Making Sense of Athletic Recruitment
As a young person, I loved sports. In fact, I played sports year-round all the way through high school. My problem was that my ability always fell short of my enthusiasm! When I left high school, my competitive playing days were sadly but surely over.
I envy student athletes because they have the opportunity to extend their careers beyond high school. For many, college represents a new playing field and an opportunity to compete at a higher level. And, when that talent comes with good grades, the possibilities become interesting.
Enter the athletic recruitment process. While the prospect of competing athletically in college may be assumed, the choice of a college is no less important for a recruited athlete than it is for the non-athlete. In fact, recruited athletes need to be more vigilant with regard to their priorities and finding the best “fit” as the courtship, quite often very public in nature, preys on the egos, expectations and insecurities of the student as well as the key influencers in his/her life.
If you are a student athlete contemplating competitive sport involvement in college, the first thing you need to do is become familiar with the rules and regulations surrounding athletic recruitment as articulated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA oversees intercollegiate athletic competition at most colleges in the country. Whether you intend to compete as a scholarship athlete at the NCAA Division I level or as a non-scholarship athlete at the Division III level, make sure you understand the rules that govern the recruitment process at that level.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is a separate organization that oversees athletic competition for 360 institutions around the country.
It’s easy to get caught up in the “rush” that comes with athletic recruitment. In order to end up at a place that is truly good for you, you need to maintain perspective and stay grounded in your priorities. Regardless of your intended level of competition, I would like to share a few thoughts (this is just the tip of the iceberg!) with regard to how you might engage the recruitment process productively.
I. Athletic recruitment is a numbers game. College coaches begin the recruitment process intent on filling their recruitment “funnels” with as many qualified prospects as possible. The larger the pool of candidates, the greater is their opportunity to target the talent that will meet their needs.
Tip: Find out where you fit. Ask the recruiting coach how many roster spots need to be filled and how many prospects are being considered for those spots.
II. Mental Math. As they build their rosters, coaches are constantly trying to gain commitments from prospects even before the latter have completed applications for admission. In effect, they’re doing the mental math. It’s not uncommon for a coach to say to an athlete, “I only have two slots left and I’d like to offer one of them to you but I need a commitment from you.” If you say “Yes” to that commitment, know that you are assured nothing. The coach may control who plays, but the admission office controls who gets in.
Tip: Forward an unofficial transcript along with your test scores to the recruiting coach and ask him for an early assessment of your admissibility at his school.
III. Winning is everything. College coaches are evaluated on the basis of the performance of their teams. As a result, some are “climbers” intent on building a resume that gets them to the next level as quickly as possible. Conversely, others may be in jeopardy of losing their jobs.
Tip: Ask the recruiting coach about her professional objectives as well as her plans to stay at the institution—and don’t accept hearsay!
IV. Understand the odds. The chances that you will become a professional in your sport are less than 1%. Choose your college accordingly. You owe it to yourself to make sure it is a place that addresses your non-athletic needs. Consider, for example, the possibility that you don’t make the team or you become incapacitated and can’t compete. What then?
Tip: Ask about the graduation rate for students who enter the program as freshmen and find out how lack of participation might affect your scholarship/financial aid.
V. Be honest with yourself. You might be an enthusiastic competitor at your school or in your local club program, but what are the chances that you will be able to compete in college? The recruitment letters you might receive from coaches as they work to fill their “funnels” sound promising, but they are form letters that go to thousands of athletes.
Tip: Ask your high school or club coach for an honest assessment of your skill level as well as your potential to compete at the next level—and then listen carefully.
The life of a young person with special talents, athletic or otherwise, is full of adulation and high expectations. If you are fortunate enough to be living this experience, remember that it can be fleeting. Playing a sport at a high level may indeed help you get into some colleges. In the end, however, the choice of a college needs to reflect your core values and priorities. Don’t succumb to the pressure of doing things because you can. Be careful in your choices—and do things because they make sense to you and what you want to accomplish in life.
For further thoughts and analysis, listen to my May 28 webcast, “Inside the Athletic Recruitment Process.” Visit the Best College Fit membership page where you can become a member and gain access to all of my past webcasts.
|
