Jack Renkens will talk to students and their parents about college athletic recruitment. Submitted photo

Award-winning former high school and college coach and athletic director Jack Renkens of Recruiting Realities will discuss the college recruiting process, including financial aid, at Maricopa High School for student-athletes and families on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

Renkens will give a free presentation, which is open to the public.

“This is a no-nonsense presentation that serves as a reality check for student-athletes and their families seeking a college degree while playing sports at the college level,” Renkens said. “I’m going to tell Maricopa what they need to hear. It’s a game – know the rules.

“This isn’t about scholarships. It’s about funding,” Renkens said, regarding his talk focusing on merit money, grants, endowments and academic achievements.

Renkens has been a keynote speaker at the Arizona High School Athletic Directors Conference, as well as in 35 other states across America. He has written 16 books on the recruiting process.

“It’s about finding the right match academically, while realizing the opportunities to play college sports,” Renkens said.  “Families need to be realistic about the opportunities that are available, and there are many opportunities out there, whether in NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA and NJCAA.”

Renkens added, “Less than 1 percent of student-athletes are going to be fully funded at a Division I school.  But 99 percent of the student-athletes can play at the collegiate level in other divisions. The key is finding the right school and financial aid package.”

Renkens will talk about the critical fact that student-athletes don’t pick the school, but rather the school picks them.  He delves into the ways to continue their passion to play sports at the collegiate level – how to get noticed. Renkens has been a college and junior college coach, having recruited athletes for 30 years.

For more information on Jack Renkens presentation, see www.recruitingrealities.com