COLLEGE NIGHT FOR COACHES HOW THE SUCCESSFUL STUDENTATHLETE

COLLEGE NIGHT FOR COACHES HOW THE SUCCESSFUL STUDENT-ATHLETE SCORES

Know your Student-Athletes Know the Chances Know the Options Know the Requirements Start Early Know the Steps

S KNOW YOUR PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES (PSAS) • How significant is the pursuit of their sport to their overall choices about college? • What is their level of talent? • What is their tolerance/desire for academic rigor? • What size of school/geography/choice of major appeals to them? • What are their test scores/grades? • What are their other interests?

C KNOW THE CHANCES • Of nearly 8 million high school athletes, 3 -12% (an average of 7. 9%*) will play any level of college athletics (percentages vary by sport). • Only 2% receive any athletic scholarship support; fewer than 1% receive full scholarships (average is ≈ $12, 000). *Not counting women’s ice hockey (24. 1%)

C KNOW THE CHANCES

C KNOW THE CHANCES • Different sports have different numbers of scholarships available, and not all programs are fully funded. • Scholarship limits are annual and apply to the whole team. PSAs interested in a particular 4 -year school are competing for just 25% of that school’s maximum available scholarship money for their year of enrollment. • Even D-I “headcount” sports (where scholarships are full or none) may maximize their budgets by offering to pay for fewer than 4 years. • Spot on the Roster ≠ Scholarship ≠ Free College

O KNOW THE OPTIONS & OPPORTUNITIES • NCAA Divisions I, III Varsity • NCAA Divisions II, III Junior Varsity (includes some D-I’s: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels Men’s Basketball even has a JV) • NAIA (Varsity and JV) • NJCAA (Varsity and JV) • Club Sports • Intramural Sports

R KNOW THE REQUIREMENTS • All eligibility requirements are not equal. • A PSA considering both NCAA D-1 and D-II options, or both NCAA D-III and NAIA options, must know and meet the requirements of each. • Being NCAA-eligible does not mean a PSA will meet minimum requirements at each school of interest (especially at more selective schools). Know the requirements of each school of interest. • Students should register with NCAA/NAIA clearinghouses in their sophomore years.

E START EARLY • Once PSAs know the requirements of getting into school(s) where they might like to play a sport, this information can and should inform the classes they take in high school. • Encourage PSAs to let school counselors know their intentions when they are freshmen (or sophomores at the latest), so counselors can help guide course selection. • Encourage PSAs to prepare for and take college entrance exams as early as possible; scores will become part of their clearinghouse profile(s). • Hold PSAs to standards that will help them maintain their eligibility.

E START EARLY • Depending on a PSA’s sport and/or their level of interest (especially competitive D-I conferences), recruiting may begin as early as 8 th grade. • Small programs and/or programs at lower levels may begin looking at PSAs during their sophomore-junior seasons. • About 10% of college student-athletes don’t stay at their schools or on their teams beyond their freshman year. Transfers create a few opportunities for uncommitted juniors and seniors, even in bigger programs. • Smaller schools may wait until late in the game to fill their rosters. PSAs should make sure late-coming schools are right for them outside of athletics.

E START EARLY • While college fit is as important as athletic program fit, PSAs must be willing and able, and have the tools necessary to market themselves athletically. • Freshmen-sophomores should be taking video, writing resumes, creating websites, and refining lists of schools whose coaches they want to contact. • Sophomores-juniors should be emailing and/or calling coaches at schools of interest, and if possible, visiting campuses. • Help PSAs understand what things you can help with and what things they should do for themselves. Also make sure you and the PSA understand NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA recruiting/contact guidelines.

S KNOW THE STEPS • The most successful PSAs lead their own college searches; after all, who knows them better? Encourage PSAs to take initiative in finding a college that meets all their needs. • Be encouraging, and help PSAs understand your role. A huge misconception is that “my coach will get me a scholarship. ” • Even the best connected coaches may know fewer than 100 college coaches (most may know only 5 -10). Understand that your PSA’s best college fit will likely be outside of your circle, and help PSAs understand that as well. • If a PSA’s best fit schools are outside your circle, be willing to reach out to new schools on your PSA’s behalf.

SOME NOTES ON COLLEGE FIT • Help PSAs understand the commitment inherent to playing college sports. • How much do they want to be part of a college athletics program? How much do they want to experience everything else college has to offer? • Encourage PSAs to find their best fit: where would you want to be if you got hurt and couldn’t play?

SOME NOTES ON COLLEGE FIT • Successful PSAs will attend the school that is the best fit for them in all ways: the right classes, climate, campus, nearness to home, and the right coaches and athletic competition. • If a school doesn’t meet all their needs, PSAs may be unlikely to stay for all four years, even if the initial athletic fit is good. • Coaches leave. Injuries happen. A good college fit can help PSAs overcome these obstacles. Help PSAs remember that the prize is a college education at a school they love.

SOME NOTES ON COLLEGE FIT • A target list can subsequently help PSAs and their coaches decide which college programs to concentrate on. • Identifying a list of target schools based on academic, social, and other considerations may be done with the help of an Independent Educational Consultant (IEC).