It’s never been easy for high school athletes to navigate the recruiting process. Today’s athletes, however, must maneuver through a virtual minefield when seeking college athletic scholarships. College coaches and recruiters receive thousands of applications each year from male and female athletes. Often, talented athletes miss the opportunity to play at the next level simply because they are unaware of how to work through the process.
Chris Whidby is one of a new breed of entrepreneurs assisting athletes on the road to gaining a college degree while playing sports. His company, CoachRecruitMe, is on a mission to help young athletes pursue their dreams of becoming collegiate athletes. In the Game asked Whidby 10 Questions about his background, his business, and the college recruiting process.
In The Game: Did you play sports in high school?
Chris Whidby: Yes, in high school I played football, basketball, track and field, as well as baseball.
ITG: What did you do after high school?
CW: After high school, I served in the U.S. Army for 10 years training and teaching soldiers.
ITG: When did you become involved in coaching?
CW: About 25 years ago I started coaching youth programs during middle school years. Over the course of time, I started coaching adult league sports in military from basketball, football, and baseball.
ITG: What led you to become interested in the recruiting of high school athletes?
CW: About two years ago, some friends that played collegiate and professional sports began looking for a way to help high school athletes attain scholarships. For the last two years, we have been helping high school athletes throughout the southeast states. Our team of certified recruiting coordinators knows the NCAA and NAIA rules and requirements for all sports. Our team members have experience in the scouting field in all sports.
ITG: Why is there a need for high school athletes to seek assistance when considering playing collegiate sports?
CW: There are a few reasons. First, there needs to be a scouting evaluation report to be conducted on skill set of the athlete in the sport and position they are pursuing, for example: height, weight, speed, bench and squat max, and more. Second thing is their academic qualifications: GPA, NCAA, Core Classes requirements, and more. This is why it’s so important for parents to reach out to our team for help. Our team members can go into great details about the recruiting process.
ITG: What steps are involved with a high school athlete seeking assistance regarding the recruiting process?
CW: First thing is to fill out a high school evaluation report completely. Second, make sure the athlete submits a good phone number for one of our team members to contact the athlete. After a review of the athlete’s status, someone from our team will set up a time to go over the report with the parents about the athlete.
ITG: What mistakes do you see parents/guardians of athletes or even athletes themselves make when attempting to seek athletic scholarships?
CW: There are a lot of mistakes parents make mainly because of not understanding the recruiting process. Parents trying to do scouting reports on their athlete not knowing what information college coaches are looking for. A college coach only has a few minutes to view each athlete’s profile information. They receive thousands of athlete profile packages each season, so everything has to be in order on their profile. This step is so important. They only have one shot with that coach. Parents have to understand there are 8 million seniors each year around the country. It’s important for you to let our certified team members do the work for you.
ITG: Are there any new rules or regulations that high school athletes may not be aware of when thinking about seeking college scholarships?
CW: There are some new rules in NCAA. The main two are to review the 16 Core Classes requirement and registration fees. Visit the NCAA website for more details.
ITG: What advice would you give a high school athlete who feels he or she might be able to play at the next level?
CW: Go to our website page and submit your evaluation report so our team can review your information. One of our certified recruiting coordinators will contact you to go over your report.
ITG: What is the best part of working with young athletes?
CW: Being able to see their dreams come true to be able to play at the collegiate level and earn a four-year degree in the process. Knowing that I was a part of helping change someone’s life for the good forever.
Personal Bio
Name: Christopher Whidby
Job title or occupation: Collegiate Recruiting Coordinator; CEO/President of CoachRecruitMe, LLC; CEO/President of Southeast Battleground Tour
Hometown: Monticello, Georgia
Current residence: Phenix City, Alabama
Education (high school/college): Jasper County High School, Monticello, Georgia; BS in Sport Management, Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, Alabama
Sports awards or accomplishments: Defensive Player of the Year, 1996, Jasper County High School; defensive back for Empire League in upstate New York; head golf coach, Forest Trail Sports University, December 2015 to February 2017; member of United States Golf Association; play some events with Golf Channel Pro-am Tour
Family: Been married for 18 years and have two teenage boys, Jeremiah and Khalil
Hobbies or favorite pastimes: Playing golf events, training athletes
Person you most admire: Jesus, and my family as well as mentors in my life.
Website: www.coachrecruitme.com; www.sebattlegroundtour.com
Columbus Valley/June-July 2017
10 Questions with Chris Whidby
Phenix City, Alabama
By Beth Welch
Photos courtesy of Chris Whidby
10 Questions With Chris Whidby
