THE STUDENT-ATHLETE IN THE PROCESS
The college
application process takes on some special considerations for potential student-athletes.
If the student fills a need of a college team, however, the results can be very
rewarding.
REALISTIC ASSESSMENT
The first, and most important task which the student-athlete faces is to make
a decision about the extent to which he would like to devote himself to athletics
in college. Many sports in college are year-round commitments. Depending
on the school, the coach, and/or the sport, much of the student-athlete's time
in college will not be his own. It is important to talk with student-athletes
already in college as you decide for yourself what role you would like athletics
to play in your college search and, subsequently, in your life as a college
student.
The next step in pursuing your field of dreams is to take a realistic assessment
of your athletic talent. This must usually be done with the guidance and input
of the student-athlete's coach at WCHS or outside of the school. Are you
an athlete, a player, who will be of interest to college coaches? At what
level? At what schools?
THE NCAA AND THE CLEARINGHOUSE
Most colleges and universities belong to the NCAA, and there are divisions of
schools within the NCAA . Division I institutions are
the larger sports power-houses. Division I schools usually recruit student-athletes
in more than one sport and they offer athletic scholarships. Within Division
I are sub-divisions for football. Division II institutions also recruit
and offer scholarship money, but not nearly as much as at Division I schools.
Division III institutions may or may not recruit actively, and they do not offer
athletic scholarships. Note that some Division I schools, as a matter
of institutional or league policy, do not offer scholarship money: the Ivy League
and some Patriot League schools are examples.
The NCAA has established regulations which determine whether or not a student-athlete
is eligible to play college athletics, and these regulations differ according
to Division. Students who have any interest in playing at a Division I
or Division II school should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse
in the spring of the junior year. The Clearinghouse is a large and frustrating
bureaucracy, and many student-athletes experience problems and delays in their
certification process. Start early to avoid a panic. The student-athlete
must be registered and qualified before he can play in college.
PRESENTING YOURSELF
The student-athlete must actively pursue those institutions/programs/coaches
in which he is interested.
It would
be a good idea to have some type of sports " résumé "
which he will distribute to coaches. On the résumé would be athletic and
academic information presented in an easy-to-read format. Many student-athletes,
depending on the sport, also prepare highlight videos .
College coaches say they find these helpful, but they should not be more than
five to ten minutes in length.
THE COURTING PROCESS
Depending on how interested coaches are in having you join them, senior year
can be a time of excitement and confusion. The student-athlete must become
familiar with the rules regarding campus visits, but at the same time, he must
be certain to speak with student-athletes already playing at the schools in
which he is interested.
The Letter of Intent is a document sometimes used when the
coach and the student-athlete have agreed to "accept each other."
The recruiting process halts when the Letter is signed, but admission to the
institution could still be pending. Student-athletes must always remember
that even the best-intentioned coach has only one thing on his or her mind:
the success of his team. Usually, many potential players are juggled and
recruited for a smaller number of positions to be filled. Remember that
the admission office, not the coach, offers admission to a college
or university!!