© 2019 Student Athlete Counseling

My Experience Being a High School/Juco Student Athlete & Marketing Myself to Colleges & Universities

Jamal T. Jackson, LCSW

June 24, 2020

I played every sport under the sun growing up! Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Track & Field, and Football, just to name a few.

After high school I chose to continue my student athlete collegiate career at the junior college level, not due to poor grades or test scores, because they were decent;  but because of three reasons.

  1. My challenges with my attitude, behavior and decision making which limited my scholarship opportunities. 
  2. My lack of knowledge in marketing myself as a student athlete to colleges, which I would not understand until later in life. 
  3. And, most important to me at the time, my dream to compete at the  division one level.

Anyone who has played junior college sports has an appreciation and understanding for the everyday grind of being a student athlete at the junior college level.  It ain’t no joke!  

I can honestly say, in my freshman year I struggled in a multitude of ways, but that story is for another day.  However, I was persistent in my goal of earning a full ride athletic scholarship; and in my sophomore year I did well enough in the classroom, weight room and on the football field to do just that. And, I am not just sharing to brag or impress anyone, but to be transparent in telling my story.  

However, at that point in time, I thought I had arrived, and that division one schools would be calling left and right, offering me athletic scholarships.  A point of weakness for me was within my mental preparedness, as well as in understanding the business aspects of marketing myself to colleges and universities.  It also didn’t help that the director of football operations, who was responsible for supporting college and universities placement, abruptly left; again another day, another story.

Also during my sophomore year, I was lucky and blessed enough to fall into marketing myself as a student athlete to four colleges and universities, by…

  1. Having a good season
  2. Having coaches who cared and supported me.  

Shout out to Coach Buchanan!!! Thank you for ALL you have done for me!!! GOMAB

  1. Having the necessary knowledge of the process of recruitment in relationship to societal challenges

And this resulted in earning a full ride athletic scholarship.

There were also some hard lessons that I learned, including losing my full ride athletic scholarship.  Again, I’m telling my story for transparency…

So, to all my high school aged student athletes wanting to continue student athlete careers after high school, understanding how to market yourself to colleges and universities is a non-negotiable tool that you need!