By Tamara Moore · July 10, 2026 · 7 min read
Recruiting rewards families who start early and stay organized. Talent opens the door, but paperwork, grades and communication are what keep it open.
8th grade and 9th grade
Focus on skill and grades. Freshman-year GPA counts toward eligibility and it is the easiest GPA to protect. Start a simple folder with measurables, school info and a couple of clean game clips.
10th grade
Build a real recruiting profile: height, position, graduation year, GPA, test plans, club and high school coach contact info, and five minutes of unedited game film. Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Begin emailing schools that genuinely fit academically, not just athletically.
11th grade
This is the loudest year. Play in events where college coaches attend, follow up after every camp, and answer every coach email within 48 hours — athletes should write those emails themselves. Take unofficial visits and ask hard questions about playing time, majors and graduation rates.
12th grade
Narrow the list, take official visits, understand the difference between athletic money, academic money and need-based aid, and get every offer in writing. Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college are real paths to a degree and four more years of basketball.
How we help
Every Elite athlete gets a recruiting profile on our site with film, academics and measurables that we can send to a college coach in one link, plus staff who will make the call on her behalf.