I have been involved in the recruiting process over the past few years with high schools in So-Cal. From what I have noticed, most coaches will have a relationship with the colleges in their region. The colleges will contact coaches and ask them which athletes are talented enough for that school. If an athlete is interested in a particular school, that athlete or the coaches can reach out directly to that recruiter.
The benefit of sites like NCSA are that they provide a central location each athlete to post their sports and academic information. There are other sites out there, such as SportsBeat.com, that are completely free and have more interactive and cumulative capabilities. Paying for NCSA will provide you with a video and organized contact information, but getting you a scholarship is unlikely.
Parents that are willing to invest in getting their student athletes a scholarship should look into in a company that teaches young athletes how to mold themselves into an attractive recruit. This has multiple benefits. They stress how important grades are in the recruiting process. So even if your kid doesn't get a scholarship from the expense, they did see benefit. Play Up Athletics is the only one i can think of off the top of my head.
Cheers.
http://www.sportsbeat.com
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