Are you interested in football scholarships? There are literally thousands of high school football players each and every year who are hoping and dreaming of playing football at the next level.
The NFL is now the most popular professional sport and it's popularity has translated to football being played more than ever at the grass roots level of high school. For every scholarship available at the college level, there is a huge amount of competition.
If you want to step out from your competition and get on the radar of college coaches, you need to know what college coaches are really looking for when they recruit high school football players for scholarships. Understanding what coaches are really looking for in the athletes they recruit can give you a huge advantage over your high school competition.
Here is a list of six key things coaches are looking for in the players they are recruiting:
1) Skills And Talent
To play at the next level of foo tball, you simply can't be an average high school player. It doesn't mean you have to be a blue chip or elite level player that has been recruited since coming out of diapers, but you must have above average skills and talent. Keep in mind there are college of all sizes and division levels across America. Just because you may not have the talent and skills to play at a school like Alabama, Florida or Oklahoma doesn't mean you can't play at some level of competition.
2) Physical Size
College football and basketball are probably the two most size sensitive sports. Coaches are going to look for players who have the physical height and or weight to compete at their division level. There are many players each year at the high school level who probably have the talent to play at some level of college football, but they simply lack the physical size required for the college game.
3) Strength
Football demands strength, there is no way around it. To play at the next level and to be considered for football scholarships you simply must have the strength to compete. Obviously, the strength requirement to play a wide receiver vs. playing a linebacker are totally different, but you need to have the strength to play the position you want to be recruited for. The good news is that strength is a factor you can work on and improve while you are still in high school.
4) Speed
The college game is much faster than the high sc hool game. Coaches will take a serious look at your speed based on the position they have in mind for you to play for them. Once again, speed is position specific but overall speed is a vital factor in the recruiting process.
5) Mental Toughness
Football is truly a demanding game. When you make it to the college level, the intensity of the practices, the weight lifting, the workouts, and the games all goes up a level. It takes mental toughness to take the grueling demands of being a college football player. Coaches will take a serious look at whether or not they believe you have what it takes to compete mentally.
6) Academics
If you can't stay qualified to play based on academics, then all the other factors we have already talked about just don't matter. Coaches recruit multiple players for every spot on their roster. Grades and the ability to stay qualified to play are a huge factor in determining who gets the scholarship offer.
Summary
T hese are six of the most vital factors college coaches will be looking at when or if they recruit you. If you need to work on any of these six areas, you need to spend the time trying to improve before you reach your senior season in high school. Some players wait too late in their careers to really work on these factors and their opportunity to play in college simply slips away.
For most players, being recruited for football scholarships does not happen overnight, it is a continuous work in progress. Each and every year some very good players fly under the radar of college coaches. If you find yourself in this situation, you need to take control of your recruitment and market and promote yourself to college coaches. If you have some or all of the six factors described above going for you, coaches will be thrilled to hear from you!
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