Blazer Athlete

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Blazer Athletes Guide to College
AthleticsUnderstanding the College Recruiting
Process
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Determine Your Goals

1. What are my goals? What do I want out of the
   experience of being a college athlete?
2. Which colleges meet my goals?
3. How can I make it happen?

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When to Begin

• Freshman year is too early, senior year is too
  late.
• Contact should begin at the middle/end of your
  sophomore year or beginning of your junior year.
• The higher the level, the earlier you should
  start.

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Contacting the Coach

• Contact via regular mail or e-mail
• Send a Letter of Inquiry
• Include a resume
• Include a DVD/highlight tape
• Fill out the on-line athletic recruiting form

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Letter of Inquiry Tips

• Address the coach by name, be professional, i.e.
  Dear Coach Smith
• Give a quick academic background, include GPA and
  rank in class
• Give a quick overview of your team and individual
  successes

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Letter of Inquiry Tips

• Include a comment about the college team, take
  the time to look up the teams record etc.
• Include your mailing address, e-mail and phone
  number
• Keep the Letter of Inquiry short and professional

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Resume Tips

• Include your name, address, e-mail and phone
  number
• Include a picture on the top of the front page,
  it helps coaches put a face with the information
• Start with your academic information, GPA,
  diploma track

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Resume Tips

• Next present your athletic information, this can
  be presented by year or sport, include all awards
  and relevant stats
• Finish with your work and/or volunteer history
• Include coaches names and contact information

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DVD/Highlight Tape

• Know what type of tape the coach wants
• Highlight
• Skills
• Positive and negative, many coaches do not want
  to see just your best performances
• Make sure your name is on the tape and that the
  coach can identify you

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Letter/Resume/DVD Tips

• NEVER lie or over embellish your accomplishments
  on your resume or Letter of Inquiry or when
  talking to a coach. Coaches will verify
  information.
• Use nice paper, put the DVD in a nice case be
  professional

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Meeting the Coach

• Before you set up a meeting be sure to send the
  coach a letter of introduction and request
  information on the program
• E-Mail the coach ahead of time to set up a day
  and time to meet
• Be on time
• Bring an updated resume with you

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Meeting the Coach

• Dress nicely
• No jeans
• Girls skirts, dresses or dress pants, nice
  shoes
• Skirts and dresses should not be too short,
  shirts not cut too low
• Boys dress pants, dress shirts, dress shoes and
  TIE
• Clothes should be clean and pressed

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Meeting the Coach

• Do your research on the school
• Do your research on the sport
• Have a few questions to ask
• Smile and make eye contact
• Bring a parent with you, but make sure you are
  doing the majority of the talking
• NEVER say you are going to college just to play a
  sport

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Tips for Athletes

• Maintain contact with the coach at least once a
  month
• Keep the coach updated on your academic and
  athletic accomplishments
• Go watch a game
• Ask around and find out as much as you can about
  the program

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Tips for Athletes

• Always be polite, watch your language
• Turn off your cell phone, better yet leave it in
  the car, NEVER text someone while talking with a
  coach.
• Be upfront and honest, if you decide you dont
  like the school let the coach know
• Ask the coach to be upfront with you as well and
  let you know if they dont think its a good fit

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Tips for Parents

• Help your child but dont do it for them
• Compare your childs academic profile with that
  of the school
• Help your child to compile a list of schools and
  be realistic
• Start a notebook and write down thoughts on
  schools that you visit

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Tips for Parents

• Help your child make a DVD
• Help your child get cleared through the NCAA and
  fill out the FASFA form as soon as possible
• Talk about finances before they apply to schools
• Keep comments brief when meeting with the coach

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Recruiting Rules

• Learn the recruiting regulations for the level of
  schools you are looking at, not knowing the
  recruiting regulations could potentially effect
  your NCAA eligibility.
• For example, for Division III, a coach
  cannot talk with a potential student athlete in
  person on the day of competition, during a
  competition, or even after a competition UNTIL
   the student-athlete is released by his/her
  coach.  Also, DIII coaches need to ask the high
  school coachs permission to speak with the
  student-athlete after he/she is done competing
  for the day.

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Scholarships

• Wait for the coach to bring up the subject to you
• If money is a concern ask about financial aid

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Academics

• Doing well in school opens many more doors
• Maintain a B average or higher in all classes
• Give yourself the opportunity to tell a coach you
  are not interested in their school, not the
  other way around

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Academics

• Coaches LOVE/NEED STUDENT-athletes!  A great
  student is just as important as a great
  athletegetting both is HUGE.  In DIII, better
  student  better money.  In DI, coaches love
  great students because they can get you more
  academic money spend less on you from the team
  scholarship budgetand get you better teammates
• (quote from Coach Burlingame, Head Wrestling
  Coach, Manchester College)

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Academics

• Many schools, especially Division III schools,
  award scholarship and grant money based on GPA
  and SAT/ACT scores
• GPA

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Four Year PlanFreshman

• Start planning now
• Take the PSAT in October
• Meet with your counselor to discuss your four
  year plan as a road map to college
• Continue to work hard to get the best grades
  possible
• Meet again with your counselor prior to
  registration for Sophomore year to discuss
  college entrance requirements and to ensure
  compliance with NCAA eligibility rules

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Four Year PlanSophomore

• Take the PSAT in October and the SAT or ACT in
  the spring. Use the Eligibility Center code
  (9999) as a score recipient
• Meet with your counselor before registration for
  junior year to ensure compliance with the NCAA
  eligibility rules
• Continue to work hard to get the best grades
  possible

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Four Year PlanSophomore

• Do a career and college search
• Fill out on-line athletic recruiting form of
  schools you are interested in
• Begin to contact and visit colleges you are
  interested in. College coaches can not contact
  you until your Senior year, however, you can
  speak to a coach on a visit to the campus
• Create an Athletic Resume

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Four Year PlanJunior

• Take the PSAT in October and the SAT or ACT in
  the spring
• At the beginning of your junior year register at
  www.ncaaclearinghouse.com and complete the
  amateurism questionnaire
• Meet with your counselor before registration for
  Senior year to be sure you meet college admission
  requirements and to ensure compliance with the
  NCAA eligibility rules

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Four Year PlanJunior

• Ask your Guidance Counselor to send an official
  transcript to the Eligibility Center after
  completing your junior year
• Double check to make sure the courses you have
  taken match your schools NCAA list of approved
  core courses
• Continue to work hard to get the best grades
  possible

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Four Year PlanJunior

• Meet with your head coach to discuss your
  potential to play college athletics and at what
  level
• Continue to visit colleges that interest you
• Update your Athletic Resume
• Go to a game or meet
• Provide college coaches with film or video

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Four Year PlanSenior

• Retake the SAT and/or the ACT if necessary -The
  Eligibility Center will use the best scores from
  each section of the ACT or SAT to determine your
  best cumulative score. Doing just a little better
  may boost you to the next scholarship level
• Meet with the Director of Athletics early in the
  fall to review your transcript andensure
  compliance with the NCAA eligibility rules
• Continue to take college prep courses

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Four Year PlanSenior

• Continue to work hard to get the best grades
  possible, if grades are sketchy working hard your
  last 2 semesters can go a long way, prove to
  admissions that you can do it
• Look at all of your options Divisions I, II, and
  III NAIA and junior college
• Update your Athletic Resume
• Continue to visit colleges that interest you

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Four Year PlanSenior

• Meet with college coaches to review their
  programs and what they have to offer athletically
  and academically
• Go on an overnight visit to the schools you are
  most interested in
• Go to a game/meet
• Stay in contact with the coaches
• Make a commitment

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Student Eligibility

• The eligibility of Elkhart Central
  student-athletes for competition in collegiate
  athletics is a joint effort of parents,
  student-athletes and the Elkhart Central High
  School Guidance Department.

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College Choices
School Distinction Athletic Scholarships Academic Scholarships Grade Requirements Recruiting Regulations
NCAA Division I Yes Yes NCAA and School Yes
NCAA Division II Yes Yes NCAA and School Yes
NCAA Division III No Yes School Yes
NJCAA (Junior College) No Maybe School Yes
NAIA Yes Yes School Yes
Independent Yes Yes School Yes

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What is the NCAA

The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic
Association, serves as the governing body for
more than 1,280 colleges, universities,
conferences and organizations. The rules and
guidelines for athletics eligibility and
athletics competition for each of the three NCAA
divisions are developed by the member colleges
and universities.
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NCAA Student Eligibility

• NCAA Eligibility Customer Service
• 877-262-1492
• Open 8 am to 6 pm EST, Monday through Friday
• Fax [phone]
• Web sites
• NCAA Guide to Eligibility
• NCAA Clearinghouse

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Division I

• Division I schools must meet minimum
  financial aid awards for their athletics program,
  and there are maximum financial aid awards for
  each sport that a Division I school cannot
  exceed, i.e. Division I schools offer
  scholarships for athletics. Division I athletes
  must meet all of the eligibility requirements
  athletically and academically, which include
  graduating from high school, completing 16 core
  courses, earning a minimum GPA in the core
  courses and earning a combined SAT or ACT sum
  score that matches your core-course GPA and test
  score sliding scale.

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Division II

• There are maximum financial aid awards for
  each sport that a Division II school must not
  exceed. Division II teams usually feature a
  number of local or in-state student-athletes.
  While Division II school offer athletic
  scholarships, many Division II student-athletes
  pay for school through a combination of
  scholarship money, grants, student loans and
  employment earnings. Division II athletics
  programs are financed in the institution's budget
  like other academic departments on campus.
  Traditional rivalries with regional institutions
  dominate schedules of many Division II athletics
  programs. Division II athletes must graduate
  from high school, complete 14 core courses, earn
  a 2.0 GPA or better in the core courses and earn
  a combined SAT score of 820 or a combined ACT
  score of 68.

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Division III

• Division III athletics features
  student-athletes who receive no financial aid
  related to their athletic ability and athletic
  departments are staffed and funded like any other
  department in the university. Division III
  athletics departments place special importance on
  the impact of athletics on the participants
  rather than on the spectators. The
  student-athlete's experience is of paramount
  concern. Division III athletics encourages
  participation by maximizing the number and
  variety of athletics opportunities available to
  students, placing primary emphasis on regional
  in-season and conference competition. Division
  III does not use the Eligibility Center. Contact
  your Division III college or university regarding
  its policies on admission, financial aid,
  practice and competition.

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Why Play Division III
It's not about getting a scholarship, getting
drafted, or making Sports Center. It's a deep
need in us that comes from the heart. We need to
practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat.
We do it all for our teammates and for the
student in our calculus class that we don't even
know. We don't practice with a future major
league first baseman we practice with a future
sports agent. We don't lift weights with a future
Olympic wrestler we lift with a future doctor.
We don't run with a future Wimbledon champion we
run with a future CEO. It's a bigger part of us
than our friends and family can understand.
Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans sometimes 25.
But we still play hard. You cheer for us because
you know us. You know more than just our names.
Like all of you, we are students first. We don't
sign autographs. But we do sign graduate school
applications, MCAT exams, and student body
petitions. When we miss a kick or strike out, we
don't let down an entire state. We only let down
our teammates, coaches, and fans. But the hurt is
still the same. We train hard, lift, throw, run,
kick, tackle, shoot, dribble, and lift some more,
and in the morning we go to class. And in that
class we are nothing more than students. It's
about pridein ourselves, in our school. It's
about our love and passion for the game. And when
it's over, when we walk off that court or field
for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those
tears are real. But deep down inside, we are very
proud of ourselves. We will forever be what few
can claim...college athletes. -Author unknown
from Trine University web site

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What is the NAIA

• NAIA schools offer a unique experience
  for student-athletes with benefits like
  close-knit communities and small class sizes,
  NAIA athletes offer
• Seasonal play and championship opportunities
• Flexibility to transfer without missing a season
  of eligibility
• Fewer recruiting restrictions
• Focus on your education and character development
  
• Opportunities for regional and national athletic
  recognition

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NCAA Division I - IN

• Ball State University, Muncie
• Butler University, Indianapolis
• University of Evansville, Evansville
• Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington
• Indiana State University, Terra Haute
• IUPUI, Indianapolis
• University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame
• Purdue University, West Lafayette
• Valparaiso University, Valparaiso

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NCAA Division II - IN

• University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis
• Oakland City University, Oakland City
• Saint Josephs College, Rensselaer
• University of Southern Indiana, Evansville

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NCAA Division III - IN

• Anderson University, Anderson
• DePauw University, Greencastle
• Earlham College, Richmond
• Franklin College, Franklin
• Hanover College, Hanover
• Manchester College, North Manchester
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute
• Saint Marys College, Notre Dame
• Trine University, Angola
• Wabash College, Wabash

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NJCAA- IN

• Ancilla College, Donaldson
• Vincennes University, Vincennes

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NAIA- IN

• Bethel College, Mishawaka
• Calumet College of Saint Joseph, Whiting
• Goshen College, Goshen
• Grace College, Winona Lake
• Holy Cross College, Notre Dame
• Huntington University, Huntington
• Indiana University-East, Richmond
• Indiana UniversityNorthwest, Gary
• Indiana University-South Bend, South Bend
• Indiana University-Southeast, New Albany, KY

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NAIA- IN Cont.

• Indiana Institute of Technology, Fort Wayne
• Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion
• Marian College, Indianapolis
• Purdue University-Calumet, Hammond
• Purdue University-North Central, Westville
• University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne
• Taylor University, Upland

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USCAA- IN

• Saint Mary of the Woods College, St Mary of the
  Woods
• Taylor University, Fort Wayne