It seems like Signing Day celebrations get crazier each year, from the recruit who jumped out of an airplane to the football player who showed up to his Signing Day with six cakes. However, you don’t have to go to these lengths to celebrate your Signing Day. In fact, most student-athletes opt out of the more elaborate displays. Instead, they prefer to spend the time celebrating their accomplishment with their family and friends and snagging some college gear in the process.

If you’re not sure how you plan to celebrate the big day, check out our steps to help you prepare for and experience your best Signing Day!

Your pre-Signing Day checklist: Make sure you’ve covered all your bases

Before we get into the list of ways to celebrate, there are a few items that you need to figure out first:

• Is your school hosting a Signing Day celebration? Some high schools will have their own event and invite students and family members to attend. However, this will differ from school to school, so make sure you check with your coach in advance. If your high school will not be celebrating Signing Day, talk to your current coach about ways that they might be able to get involved.
• Do you have a National Letter of Intent to sign? There are 650 different Division 1 and Division 2 schools that use the National Letter of Intent (NLI); however, other divisions often have documents of their own for their athletes to sign. Talk to the coach of the school you’re planning on signing with and check if they have a document for you to sign for your celebrations.
• Do your family and friends know about your Signing Day? Bringing together the most important people in your life is a great way to celebrate your commitment to competing in college sports. And it’s likely that you didn’t get to this point without some help from your parents or guardians, teammates, coaches and more. Let them know your plans and invite them to the event.

Signing Day: Do you know how you’re going to celebrate this accomplishment?

Did you know that only about 2% of high school athletes will be awarded athletic scholarships? It’s true: You are in a very, very small pool of talented athletes who will go on to compete in college sports. In other words: This is your time to really celebrate such a huge achievement. Here are just a few ideas to get started:

• Gear up! Now that you’re off to a new school, it’s time to show it off. If your new school is local, hit up the school’s bookstore. If not, simply order something online. Your school pride starts now.
• Tweet your commitment, and don’t forget to add #NCSAcommit. This is your chance to show off a little bit. Announce your commitment on social media and make sure to tag NCSA and add #NCSAcommit, so we can retweet your commitment. Just remember to keep it appropriate! Check out our Twitter feed for some ideas:
• Ring the commitment bell. At NCSA, nothing is more exciting than a recruit signing with their top school. To join in the celebrations, we have a signing bell that we ring each time we learn about a new commitment. When it rings, the entire NCSA team cheers just for you. Even better? Give us a call and you can hear the hoopla over the phone.
• Think about what would make your Signing Day extra special. The recruiting journey is different for everyone, and your Signing Day should be special for you, too. If you want banners and commotion, then get some banners made and buy some noise makers! If you’d prefer a quiet, more intimate setting, have a small celebration at your home.

At the end of the day, Signing Day is about you and your journey as a student-athlete. For some recruits, it’s fun to hype it up and get everyone involved. If that’s not your style, that’s OK, too! Just make sure you take the opportunity to congratulate yourself on all of your hard work.