So You Want To Play College Athletics?
PRESENTED BY: Adam Buseck Varsity Boys and Girls Soccer Coach Heritage High School Steve Shelton Athletic Director Heritage High School
Find Your Balance Academics Personal Growth Athletics Social
Choosing for Academics Degree or Field of Study Offered Small or Large Class Sizes Taught by Professors or Graduate Assistants Flexible Major or Individualized Degree Programs Preparation and Placement into Prestigious Graduate Schools or Work Force Cost?
Find Your Balance Academics Personal Growth Athletics Social
A Typical Week in A College Student-Athletes Life Are you Committed and Disciplined Enough? Time in Class Preparation for Class Practice Weight Training Film/Team Meetings Games/Competition per week Average travel per week 12-18 hours 18-27 hours 10-12 hours 2-3 hours 1-3 hours 6 hours 6-12 hours Total Hours of Commitment 55-81 hours
Choosing for Athletics How Soon Will I Get to Play? How Important Is It to Play for a Winning Program? What Is the Commitment Level Expected of Me By the Program? Is a Scholarship Available for Me? At What Level of Play Am I Capable? Do I Aspire to Play Professionally?
What Does It Take To Play College Athletics? Technical Ability--The ability to master individual skills Tactical- (1) Being able to recognize what is happening on the field or in the game. (2) Executing decisions that maximize benefit to your team and hurt the other team the most. Physical- Mostly inherited, physical speed, strength, agility, and quickness can separate players Psychological- The capacity to deal with adversity. A Player s Composure, Confidence, Concentration, and Commitment. Academics- Solid core-course preparation and GPA. Adequate to above average test scores.
Find Your Balance Academics Personal Growth Athletics Social
Choosing for Social Big school or small school Big city, small city, or rural college town Geographic location Greek organization membership Student-Government/Leadership opportunities Diversity of student population
NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
NCAA Allowable Scholarship Equivalencies Sport NCAA I NCAA II NJCAA I Football 85.0 36.0 85 Basketball 13.0/15.0 10.0/10.0 15/15 Soccer 9.9/14.0 9.0/9.9 18/18 Baseball/Softball 11.7/12.0 9.0/7.2 24/24 Volleyball 12.0 4.5/8.0 14 Cross Country/ Track 12.6/18 12.6/12.6 20/20 Wrestling M 9.9 M 9.0 16 Ice Hockey 18.0/18.0 13.5/18.0 16/16 Tennis 4.5/8.0 4.5/6.0 9/9 Golf 4.5/6.0 3.6/5.4 8/8 Lacrosse 12.6/12.0 10.8/9.9 20/20
Maximizing Athletic Aid Understand limited nature of available athletic funds; predict a school s scholarship budget for your freshman year Recognize that most student-athletes are packaged Take tests junior year, apply early to colleges, have 3-4 schools suitable to your needs who are interested in you Establish a family financial plan; Know your limits! Be open and honest with coaches during negotiations Attempt to not let money be the overriding decision
Organizing Your College Future Be Proactive The 3 P s Continuous evaluation and prioritization of academic and athletic goals. Be Persistent Continuously express your interest in the school and program of your choice. Be Prepared Satisfy all necessary academic and athletic eligibility requirements.
High School Year by Year Checklist of Items to Accomplish
Freshman Year Understand that every grade in every class counts towards your college acceptance and ultimate opportunities both academically and athletically. Prepare a four year academic plan to insure NCAA core course requirements are met. Attend summer camps of schools in which you have an interest.
Sophomore Year Identify 10 schools of interest to you Research their academic standards and athletic programs Develop resume and cover letter to be mailed in spring semester Identify summer camps of schools in which you have an interest
Junior Year Eliminate schools who do not fit your criteria. Add schools who might and have shown interest in you. Take ACT and SAT in late spring Register for NCAA Clearinghouse in June after grades have been posted to transcript Use spring break/summer as an opportunity to take unofficial visits to schools of interest. Develop realistic financial plans with your family Attend summer camp of schools high on your priority list.
Senior Year Retake ACT and/or SAT in early fall if necessary. Take official visits if offered; unofficial ones if not. Apply for admission as soon as possible in the early fall Submit FAFSA as soon as possible in January. Hopefully sign a National Letter of Intent on the 1 st Wednesday in February!
Some Great Academic Comparison Tools http://www.actstudent.org www.sat.org http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/tools/ search.php
Find Your Balance Academics Personal Growth Athletics Social