will benefit you best and makes you the happiest.

6. Take college visits

Take unofficial visits to college campuses to see how you like them. Then, when you have narrowed down your choices to your top few, you may have the opportunity to take official visits.

These visits consist of touring the school, checking out the facilities, meeting the team, and much more.

This is the time when you can really find out if the team and program are a good fit for you. Typically, you will also receive a scholarship offer at the end of the visit or shortly thereafter.

7. Negotiate scholarship money

Sometimes, you are also able to negotiate your scholarship a little bit. Don’t be scared to ask for something such as a textbook scholarship. It can provide you a little extra help financially, and the worst that can happen is that they simply say no.

8. Sign a national letter of intent

Once you have chosen your school, you have the opportunity to sign a national letter of intent to lock in your scholarship money as well as your commitment to the university you have chosen.

This is the exciting part. Your hard work has finally paid off, and you can relax knowing that you have solidified your college plans.