What is the most important step that all athletes and parents must take to get recruited to college?

 I know a lot of athletes in our community want to embark on this journey.

And there are a lot of sports moms out there who are thinking, "I don't even know where to start in this process," and it can be overwhelming. But there are steps you can take to get the process right.

Together with Tonya Sims, we'll discuss when athletes should start applying. What's the deal with recruiting platforms? How important is the FILM — what should be included in it? And resources for parents to know how they can continue to set their athlete up for success on this recruiting journey.

Tonya Sims is a former division one student-athlete. She assists parents in getting their children recruited by college coaches. She is the founder of the Upper-Level Sports Academy, and she works with our dream team athletes, our small group coaching program that helps athletes get recruited. Tonya is extremely knowledgeable in this area, as well as for parents dealing with the initial steps in connecting with college coaches. 

So, prepare your notes because here are some recruiting tips for parents who are just starting! 

• The top three things to consider during the recruiting process are: (1) determining where your child would fit best. (2) Academics. (3) Establishing contacts with college coaches.
• Recruiting begins at a young age.
• Rather than using these recruiting platforms, it is preferable to do the work yourself.
• Having a highlight reel or competition film has become important because it may be the first thing that college coaches look at right now.

Tonya's website can be found at www.upperlevelsportsacademy.com. And if you go to that website, you'll find a link to her Facebook group. It's a free organization called college recruiting secrets for athletes' parents. 

Her website also offers three freebies. (1) The college recruiting secrets cheat sheet, in which she reveals nine secrets of the college recruiting process; and (2) The perfect email guide, which is a step-by-step guide that explains what you need to write in an email to a college coach. (3) And the Twitter recruitment checklist, which will assist your daughter in getting started on Twitter to reach out to college coaches.

Tonya will be joining our sports LEMS inner circle in the coming month. And she'll be addressing a lot more questions from mothers of athletes in our program.

That's it! Your athlete may aspire to compete at the next level. And if she's just starting, make sure to assist her with these tasks. As mothers, you can help your children achieve their goals and pursue their passions.

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Helpful Links:

• Hang out with Tonya Sims and learn more about working with her!
• Visit our podcast website for more on this episode
• Download the free resources we've created for you
• Join us inside our FREE Facebook Group - The Elite Competitor Society - for weekly Q&A, periodic trainings and challenges, and the support of an amazing community of moms, coaches, and the men who partner with us!

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