Recently, I was invited to join the coach's panel member at San Diego Surf's College Night as the education adviser. As I searched for a powerful message that would enthrall the audience, resulting in countless new clients, wide-eyed parents seeking my guidance, I realized that such a message did not exist. In fact, my message was was far from unique, but indispensable nonetheless. I encouraged parents and students in the audience to plan, plan, and plan, especially for standardized tests. You see, preparing for college, whether you are a student or a student-athlete, should start no later than ninth grade, especially given that many athletes are now committing to schools as early as tenth-grade. Unfortunately, too many students wait too long to begin preparing for college and greatly limit their choices in schools as a result.
Consequently, as a former student-athlete and owner of an education company, I felt compelled to provide a brief synopsis of my advice to student-athletes. Here it goes.
Be Realistic
Evaluate your talent level. You don't have to be the number ONE nationally ranked tennis player or a member of a Youth National Team, but you must have talent. If you are not sure of your ability level, talk to your coach...hopefully he or she will candidly answer such an inquiry.
Start Early
If you want to participate in collegiate athletics, start planning in ninth grade. Meet with your counselor and make sure that you are on track to take all required courses. Also, start thinking about extracurricular activities...think quality, not quantity. I can provide you with some good suggestions so feel free to email me.
Don’t just think Division ONE
Too many students only consider DI schools, the schools with HUGE athletic budgets. Unfortunately, DI schools are often the most competitive schools to participate in as a student-athlete. Expand your search to DII and DIII schools. Many DII schools offer scholarships, and DIII schools include some of the most selective academic institutions in the country. I suggest going to www.ncaa.org to find schools in your sport of interest.
Don’t wait for a full-ride scholarship
Contrary to popular belief, it is rare for an athlete to get a full ride scholarship. Most coaches have more players than scholarships so they award partial scholarships. Partial scholarships can include all or part of tuition, fees, room and board, and books. Furthermore, since scholarships are only good for one year, coaches can increase, decrease, or terminate your scholarship each year.
Pick the School
Don’t forget that you are picking the school…don’t let the school pick you. Some areas that you should consider include location, size, culture, and popular majors. First, hit the web to research your schools of interest. Next, visit your target schools, watch a game or match, and attend a class.
Know the Rules
Coaches can begin to write, email or text message you in September of your junior year, and can make up to one phone call per week after July 1 of your junior year. You have no restrictions. You can call a coach as often as you would like; in fact, you can meet with a coach on his campus at any point during high school. Finally, in order to qualify at a NCAA Institution, you need to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Register at the end of your Junior year. For complete information, order the 2005-06 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.
Promote yourself
Most coaches are working with limited recruiting budgets so it is imperative that you do your part. I recommend that you write or email a coach at the end of your sophomore year if you will be playing in any high profile tournaments over the summer. But don’t expect a response from the coach because he or she is restricted from doing so. Throughout your junior year, send each coach tournament schedules, SAT or ACT scores, and SAT Subject Test scores. Finally, don’t give up even if you didn’t make the first wave of recruits. Many coaches will look at players into March of their senior year to fill the remaining spots.
