“What do I do when things aren’t working? Do I continue thinking the same old thoughts and taking the same old actions? If I do that, I can be one-hundred percent sure that my dreams will never come true. If I think the same old thoughts and take the same old actions, I will receive the same old results and remain trapped in my old way of living. I have to think and act my new life into existence.” —
(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
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Focus gives me powerful leverage over my mind. When I focus on a thought, it forces my mind to look in the direction of that thought. When I focus for a minute, I push my mind in that direction for a minute. When I consistently focus on it for weeks and months, my life moves in that direction. The focus of my mind expands into my life.
I can think only one thought at a time. When I focus on one thought, I displace all others from my mind. Focus enables me to displace unwanted thoughts. I displace negative ones with positive ones and limiting ones with unlimited ones.
Focus selects the programs that I run in my mind. When I select a program using the power of focus, I take control of my mind. Since I can run only one program at a time, when I run a positive one, the negative ones vanish.
I use the power of focus to push my mind in the direction of my dreams. The magic of focus is not hocus-pocus, and it’s not a trick. It’s the real thing. Focus unlocks the door of change and makes it possible to run positive programs in my mind.
” —(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
If you have a goal of being recruited and earning an athletic scholarship but are unsure about the best way to go about it, then this article will give you a step-by-step sports scholarship success process to follow. Sports recruiting can be confusing and frustrating, but if you have the sports skills and drive to play at the collegiate level you owe it to yourself and your pocketbook to at least give earning an athletic scholarship a try.
Athletic scholarships are fairly difficult to earn, depending on the sport only.8% of high school varsity athletes will be awarded one, and even fewer will be awarded the full-ride version. While the odds might be stacked against the majority of young athletes, it is still worthwhile to have all of your academic and athletic ducks in a row just in case you are one of the fortunate few.
1. First on your agenda is to make sure you are taking the right courses in high school to be eligible to receive an athletic scholarship if offered one. There are varying course requirements for the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, the 3 major collegiate organizations that offer athletic scholarships.
The best way to be sure you’ve taken the right courses to qualify for each is to meet with your school’s athletic counselor and your academic counselor and ask to be placed in the right set of classes to ensure you can qualify for an NCAA Division 1 scholarship. This is the highest level of collegiate athletic competition and has the most stringent academic qualification requirements. With few exceptions if you can meet their standards you will qualify for all of the others.
2. Next you’ll need to join the NCAA and NAIA clearing-houses, these are online databases that are used by the NCAA and NAIA to help ensure all athletes are on track to meet the athletic and academic eligibility requirements set by each organization. These clearing-houses will be the first stop for potential college coaches who might be interested in recruiting a player, they’ll want to verify that a player is eligible or at least on tract to be eligible before wasting precious recruiting time and resources.
The clearing houses tracks your SAT/ACT scores, amateur status, and school transcripts among other things. Your school’s athletic counselor can help you get the process started online, or you can get started on your own by visiting the NCAA and NAIA official websites.
3. Now it’s time to schedule and prepare to take the SAT and ACT exams. It is important that you take both exams because although most schools accept either as a part of their entrance acceptance process, some only accept one or the other. It is also worth noting that the two exams are completely different in their approach to assessing academic prowess, and in many instances a student struggling with one will do quite well on the other. Many people pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for classes and study programs to prepare for the test or to improve their scores, but there are many free or low cost online and offline services available to help you prepare, again ask your school counselor for help finding resources.
4. Assuming you posses the athletic skills and ability to play at the collegiate level, your next order of business is to get noticed by college coaches. Many players believe they will be ‘discovered’ by playing in as many showcases, viewing tournaments and/or combines as possible, most of these players end up very disappointed. A better approach is to identify colleges you would like to attend or even better all of the colleges you qualify to attend that offer athletic scholarship in your sport of choice, and contact them with your information and where you’ll be performing. This way instead of hoping they’ll notice you, they’ll actually be there to see you. A proactive approach is much better than a reactive one when it comes to the athletic recruiting process.
You’ll have to do your research to find the colleges that fit, but there are online tools to help.
(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
Many different sports can be very demanding and require proper training. No matter what level you are at in almost any sport, proper training is vital to success. Training can consist of many different elements and variables. Here are some key points that will make any training session count.
Nutrition - Training begins before stepping into the gym. Eating the proper nutrient rich foods help prepare the body for the endurance needed for proper training. Greasy and processed foods should be avoided at this time at all cost to maximize results. Proper nutrition is what separates the best athletes from the average athletes in many cases.
Meals that contain B vitamins, carbohydrates, sodium and protein work well for athletes that participate in sports requiring long endurance. Antioxidants are also very important nutrients needed during intense training.
They support the immune system and also the metabolism which are vital in producing energy on demand. Potassium is very important nutrient that aid in muscle function by providing electrolytes. Without this vital nutrient, your muscles will not respond accordingly. Finally, water is important for the hydration of the body. Hydration of the body is really needed before the start of any demanding activities.
Planning - There is no shortcut to success when it comes to training for sports. Successful athletes use proven plans of training that give them the results that they desire. Most sports require athletes to have great strength, speed, endurance, and coordination to compete on a competitive level.
Achieve maximum results, successful athletes carry out different training exercises to focus on every aspect of their sport. For example, a pro basketball player may focus on exercises to build strength during the beginning of their off season training. When the start of their preseason is close, they may focus more on agility and ball handling to improve their performance on the basketball court.
Training should always be planned for addressing every aspect of any sport on the individual basis to improve results in all categories. Each training exercise should follow other exercises based on the rate of progress overall.
The human body can only take so much abuse and hard labor before muscles, ligaments, and overall endurance is affected. Proper training can only continue at a normal pace with proper recovery from past training sessions.
An adequate amount of sleep and relaxation allow the body to repair itself from any damage done by demanding activities. During sleep, the body is able to filter out free radicals that are known to cause cell damage. Sleep can also play a vital role in the health of your metabolism.
Lack of sleep has been linked to major gastrointestinal problems and poor performance in many athletes that do not invest in giving their bodies’ adequate rest.
In conclusion, proper training and preparation is required to excel in any sport that exist. Successful athletes owe their results to proven training plans that were passed on to them. There are many athletes who have so much potential but do not learn the right way to train for the sport they wish to play.
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(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
High School Football Star Cole Madison
“Sometimes, it’s impossible to create and display a picture of your dreams because an image doesn’t exist. That’s where visualization comes in. It lets you see things in your mind’s eye that you can’t see with your physical eyes. Looking with your mind’s eye - visualization - has nearly the same power as looking at an actual photograph. For all practical purposes, your brain doesn’t distinguish between an image that you see with your eyes from one that you visualize in your mind.” —
(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
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When I wake up each morning, I already know where I am going and what I will be doing all day long. I will be moving in the direction of my dreams. I don’t need to agonize over my destination, because I made that decision long ago.
My dreams clarify my vision. They permit me to see through the chaos and confusion, and they show me where to go.
Life is like a baseball game in which I have an unlimited number of swings at the baseball of life. Today I will step up to the plate and start swinging. There is no such thing as striking out. I can take as many swings as I want. There is no question whether I will hit a home run; the only question is when it will happen. Sooner is better than later, and I will continue swinging until it does.
” —(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
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Today is the only day I have to work on my dreams. If I don’t work on them every day, they will never happen.
Each day is a new chance to be all that I can be and do all that I can do. What I do today is important, because I am trading a day of my life for it. Time is my most important non-renewable resource, and when time passes, it’s gone forever.
When I waste my time, I waste my life. My seconds, minutes, and hours are the measure of my existence. The scales of life are always in balance. I always get back exactly what I give. If I work for only one hour on my goals, life gives me back one hour of dreams and nothing more. Whatever bargain I strike with life, it willingly pays.
When my time is gone, my life is over. Today is the only day, and now is the only time that I can make my dreams come true. There is no reason to wait. Today my life will count for something good.
” —(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
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I have a choice. I can either count my blessings or my problems. Counting my blessings causes my problems to shrink, and soon I forget they exist. Counting my problems makes my blessings shrink, and soon I forget that I have any.
When I don’t count my blessings, they disappear from my mind. Although they are still there, if I don’t think about them, I forget about them. Each day I need to remind myself of my blessings to keep them active in my mind.
When I wake up in the morning, I decide whether I am going to count my blessings or my problems. That decision sets the tone for my entire day. The best way to fill my cup with joy is to turn on my Good Finder and rediscover my blessings.
The things that are positive in my life far outnumber the negative. When I focus on what is good, my mind replays my blessings all day long. I must count my blessings or my blessings will not count.
” —(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
“Every negative thought that comes into my life is there to teach me a lesson. The sooner I learn the lesson, the sooner it will leave. When a negative thought enters my mind, I do four things. First, I learn the lesson it has to teach. Second, I take positive action based upon what I have learned. Third, I think two new positive thoughts to displace the negativity from my mind. Fourth, I use Power Graphics to push my mind in a positive direction. Drinking poison, handling cobras, and negative thinking are bad for my health, and I don’t do it. I have zero tolerance to negative thinking.” —
(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
“I can change any area of my life, because I can change the way I think. Change may occur slowly and imperceptibly at first, nevertheless, I know it’s happening. Whenever I change the way I think, change is bound to happen. I am not trapped or helpless.” —
(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
“Only one person needs to give me permission to go for my dreams, and that’s the person I see when I look in the mirror. My life is mine alone, and that grants me all the authority I need to do what I want to do and be all that I can be.” —
(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
“Excellence is the normal state of affairs in the human heart. When I pursue excellence, I know that I am doing the right thing. Excellence isn’t an accident. God programmed it into my heart so that I would feel good when I live an excellent life.” —
(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)
Athletics and education for high school student athletes can equal huge success for many reasons. One of the main reasons is the athletes receiving college scholarships.
Of course, that means your education is paid for but the tradeoff is for you to perform athletically.
We all know a college education can be the springboard to a successful life all because of the athlete’s superior athletic skill. Your athletic career is not very long when you consider the time you put in as a high school athlete and college athlete.
If you’re lucky enough to make it to the professional level, your professional career could still be there while you’re relatively still young. That’s why it’s very important to get a college education, to receive a college degree and with athletics you can be a success.
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(Source: WoodsRecruiting.com)