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College 101

Hey there, future wrestling champs, grappling enthusiasts, and parents of aspiring athletes! If you've ever wondered about the intriguing dance that is college wrestling recruitment, you're in for a wild ride. As a seasoned college coach who's had a front-row seat to the recruiting spectacle across all three NCAA divisions, trust us when we say it's as thrilling as a championship bout.

Recruitment in the world of wrestling can be a real head-scratcher. From the complex Moneyball-inspired strategies that have turned underdogs into national champions to the simpler "recruit the local talent" game plan, we've seen it all. It's like trying to predict the next big upset in sports – exhilarating, but also a bit like rolling the dice in a casino.

You see, there's a lot that goes into evaluating a potential wrestling prodigy. Coaches develop a sixth sense for talent, but there are countless intangibles that only reveal themselves once that promising kid steps onto the mat as part of the team. In essence, the recruiting process is akin to a high-stakes poker game – and just like in poker, you don't want to pay full price for a school any more than you'd pay sticker price for a new car.

That's where we come in. We've got the insider tips, tricks, and strategies to help you not only survive but thrive in the tumultuous world of college wrestling recruitment. Our goal? To ensure that every athlete finds their rightful place in the collegiate wrestling landscape – a place where they can flourish, grow, and become the champions they're destined to be.

So, whether you're a wrestler ready to embark on this epic journey, a parent supporting your grappling superstar, or just someone curious about the excitement of college wrestling recruitment, welcome to our world. It's a rollercoaster ride, but we promise it's one you won't want to miss.

Buckle up, and let's dive into the thrilling, unpredictable, and utterly fascinating universe of college wrestling recruitment! 🤼‍♂️💪



ACT vs SAT IF you don't have a great ACT/SAT score that's ok. Most colleges have a less strict transfer policy. Start at a community college and transfer in.

  • Your ACT/SAT score to determines if you meet the minimum to get in to a school and if a school has academic grants/scholarships to give you. You can look up their standards here.

  • The higher the score the more money the school, not the coach, will give you automatically.

  • Coaches generally want you to be able to handle you to be your college classes and stay eligible. It's his boss that says no to low scores and the boss doesn't care about wrestling.

  • With that being said coaches look for patterns to predict behaviors. Grade consistency is one of them. The Senior-itis is not a good sign.

  • The quality of high school education your getting can be guessed by your scores. Example: A 4.0 GPA but 002 ACT score tell a different story then 3.3 gpa 30 Act.

  • Schools will take a good score from either test.

  • A "good" SAT/ACT is subjective to what school you are considering and what their standards are.

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  1. What you do or do not do in high school has zero bearing on your college career once you get to college.

  2. The transition from high school to college is going to be similar to you experiences transferring from middle school to high school. Many people quit in this transition.

  3. From your coaches perceptive high school wrestlers are not that good at wrestling, yet.

  4. They are more interested in your progress over the years and the style you use.

  5. Freshman/ sophomore are suppose to lose to upperclassmen. You never want to be the best in the room your freshmen year.

  6. D1 isn't the choice for everyone regardless of how skilled they are or are not. There is life after sports plan for that not a sport team or division. This is the hardest lesson for every athlete to learn.

  7. when you're in college none of your high school friends will care or remember what school/division you choose. When everyone is making their choices and it's tempting to want to impress your friends with a certain school but don't let peer pressure bankrupt you. Bankruptcy is not cool and student loans won't be forgiven

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A Day in the Life

Why People quit

Books

  1. If there is one thing you should avoid at all costs it's buying books new.

  2. Some subjects mainly number related ones like math you have to get the required copied because of the homework problems or some special code.

  3. Often the biggest differences between book versions is the order of the material. Often you can get away buying a version older and ciphering around for the right chapter which are often just renamed.

  4. Search the name of what your looking for with "type: PDF" at the end to instantly search pdf copies. Disclaimer: Only download legal copies from legal disturbers.

  5. Search the name you are looking for plus "Book review/ synopsis", "Chapter summary/review/ notes", "Chapter type: pdf", "Chapter Summary", "paper", "Peer Review", "SparkNotes", "Quizlet"

  6. Google Books allows you to view about 10 pages anywhere in a book. If you use multiple web browsers like chrome, Mozilla, Firefox, opera, etc. Someone could string together a whole book 10 pages at a time if your clever enough with your initial search from the home page. If one copied and pasting the sentence you left on into the new browser.

  7. Check libraries for reserve copies locally or have them shipped to you with things like Ohiolink at your university's library

  8. Ohio Link is a online library for college books available for free to most college students in Ohio. It also costs about $25- $289 to be in one credit hour at tri-c community college depending if you wanted to complete the course. In the mean time, you have access to their all their resources including Ohio Link.

  9. Google Scholar is one of the best libraries you'll ever use.

  10. Using Google translate to search for something in another language is helpful.. Fun fact Google Translate can auto translate most webpages into your native language. Want info on Russian politics look it up in Russian. Want to find your book in spanish and translate it back to english?

  11. Facebook groups/market, Letgo, eBay, Amazon, Chegg.com, packback.com, studentratetextbooks.com, slugbooks.com, bigwords.com, are a great way to find used books, textbookrush.com,

  12. The time of the year will determine the costs of your books. They are considerably cheaper when everyone one else is selling their old books. The most exspensive time of the year is the start of the school year.

Helpful sources

​ Committment Verbal commitments What is a National Letter of Intent Grey Shirt Red Shirt Freshman ​ Your verbal commitment is a negotiating tool, nothing more in the eyes of a coach.

If you verbal commitment you will no longer get offers from other schools so a big deal if your undecided. ​ Financial Aid

  1. Focus on the total not subtotals. Financial Aid is mostly smoke and mirrors.

  2. With the amount the same but they might relabel portions of it to come from different departments to make you feel like your getting more money. 5k might come from sports, 5k comes from this program, or that. Really financial aid decided to give you X amount and that money is drawn from different branches.

  3. You will never agree with your financial aid package. But there are legal ways to make financial aid more favorable. Google them or keep reading.

  4. Your coach has less control over your financial aid then you think. Outside athletic money which might be tied up in a 5th year ineligible upperclassmen, they rely on what the school gives you.

  5. The school/coach will give you the lowest number you are willing to accept. If it was going to be $10k off and you said you'll take $5k. Then your're getting a $5k scholarship.

  6. General Ed credits are usually cheaper then Declared Credits. Often these students will be in the same class paying different rates per credit hour. Don't declare your major until you have to is pretty safe advice so long as you know what you want and plan for it.

  7. If you apply to comparable schools (similar size, division, degree, etc) You can use the cheapest financial aid package as a bargaining chip for the other schools just tell/show them a competitor is offering less in your appeal process. ​

  8. Appeal processes are easy to do and you will almost always get someone off even if its $100 it's $100 for one email and two forms or something simple. Ask your financial aid what they can do.

  9. The school/coach will give you the lowest number you are willing to accept. If it was a full ride and you said you'll take a half. Then your getting a half ride.

  10. If a school doesn't favor your sport or coach it's hard for them to get anything extra, let alone money.

  11. After talking to a tax professional they may explained how to properly start a business for $200 and use it to save $1,000's by hiding behind tax breaks and removing assets from consideration. This is something you can google or talk to a tax professional but everyone considering college should look into this.


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  1. Your individual grades matter very little outside of potentially skipping some college courses in your transition from highschool to college. Grades don't mean you learn anything but your GPA is much more important.

  2. The easiest grades you'll get are the one you get freshman year because classes only get harder as you get older.

  3. The most powerful grades are freshman year. They set the pace for how hard you have to work for the rest of high school/ college.

  4. If your grades decline your senior year college recruiters might automatically assume senioritis. Don't forget you will be a senior again in college Coaches look at high school trends to predict college trends.

  5. Your GPA in high school doesn't mean that's what type of student you'll be in college. There are plenty of former straight A drop outs and there are plenty of former 2.5 students getting straight A's. Many people change when they leave home. But that's not a chance the college recuirter will take.

Videos brought to us by​ ProjectElon ​ GPA

  1. Your Coach doesn't need to care what your G.P.A. is if your eligible, his boss does and his boss doesn't care you're good at wrestling.

  2. Understand that the college coach your interested in has taken time to to see kids with better and worse grades and G.P.A.s then you. Prove that you have drive and committment.

  3. Cumulative GPA matters to a certain point but individual grades do not for entry into a college.​ Consistency is key.

  4. Your GPA is used as a story and sticking points. Progress is promising, decline is not.

  5. If your G.P.A. is higher than a 4.0. You get brownie points but for most coaches purposes a 4.0 is just as good.

  6. GPA is for the school not the Coach which is why they, not the coach, will give you more money for a higher G.P.A.

  7. It will take twice the time and twice the effort to fix a bad GPA then it took to make the bad GPA.

​ Videos brought to use by MsVictoriaShantrell Institute of Education Sciences ​ Loans

  1. Sallie Mae and Navient are the two largest student loan providers. And EVERY deal with them is a deal with the devil. Exhaust every option you have before them, even the government is more trust worthy then Sallie Mae/Navient and that's saying something.

  2. Public loans are almost always better then private

  3. You have to pay loans back and the loan isn't the problem it's the interest.

  4. The most common payment plans will double maybe even triple the original cost through the interested that's accrued.

Student loan Calculator (site 1), (site 2) Student loan interest explained ​ Video Resources. Types of Loans College Ave Student Loans Sallie Mae (video 1) (Video 2) Navient (video 1), ​ Edvisors Paid4College ​ Edspira Direct PLUS Student Loans Subsidized and Unsubsidized Financial Aid Award Letter/ Offer ​ ​ NCAA Eligibility and Clearing House For many schools General Education Credits are cheaper then the credits you get for declaring a major, but the classes you take are the exact same. Don't declare a major until you have to is pretty safe advice for most situations.

Websites NCSA Q & A NCAA Guide Book Videos Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center NCAA Eligibility Center sign up tutorial Eligibility Requirements for incoming freshmen ​ ​ NCAA Rules

  1. There are a lot of rules the apply to the player, coaches, and parents.

  2. They affect the recruiting process and limit what can and cannot be done at a given point in time.

  3. Sometimes a coach is legally not allowed to talk to a recruit even if they talk to him. In general, wrestling coaches can reach out to wrestling recruits June 15 after their sophomore year. This includes emails, calls, texts, recruiting letters and verbal offers.

Division 1 rules:

  1. Coaches can contact an athlete after June 15 after their sophomore year. They can receive personal contact and recruiting materials. The College Coach can call the athlete, send text messages, direct messages and emails. Thy can also make verbal offers.

  2. August 1 before junior year Recruits can take unofficial/ official visits to schools. Student-athletes can take one official visit per school and are limited to five total official visits. For example, a wrestling recruit might take three official visits in the fall of junior year, and then two in the spring. Additionally, wrestling coaches can also conduct off-campus contact with recruits.

  3. Dead Period when coaches are not allow to contact you: July 27 – August 2, 2020

Division II rules:

  1. Any time: Like Division 1, coaches can send recruits general materials at any point, including questionnaires, camp brochures, NCAA materials and non-athletic information about the school. Student-athletes can go on an unofficial visit any time, except during a dead period, and they aren’t restricted in the number of unofficial visits they take.

  2. June 15 after sophomore year: College coaches can call, text, email, direct message and conduct off-campus contact with an athlete and/or their family. Student-athletes can also begin taking official visits at this time. They are allowed one visit per college and are granted unlimited total visits to Division 2 schools.

  3. Dead Period: November 9 (7 a.m.) – 11 (7 a.m.), 2020.

Division III rules:

  1. Any time: Student-athletes can receive printed materials—recruiting or generic. Coaches can call, email, text and send direct messages to student-athletes. Recruits can go on an unofficial visit at any point during high school and aren’t restricted in the number of unofficial visits they take.

  2. After sophomore year: Coaches can contact student-athletes off campus.

  3. January 1 of junior year: Student-athletes can start taking official visits. They’re allowed one visit per college and can take as many official visits to Division 3 programs as they like. Many wrestling recruits visit Division 3 schools in late winter and spring of their junior year.

  4. Dead Period: Year-round recruiting permitted

  5. Social Media as a Division I or II Rules

  6. The can: market and promote your school/program by setting up social networking pages

  7. Send messages to recruits through a "social networking program’s email function (it has to be a Private DM and can never be on a facebook Wall or something)

  8. Coach's cannot use the university's social media pages to:

  9. Feature photos of prospective student-athletes

  10. Contact individual prospects publicly like on their Facebook wall.

  11. Discuss specific recruits on any wall, public forum or chat room

  12. Contact prospects outside what is allowed by NCAA recruiting laws

NAIA Rules:

  1. NAIA coaches don’t face the same recruiting restrictions as the NCAA. They can contact student-athletes at any point during high school, including emailing, texting and calling. Wrestling recruits will find that most NAIA coaches begin recruiting junior year—after ACT and SAT scores become available—and into senior year.

Videos brought to us by: NCSA (Video 1) (Video 2) (Video 3) (video 4) WYE with Maddie Websites Arbiter Sports NCAA Wrestling Rules Ncsa sports NCAA Recruiting Spotify NCAA Podcasts ​ ​ Paying for College, Side hustles Side hustles are ways the average broke college kid can look to make money outside the typical advice like work study/part-time jobs. Books 100 Side Hustles Website 50 College side hustles Videos How You Can Make Money Playlist Podcasts The Side Hustle Show ​ ​ Rival Schools Videos include: Why do D1 Schools Wrestle D3 Schools? ​ ​ Scholarships

  1. There is no reason to pay full price for college. If you are PROACTIVE paying off college before you graduate can be done.

  2. If you start early enough or work hard you can go to school for free with or without a Coach's scholarship.

  3. Besides a really horrible impression your first impression has little effect on what they will offer you. So instead of worrying about saying the wrong thing focus on what you can do to get want you want.

  4. It is never to late to start finding money, there are scholarships offered year round for every grade level at any point in college for any degree. You just have to make the decision to look.

  5. You can earn more scholarship money then you need there is no cap they just have to be used for school related expenses.

  6. A walk through of scholarships

Videos brought to us by: Kantis Simmons (Video 1), (Video 2) NSCA (Video 1) Glittery Gweenie College Investor Podcasts brought to us by: College Investor College Admissions Insider Websites NCSA CollegeScholarships Studentaid.gov Further readings: The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2022 Scholarships, Grants & Prizes 2021 Apps Scholly Scholarships.com ​ ​ Smart Money Strategies dealing better package:

  1. Apply to comparable schools. Same major same size kind of school. Take your cheapest package to the school to want and see if they'll match.

  2. Start a business. There are a lot of tax benefits for a business to send employees to get a higher education. Sometimes it's cheaper to pay $200 to start a business that is legit and "intends to make money" and get the benefits from tax cuts and other grants.

  3. Parents can hold assets in these businesses before they apply for federal loans. If done properly and legally it will be a way to be worth less before applying for federal assistance.

  4. Your degree will say where you graduated not where you took your classes. A community college's 101 English class counts just as much as the state schools for every degree and usually transfer to the local big school. Work smarter not harder.

  5. 529 Plan will allow you to put money into an account and use it for school expenses tax-free a lot like a Roth IRA but for school related expense k-12 & college.

  1. Out of State tuition is always expensive as heck

  2. Public schools out of state are often the most expensive option.

  3. Some states are more heavily recruited then others and that is true for any sport.

  4. This means not all state placers are recruited equally.

  5. If your state isn't in the top tier there are plenty of open tournaments across the country. You don't have to travel far to ensure you get noticed.

  6. Coaches look local first then farther away. They expect people are going to stay in state. Depending on the school they may not even bother looking certain distances . It might be easier to contact them if you want to go out of state.

  7. Trackwrestling, Wrestlingtournament.org, and flowrestling are great avenues to find tournaments.

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Videos brought to us by: Inforgrapics Howcast College Admissions Darrian Corey Out of state tution In State vs out of State tuition Websites for Out of State CollegeScholarships.org NASFAA Ohio.gov ​ ​ Transferring When you graduate it doesn't matter where you took the classes your degree will say from your graduating school Every college in the United States has to accept any Associates degree (2 year degree) from any accredited college towards their relevant bachelors degree (4 years degree). 2 years at a community college to earn a Associates degree will do more for you in some cases then trying to transfer between two 4 year program. If you transfer within the same NCAA division or go up you will loose a year of eligibility. Most often people use their redshirt year to cover this lack of competing. However, transferring down between divisions is done without penalty. You will not loose a year of eligibility. The easiest way to figure out if your credits will transfer to a school is to communicate with the school in question. A 5 min call will answer most questions about transferring into that school and schools get them all time. Don't be afraid to call or email your preferred school financial aid office. ​ ​ Official Visit Student-athletes can take one official visit per school and are limited to five total official visits ​ ​ Open mats

  1. As a high schooler there are conditions which you are allowed to visit and participate in college open mats.

  2. A great way to improve early and show coaches what you have to offer is going to them but just showing up is a horrible idea.

  3. Before ever showing up make sure the coaches know, through official channels or not. so they can plan accordingly.

  4. The rule is "Families can still go on unofficial visits before August 1 of junior year, but they aren’t allowed to have any recruiting conversations with the coach while on campus." -https://www.ncsasports.org/

  5. A easy way to show your interested or to see if a coach is interested is to offer a unofficial visit.

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