1 of 13

GET RECRUITED!

February 2026

2 of 13

THE ONE THAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU!

    • Major
    • Academics
    • Admission Difficulty
    • Location
    • Size
    • Student Life
    • On-Campus activities
    • Financial Aid
    • Student Athlete

3 of 13

Athletics: A Powerful Pathway to U.S. Universities

​

University Athletics can provide:

​

  • Admission advantage
  • Scholarship money
  • Access to schools that may not otherwise be possible
  • Focus and discipline to be successful in both sport and academics
  • Opportunities beyond university

​

​

​

Reality check

  • Less than 2% of D1 athletes go pro!

​

4 of 13

NCAA Division 1

  • Highest level
  • Most competitive
  • Most demanding

​

*Ivy league is part of D1, but do NOT give athletic scholarships

Junior College (JUCO)

  • Excellent stepping stone
  • 2 years (Associates degree) → transfer to 4 year university to complete your Bachelors

​

NCAA Division III

  • No athletic scholarships
  • BUT excellent academic scholarships

​

NCAA Division II

  • Strong level
  • More balance

Understanding the Different Levels of Play

NAIA

  • Similar to NCAA DII
  • Generally smaller schools
  • Often less rigorous academics
  • Often more scholarship availability

There is a place for EVERY level athlete

5 of 13

Associations & Divisions

  • NCAA: National Collegiate

Athletic Association

    • NCAA Division I
    • NCAA Division II
    • NCAA Division III

​

  • NAIA: National Association

of Intercollegiate Athletics

​

  • NJCAA: National Junior

College Athletic Association 

* Includes California Community College Athletic Association

# of teams/ Max # of scholarships

Sport

NCAA DI

NCAA DII

NCAA

DIII

NAIA

NJCAA

B’ball (M)

361/ 15

306/10

414

215/8

430/15

B’ball (W)

350/ 15

306/10

425

229/11

381/15

Field Hockey

78/ 27

39/6.3

164

N/A

N/A

Soccer (M)

205/ 28

206/9

409

202/12

246/24

Soccer (W)

336/ 28

263/ 9.9

424

202/12

231/24

Swim(M)

139/ 30

81/8.1

237

39/8

15*/15

Swim (W)

191/ 30

105/8.1

258

41/8

15*/15

Tennis (M)

236/ 10

153/ 4.5

302

87/5

58/9

Tennis (W)

301/10

210/6

337

89/5

61/9

Track (M)

269/ 45

197/ 12.6

312

161/12

63/20

Track (W)

334/ 45

222/ 12.6

318

165/12

68/20

6 of 13

100

30

9

4

2

s

How Recruiting Actually Works

�Coaches Do NOT Automatically Find You

​

You must PROACTIVELY contact coaches

​

  1. Determine where you fit!
  2. Contact coaches

Step 1: Athlete contacts coach� Step 2: Coach evaluates

- Coach liaises with Academic Admissions

(Pre-read)� Step 3: Ongoing communication � Step 4: Opportunity to visit

Step 5: Offer

Step 6: Admissions process – early admissions

​

3. NCAA/NAIA Eligibility Center

7 of 13

Coaches evaluate:

  1. Athletic ability
  2. Academic eligibility
  3. Character & attitude
  4. Work ethic
  5. Coachability
  6. How well will you mesh with the team

​

​

​

NOT just how many goals scored or medals won

Coaches recruit based on:

​

  • Their roster needs
  • Their scholarship budget
  • Their recruiting timeline
  • Their trust in the athlete

Not just talent.

What Coaches Actually Care About

8 of 13

1. Highlight Video

Length:3–5 minutes

Structure: Start with BEST plays first

Include:

Name/Position/Height/Weight�Graduation year

Then highlights and S&C training

​

Make sure they know which player is you

​

Explain why you deserve to play and what you will bring to the team

​

Coaches may only watch 30 seconds

They decide quickly

2. Athletic Resume

3. Academic Transcript

�

4. Coach Outreach Email

�

5. Online Profile (optional but helpful)

​

​

6. Social Media

The Recruiting Package

​

9 of 13

Timeline: When to Start Reaching out to Coaches

​

Ideal start:

  • Form 4/Grade 10
  • Form 5/Grade 11

​

NOT Form 6/Grade 12

  • Earlier = more opportunities

​

  • What are you doing that is “above & beyond?
  • Playing with multiple teams
  • All year
  • Strength & Conditioning Training
  • Camps for exposure�

10 of 13

Critical Mistakes Caribbean-based Athletes Make

​

  1. Waiting until Form 6/Grade 12
  2. Not contacting enough or the right coaches
  3. Getting recruited by one coach and not reaching out to anyone else
  4. Not evaluating the university – is it right for you?
  5. Poor video
  6. Focusing only on Division I
  7. Not focusing enough on grades

11 of 13

Next Steps: How We Help Students Succeed

This process is complex, and having the right data, tools and strategy makes a major difference.

Personalized university and scholarship strategy

Direct coach outreach guidance

Video and recruiting profile support

Scholarship and admissions planning

Personalized project plan with tools to manage data, information and key dates and milestones

12 of 13

NCAA Eligibility Center

Niche.com

www.swimcloud.com

NAIA Eligibility Center

Scholarship Stats

Track & Field Times

ModexPerformance.com

13 of 13

Key Takeaways

  • Start early!
  • Reach out to as many “appropriate” coaches as you can to get as many opportunities as possible
  • Don’t necessarily take the first offer. If one coach reaches out to you, there are probably others that are interested
  • Be open minded to universities you may not have heard of
  • Don’t put all your hopes on one school
  • Do your own research on all schools. Use lots of resources to make the best decision possible
  • Talk to the university coaches and other current student-athletes to get accurate information
  • Ask lots of questions
  • Focus and put the work in but breathe and relax…..Stress doesn’t help make good choices

​

  • www.MPower.education

​

​

​