College Athletics
ATHLETICS AND THE COLLEGE PROCESS
The next few pages are written for those AHS students who would like to continue athletics at the college level and who might be considered a “recruitable” athlete. If college coaches contact you (at the close of your junior year), on either the Division I level or the Division II level, you can feel fairly confident that you may have the ability to compete in college. If you have not heard from any coaches, but hope to continue with sports in college or to begin playing a new sport not offered at AHS, we suggest the following:
1. Self-Assessment: Take the time to be honest with yourself about your abilities and potential. If you have never been a starter at AHS in your sport, can you really play on the college level? How competitive are the programs at the schools you are looking at? Does the college welcome all students to any athletic program if the students have potential for development, or do they welcome only those that they recruit?
2. Talk with others: Talk to your coach at AHS, your counselors, or former AHS students who are similar to you in ability. Ask for their help in aiding you in your self-assessment.
If you feel that your athletic ability might be of interest to some college coaches after completing these initial steps, we recommend that you do the following:
1. Talk to your coach at AHS about the kinds of schools you are considering. Discuss other programs that might be of interest to you. Ask if he/she will contact these schools on your behalf. If you are in a sport where college coaches request videos or film, which give evidence of your athletic skills, discuss what you might send.
2. When communicating with the admission offices at the colleges, be sure to inform them that you are a varsity athlete and name the sport(s) that you play. Admissions staff members often pass this information on to the respective coaches.
3. Speak to your coach about who should contact the college coaches directly. Who should inform them of your interest in applying to their school and of your intention to participate in their program? You might be asked to send an athletic resume or to set up a visit to meet with the coach.
Depending on your ability, your skills may be of interest to some college coaches and not to others. Be realistic in the self-assessment of your athletic talent and in selecting the teams for which you can play. Remember that while your athletic talent may be a good fit to a particular college’s team, your academic talent may not be sufficient to meet the requirements of the admissions office. It is important to understand the system of each college.
Beware of Coach's Tactics
Watch out for coaches’ tactics! Remember that your interests and a coach’s interests don’t always overlap to your advantage. A coach’s goal is to build the best team possible. Typically, a coach is allowed to present to the admissions committee a list of his/her most desired candidates from among the applicant pool. There is no guarantee that the admissions committee will admit all of the candidates on a coach’s list or that it will follow the coach’s order of preference. Academic and personal factors must be taken into consideration. For this reason, coaches often create their lists by striking a balance between an applicant’s athletic ability and academic credentials, while factoring in a student’s enthusiasm (or lack of interest) in attending a particular college.
Coaches’ promises should almost always be taken with some skepticism. Coaches who guarantee you admission are probably overstepping their bounds. The admission committee makes acceptance decisions, not the coaches! A coach may lead you to believe that you will make his/her list, but there are no guarantees. You could be bumped from a list at the last minute if the coach finds a better athlete, an equivalent, or even a somewhat less talented athlete with stronger academic credentials (one who is more likely to make it through the admissions process). School counselors have seen cases where a student is spoken with regularly, with weekly phone calls and emails of good will, only to be bumped from the coach’s list in the final hours of the admission process.
It is not unusual for a coach to ask you which college is your first choice. After all, in choosing which athletes to support in the admission process, a coach does not want to waste energy and the offer of a high position on a candidate who is not likely to enroll. We do not want you to lie to coaches, nor do we want your honesty to put you at a disadvantage in the admissions process. If coaches ask you to commit, it is of critical importance that you discuss this decision with your counselor, your coach and your family before responding to that coach.
Indeed, it is important that you keep your counselor posted throughout the process of communicating with college coaches. The counselors’ work as your advocate is strengthened when they know which college coaches seem most interested in you. If coaches make unfounded promises to you or ask you to commit when you are not ready to do so, we can intervene to your advantage by contacting admission officers.
SAMPLE LETTER OR EMAIL
TO COACH / SPECIAL INTEREST PERSON
Dear Coach:
I am a junior/senior at Arlington High School and have heard about the ________________________ team at your school. Would you please send me some literature regarding your program? I am planning to visit your campus this summer and will call you when my visiting arrangements are settled. I hope I have an opportunity to meet with you this summer.
I have participated in the ___________________ program at AHS since my freshman year, earning Middlesex League All-Star, etc. I have also competed in the Bay State Games, and compete during the summer with the states select team. Both of my coaches would be happy to discuss my experience with you. I have enclosed a brief resume of my achievements.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
(Address)
NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER
The NCAA has established a Clearinghouse for both recruiting and eligibility purposes for student-athletes for all Division I and II schools. This only applies to a few Division III schools. The Clearinghouse certifies that you have completed a core of courses that is different from AHS’s graduation requirements. You need to check with your counselor each year to determine that you are taking approved courses. The NCAA requires your SAT or ACT scores, your transcript and a certain high school GPA. Most students who plan to participate in DI or DII college athletics should register during the Spring of junior year.