So, You Want to Be A College Athlete… Erin CuratolaBrian Hirschberg School Counselor Head Baseball Coach at Drew University Multi-Sport Coach Former Asst. Coach at Lehigh University Former Division I Softball Player Former Division I Baseball Player

Myths About College Athletics If you’re a really good athlete, your grades don’t matter The hardest part is getting in—once you are there, tutors will do your work You will be “discovered” at showcases, camps, and clinics Division III schools do not offer scholarships DII and DIII schools have weaker programs than DI If you’re not contacted by a college coach, you’re not good enough to play in college If you get a letter from a coach, you are being recruited College athletics will be just like high school athletics, just at a higher skill level

The Facts While it varies by sport, approximately 4% of high school athletes will compete in the college athletics You have options—Be open to looking at DII & III program, as well as NAIA and Junior College Programs You must honestly assess your athletic talent—ask coaches, go watch college games, attend camps and clinics, watch side by side film College coaches send (and receive) thousands of recruiting letters/ s, so while it may not mean you’re being “recruited” you should definitely respond if interested! The student-athlete must take the lead in this process! Coaches, parents, experienced peers, & counselors are there to help

What is the NCAA? The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the organization dedicated to safeguarding student-athletes, as well as equipping them with the skills to success on the field, in the classroom, and in life Divided into three divisions Division I – 346 member schools Division II – 307 member schools Division III – 440 member schools Each division has its own rules and mission/philosophy, while following the overarching principals of the NCAA

Eligibility Differences By Division Division I and II schools require student-athletes to meet academic and amateurism standards set by the NCAA membership Division III schools require student-athletes to meet admission standards set by the school for all incoming students, as well as the amateurism standards set by the NCAA membership

Division I Initial Eligibility Complete 16 core courses (4 English, 3 math, 2 science, 2 social science, 1 additional math or science, 4 additional core—includes religion & language) Complete 10 courses, including seven in English, math, or natural/physical science before the start of seventh semester (by the end of junior year) Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in core courses Earn an SAT combined score or an ACT sum score matching their core- course GPA on the Division I sliding scale If you have a low test score, you need a high core-course GPA or vice versa

DI Sliding Scale Full scale can be found at ncaaeligibilitycenter.org under “Resources” Sliding Scale B Use for Division I beginning August 1, 2016 NCAA D IVISION I S LIDING S CALE GPA for Aid & Practice GPA for Competition SATACT Sum ………… N/A

Calculating GPA NCAA will use the best grades from the required number of core courses Grades from additional core courses can be used, if they improve the GPA GPAs are calculated on a scale Numeric grades are changed to letter grades, with no plus or minus grades Weighting will be used for honors and AP courses, but the high school must notify the NCAA to do so An A is worth 4 points, a B is worth 3 points, a C is worth 2 points, and a D is worth 1 point

Division II Initial Eligibility Complete 16 core courses Complete 10 courses, including seven in English, math, or natural/physical science before the start of seventh semester (by the end of junior year) Earn at least a 2.0 GPA in core courses Earn an SAT combined score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68

Eligibility Process: Student-Athlete Responsibilities Grade 9: Communicate to your high school counselor that you are interested in participating in college athletics Look at the approved core courses at RD at ncaaeligibilitycenter.org under “Resources” Grade 10: Begin talking to your club and/or high school coaches about your abilities and what level of play you fit Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at eligibilitycenter.org, only necessary if you plan to play DI or DII Depending on sport & gender, begin visiting colleges (unofficially) and getting an idea of what level you can compete at

Eligibility Process: Student-Athlete Responsibilities Grade 11: Check with counselor to assure that you will graduate with the NCAA core courses Take the ACT or SAT and submit scores to the NCAA using code 9999 (free at this time) Ask counselor to send official transcripts to the NCAA Eligibility Center Start more regularly contacting coaches and gathering information Grade 12: Finish taking NCAA core courses Take ACT or SAT again (if necessary) and submit new scores with code 9999 Go on official visits! After April 1, request final amateurism certification decision from the NCAA Eligibility Center Ask counselor to provide final transcript, with proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center

What Can Coaches Do to Help? Role will vary—all coaches have different experiences with college athletics and various lifestyles that may limit the time that they can commit to this process Honestly assess the athlete Compare to similar student-athletes who have continued on to college athletics Get to know the different levels of play—What types of players excel at each level? What level of skill? Judge not only physical ability, but also things like desire, attitude and work ethic Communicate with college coaches Share things that do not show up on film or paper Be honest! Ask questions—What is the program looking for? What would this athlete’s role be? Provide guidance on recruiting video (keep it short & simple!)

Where to Play? Be Honest… When compiling a list of potential schools, honestly answer the following: Do you mind sitting the bench for one or two years? Do you need to be someplace where you’ll have a very high chance of starting from Day 1? Would you go anywhere, if it means playing? If not, what kind of school would you never consider? Will you be happy at that school, if you do not play for four years?

So, You Know Where You Want to Play… Now What? Research, research, research! Look up team rosters, stats, coaches, etc. Players should contact coaches and express potential interest Be specific to each school—congratulate them on a win, ask school specific questions, etc. Ask good questions—What positions are they looking to fill? Where do they see you fitting in? What does the coach want (do they want a pitcher with velocity or one with craftiness)? What is the coaching staff’s style (style of play, yeller & screamer, etc.) Provide coaches with a schedule of tournaments/showcases, as well as your jersey number; or attend one of their clinics Know the rules

The Rules on Contacting Coaches Look into the Recruiting Calendar specific to your sport—differs by division & sport Recruiting methods, including brochures, questionnaires, and non-athletic publications will begin as early as sophomore year of high school Other forms of contact such as calling players varies, but most sports will allow players to begin calling coaches during sophomore year. Coaches can answer, but cannot make calls (with the exception of some sports at some times) Junior year is when most coaches will be permitted to call you and make off-campus contact Senior year—it’s on! Contact with coaches has fewer regulations and you can go on your official visits Know the vocab: contact, contact period, dead period, evaluation, official commitment, official visit, quiet period, recruited, recruiting calendar, season of competition, unofficial visit, verbal commitment, walk-on

Things to Keep In Mind College coaches don’t care nearly as much about stats, as they do in what they see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears… Do you have strong fundamentals? Do you have potential to improve? Do you demonstrate a good attitude and work ethic? Do you treat others with respect (coaches, teammates, parents, siblings, etc.)? How do you respond to losing/not performing well? College coaches LOVE multi-sport athletes!

National Letter of Intent (NLI) Signed by you, agreeing to attend a Division I or II college for one academic year NLI is voluntary—You are not required to sign this in order to receive financial aid or participate in sports So, why sign? It ends the recruiting process Schools are prohibited from recruiting student-athletes who sign You commit to your school and your school commits to you! What if you change your mind?! You can request release, but lose one full year of eligibility and must complete a full year at the new school before you can compete at the new school Division III now has their own version of NLI—non-binding

Fun Facts About Athletic Scholarships Only about 2% of high school athletes receive athletic scholarships every year at NCAA colleges and universities Average amount is less than $11,000 Many schools do not allow students who receive athletic scholarships to also receive merit based scholarships Many times, this makes DIII schools more financially attractive Over 33% of colleges do not offer athletic scholarships, with the ones offering only offering a limited number of scholarships Athletic scholarships must be renewed each year—poor academic performance or misconduct can result in termination

Scholarships Most Division I & II schools provide athletics scholarships—varies by league and sport In most cases, coaches determine who receives how much money Division III schools do not offer athletics scholarships Student-athletes in all divisions benefit from academic scholarships, NCAA financial aid programs, and need based aid (such as Pell Grants) You must report all financial aid to your NCAA school’s financial aid office If schools plan to reduce or not renew aid, they must contact you before July 1— opportunity to appeal

Great Resources: All on the RD Athletic Page! Guide for College-Bound Student-Athlete NCAA—Search for a School Tool Web Star Recruits: Collegiate recruiting software program available at no cost to all River Dell Student-Athletes Web Star Recruits software helps guide you through the entire college recruiting process. Track all your recruiting in one place Interact with college coaches Know which college coaches view your profile Post your video and upload your transcripts Access our database of over 35,000 college coaches