What You Need to Know to be Recruitable

Summary

Shaquana Miller, founder of Next Play Athletics Consulting and current assistant athletic director in Anderson, South Carolina, breaks down the critical academic and compliance steps that student-athletes must complete to be eligible for college athletics. She covers the most common mistakes families make — from failing to communicate goals to guidance counselors, to not understanding that NCAA GPA differs from high school GPA, to signing up for the wrong NCAA Eligibility Center account. Miller offers a structured approach through her consulting service that includes transcript review, recruiting strategy, communication templates, social media audits, and a 90-day “Full Ride” program.

Guest Background

• Current assistant athletic director at a school in Anderson, South Carolina
• Former college athlete and college coach
• Extensive NCAA compliance background: assistant AD for compliance, student-athlete success, senior woman administrator at multiple universities
• Founded Next Play Athletics Consulting to address the recurring problem of student-athletes arriving at college ineligible
• Entrepreneur at heart; sees Next Play as a mission-driven business solving a systemic problem

Key Topics

• NCAA GPA vs. high school GPA: The NCAA calculates GPA only from approved “core courses” (English, social sciences, science, world languages, etc.), not the full transcript. A student with a 4.0 high school GPA may fall below the NCAA’s 2.3 (D1) or 2.2 (D2) threshold if the right core courses aren’t taken.
• The 10-7 rule: Division I requires 10 of the required core courses to be completed by the seventh semester (entering senior year). If a guidance counselor doesn’t set this up, the student automatically becomes a non-qualifier.
• NCAA Eligibility Center accounts: Three different account types exist. The free profile account is appropriate for freshmen/8th graders. By 10th grade (not junior year as the form says), families should upgrade to the paid certification account (~$110) which is required for official visits and coach verification. Many families choose the wrong account type, creating delays.
• Core course upload failures: High schools must upload approved courses to the NCAA portal. Courses are frequently outdated or not uploaded in a timely manner, causing eligible courses to not count.
• Homeschool/virtual school complexity: ~15% of student-athletes at Miller’s institution are now homeschooled. NCAA has made it easier but the process is still confusing; professional guidance is strongly recommended.
• Communication and self-advocacy: The #1 common mistake is simply not having the conversation with guidance counselors about college athletic goals. Student-athletes must learn to communicate professionally with coaches — Miller provides email/DM templates.
• Parent as manager: Parents need to be actively involved in managing the recruiting process (not leaving it to the AD, counselor, or coach), while also teaching the student-athlete to self-advocate. But parents must step back once the athlete is enrolled — coaches expect to deal directly with the student-athlete.
• Social media review: Coaches review Instagram and other platforms to assess personality and character. Miller does social media audits as part of her service.
• The “right fit” conversation: Many families have unrealistic D1 expectations. Some students aren’t D1-ready academically or athletically. Junior colleges are increasingly competitive and a legitimate pathway (25-26 year olds competing; quality student-athletes choosing JUCOs for extra development years).

Actionable Advice for Families

• Have the conversation with your guidance counselor in 9th grade (or earlier) about college athletic goals. Don’t assume they know.
• Understand that NCAA GPA is calculated from core courses only. Request a core course list for your high school from the NCAA Eligibility Center portal.
• Create your free NCAA Eligibility Center account as early as 8th grade. Upgrade to the paid certification account ($110) by 10th grade — don’t wait until junior year.
• Verify that your high school has uploaded and updated its core courses on the NCAA portal. Outdated listings can disqualify otherwise eligible courses.
• If homeschooling or virtual schooling, seek professional guidance on NCAA eligibility requirements. The rules exist but are hard to navigate alone.
• Treat recruiting like a professional interaction: use proper email etiquette, respond to coaches promptly, and have the student-athlete (not the parent) lead communications.
• Audit social media before the recruiting process begins. Remove anything that could give coaches a negative impression.
• Be realistic about division level. D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO are all excellent options with scholarship opportunities. Don’t let D1 tunnel vision prevent your athlete from playing.
• When visiting campuses, go back a second time unannounced to see the environment without the “red carpet” treatment.

INTENNSE Relevance

• Systemic gap in the pathway: The eligibility compliance gap represents a structural failure in the junior-to-college pipeline. Student-athletes with the talent and desire to play college tennis are being disqualified by administrative oversights. This is exactly the kind of systemic inefficiency INTENNSE should understand and potentially address.
• Equity implications: The families most likely to fall through the cracks are those without access to knowledgeable counselors, coaches, or recruiting consultants — typically underserved communities. Next Play’s model of bringing compliance expertise to high schools and districts is a relevant intervention model.
• Content and service opportunity: Parent education around NCAA eligibility is a high-demand, underserved content vertical. The complexity of the rules creates a natural consulting opportunity.
• Junior college pathway: The observation that JUCOs are increasingly competitive with older, more experienced student-athletes is a trend worth tracking for INTENNSE’s understanding of the development landscape.

Notable Quotes

“I would get, especially at the initial enrollment phase, so many parents calling me, so many parents in front of me just crying because their student-athlete can’t play that first year. And they’re just saying, ‘I didn’t know. No one told me. My AD didn’t know, my counselor didn’t know.’”

“Everyone wants to talk about the athletic side of it, but the main part, the most important part, is what I do on a day-to-day basis. It’s the boring part, but it’s so crucial to them being able to be eligible coming in at initial enrollment.”

“Parents love to take the back seat at the wrong time. You need to be the manager of this student-athlete. You have invested this time, this money, these resources… and you need to be on top of them.”