Can My High School Coach Hurt My Scholarship?

Letter of Recommendation

Some scholarship applications ask students to submit letters of recommendation along with essays, transcripts or financial documentation. High school coaches can help by writing letters documenting your athletic prowess, discipline, dedication, teamwork ethic and ability to balance school and team responsibilities. High school coaches can hurt your scholarship by refusing to write a letter, writing a lackluster letter or missing the deadline. Keep your coach on track by providing ample time before the due date and issuing friendly reminders before you need the letter. Some people aren't the best letter writers; help your coach by providing a list of your accomplishments and goals. If your coach refuses, ask why. He could be shy about writing, overwhelmed with other responsibilities or believe that you don't meet the qualifications for the scholarship. If it's not forthcoming, ask another coach or assistant coach.

Your high school coach could also hurt your scholarship prospects by issuing poor grades for your performance during the semester, since this can bring your GPA down. If you believe the grade was awarded mistakenly or unfairly, ask to meet privately with the coach to review your performance, attendance and other factors affecting grades. Your school may have a formal policy in place for contesting grades.

Your scholarship chances might suffer if you've come into personal conflict with a high school coach, especially if you've listed her as a reference on your application form. Your coach might be disinclined to provide positive statements about your performance, or might support another student competing for the scholarship with a more favorable endorsement. Meet with the coach to address the conflict directly; if necessary, involve another coach, teacher or school counselor. Identifying steps to bring the conflict to a positive resolution might boost your scholarship chances.

It might be tempting to blame your coach for bad grades or personal conflict, but avoid having your coach hurt your scholarship chances by taking full responsibility for your performance. Don't let problems develop because of your behavior. Arrive for practice on time and fully prepared to participate. Demonstrate good sportsmanship, a positive team spirit and a willingness to work hard. Establishing a solid working relationship with your high school coach is the best way to ensure that he won't hurt your chances of earning a scholarship.