Will your student make it in college sports?
So you think you can play sports at college? Each year hundreds of high school athletes start out the season thinking they will be getting money to play varsity sports at the college level. The reality is that about 80% of these athletes will not be playing any sports other than Intramural at the collegiate level.
If you are one of the 20% who actually plays, there are some things to think about. Division 1A athletes are scholarship athletes for the most part. They can get a full or partial athletic scholarship depending on the sport they were recruited for. The DII athlete has the same options for scholarships but at a lesser amount and level. Then there is the DIII athlete; by law there is NO money for athletics in DIII, just the love of the game.
If you feel you are a DI or DII athlete, you must register with the NCAA clearinghouse. This should be taken care of early in the senior year of high school. You must qualify by the courses needed, and the clearinghouse will let you know if you made the grade. The NCAA also puts out a brochure, which will let you know basic qualifying times and standard for the different levels of college sports. Your coach should be familiar with these standards and is a very good source to ask about the level of athletics you could play at.
Unfortunately parents sometimes don’t see the real ability of their sons and daughters. Sending tape of your skills will go along way in letting a college coach deem your worth as far as recruiting goes. Let the coach, not your parents, help you determine the best option for level of play.
Have fun in high school, because you will find out collegiate athletics are far more competitive.
About Tony Cocca
Tony has a very diverse background in education, athletics, and also coaching at the collegiate level. He has business experience in owning a dog supply shop.
