Sports Recruiting Expert to Give Free Seminar at ALJ

National keynote speaker, Jack Renkens of Recruiting Realities will bring his no-nonsense presentation on college athletic recruiting to Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark on Monday at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. 

"It's a Game... Know the Rules" is meant to serve as a reality check for families of student-athletes looking to get their degree and play at the college level. Renkens's 45-minute presentation is free and open to the public.

Entering his 16th year touring the United States, Renkens has established himself as a top athletic/motivational speakers, presenting at state athletic conferences, football clinics, college financial planning groups, sports camps and high schools from coast to coast. His speaking tour includes more than 170 high schools each year. As a former high school/college coach and athletic director, Renkens is also a featured newspaper columnist, having written 12 books on the recruiting process.

Renkens says his message is never sugar-coated. 

"It may not be what some parents want to hear, but it definitely is what they need to hear," he says. "I'm primarily trying to get families to be realistic about the opportunities that are available and to get them to understand it's about getting your education, not about hitting the ball, kicking the ball, throwing the ball. It's about finding the right match academically."

One of the many realities Renkens details are the high expectations of athletes and parents when it comes to having sports pay for a college education.

"There are a lot of student-athletes out there and less than 1 percent are going to a Division 1 school," he says. "However you've got 99 percent of kids out there that can play at the college level in divisions other than D1. The key is finding the right school and financial aid package."

For more on Renkens’ presentation, check the Recruiting Realities website at www.recruitingrealities.com. To see him in action, search "Jack Renkens" on YouTube.com.

Also, check out our story on Renkens's 2011 visit.