The Sports Scholarships Insider's Guide: Getting Money for College at Any Division

by Dion Wheeler

Overview

The #1 book on sports scholarships, completely updated and revised!

$1 billion of athletic scholarships are awarded each year

But student-athletes who aren't big-time recruits miss out on tens of thousands of dollars of financial aid available to them. The problem is students and parents don't know where the money is or how to get it.

• Discover the secrets to getting a sports scholarship


• Over seventeen hundred colleges offer athletic programs.


• Over 500,000 athletes participate in sports in the nation's college programs.


• But less than 1% (about 4,000) of them get Division I, full-ride financial aid grants.

The truth is: 80% of all college athletic opportunities are located outside Division I!

But to seize those opportunities, you must take control of your own recruiting process—recruiting, research and homework, exposure and promotion, and negotiating—all in the environment of a high-stakes contest where only the opposition knows the rules.

This book will give you the edge.

If you aren't one of the 4,000, but are athletically and academically qualified to participate in college sports, The Sports Scholarships Insider's Guide will lead you step by step through the twists, turns, and all too often unpleasant surprises to achieve your ultimate goal of a roster position and financial aid for your athletic ability.

"Practical, step-by-step information in a clear and conversational manner."

School Library Journal

Dion Wheeler, former coach and recruiting consultant, gives students and their parents the inside edge to not only find great scholarships, but get the best offer no matter what their skill level.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402249075
Publisher:	Sourcebooks, Incorporated
Publication date:	11/07/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Without athletics, Dion Wheeler would never have graduated from UW-La Crosse. Growing up in an institution for dependent boys, he was an average student in high school. But a young coach inspired him to both exploit his athletic ability and to take his education seriously, as they were the foundation upon which he would "prepare for the future." And so he did.

Education and athletics have been the motivators of his time. Despite a few interruptions to experience the business world, he has taught and coached at every level: grade school, high school, and college. He has been a presenter and instructor at business, athletic, recruiting, and education seminars and has occasionally been accused of being a motivational speaker. In addition to his recruiting experience - 14 years at the high-school level and 11 years at the college level - he managed the recruitment of his two (now grown) children, who were both successfully recruited. One by a Division I state university, the other by a Division II private college. One was an All-American, the other's career was cut short by injury. His ownership of a college prospect recruiting service was the experience where the final piece of the recruiting puzzle fit. There he exposed, and often negotiated for, academically and athletically qualified prospects to coaches of nearly every sport around the country. His unique grasp of the recruiting process from every angle has prepared him to write this powerful guide. Dion is retired and lives with his wife, Dianne, in Plainfield, Illinois.

Read an Excerpt

Recruiting Myths

1. Division III schools don't offer financial aid for athletic ability.
This myth is shattered on page 129.

2. If a prospect is good, the coaches will find him or her.
This myth is shattered on page 7.

3. If a coach wants a prospect, a coach can get him/her enrolled even if he/she has poor grades.
This myth is shattered on page 35.

4. A prospect can trust everything the coach says and promises.
This myth is shattered on page 7.

5. A prospect can wait until his/her senior year to find financial aid based on athletic ability.
This myth is shattered on page 161.

6. Most athletic scholarships are "full-rides."
This myth is shattered on page 3.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Recruiting Myths

Chapter 1: Understanding the Recruiting Process

Chapter 2: Recruiting and Financial Aid

Chapter 3: Preparing for College and the Future

Chapter 4: Your Education and Athletics

Chapter 5: Academic Requirements

Chapter 6: Constructing the Profile

Chapter 7: The Cover Letter

Chapter 8: The Videotape

Chapter 9: Sending Credentials

Chapter 10: Organize, Organize, Organize

Chapter 11: Critical Documents

Chapter 12: Communication Activities

Chapter 13: The Visit

Chapter 14: Visit Questions

Chapter 15: Why Prospects and Families Get Hurt

Chapter 16: Awarding of Athletic Financial Aid

Chapter 17: Negotiating Guidelines

Chapter 18: Financial Aid Limits

Chapter 19: Solving the Division III Athletic Financial Aid Mystery

Chapter 20: Interdepartmental Communications

Chapter 21: Division III's Pleasant Surprise

Chapter 22: Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate

Chapter 23: The Ultimate Negotiating Weapon

Chapter 24: How Do I Contribute to My Future Success?

Chapter 25: Professional Help Wanted

Glossary of Recruiting Terms

Appendix 1: Additional Resources

Appendix 2: Institution Contact Information

Appendix 3: Women's Sports

Appendix 4: Men's Sports

Appendix 5: Mixed Sports

About the Author