So You Want to Play Sports in College; Here’s how.
Do you want to compete in intercollegiate athletics? If so, here's what you need to do.
First, do a reality check. If you are good enough to play basketball in the Big East or football in the SEC, coaches from those leagues and others would be taking so much of your time that you wouldn't have the 5 minutes you need to read this. Ask your coach and other knowledgeable people (not family or friends) which colleges might be interested in your athletic talents. Do some research of your own. Then make a list of possibilities and take it to your counselor to see which colleges might be a good fit for you. And, ask if he or she can add to the list.
Whatever you do, don't weigh athletics too heavily. Academics should always come first...always. Size, location, campus environment, special programs, and other factors should be considered as well. Try to find the "ideal" college for you, not just a place where you can compete in athletics.
Don't make the mistake of failing to consider colleges you haven't heard much about. Until recently, the Rutgers and Louisville football programs attracted no national attention, but look at them now. Have you ever heard of Mount Union? They have a pretty good football program too. Kenyon, a great academic school, has built a dynasty in swimming and diving, Hobart has great lacrosse, and lots of much bigger schools envy the record of little Hartwick College in soccer. And, have you heard about the "giant killer" softball and baseball teams at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette? There are dozens of examples like these.
Remember that there is a lot of financial aid aside from athletic scholarships, and that there are some great athletic programs at the NCAA II and III levels.
Never lose sight of the fact that the goal of leaving college with a good education should come before your athletic aspirations. Unfortunately, there are coaches out there, at all levels, who are more interested in winning games than educating student-athletes. If you suspect that you've encountered one, run, don't walk, in the opposite direction.
Be sure you learn the rules governing athletic recruiting. And, be certain you and the college coaches with whom you come into contact adhere to them strictly. Go to your high school coach if you have questions or concerns.
Too learn as much as possible about the colleges you are considering, be sure to be in touch with admissions offices. They will provide you with much more comprehensive publications and information than you are likely to get from coaches. Coaches, to nobody's surprise, are very focused on athletics, while good admissions counselors are likely to know far more about academics, campus life, student support services, etc.
Don't make the mistake of ruling out colleges in your initial research because of their listed costs. Frequently, students out-of-pocket costs are far lower.
Of course, some coaches are deluged with email and snail mail from high school athletes, so you may not get a quick response when you contact them. Give them a month, and then try again. You may never hear from some of them. Don't take it personally...it just means they are already talking to the folks they want and that they could use a lesson in etiquette.
And, be aware that even the coaches that do respond to you with letters, brochures and emails may not have a serious interest in you or may want to seriously recruit you only if the athletes in whom they are most interested decide to go elsewhere. That being the case, continue to communicate with all coaches who appear to be interested in you until you have and accept a firm offer from a college. It's the best way to protect yourself against disappointment.
After you do commit to a college or university, be sure you contact and sincerely express your gratitude to the coaches who have been communicating with you. It's the right thing to do, and it might help a coach remember you if you later decide to transfer from the first college you attend.
Daniel Z. Kane, now a university dean, has also coached in two sports. You can find lots of helpful information on his websites about , and .
Imperative Information For Athletes Who Want College Sports Scholarships
If you are aiming to get one of the many athletic scholarships offered in various colleges, there are some important things that you need to know to aid you in your quest. One is that only a mere 3% of athletes in high school are able to qualify for sports scholarships at the college level. To help you to reach your goal of getting at least one of these worthy college sports scholarships, you will need to narrow the playing field by knowing these crucial facts.
First of all, concentrating all of your efforts on the large universities is not wise. These institutions are responsible for providing a greater part of the available college athletic scholarships but smaller schools around the country offer sports scholarships to high school students, too. The competition for and the physical number of athletic scholarships is greater in the higher athletic divisions. An athletic recruiting college that falls in Division I and II is good to look at. A Division III school will not typically offer scholarships or grants, but can provide financial aid for athletes.
You need to realize that the majority of the college sports scholarships pay for a part of your tuition, fees and boarding, not all of it. Many people carry the false belief that all athletic scholarships are full ride grants, but this is not the case. The predominant number of college athletic scholarships are partial grants, so most sports stars only get a portion of their college expenses paid. Only the top athletes in the nation receive the full ride scholarships.
An additional thing to keep in mind is that athletic recruiting colleges give out sports scholarships on an annual basis. This means that you cannot get and will not find four year college athletic scholarships. The way it works is this: you are given money the first year which you have to renew the next year. If you do not achieve the grades required to maintain the grant or do not perform well in the sport at the college level, you will not have your sports scholarship renewed for the next year.
You need to remember, first and foremost, that student athletes are exactly that- students! People are falsely led to believe that if you are a great player, you don't necessarily have to have good grades, too. This can't be farther from the truth! Before recommendations are made by the coaches to the school for athletic recruiting purposes, they look at grade performance averages. Those who perform well in and out of the classroom are awarded the available money.
You may think that the bigger institutions are the best ones to apply to because you see them sending athletic recruiting coaches to scout high school talent. These schools have the extra money to spend on these efforts. Smaller schools may not complete athletic recruiting but still have money to offer in the form of athletic scholarships. If you aren't the "best of the best" and don't think you can get into one of the top schools, don't ignore the smaller schools. They, too, can offer you college sports scholarships in return for good classroom and field performance.
Learn more about . Stop by Kristaria Dawson's site where you can find out all about and how to get one.