Families seem to be in the middle of a perfect storm as they look to send their sons and daughters to college. The stock market has wiped out a lot of the savings people thought they had; college tuition is up; the economy has killed millions of jobs; house prices have collapsed and destroyed equity; and more children than ever want a higher education.

Perhaps the promising circumstances for you are that your child plays a sport, even if he does it quite well. He sounds like you, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this. Then help in the form of an athletic scholarship may well be on the cards. You’ll have to navigate the recruiting process and make some tough judgment calls about contacting college coaches, hiring college consultants, negotiating terms (if you’re lucky enough to get that far), and all the rest of a potentially complicated process. But for those with perspectives and needs, there is simply no other way.

And there’s no question that an athletic scholarship can help pay for that college education. It may not be a complete journey, but most of us would appreciate any contribution. However, the challenge for parents, especially those new to the college recruiting process, is navigating uncharted terrain in a career where the stakes couldn’t be higher. Hey, it’s just your child’s education!

Jennifer Noonan of College Sports Quest has been mentoring high school athletes in Southern California for approximately 10 years and has mentored over 500 families in that time. She warns against leaving everything to the student. It is too important for the athlete not to have the full support of the family.

And as Jennifer Noonan sees it, there are five common misconceptions when it comes to college recruiting and athletic scholarships.

Myth #1: If you’re good enough, coaches will always know about you.
And all good things come to those who wait. In a perfect world, this is exactly what would happen. Unfortunately, our world is less than perfect. And a college scholarship is too important to leave to chance. You must be proactive. me

Myth #2: You have a lot of time.
Not as much as you think. About 25% of high school athletes are identified as college scholarship candidates as freshmen. Another 35% identify as sophomores. And another 45% or so identify as juniors. Not many identify as older people. So you don’t have as much time as you think. According to Noonan and College Sports Quest [http://www.collegesportsquest.com]the time for you to start your own recruiting efforts, in most sports, is September 1 of your junior year (or earlier).

Myth #3: Your coach has connections and will get you hired
Trainers’ first job is to train you, so you can be recruited. And they are busy, many with teaching duties in addition to their athletic duties. Not to mention families and personal life and everything else. Sure, use the help the coaches offer you, even ask for it and take advantage of all the connections they have. But don’t make this your only recruiting strategy.

Myth #4: College camps and exhibition tournaments mean you’ll turn heads
When most college coaches arrive at tournaments, they have in mind a very short list of prospects they’re looking at. In a camp of 500 student-athletes, a college coach may only be looking seriously at 2 or 3. The lesson is that you have to do the work of being on their radar screens before the tournament. And be realistic (but optimistic) about your abilities and the college tournaments you’re headed to.

Myth #5: Grades don’t matter.
Colleges and the NCAA have high school course requirements and minimum GPA/SAT/ACT standards that you must pass. But meeting the minimum standard set by the NCAA and your college doesn’t mean you can continue to meet the required academic standards. And, all things being equal between you and another prospect, higher ratings will count.

It always helps to visit colleges that interest you. Try to time your visit so you can see how your sport is played. Avoid applying for athletic scholarships to colleges you might not otherwise consider attending. In other words, whatever happens to the team, you still have to get a title!