• Fact & Fiction

• Getting Recruited

• Paying for College

• Managing Your Money

• Video Services

• Video Pricing

• Glossary


STUDENTS & PARENTS

FACT OR FICTION - Can I Be a College Athlete?

FACT? I will be recruited if I am a good athlete. FICTION!

  • Only a select few will be recruited by visiting college coaches (primarily football, soccer and softball), but all athletes must be practical and help themselves.
  • It is your responsibility to get your name out there, not the responsibility of your counselor, coach or athletic director. They can help, but you must take charge.
  • Do not assume because you are receiving letters you are being recruited! When a coach contacts you personally, the recruiting process starts. You may have to make that initial call to get things going.
  • Even the biggest colleges with the biggest budgets cannot discover all athletes, and living in the islands puts you at a distinct disadvantage.
  • You cannot just HOPE you will be recruited, you must be proactive!
  • Before your junior season starts, you should send at least 50 e-mails to college coaches at all levels of competition, with your contact information, stats, coaches contact and academics.

FACT? Video is not important if I have my stats? FICTION!

  • Video is important with almost all sports. The exceptions would be individual sports which can be easily verified such as track & field, bowling, golf and swimming. Even with these sports, some coaches want video.
  • A simple rule - No Video, No Scholarship. Video beginning with your junior season to include any club competition, school sports, tournaments, and skills is absolutely essential
  • You may call PIAA for options on affordable top quality editing at 261-5000. (Available to Hawaii & American Samoa families only)
  • You should be ready to send video Immediately to college coaches. No excuses! It doesnt have to be edited and fancy. Send your best full game/match/competition and send it as soon as it is requested

FACT? I don't have to be an all-state athlete to secure an athletic scholarship? FACT!
  • Yes, the best of the best generally get noticed first, but there is a lot of money to go around. Not everyone is going to play Division 1 football or Division 1 basketball where the scholarships are "all or nothing". If you have a desire to compete and have the skills to compete, there is probably a place for you and a partial scholarship in it for you as well.


FACT? Academics are not as important as athletics when securing a scholarship. FICTION!

  • All athletes, with the exception of NCAA Division 3, must meet NCAA or NAIA eligibility to compete at a four year institution.
  • You may meet NCAA or NAIA eligibility requirements, but you may not meet the institutions entry requirements.
  • If you do not have the grades, you may have a few options. The first being junior college, the second being an academic redshirt. (See Glossary)
  • Check www.ncaa.org or www.naia.org to see if you meet academic requirements to compete at a four year program. On the NCAA website, you will also find your schools listed core courses. Please be sure you are taking the right subjects. If you have any questions or concerns, please see your counselor and review your course work. Be sure your counselor knows you are trying to secure an athletic scholarship.


FACT? As a girl, it will be harder to secure an athletic scholarship. FICTION!

  • Due in part to Hawaii's late Honorable Patsy Mink, legislation mandates equal sports opportunities for college women. With this legislation, commonly known as Title IX, came an increase in the number of interscholastic sports and scholarships for women. Some of the lesser known sports, such as lacrosse, bowling and rowing often have difficulty finding female athletes to give their scholarships away to. Many of these scholarships are given away to walk-on students who have never competed in these sports before. In the Islands, we have top bowlers and great paddlers - take advantage of this opportunity as well as those available in all sports for women.

    We are pleased that satisified parents, athletes and coaches endorse PIAA. However, any representations made by parents of PIAA athletes or other interested parties do not reflect the thoughts, opinions or ideas of PIAA. Any representations made by anyone other than Doris Sullivan should be referred back to PIAA immediately.