David Galehouse owns Varsity Edge, a website that helps high school athletes pursue their sport in college. He himself was an athlete who went through challenges in being recruited. He was an avid golfer with some aspirations of a college scholarship, but burned out in senior year. He began to play baseball in the spring of his senior year, for the first time since eighth grade.

Needless to say, it was a bit late in the game to hope for a scholarship in baseball, and after some scrambling around,” he ended up taking a year off from school. He first attended Rollins college in Florida but his skill level wasn’t improved enough, then he went to Fairfield College in Connecticut. He walked onto the team, but was sidelined by injury, and he stepped out of the sport by the time he was a senior.

While reflecting on his experiences, he started to take notes and it formed the basis of what Varsity Edge has become, a resource for parents and students offering information that David felt he did not get in his experience.

Who can benefit from Varsity Edge?

Anyone, really. David says it’s a misconception that athletes who are highly recruited don’t need help. Everyone can use information on selecting the right school.

On the site, you’ll find information on

* College applications

* Visiting schools

* Financial aid

* Recruiting information

* NCAA rules

* Life as a student athlete

* Interviews with college coaches

* Researching colleges

Common mistakes families make in pursuing college athletics

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Overlooking academics – it won’t matter how well you perform on the field or court; if you don’t have the grades, the recruiting process is basically over;

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Assuming you will be “discovered” – college coaches are not at every game; in fact, they rarely attend high school games, as their season is happening at the exact same time.

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Not being aggressive enough – this is the flip side of waiting to be discovered. Students need to assertively connect with coaches at the colleges they’d like to play for. Explain your interest and why. There is an online recruiting form for every college, which will put your name in front of the coach and show that you’ve done the homework on your own.

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Overestimating a student’s ability – make sure your athlete’s ability is evaluated as it would apply to various colleges; compare your performance v. other students at your school, in your state and at the college level for a more accurate idea of how you match up

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Not doing your research – kick the tires a bit on a school and its program, including coaches and their rosters. It can tell you a lot about how they recruit by seeing where their players are from. The more far and wide the geographic area that makes up a team, the more aggressive and selective the recruiting

David also recommends seeking out former teammates who are now in college to find out how they performed in college to assess your talent. Traveling outside of your area with club teams to camps or tournaments also allows you to note other athletes’ performances and how your measure up.

Coaches still need to see you play in some capacity, how you handle winning and losing, interacting with coaches and referees. The best way to get in front of them can be a camp at that specific college. It also gives the athlete a chance to assess the college’s program to make a better decision down the road.

The caveat is not to sign up for a showcase or camp at a college your student may not match up with in skill level. In other words, if your skill level is only at a Division III level, don’t sign up at Notre Dame for their camp as no amount of time in front of ...