Top 5 Ways to Help Your Player Maximize Their Exposure and Get the Attention of Basketball Scouts, Recruiters, and Coaches
Of course you want your student athlete to succeed. Parents will do (almost!??) anything for their kids. When it comes to securing a scholarship, it can be challenging to know how best to be a supportive parent throughout the journey. To make your life easier, here are our suggestions:
Help them play as much as possible: Invest in summer camps, travel ball and branded leagues. Diversifying where your kid is playing is key - they will get in front of more scouts and more recruiters that way. If a player only plays high school ball and doesn’t have experience playing on the regional or national level, creating opportunities for them to be seen by the right people will be a challenge. Plus, the more diverse settings they play in, the more they will learn, improve, and be prepared for their college basketball careers.
Let players make connections: Parents can try and do all the networking they want, but at the end of the day it's about the connections that people have with the player that gets results. Support their direct interaction with experts who can give them sound advice on improving their game, expanding their network, and making helpful introductions. Encourage them to get feedback from scouts, recruiters, coaches, and trainers who have extensive experience in this process.
Have film available: Coaches and coaching staff want to see film. Mixtapes are cool, but don’t be fooled. They can only get you so far. Mixtape likes and shares on social media can be over-hyped. Ultimately, it isn’t mixtapes that are catching and holding the attention of people who are instrumental in getting players offers for collegiate scholarships. If scouts, recruiters, coaching staff ask for film, make sure your player has film available to send them quickly and easily.
TPC with the assist: Get them on The Players Circle app - don’t worry, this one is free! The Players Circle created a networking app to enable coaches, recruiters, scouts, and players to connect with one another. You might ask, well, isn’t that what Instagram is for? Sure, some people connect on Instagram, but it's not always easy to find someone on there unless their handle is literally just...their name. Plus, The Players Circle lets players include their stats, updates, and more - making it easier for interested parties to view their skills and connect.
Trust your kid: Parents sometimes have a vision for their kid, or their own personal preferences. But at the end of the day it's the player that has to attend school, live on campus, and play ball. Trust your kid to make the choice that is right for them as a student athlete. Things can change over the course of high school careers, but ultimately as long as your kid gets to play the game they love, that’s what matters most. Get your (metaphorical) pom-poms and keep cheering them on!
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