Destined To Play College Sports:
Camps. “Show Case” tournaments. Select clubs. Playing for the “right” school.
By Brent Gallagher

These are all the so-called avenues young athletes are forced to believe are their only way into college sports. Parents are misled into believe that if their son or daughter doesn’t attend one of these events, attaining a college scholarship is out of the question.

The most critical time in a young athlete’s career is the summer before their senior year.

This time should be spent intensely preparing, sharpening up on fundamentals and mentally pushing their limits. The trouble is that most of this time is spent travelling to and participating in 3-4 “exposure” camps to be “seen” by college coaches. Instead of training and preparation the summer is about “exposure”. Instead of coming out of the summer stronger, quicker, well-conditioned and more explosive, the young athlete is placed under tremendous stress to “repay” his parents by obtaining a scholarship. And as a lot of Senior years go for so many college-bound hopefuls who didn’t take the time to train and prepare properly, the season is sub-par.

A young athlete destined to play college sports should look to make a commitment to the weight room. Instead of chasing the coaches from camps to tournaments, invest your time wisely by sending the coaches a letter and videos of you training and competing. While everyone is out gaining “exposure”, why not go against the grain and train, prepare and excel when the time is right.

The best way to prepare for the summer before your Senior year:

1. Establish a training plan
2. Plan for only 1 (2 at most) camps and/or tournaments that will have the greatest value.
3. Focus on training and preparing the skills, strength and endurance it will take to play
   at the next level.
4. Begin to start to make contact with schools and coaches of interest

Regardless if its camps, AAU or tournaments, every sport has entrepreneurs and organizers who swear they know the answer. The in lies the problem: They have a vested financial interest in you and your child. They cannot exist without you. And the truth is, so do I.

However, the athlete program at West U Fitness was founded to help young athletes do what the pro and collegiate athletes do in the off-season, train. Our success comes from doing it right. The program is not flashy or . They are designed to be difficult and demanding, while progressing in a safe manor with a proven success formula.

This summer you have a decision to make:

1. Try to show everyone how good you are in all the camps and tournaments – OR –
2. You can actually train and prepare to get better for the future seasons (college and beyond)