The "A's" of getting an Athletic Scholarship

We are so excited to share this week's blog with you! Read on as guest blogger Johnny Quinn, founder and president of The Athlete Watch, explains the three "A's" you need to get an athletic scholarship. And remember - it's never too early to start planning for your collegiate career!  

- Amarillo Juniors
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Johnny Quinn, founder and
president of
The Athlete Watch.com

You need all A's for an Athletic Scholarship.

The road to playing collegiate sports is not black and white. The Athlete Watch is designed to help guide student-athletes and parents down the right path to play at the next level. You need all A’s for an athletic scholarship and the first one is pretty obvious – “Academics.” Student-athletes must have the grades to get into college and the desire to earn a degree. Academic standards for higher learning institutions are getting stricter every year, and with an ample amount of student-athletes out there for coaches to recruit, if you fall behind on your grades, you fall off a coach’s radar. 

“Athletic ability” is a vital part in the college recruiting process. Student-athletes must have the necessary skills coupled with the ability to outwork the competition. Today, student-athletes are bigger, stronger and faster and will continue to push the physical boundaries in high school athletics. In the realm of athletic competition and scholarship searching, it is a dog-eat-dog world... so you better be hungry.   

Rounding out the all A’s is the “Ability to market yourself.” Do not be fooled with the numerous companies and services charging thousands of dollars to join their network of coaches. As a former student-athlete who lived through the college recruiting process, my family could not afford those astronomical prices. Looking back, even if we could have afforded those services, we would not have fallen victim to their marketing tricks. The NCAA has an abundance of FREE and valuable tools to help families search for scholarships. Combine those tools with a student-athlete profile and skills tape from The Athlete Watch, and you now have an affordable and effective game plan.

- Johnny Quinn, Founder and President of The Athlete Watch and a Non-Recruited Student-Athlete

Johnny Quinn is a former NFL pro and has been a member of the US Olympic bobsled team since 2010. A McKinney, Texas native, Johnny grew up playing sports, and was a 5-A First-Team All-State wide receiver at McKinney High School, leading the state of Texas in receptions and finishing second in receiving touchdowns his senior year. After his successful high school career, Johnny went to the University of North Texas and became the University’s All-Time Leading Receiver. He was also a track walk-on who anchored the relay team to its third fastest time in school history. In 2011 Johnny was inducted into the University of North Texas Hall of Fame for his athletic success. After graduating with his Bachelors of Science in Pre Law, Johnny became a professional football player, spending time with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills. In 2010 he sent film showcasing his speed and acceleration to Olympic bobsled athlete Chuck Berkeley, who passed it along to driver Cory Butner. Johnny showed up the night before 4-man team trials and his very first push was the next day on ice in Lake Placid, NY during the 2010-2011 season, where the team finished third. Johnny spends his off-season in McKinney, training at the Michael Johnson Performance Center. He is the Founder and President of TheAthleteWatch.com, a digital platform for student-athletes to market themselves to colleges and universities around the nation.

To learn more about The Athlete Watch click here, here, or here!

To hear Johnny Quinn's interview with Amarillo Juniors coach Madelyn Vieth on her radio show, "Get Real with The getREAL Coach," click here!

In the coaches' heads... What are they looking for at tryouts?

What are your coaches looking for during tryouts? 
Knowing what someone expects of you can be the key to your success. Let's take a peek into a coaches' head during tryouts...

1. How aggressive is she?

Photo from snugd.com
via Google images

Timidity in the sport of volleyball is never a good thing. Coaches have a keen eye for an aggressive player, and can typically spot one the second they walk into the gym. Be sure that you are playing aggressively. This includes calling the ball loudly, no matter WHEN you're passing it. A big mistake many athletes make is getting out of the "I got it!" habit when they are in single-phase drills. Just because you may be the only person passing that ball is a poor excuse not to call it. This goes back to the fundamental aspect of "you play like you practice." Always practice with the proper technique, form, and attitude and this will carry over come game time. Coaches are aware of this, so they look for athletes who play in this manner.

2. Does she have good court awareness?

Photo from atlantaputtinggreen.com
via Google images

Just because you can go up and bang a ball doesn't necessarily mean you are guaranteed a hitting position on a team. Swinging as hard as you can at every ball will create a high error percentage; coaches are looking for low-error, high-success hitters. This means they need someone getting a large margin more kills than they are making errors. Coaches really look for smart athletes who have good placement with the ball; be it a hit, serve, pass, or set. Always be aware of both your side of the court and the other side, making sure you take into account what is happening around you. A player who adjusts mid-play is a player every coach is looking for.


3. Is she afraid to make mistakes?

Photo from johngeddert.com
via Google images

Fearing making a mistake is a mistake in and of itself. Coaches are looking for a "go big or go home" player. Never be afraid to make a move because you think you might not be successful. If you think your jump float serve will get an ace because of the serve receive pattern on the other side of the net - GO FOR IT! This goes back to being aggressive. Always perform your task with the expectation that you WILL succeed, not with a fear that you won't.





4. If she makes a mistake, what is her response?

Photo from staugustineduckrace.com
via Google images

This is a theory that 15s coach and Amarillo Juniors Director Stephanie Bankhead calls "The Duck's Butt" theory. When a duck gets wet, the water rolls off his back smoothly and swiftly, leaving no trace of it in its wake. This is the mentality coaches expect you to have when it comes to mistakes on the court. When you make a mistake, be a "duck's butt" athlete - let it roll off and focus on your next job! A popular name for this is "next ball mentality" ... but we think duck's butt is cuter. :)




5. How does she relate to the other athletes on the court?

Photo from 123rf.com via
Google images

Are you encouraging the other athletes on the court? Are you cheering them on when they do something good and lifting them up when they make a mistake? This may be the most important thing of all to a coach, because these actions show coaches whether or not you will be a good team player. The bottom line is that each team must be focused on the "we" and never the "me." Your attitude towards the players around is a big, flashing sign to the coaches. It's your choice whether that sign says, "I'm a winner and a team player who will do my very best for the betterment of the TEAM" or, "I'm mainly worried about my own performance and myself so I don't take into consideration the athletes around me." It's up to you, so make it count!

Good luck to our 15s-18s teams this weekend at tryouts. And remember, "duck's butt!"

- Amarillo Juniors

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rumor squasher:

AMARILLO JUNIORS TEAMS ARE NOT PRE-FORMED. No team selections are made until tryouts are completed. In the older age divisions specifically, it is true that the coaches have typically seen the athletes play during school season and former club seasons, but their teams are not yet chosen. Help us out and be a rumor squasher!