Playing sports at Berkeley High School is a positive extracurricular activity joining together fitness, school culture and social connections. However, there is a small group of student-athletes who feel ready to take their commitment to the next level by seeking out opportunities to play at the college level. While most people know about the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), there are other pathways as well, such as the National Association of Intercolegiate Athletics (NAIA )and the community college pathways, including the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The opportunities and benefits of each pathway varies, but with a little research students can determine which suits them best.
This website offers an introduction to these pathways and serves as a resource for any BHS student-athlete seeking more support in how to proceed. Whether you have the potential to play at the Division One NCAA level, or are looking to use your athletic-skills as a way to bolster your opportunities to attend a university with a more academically-centered focus, the basics of recruiting are fairly consistent across the board.
While the process might feel daunting at first, this is something that will slowly develop over the high school career. Once a student understands the basic timeline and develops their toolbox of resources, it will become a much easier task. Click here for a 4-year overview of the timeline for being recruited to play college sports. This overview will link you to specific resources with clear suggestions on what to do next, specifically focusing on NCAA Division I and Division II programs. However, check out these links within this site to get a bit more clarity on what you need to know about the NAIA and the CCCAA/NJCAA pathways
But let's cut to the chase. The recruiting process is all about finding, establishing and building relationships between the student-athlete and the coaches/programs at the schools they are interested in attending. Developing a positive relationship with the coach is the primary channel of success. And while yes, there are for-pay "recruiting" services available, time and again people with experience constantly emphasize that direct communication between player and coach is the ultimate purpose.
Watch this video below to find out what college coaches are really looking for during the recruiting process. Knowing the lens of the coaching staff will help any student-athletes with a strong conviction to play at the next level.