Coaches and Parents helpful info

• Some student-athletes have a goal to participate in athletics at a collegiate level. To this end, we offer several important tips.

• Communication with the coach is imperative. Student-athletes who have a strong desire to compete at the collegiate level should talk with their coach to discuss this important decision.

• Your college choices should be based on academic fit. Athletic opportunities are important, yet secondary to academic fit and opportunities.

• Develop a ‘reality’ list of potential college choices.

• The student-athlete should create a resume based on both high school academic and athletic accomplishments. The resume should be reviewed with their coach and college counselor.

• The student-athlete should create a letter of interest to be sent, along with the resume, to the coaches at the respective colleges. Also have your coach and counselor review it before mailing it.

• Division I, II & III have different rules for potential college athletes.  For additional information and to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center go to the NCAA home page at www.ncaa.org

College Recruiting Web Sites:

- Not all college coaches use these sites.  Some may have accounts on these sites but only occasionally use them.  They are more prevalent with NCAA Division III schools.  But they are a tool to get your name out there.

- Many are used in similar fashion to Facebook pages.  

- Action Pictures and especially video is very important for coaches to see you at your sport.

- Keep statistics.  Some school or club coaches/teams may be better at this than others.  You may need a parent to try their best to maintain your personal statistics.  Track information such as games played, games started, shots on goal, goals scored, touchdowns, assists, etc.  

- Recruiting sites do not guarantee success at finding a school that will take an interest in you.  A fee is often required for the services which vary from site to site.  Keep in mind, these are NOT endorsements:

    www.berecruited.com

    www.ncsasports.org

    www.captainu.com

    www.nsr-inc.com

 

NCAA Information

All student-athletes who are aspiring to participate in Division I or Division II college athletics must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Click on the following link to get started. Please register immediately - it is important to track your academic progress starting with 9th grade. A registration checklist is listed below to assist you with the registration process.

If you have any questions please contact your coach or counselor.

WATCH THIS FREE WEBINAR PRESENTED BY THE MPSSAA

• NCAA Eligibility Center

• 2013-2014 Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete

• 2013 Eligibility Brochure

• Division I and Division II Worksheets

• Freshman Eligibility Standards

• Registration Checklist

• 2012-2013 Eligibilty Requirements

 

NAIA Information

    When athletes think of playing for college they automatically think of NCAA Division I schools (Univ of Maryland, UCLA, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, etc).   Both Division I & II schools are highly competitive and YES they do give scholarships.  Then there is Division III.  Division III schools do NOT give scholarships but often offer some of the better opportunities for players to play at a competitive level and they can provide financial aid to help potential student/athletes.  

    Then there is the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA (http://naia.org/).  These schools are often overlooked by potential athletes.  There are over 300 schools in this association.  Approximately 3/4 of the schools are religious in nature.  But they CAN offer scholarships!  Many of these schools are also as big as some NCAA Div III schools.  So consider these schools when looking for a place for you.

Sport Summer Camps at Colleges

    When the school year is over DO NOT let your training end.  One of the best tools for coaches to see you is to enroll in a camp of your sport at a college offering camps during the summer.  Not all colleges offer them and many may not offer a camp for each sport.

    Choose what camps you want to do strategically!!!  Do you believe you are Division I material?  That is a conversation you need to have with your coach.  If not, a Division I school may have a great camp for training, but perhaps you have the best shot at a Division III school.  Research what schools you are interested in, whether you fit academically, see if they have a camp, and sign up.  

Check out our "Camps and Training" page.

Club Teams vs School Teams

    The reality of many sports is that Club teams, and your performance in them, weigh greater with college coaches than your school team.  The higher the competitive league you play the greater the chance a college will seek you out.  If you are not on a club team try to seek one out.  If you are new to a sport, and you are a freshman, you might be better off beginning with a recreation team, especially if you are learning a sport.  After a season or two seek out "select" teams or travel teams for tryouts.  Don't be discouraged if you do not make one.  Keep working and learning and try out the following season.  

    For teams that play during the Spring or Fall often use the Winter or Summer indoor leagues as warm-up seasons, and often get players to tryout by playing through those seasons.  Keep a look out for those tryout notices often on billboards at indoor facilities.

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College Athletic timeline download doc.