The greatest challenge for college coaches in any sport is finding enough scholarship money with which to reward and entice athletes to come to the school and represent it athletically. Most coaches will tell you that their 'pie' is rather small compared to the 'sheet cake' of money that the Admissions Office has to award Academic Scholarships. The number of athletic scholarships they can give out is limited as well: D-IA coaches can have 85 football players on scholarship; D-IAA 63, and D-II 36.
When coaches screen potential recruits, they will always inquire about the student-athlete's grades. This inquiry has two purposes: first, the coach wants to know if the recruit meets and will be able to maintain the academic standards of the institution. Second, is for the coach to determine if the young person under consideration is a scholar. Does this recruit have high SAT and ACT scores? What is their GPA? Where do they rank in their graduating class? A recruit who excels in these areas is quite quickly labeled a scholar-athlete.
If the coach is impressed with the scholar-athlete's skills and abilities in their respective sport, the coach can now walk this scholar-athlete's application into the Admission Office and make a case for an Academic Scholarship. If his petition is successful, it becomes a win-win-win all around. The coach gets to extend an offer to a highly-qualified athlete and the scholarship money does not come out of his 'pie'.
The scholar-athlete receives a four year financial commitment, unlike an athletic scholarship which is required to be renewed every year. The scholar-athlete does not sign a Letter of Intent; rather he signs a Letter of Commitment to the school and the sport. And he further win because he gets to play his favorite sport at the school of his choice, and injury or a cessation of athletic participation does not negate his scholarship. He merely has to maintain his grades for the duration of the four years.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Managing Expectations
As parents we all like to believe that our children are superior students and athletes. We'd like to see them enrolled in a top school and competing in D-I athletics. But it's important to be realistic and manage your and your Student-Athlete's expectations.
With respect to their athletic abilities, if there aren't already D-I coaches pursuing your S-A at the end of their junior year of competition, then the chances of them being seriously considered by a D-I program are - while not entirely impossible - pretty slim.
In a similar vein, the academic side is an area where you as a parent have to be realistic. Start with your S-A's SAT scores. In the 'old days' there were two components of the SAT - Verbal and Math, and a perfect score was 1600. Several years ago a Writing component was added, and the gold standard increased to 2400.
Some parents don't realize this change took place and when they read the SAT score report they think it is still on a 1600 scale. And the quirky thing is that colleges don't ask for the Reading score; they are only interested in the combined Verbal and Math. There was a parent I once knew who boasted that his son had a 1350 on his SATs; the problem was that when the Verbal and Math were parsed and the Reading tossed out they combined to only 875. This parent expected his son to play at a premiere program but his scores did not justify the school's commitment - he fell far below their minimum standard.
I've reviewed numerous college 'minimum acceptable SAT scores' (M+V) and the lowest I have found are several D-II schools whose minimum requirement is 930. If your S-A's SAT scores are below 900, the chance of being admitted and offered a scholarship are pretty slim, in my opinion. The lowest minimum acceptable ACT score I have found is 20. Your best chance will likely be to apply to a junior college. (see the link on the right side below for NJCAA) You need to properly manage the expectations of yourself and your S-A.
Sure, you can enroll your S-A in a tutoring program to prepare them to retake the SAT, but these cost a minimum of $1000. They may offer a 'guarantee', but it is merely a guarantee that you raise your test score - even a one point increase negates the guarantee!
There is also a misconception that taking AP Classes and passing AP Tests can be factored in and increase your SAT score. That is simply not true. Colleges are interested in your AP scores, but only as it relates to gaining college credit for the courses.
If your S-A has low SAT scores, don't set yourself and them up for dissapoinment. Consider a good junior college program - where they can mature academically, athletically, and emotionally and then hopefullly then transfer on to a four year program!
With respect to their athletic abilities, if there aren't already D-I coaches pursuing your S-A at the end of their junior year of competition, then the chances of them being seriously considered by a D-I program are - while not entirely impossible - pretty slim.
In a similar vein, the academic side is an area where you as a parent have to be realistic. Start with your S-A's SAT scores. In the 'old days' there were two components of the SAT - Verbal and Math, and a perfect score was 1600. Several years ago a Writing component was added, and the gold standard increased to 2400.
Some parents don't realize this change took place and when they read the SAT score report they think it is still on a 1600 scale. And the quirky thing is that colleges don't ask for the Reading score; they are only interested in the combined Verbal and Math. There was a parent I once knew who boasted that his son had a 1350 on his SATs; the problem was that when the Verbal and Math were parsed and the Reading tossed out they combined to only 875. This parent expected his son to play at a premiere program but his scores did not justify the school's commitment - he fell far below their minimum standard.
I've reviewed numerous college 'minimum acceptable SAT scores' (M+V) and the lowest I have found are several D-II schools whose minimum requirement is 930. If your S-A's SAT scores are below 900, the chance of being admitted and offered a scholarship are pretty slim, in my opinion. The lowest minimum acceptable ACT score I have found is 20. Your best chance will likely be to apply to a junior college. (see the link on the right side below for NJCAA) You need to properly manage the expectations of yourself and your S-A.
Sure, you can enroll your S-A in a tutoring program to prepare them to retake the SAT, but these cost a minimum of $1000. They may offer a 'guarantee', but it is merely a guarantee that you raise your test score - even a one point increase negates the guarantee!
There is also a misconception that taking AP Classes and passing AP Tests can be factored in and increase your SAT score. That is simply not true. Colleges are interested in your AP scores, but only as it relates to gaining college credit for the courses.
If your S-A has low SAT scores, don't set yourself and them up for dissapoinment. Consider a good junior college program - where they can mature academically, athletically, and emotionally and then hopefullly then transfer on to a four year program!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Great College Search Tool
Hebron Hawks parent Mike Hammer - a self-described computer geek - has developed a pretty sophisticated college search tool. You can select the sports you're interested in, and then parse the schools by D-I, D-II, etc. as well as State or geographic distance from home.
When the list of schools comes up, you can select a school and then have the option to go to the school's website, the school's athletic website, or the US New & World Report rating on the school.
The link is http://www.dfwplayers.com/college
When the list of schools comes up, you can select a school and then have the option to go to the school's website, the school's athletic website, or the US New & World Report rating on the school.
The link is http://www.dfwplayers.com/college
First Step - Register with NCAA
The first thing a parent should do if they hope that their Student-Athlete plays sports at the college level (D-I or D-II) is to register your S/A with the NCAA Eligibility Center. This should be done prior to the start of or during the S/A's junior year.
After completion of the junior year, an official transcript sent by the school should be sent to the Eligibility Center. SAT and ACT scores should be sent as well, with the institution code of 9999. Eventually upon your S/A's graduation, the Eligibility Center will certify them to compete in college sports.
The fee to register is $60, but if you've received a fee waiver for SAT or ACT tests, you can apply for the same waiver.
Click on the 'Important Link' in the lower right side of this Blog titled NCAA Eligibility Center and then select Prospective Student Athlete.
After completion of the junior year, an official transcript sent by the school should be sent to the Eligibility Center. SAT and ACT scores should be sent as well, with the institution code of 9999. Eventually upon your S/A's graduation, the Eligibility Center will certify them to compete in college sports.
The fee to register is $60, but if you've received a fee waiver for SAT or ACT tests, you can apply for the same waiver.
Click on the 'Important Link' in the lower right side of this Blog titled NCAA Eligibility Center and then select Prospective Student Athlete.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Feedback on DMN article
The article I penned on recruiting ran in yesterday's state edition of the Dallas Morning News, meaning that it was in each edition, not just a regional version. I received 73 emails from parents (all but one complimentary) regarding the content of the article, many posing their scenarios and asking for other suggestions.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Dallas Morning News article on recruiting
Read the article that was published in the Dallas Morning News regarding the subject of college recruiting.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/opinion/stories/DN-west_lebon_15edi.State.Edition1.218ae82.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/opinion/stories/DN-west_lebon_15edi.State.Edition1.218ae82.html
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Welcome to Recruiting Routes
Having proudly watched my son sign a Commitment Letter to play college football last week along with five of his teammates, I knew it was the culmination of a year-long effort by our family with the support of my son's coaches.
I realize that many capable and qualified student-athletes miss out on scholarship opportunities because their parents don't understand the whole recruiting and scholarship process. There are many opportunities out there; while there are 239 D-I schools in the US with football programs, there are 393 D-II and D-III schools as well as 92 NAIA schools, all of whom have some form of scholarship programs.
Some parents expect their high school coach to help their son get recruited. A high school coach can only do so much since his plate is already full and he likely has a host of players heading toward graduation. Some families have resorted to so-called 'recruiting consultants' and been misled and taken advantage of financially.
I realize that many capable and qualified student-athletes miss out on scholarship opportunities because their parents don't understand the whole recruiting and scholarship process. There are many opportunities out there; while there are 239 D-I schools in the US with football programs, there are 393 D-II and D-III schools as well as 92 NAIA schools, all of whom have some form of scholarship programs.
Some parents expect their high school coach to help their son get recruited. A high school coach can only do so much since his plate is already full and he likely has a host of players heading toward graduation. Some families have resorted to so-called 'recruiting consultants' and been misled and taken advantage of financially.
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