How Do I Get into College on a Scholarship?

This is a frequently asked question I get from parents. Most of them realize that their child will probably never play professionally, but would love to see their college education either totally paid for or partially covered by a scholarship. So here are my top tips of how to get started in the right direction.

1. KEEP YOUR GRADES UP: Yes this is the most important key. So many times have large programs given money to a top high school player and then that player was not responsible to keep their grades high enough to be eligible to play. This makes everyone look bad, the coach, the program, and the player. If a student/athlete is a student first and and athlete second and can balance good grades with outstanding performance then a coach will be more willing to part with a scholarship if he knows that the investment is solid. If a coach has a choice over a .400 hitter with a C average and a .350 hitter with an A average they will take the A student for two reasons. he first is that coach could possibly get some academic scholarship money for the A student. This academic money will lower the amount of money that the coach has for their program. This allows a coach to give out less money to more players instead of a lot of money to a few players. My first choice for college was USC. I had a 3.85 GPA in high school. USC requires out of state students to have a 3.95 GPA for admission. So my application was rejected.
2. SCORE WELL ON YOUR SAT or ACT. This is self explanatory.
3. STAY CLEAN: Don't get messed up with drugs, alcohol, steroids, fighting, legal troubles, suspensions, and gangs. True story. When I was in college there was a very promising young athlete from Los Angeles. He also happened to be involved in a gang. In his junior year he was projected to be drafted in the top three rounds. He was stabbed in the stomach while at a party back home one weekend. He never played baseball again because the injuries were to severe. I've also seen high school players get involved with alcohol and get caught. After there suspensions were over they played out their seasons and did very well, but the damage was done. No college took them serious after that. How much did that beer cost them? Probably about $120,000 in education expenses. If you cannot be responsible in high school college coaches know from experience that you probably will not be responsible when you have no parents watching over you. So keep your nose clean.
4. KNOW THE COLLEGE'S ADMISSION POLICIES: Go to the college of choice's website and see what they require for admission to attend their establishment. Some colleges require you pay application fees to be considered. If you are being recruited by these schools then you have a fast track advantage and can even get around these fees. Ask your recruiter or coach if they can fast track you through. Don't assume that the coach will do all this work for you....They won't. Another side note is that if a college is considering you or your athlete for admission and scholarship and will not waive this fee then the program probably doesn't have a lot of money. Keep looking.
5. SEEK OUTSIDE HELP. www.cpoa.com College Prospect Of America is a reputable company that actually qualifies and verifies that you can play at the level that you are trying to play. This is becoming more and more main stream because the information super highway is putting coaches and player together. Today a coach can go on YouTube and see high school players game videos. Video email and live web broadcasting have changed recruiting also. Now a coach can send a scout to a game and via a wireless Internet connection actually watch a player play from thousands of miles away. CPOA will verify that a player really is 6'3" tall and throws 89 mph. Do they run a 6.6 second 60 yards dash. And even verify the students transcripts. Also they will qualify an athlete to see if they can really get into the school they are wanting to go to or do they need to consider a smaller school. This is a reality check. I want to put this disclaimer in. I do not work for or have ever worked for CPOA. There are many companies like this out there. I just chose this one based on results and reputation.
6. WORK YOUR TAIL OFF: The really serious kids are playing and training all the time, you should be no different. For baseball get on a traveling team, or a scout team, play fall baseball, and get as much exposure as you possibly can. In high school I worked part time at McDonalds so I would have batting cage money. When I wasn't hitting, then I was thinking about hitting. I later found out at the professional level that I wasn't alone. I never had a vacation in high school or college. If I wanted to hunt I did it before school at 4:30 am. Did I regret it? I'll admit I was a little jealous of other kids, but in the end they were a little jealous of me. I've traveled all over the United States at someone else expense. Met people I would have never had met. Got payed to do what I love. I'm currently not a millionaire, but when I lay my head down on my pillow at night I know I gave my best and I have no regrets. Peace of mind goes a long way.

I hope this helps a little bit. I heard a proverb once that said, "He/She who works the hardest is the luckiest." I tend to agree. I was not the best college player I just outworked everyone. I was never drafted, signed as a free agent a year after my last college season, and ended up playing 7 years of professional baseball. It was mainly due to consistent and persistent effort. I wasn't the best when I started, but I was very good when I finished. Robert Allen, a mutli-millionaire said success is failure plus persistance. A winner never quits and a quitter never wins. If you keep working at something long enough and don't quit then eventually you will be on top. Eventually you master your skill.