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Students, Families Hear Recruitment Realities Talk
Scholarship pix
Parents, coaches and student-athletes from Riverbank turned out to learn about the realities of college recruitment at a special presentation by Jack Renkens, right, on Sept. 26. Ric McGinnis/The News

A traveling scholarship consultant was on hand in the City of Action recently, offering a presentation to Riverbank High student athletes, their families and a few coaches. The program was offered on Monday night, Sept. 26, at the Ray Fauria Memorial Gymnasium on campus.

Former award-winning high school and college coach Jack Renkens of Recruiting Realities made the stop at RHS.

The consultant spoke of his 20 years coaching at the high school level, 20-plus years coaching at college, plus his time as a college athletic director, all before he began his consulting company. He gave many examples of how students and their families could benefit from an organized approach to their higher education. He pointed out that not that many students really get recruited by Division I colleges, and warned against unrealistic expectations on the part of both parents and students. He said that there are literally thousands of colleges, both public and private, across the country, at all levels, that offer athletic scholarships. He said his company offers tips and guidance in choosing and applying to colleges, where the families might maximize what they can receive from a school that would be serious about attracting their athlete. Also, he stressed that the process should be about the objective of obtaining an education, not just playing a sport, and the impact of the coach, the staff and the school will affect their student for the rest of their lives. And it’s about finding the right match, academically, he said, “right out of the chute.”