Subscribe to the NCSA BlogWalking On is no Walk in the Park
June 29th, 2009 - byThis past week I had the chance to talk with the top assistant coach of a division one basketball program that is one of the best in the country. Our conversation focused on walk-ons.
“I have always told kids that they should play at the college level where they are getting the most recruiting interest,” the assistant coach said. “Like any other program, we use walk-ons but we are very up front with them. We tell them it is highly unlikely they will play in games, or even in practice for that matter. They will be in the drills, but when we go live in practice they will be watching unless we have 3 guys out with bad ankles or something. Some walk-ons cling to that hope that one day they will play some. I tell them that if they do start playing then I get fired because it shows I am not doing the job in recruiting. The last thing I want is for walk-ons to play in games. For some reason, when a scholarship player leaves, walk-ons think that means playing time for them. We had a scholarship athlete transfer last summer. A walk-on wanted a meeting with our head coach to discuss his role. Well, his role didn’t change one bit. He wasn’t going to play because a scholarship player transferred.”
“I played Division 3 basketball and was even on the J.V. team part of that time,” added the assistant coach. “I loved playing. I’d hate to think what would have happened to me had I gone to a big school and just done intramurals. Who knows what I would have gotten into. Playing college sports kept me focused and set me up for a coaching career.”
I thought his comment about getting fired if walk-ons played was eye opening. It makes sense. It is why High School athletes need to be very careful about the walk-on route.
Final word: Another great take on walking-on by Joseph Curtis.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Great stuff, this could be an eye opener for a lot of kids who think they’re going to “prove everyone wrong.” Division II, Division III and NAIA offer great opportunities.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:31 am
This is a great story that should be shared throughout the country, not just through NCSA. Very valuable insight.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:47 am
It may be great to be up front with that walk-on, but in several of our cases we have had walk-ons become terrific team contributors, and even become a team captain. So even though I like that you are up front with the athlete, I don’t care for the fear of losing a job because you played a walk-on over a scholarship player. There are remember, varying degrees of atheltic scholarships awarded on each team which keeps the gap between scholarship and walk-on pretty narrow. I don’t ever want to discourage a potential student athlete to try out for our team. You never know what you may get, and if you’re a good, confident coach you will know exactly where this student athletes fits on your team.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:50 am
The story above is not the case with all programs, the University of Utah has preferred walkons and last year gave scholarships to 4 kids who had walked on. They have several former walkon’s, including a couple kickers, who are playing significant game minutes. One of the best known is an All-American Kicker, who just graduated. Two of their starting linebackers for this fall will be kids who originally came to the program as walkon’s.
So, before walking on meet with the coaching staff and check the coaches policy toward walkon’s. Many schools are no threatened by walkon’s and the right kid will have an opportunity to play.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I don’t totally agree with this article because it seems that you already have the idea stuck in your mind that because they’re a walk on, no matter what they will never play. The way I see it, if I was a coach I would go into every season knowing who my best players were, but never neglecting the fact that a walk on player could contribute in a positive way. About a year ago I was watching a college football game with my dad and they were talking about a kicker who walked on to the team, and ended up being an All-American.. I’m not saying that everyone who walks on is going to become an All-American, but what if that coach had the same thought about his kicker that you did your walk ons? Just a little something to think about. God Bless
June 30th, 2009 at 11:56 am
The story does not apply to all sports. In Div-1 Track and Field programs where you are limited to 12.5 scholarships to field a 33 man roster, walk-ons play a significant role across the country.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I agree with the story. For the replies that said not to discourage someone from trying out for the team, I don’t think you get the point. Yes, if a kid is committed to the school, go out for your football team–great. But if a kid had a choice between “trying out” for a D1/D1AA school as a walkon versus a chance to play and maybe get some money for it at a lower level, which usually is the case, I would say play. For all these “great stories” of All-American Kickers and such, there are 100 stories of guys that went to a big school and never played football again.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I think it’s great that we have all these responses on this topic. This is Charlie, the writer. It’s important to note that this is the opinion of one coach and one program. It’s important for high school athletes to get a firm feel for philosophy towards walk-ons from the coach of the particular school they are thinking of walking on. Again, this is one coaches feelings towards it. Really, he means well because he wants young people to go where they can play a lot for 3 or 4 years. If they choose to walk-on their program, they must realize the clearly defined roles of walk-ons. I appreciate that he is up front with young people about the role of walk-ons. The topic of walk-ons is one that an entire book could be written about. There are positive things. I do believe there are often better alternatives for young people. Sometimes it is frustrating to watch a young person play non stop in high school and then try the walk-on route at D1 and not get on the playing surface for a long time or at all.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I have coached in college for a Division III school for 23 years, and I have recruited hundreds of kids who say they would prefer to walk on to a Divsion I, or II program because they think that they are good enough to play at that level. Well guess what, they are not. I would not be recrjuiting them if they were that good. What happens is that they do not play, or they transfer to us, or to another school. They gave up a year of participation because their parents, or friends thought they were too good for Division III. The college athletic experience is one that they will remember for a lifetime. Walk on success is truly very, very, very rare.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Many Division I, or II coaches will invite many potential walk ons to indeed walk on. Then what happens. The kid has stars in his eyes, and then gets cut.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I think you should specify next time what programs and levels do not encourage walk-ons. At some levels they are important to the team and are contributors to the team. I not real crazy about the article. Not everyone that this is sent to is DI basketball of a major school.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
It is true that players can walk-on and make a team and even contribute. The problem is that a very-very small percentage of players do make it. These players are publicized and hailed as great success stories. They never mention the numerous players that never make it or ever contribute to the team. As for the kicker part, very few schools scholarship a kicker right out of high school. Most will have them walk-on and try out. There are many who never make it. If you want to encourage someone to walk-on to a program – make sure they have the facts. Those facts are that very few every make a contribution or even see the field!
June 30th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
It depends on the school…BYU over the last 4 years has had 25 players go from walk on to scholarship status…a team gets 80 something scholarship players on a team with a complete roster of 105 (These are all statistically sound with BYU) that means roughly 25 walk ons a year…divide that by 4 and that means over 5 walk on players a year (on average) go from walk on to scholarship status. Plus this is a guy talking about basketball…there are much less spots open at basketball and frankly basketball is more of an individual sport than football is meaning that a player will practice more on football walk on. Also a BYU stat which is mentioned above is that last year (walk ons typically do not travel with the team but suit up at home games) four defensive backs were hurt before the UNLV game….that meant that four walk on defensive backs got to travel and start against UNLV. Another fact….Brian Kariya RB for BYU played and schored against UNI first game of the season last year. Kariya was Mr. Football 2007 for all of Utah and he was only recruited by Utah State, Weber State, Southern Utah, Navy, and Idaho State…no amazing teams but he was a walk on at BYU who is now a scholarship player…
You can’t be so broad saying that all programs do this or anything like that. It just depends on the coaches and university…certain schools have certain trends
June 30th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I agree with all the coaches that it is really hard to walk on and be successful. It all depends on the programs view on walk ons. There are kids that live in cities were there is very little exposure so sometimes you get an unseen walk on that is better then some of your scholarship kids.
My question here is would it be worth it to walk on and red shirt your first year to prove yourself at a DIV 1 school. If you perform well enough the coach can give you a scholarship, if not you have a DIV 1 resume for a year that can help you get more recognition at other D2 and NAIA levels. Is this a viable option?
June 30th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I am from the east and was a walk-on at a D-1AA program in the mid west. I was an above average high school all league player and state honarable mention all scholastic player.
l was offered to play at a number of D-lll colleges in the east but went to the mid west college for academics.
Walking on was a big mistake. You are treated like a tackling dummy and shown little or no respect. The coaches want you around because you cost them nothing and are expendable ad show you no respect.. If you do make a good play it does not work in your favor because all the coach does is point out to the player you just whipped “How can you let a walk on do that to you”.
It takes more than hurculeon effort for a coach to admit they made a mistake with a kid they recruited.
The coach and administration want the scholarship player on the field and very few if any coaches will admit they made a mistake.
The odds of being a Rudy or Vince Papale “Phild.Eagles” are minute.
Any walk-on has to be courages and I respect that but they could be using their time and energy in more positve directions helping themselves.
“Building Self esteam”
If you are fortunate enough to be able to play after high school be in an enviornment best suited for your skills and where they want you.
In the end it doesn’t matter the level of football you play it is the friendships and relationships you cultivate.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
The fundamental problem with the question though is that a “walk-on” is not a “recruited” PSA.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I disagree with the thought process of that article. It’s to bad that as a coach you would have an attititude of not playing a walk on. I was one of those walk ons who did very well and played, started and scholarshiped from it. I had a coach who hated walkons and it just made me work that much harder. As an athlete there is no worse felling knowing your coach doesn’t want you out there just because I walked on to play footabll.
I think there a lot of the coaches who repsonded who were right on that we as coaches should give these kids the opportunity to show their athletic ability. As a recruiter you can’t be everywhere and know everyone. I think it actually helps because it shows your scholarshipers that they need to do their jobs and keep working hard.
I encourage anyone that if you have the heart and desire, the knowleddge that as a walk on your going to get your butt kicked a few times and the will to work hard, then take it to your maximum potential and go for it.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
The truth is that not all scholarship athletes are as good as some walk-ons. Let’s face it, there are athletes each year that are not awarded scholarships that become better athletes than those who are on scholarship. the truth is, coaches miss talent! The statement that a coach will get fired because he plays a walkon tells me a lot about that coach. Be fair to walkons! They can and have in the past help teams win championships!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Although I understand the arguments listed, I continually feel that many of these articles / stories / experiences revolve around ‘head count’ scholarship sports like football and basketball. The vast majority of NCAA sports involve ‘equivalency’ sports, which means that many athletes in a team receive much less than a ‘full ride’. So the differences between a ‘walk on’ athlete and a 25% GIA athlete are not nearly as substantial as the basketball example in the article. Also, bball has 15 scholarships for 5 starting spots, football has 65 for 22-24 starting spots. But the ratio for most sports is not the same, so there are many more opportunities for smaller GIA athletes, and ‘walk on’ athleties to train, play, travel, contribute than in those two sports. I believe we should not lump basketball and football philosophies and trends in with the vast majority of NCAA D1 sports. They are truly different, and we should not generalize their details in these type of discussions.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I ant to add to my last comment. I ahve been training athletes for over 17 years and evaluate and test high level athletes on a regular basis. If you as an athlete have a chance to play at a lower level compared to maybe walking on at a bigger school, play at the lower lever.
Any college experience will be unforgetable. Walking on is exactly what the write said “it is no walk in the park.’ If you do walk on, know your coaching staff and what their expectations are for walk ons. Don’t be afraid to ask them if your ability outshines a scholarshiper if you would get a chance to be looked at.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
The two captains of the women’s soccer team at the University of Michigan for 2008 were both walk ons. It can happen.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Maybe that why they only won (4) games last year!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
As a parent of a potiental walk-on this fall, Harding University (D2) has a scholarship given by former football players to a walk-on who contributed to the team the previous season. I’m hoping my son will be the next recipient.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
For some players that come from small schools, they stand little chance of being noticed or even having a coach that can give them recruiting advice. A walk-on sometimes is their only option. I think as a parent you have to do your research and in the case of my son, he wanted to play as long as he could. It didn’t matter where he just needed to play. College coaches tell you everything in the book to make them look good, but in the end you still must decide what is best for your student. To play or to polish the pine.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I cannot believe coaches would be stubborn enough not to play someone because of their scholarship situation. The “head count” sports (one scholarship for one participant) still search for quality athletes that are free for their programs. They all need added depth, but the players they take as walk ons need to be at a similar competitive level as the scholarship player.
That is the only way a non-scholarship participant has a chance of earning a scholarship at a later date. If the athlete is not of that caliber, but shows they can contribute in other ways (AKA “Rudy”) there may still be a spot for them.
If not, they are a part of the practice sqaud and have no chance to get on the field, court, etc., let alone be considered for a scholarship in the future.
In the equivolent sports (baseball, track, etc) where scholarship equivolents can be divided into multiple athletes, the idea that a walk on cannot contribute is insane.
The biggest problem is that parents and athletes don’t see the big picture. They lack the objectivity to analyze their own abilities relative to those around them. For twenty years I handed each member of my college baseball teams a roster of the current team just before the start of the season. I asked each player to identify who the starters were at each position, providing justification as to why one player should start over another. I can count on one hand the number of athletes that did not list themselves as the starter at their respective position. They would almost always list starters at other positions that matched the coaches analysis. The point is they are able to be objective about the abilities, strengths and weaknesses of team mates, but lack the same objective approach when they rank themselves.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
It would be refreshing if Adam were correct about walk on status in track & field. My collegiate track coaching experience is dissimilar to his conclusion. My last year of coaching men & women sprinters & hurdlers at a successful Division II program included six men & eleven women – one woman was a walk on. And, I confess she was strung along until the #1 sprinter on my depth chart accepted a scholarship offer. In circumstances like this, I always offered a prospect that was strung along “preferred walk on” status. She accepted and received some financial aid from other programs. As you can appreciate, I couldn’t offer each of the other 17 men & women “full rides” because as Adam correctly states, there was only 12.5 equivalancies available for the complete (distance, jumpers, throwers, vaulters, etc.) track & field program, much less only sprinters & hurdlers. Each scholarshiped sprinter & hurdler received some (and different) level of athletic financial aid, as well as grants and loans from other programs & entities, so that each S/A received an attractive financial aid package. There were, however four distance runners, one jumper and one thrower that were walk ons. They did not play a significant role in the program’s fielding a competitive T&F team. They participated in meets that allowed more than three entries per event because the program usually had three (the customary limit) partial scholarship recipient S/As competing in each event. Division I uses the same funding concept for it’s T&F programs. So the likelihood of a Division I T&F walk on playing a significant role in any meet, not to mention any program is remote. A walk on may get to compete in a major meet if another athlete is injured, has left the team or because of a run-off competition, qualifies for a relay team. My urgent advice to any T&F athlete seeking both competitive opportunities and financial aid for their athletic ability is to overwhelm the odds of you not receiving financial aid for your athletic ability, as well insuring that you compete in important meets by working with as many colleges as possible! Begin with at least 100 – so that you can find the right coach, right program & right school for you. I realize that sounds very formidable. The best way to get the correct guidance you need in order for you to compete and contribute to the foregoing college & program is to enroll with the guidance experts – NCSA!
June 30th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Take the partial scholarship even if you can afford to pay.
A friend’s son want to play baseball for a certain large private Division I school. The parents had more than enough means to pay for the school and the mother’s sister was even a part of the faculty.
So, the family turned down the partial scholarship so the team could give it to another player only to find out that the coach had to consider him as a walk-on and couldn’t give him a roster spot.
He was able to work out with the team, travel with the team and was kind-of the bull-pen coach but if a coach can do this to a 6′ 7″ pitcher who can throw in the 90’s, they will have to do it everyone.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Perspective from a parent. Many DII, DIII and NAIA schools offered my son partial scholarships leaving a balance that was just not affordable. Our income is just over the limit for many grants and scholarships. One coach from a DI state school visited and called several times. He had no scholarships but showed a lot of interest and wanted my son as a preferred walk-on with the intent of earning a scholarship. Most of their scholarship players were preferred walk-ons first. I hope that works out for my son. My son visited the coach last week and the coach was happily surprised how much he has grown the last few months. From an ego point of view we were open to all divisions of play. It boiled down to the economics. Even without a scholarship the cost to us is less than half the cost at the colleges that offered partial scholarships.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
My son is going D-2 for football, partial scholarship this summer. He had five D-1A coaches encourage him to redshirt, he “could be” a scholar athlete after first yr, so they said. I WONDER IF… University administration expects coaches to sell their school to get tuition walk ons. If they “sign” 15 walk on athletes in football a yr, that is significant revenue through tuition for the school and maybe helps to justify higher salaries for coaches and the expenses. Just a thought and I don’t blame ‘em, but be careful. My son is really happy with his choice and so what if it isn’t D-1A!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
My daughter is a scholarshiped athlete playing for a D II school. She had offers from D I schools but the coaches were not as positive about playing time as the D II coach. I would not want my daughter attempting to “walk on” at any level, adjusting to college life is difficult enough without the pressure of wondering from season to season if your child will see playing time. You have four years to play the sport you love, make the most of it and play those four years don’t sit the bench. You will form bonds and happy memories from the sport you have a passion for, don’t take a chance and” walk on” only to be ignored and become bitter about a sport you once loved.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
I like everyones comments. As a parent it tough trying to get your son notice when you know nothing about the politics of the game and also “who you know”.! My son came from a small school of 400 total. My son had two chocies to go to a Jr. College and get gray shirt and then get drafted or Walk on to a D1 school that he recieved a scholorship for his academics not for football. My son has not started school yet, but has been training on his own, because he knows he has to start from the bottom. But as a parent I see my son very anxious and motivated. I just hope and pray the coaches are willing to let my son tryout.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
My daughter has been talking with a division one track coach about walking on at his school. He won’t have to offer her anything since most of her education will be paid by her academic aide. However, he told her he would give her $1000 in scholarship money to help cover all of her costs of school. He said they really love strong academic walk-ons becouse they help their team GPA.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I am a DI coach and I am always looking for walk on players! You never know who can get hurt, who will need more time to study and having 2-3 walk on players will always help you to run your practices. It is also helps to give some
rest for your starters. More, my walk on will have a first hand on open scholarship, since she knows the system and team. One more, but very important, loyalty! If I can see potential, but player is not at the level of DI yet (a lot of kids from small programs), I would take her as walk on and will give her a chance to play. I am taking my walk on players on the road trip and I will ask from them exactly the same way as my scholarship athletes.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
My son was a captain and starter on his high school basketball team that recently won the state title in our state. He was being heavily recruited by a D-III team that was rebuilding and going to build the team around him. It was a small liberal arts college – he had overnight visits, attended classes and worked out with the team. My son loves (not a strong enough word) basketball but the school was not a good fit and he would not have been happy there.
He has been accepted into a wonderful academic program at a D-I school. His coaches told him that he has a very good chance of making the team as a walk-on if he bulks up. After reading the article I he doesn’t feel discouraged because my son loves playing and making it as a walk-on and just being able to practice and learn will make him happy, especially at a school he loves.
How many walk-ons do teams accept?
June 30th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Certainly do not try and walk-on where the coaches EGO make quotes such as “…..The last thing I want is for walk-ons to play in games.”
As if “recruited” scholarship athletes always turn out. If I had to guess 35-50% of “recruited” scholarship athletes achieve significant playing time at elite Div 1 programs and a good portion of them quit or transfer.
Bottom line is if you win it doesn’t matter who plays. “You’ll get fired if you let a walk on play” is a copout. If the coach isn’t playing the best players regardless of recruitment or non-recruitment, he won’t win. And when he doesn’t win that is when he will get fired.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
hi my name is heritier i play soccer and i live in charlotte i’m looking for a team can you guys help me please please
June 30th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Hi… I am going to be a ” preffered walk-on” at a Div.1 AA institution. I have been invited to camp and I was told I would have been awarded a scholarship had I gotten to the coach earlier and he had not run out of scholarships. Should I take this the same as being a regular walk on or should I not be worried about the walk-on stigmas?
June 30th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I think everyone is missing a big point of the article. High school players today no matter what sport for the most part forget that actually playing is the joy they receive. As a current DII coach, its very frustrating to have potential student-athletes turn down scholarships to our school or others within our conference to try and “walk on” at a DI. For the most part they end up going to the local JC or just our of the sport. I know its everyone’s dream to play at the highest level but once that dream can’t become reality isn’t playing and getting an education the most important part. It just shows the character of a lot of student-athletes that they would rather walk around town saying that they are going to so and so DI school but not telling people that they are a walk on and could get cut. Today’s students need to know the difference between an INVITED walk on and a regular walk on who attends a 2 hour try out to see if they can just get on the practice roster.
Our program has very little in scholarship money so we rely on the INVITED walk on since we are recruiting them throughout the year before they graduate or they attended on of our prospect camps and we liked them. Regular walk on’s have a tougher time since they only get 2 hours to work out with us per NCAA rules.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
I think that walk-ons shouldnt be worried about try-outs or walking on…when you sit down and think about it scholarship athletes have the pressure on them to perform top level all the time so going in as a walk-on with the confidence of doing the best u can should outweigh any fear or nervousness that u might have…be strong and if they beat u after u perform ur best, u shouldnt think twice about it…work out and come back stronger next year..it can happen
June 30th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Also…maybe a player wants to play for something higher than themselves…maybe they would prefer to be a part of a team that has success rather than personal success…this goes for me and many others. Certain players could play at D3 or D2 or even D1AA schools but they would rather be at a university with tradition and a place where they feel most comfortable….The recruiting business is too hung over the fact that they just want kids to play…some people would rather be a part of a successful team and pay for tuition than get a scholarship at some small community D2 school. At least these are my thoughts
June 30th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I think this article has completely crushed thousands of dreams. In my opinion if a kid has the heart and confidence in himself to walk on to a team I think he has a leg up on the rest of the competitors. What this article did not mention was the fact that someone may be undersized. It really doesn’t matter how good you are if you are a 6 foot lineman Notre Damn won’t be recruiting you. Maybe an undersized walkon came to a school and really impressed the coaches? Remember many people can tell us that being heavily recruited or not has little effect on your impact in college athletics.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
This coach is a LOSER. DIVIONS III J.V. PLAYER!!!!! THIS GUY NOW JUDGES TALENT AT THE d-1 LEVEL?!!?! THAT IS AN ATROCITY!!!!!! Where did this guy play occidental college? maybe CAL lutheran… or maybe even Rowan (NJ) hahaha. Get outta here…. If you’re good enough, you’ll play, if your not, you’ll learn your lesson. Idiot.
I bet walk-ons at his measly d-3 are the reason he doesnt play hahaha.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Hey, This guy would be fired by me, any coach that will not play the best player in the position after proving his talent is not going to be a winning coach. On the field or off the field. You should re-think what you do.
Go figure., I will bet your not successful at recruiting and never has had a winning season. Try the back of a garage truck.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
It is amazing to hear a college coach say these things. He should be fired on the spot. As a youth baseball coach, the best nine players make the line up, period. I don’t care who you know, how much money your parents make, etc. If you are talented enough and better than your peers, you play. Now I know why so many college athletes give up the sport they loved to play as youths. They never get a chance because of coaches like this.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:14 am
It is important to remember this is from a coach at a major d1 program in one of the most competitive conferences in the country. D1 ball at that level is very serious. You have to have extremely talented players to compete and win. In basketball there are only 5 players on the court. If your opponent has five 5 star players who play extremely hard, you better match that with equally committed talent, or you are done, and staff will get fired. College sports success at the highest level of D1 is all about recruiting. Period. The pressure on this coach is at the absolute highest in all of college sports. I appreciate that their staff is candid about walk-ons in their situation. Other walk-on situations at different levels are different. The point to remember is that walking on is something to research deeply before committing to particular schools. This is their stance on walk-ons regarding THEIR situation. Again, athletes and families have the responsibility to research the walk-on philosophy of schools they are thinking of walking on. It means calling up players who have walked on their before and asking them their candid thoughts on the experience. It means finding out what the walk-on can earn in THAT particular situation. To say this program’s stance on walk-ons is universal is wrong. Personally, I believe there are better options than walking on, but I certainly respect those that do and the success stories out there. These posts have opened up a lot of hard hitting discussion, which is good. I appreciate all the insights from different angles. It means a lot to hear opinions from people with so many backgrounds.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:32 am
That is the problem with Division I sports, it is political and its about how much money is put into you (scholarship). Should be the best nine, eleven, five, whatever sport. Speaking for me personally, baseball is the sport that takes more advantage of walk-ons than any other. I love them, they are at school for the right reasons, to graduate, they work hard every day, they never complain and they put team first. More than you can say for some full-ride egomaniacs.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:52 am
Some harsh comments here that reflect the emotional element of this subject. This article doesn’t “completely crush thousands of dreams.” This article reflects the reality at ONE school. There is no reason to insult “some full-ride egomaniacs”, they also exist at equivalency sport programs. They just don’t make the papers. There are some facts that are indisputable: 1) A student-athlete doesn’t get to choose her/his school, the school chooses her/him. Having said that, a student-athlete CAN end up playing for their dream school. But ultimately, the decision to grant that kid scholarship, playing time, roster spot, etc. lies with the school coach. 2) If 2 players are perceived equal by the coaching staff and one is a scholarship player and one is not, then it’s not “political” for that coach to grant the scholarship player more playing time. The walk-on needs to be the clearly better player. 3) All student-athletes must be actively communicating with dozens of colleges so they can find the best situation for them. Every student-athlete has a unique set of wants and needs. Only engaging a large number of college coaches in deep, personal conversation can a student-athlete find the best situation for them. 4) Parents need to be educated on this process so they can guide their children into making the best decision. They need to remove the emotional goggles that cloud their judgement as they live vicariously through their children. If they can’t be objective, they should seek at least 3 objective opinions from experts. Speaking as a parent of a D1 student athlete, that number 4 is the toughest. But it’s the most necessary.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:08 am
This is what I am going through with my daughter now. She is a rising senior. There are D3 schools that are very interested in her to play volleyball or softball or both. This is great but It might end up being cheaper to go to a d1 school for the major she wants and try to walk on. She might not make it but she won’t be stuck with $80,000 in student loans after 4 years. I would love to see her play 4 more years but I don’t know at what cost. She might get $20,000 a year from d3 school but it still ends up costing her 20,000 a year while playing 2 sports. If she goee to a d1 school it might cost 8,000 a year with out any athletic scholarship. We are still looking and attending camps. I have no clue where we will end up but I keep telling her that she is making a decision for the next 40 years, not 4 years. But I will not deter her from trying to walk on.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Although it is true that it is not good for the recruiters if walk ons play, Some d1 schools have had major contributions from walk ons in the past. One good example is St. John’s in Queens New York. They have had Andre Stanley who either eventually started or 6th man, and Phil Misserie, both eventually received scholarships though. Although in these cases i believe both were from NYC and wanted to stay there, they possibly had d1 offers but i do not remember, but still it is very rare to walk on unless you are already d1 caliber, but want to go to a different school.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Though it may not go over well with many people, it is refreshing to see such a straightforward, if not blunt perspective on this. That being said, I still think kids should chase their dreams, don’t let one coach stand in the way.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I see the term “preferred walk on” being tossed around quite a bit here. The two most important words in that term are “walk on”. The addition of the word “preferred” is just another way for Division I programs to make kids feel a little closer to making the team. I know of one Big Ten soccer program that called all of their walk ons “preferred”. Every year there were four to six more who came in. Rarely did one ever play, let alone dress or travel.
Do your homework on the team’s website and you will see whether that is the case for the school you are considering. You’ll need to go back to news releases regarding class signings and then compare them to rosters in the year or two after each class enters. Know the language of signings. A Letter of Intent means the signee got an athletic scholarship. A Letter of Admission means they’re walking on. Below is a portion of a release that is still available on one school’s website:
The ______ men’s soccer team will welcome 11 student-athletes for the 2007 season, including four who signed National Letters of Intent last week, head coach _______ announced on Wednesday.
Outside midfielder/forward _______, defender ______, forward ______ and defender _______ all signed National Letters of Intent while goalkeeper ________ joined the squad as a transfer from _____this semester.
Rounding out the new class will be six other student-athletes who signed Acceptance of Admissions letters and will join the 2007 team.
I followed the names forward to the fall. Only three of the six were on the roster and none of them played a minute. The following fall those three were gone and more walk ons replaced them.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Anyone that’s reading this go after your dream. At the end of the day Coaches will play the best players period. I recently walked on to a D1 school after geting no D1 offers, it wasnt easy and I was even thinking about going to the small D3 school that recruited me. In my hearts of hearts I knew I was D1 material. If your talented and have a dream go get it no matter what. God acts on faith.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:13 pm
It seems college recruiting at the DI level is taking on the professional draft personality. The process in written stone justifies what we do, and as long as we follow procedure no one can fault the head coaches methodology? Therefore we recruit the typical college dI Player. The player with all the tools, timed speed, height, weight, strength, etc….. Now we are safe, right?? Wrong, a lot of times, the intangibles get lost in the shuffle. I would rather take a 5-10 player with heart and some athletic talent than a 6-1 athletic horse with no heart and no game savvy clue. Chemistry and consistency of the players is what coaches should focus on.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Obviously, walking on is not the preferred way to go. But depending on the sport there are walk-ons that do make the team and contribute. College baseball coaches are now dealing with compressed schedules that basically mandate expanded rosters including walk-ons. The college coach who won’t play a walk-on for fear of job loss, may well be missing out on a star athlete. Case in point: Clay Matthews Jr., who went from walk-on to scholarship player to 1st round NFL Draft choice this year.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:45 am
JORDY NELSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JORDY NELSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JORDY NELSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JORDY NELSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:15 am
Would some one comment on “prefered walkon”.
My son has been offer this at a DI school.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:31 am
Larry:
See comment #51.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Larry:
A few more thoughts…
If you are talking about soccer, it is curious that your son is being offered a preferred walk on position this early in the recruiting process. Usually the offers that come down this early from DI’s are for scholarship players. If the DI school really wanted him, they would at least offer him a guaranteed roster spot if not some athletic scholarship money. In offering a walk on spot, they have guaranteed him nothing but a tryout. It is likely they don’t hold him in very high regard and will “over recruit him” as the recruiting season goes on.
I would think that your son would be in a position to receive a guaranteed roster spot at a high level DIII school with some likelihood of seeing the field as a freshman and perhaps even starting. (DII might make sense as well depending on the region). If that is true he would be looking at a four year college soccer career and a good college experience if he picks the right school. I suggest you attend a top level DIII game in your area early in the fall and see what he thinks of the level of the soccer. If the DIII school has what he is looking for academically, geographically and socially then it might be a good fit for him.
You need to ask very specific questions when dealing with a DI coach regarding a walk on situation. Ask how many walk ons were on the squad last fall and the fall before that. Get their names and look up their stats in the school’s online archive to see if they played. Ask about the dress and travel policies of the team. In soccer a lot of DI schools only dress and travel 18-20 players to keep expenses down. That usually leaves the walk ons on the side in street clothes at home games and following the squad online for away games. After a year or two of that, many players quit and give up the game…or they transfer and have to start all over again.
It is true that an occasional walk on is successful at making a DI squad and even seeing the field, but the vast majority do not. If kids choose the appropriate school and situation in the first place, they usually end up having a good college experience.
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
what are the chances of playing as a walk-on
how do i get looked at when attending a small high school
who to call for more information
Thank you
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Julius:
Call 866-579-6272 for more information.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I never got a response to my comment earlier…. #37
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Javon,
Nobody knows your situation like you do; you should do what you think is in your best interest. However, I urge you to seriously consider programs & coaches from any Division II or III or NAIA program that is demonstrating serious interest in you. Are you satisfied with practicing your sport for four years or is playing the most important issure for you? Only you know.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:12 pm
My son was offered at scholarships at division1 and division2 level and He now just found out that the coach wants to take the scholarship back and give it to someone else because he has academic scholarship too. The coach wants him to walk on, so he decided that he will not play because he wants to study hard to get his degree to become a doctor. This has put some pressure on me because now I must find another way to help pay for his tuition. Being a single mother is hard by the grace of God, we will make it. As for the coach that making the statement by walk-on. They are human beings too and they sure be given a chance. We must pray for him, but I wouldn’t want my son to play for him.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
One of the things that I do not see mentioned anywhere is the advantage of getting into a university that might otherwise not be an option if you are an “invited walk on”. My son was thankfully recruited early by a D1 school in an equivalency sport at an 80% of a full ride so we feel very fortunate. He is a 2010 high school graduate. The school is very hard to get into academically and thankfully my son has the grades to match his game. However, I know of at least 2 players who will be going to this same school in the fall of 2009 as “invited walk ons” . The coach was able to get these students admitted where perhaps they might not have otherwise made it in. There is an advantage for being “invited’ in that regard as well.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Not all small school kids should settle for DII or III or NAIA. For athletes who have the determination and faith there will be a spot for them at the D1 level. I was a scholar athlete at a very small midwest high school – I played DI basketball my Jr and Sr years! I did go to a JC and transfer to the D1. For me, out of HS I WANTED to play ball! I did not want to red shirt – this meant the committment to playing HARD for a JC just to get noticed again for the D1 school – it worked out for me. If you have a good work ethic, dedication and faith – you can go anywhere!
July 4th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Well i think walking on is a good thing because i was planning on walking on to a division 1 college.I know that where i live its not going to be a whole bunch of recruiters coming to see me play and thats in Demopolis,Alabama i bet you never heard of it.I think that this coach is not telling the truth because he is ruling the walk ons out already and thats not right,everyone should be able to showcase their talents and i know i can really play basketball.
July 4th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Terryl – I wish the best of luck. But don’t accuse the coach of not telling the truth. You have no evidence to base that on.
July 4th, 2009 at 11:12 am
This particular assistant coach of a major D1 program in one of the top 3 basketball conferences in America is talking about his/their stance on walk-ons at their highly competitive program. They compete against teams with McDonalds All Americans on their rosters and future NBA players. If a basketball player tries to walk on at the likes of N. Carolina, UCLA, Louisville, Kentucky, UConn, Villanova and places like that, it is a whole different scenario than walking on at Central Connecticut. This particular coach tells the walk-ons up front not to expect to play, and if they still want to walk-on and help out in practice drills, fine. He cares about them in that he initially encourages them to play at schools at appropriate levels that are recruiting them, so that they can get minutes on the floor in games. Some of these other posts are about walk-on situations in totally different levels and sports. The walk-on situation is not the same everywhere – far from it. Again, I appreciate all the insights above from coaches, parents, players and recruiting experts.
July 6th, 2009 at 8:18 am
There are a lot of athletes out there and I don’t think a coach can see them all in the recruiting process. Hopefully, the coach can pick the best player he/she can find for scholarship but I can think of many reasons why a player could fly under the radar and not get spotted by anyone. Although I admit it is probably rare that a walk-on will become an impact player, It would be a shame to miss out on having that special player that walks-on because you already had your mind made up.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Bill -
That’s a great point. College coaches CAN”T see all of the good student-athletes who could potentially impact their school. That’s why it’s extremely important that student-athletes make themselves known to as many college coaches as they can. If a student-athlete and their family is not proactive in this process, many opportunities will pass them by.
July 6th, 2009 at 11:53 am
As a college coach (volleyball) I want to echo what Charlie says in #68. Different sports, genders, programs, levels, etc. change the need and opinion on walk-ons. Personally we look for 2-4 walk-ons each year. We are also a JC which means we have a lot of turn over as it is. We normally recruit between 8-12 total players (scholarship and walk-ons) each year . A lot of times I have found that most walk-ons want to be part of college athletics and want the chance to play. At our level they get a chance. At the highest level in the nation they don’t necessarily have the luxury of seeing if players workout. They need impact in every position from every player . . . even the scholarship guys on the bench. When all is said and done it is more important to pick the right school rather then the D1 or 2 that offers the most money. Sometimes the school that would be the best fit doesn’t have the advantage of a fully funded scholarship program. Some programs don’t have scholarship. As was mentioned earlier, ask as many questions as you can think of when communicating with coaches and when you have exhausted all your questions talk to your friends and come up with some more. Don’t follow the money, look for the fit.
July 6th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I’m going to be a senior going into the next school year and I’ve run track since I was a freshman. Going into my sophmore season I was running right on 50 flat for the 400, which isn’t an amazing time, but it wasn’t bad either. Anyway, at the first meet of the season I pulled my hip flexer, but continued to run on it. I was out for most of the season and didn’t fully heal until the next school year started. After that I was just trying to get back to where I was, and I’m just now getting there. The unfortunte thing is that I never recorded a time less than 53.1 at a meet when I’ve run much faster at practices, so I doubt I’d be considered for a scholorship anywhere. Right now walking on looks really tempting.
I guess walking on is one of those things that depends on the athlete, the school, and the coaches. Each individual case will probably be different.
July 6th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
David, Hang in there. My son suffered some nagging injuries during his senior season that along with a football coach who was fired at the end of 4 non-winning seasons, quality athletes were never really put into a position to showcase their talent. Some of these young men have decided to walk on at various D level schools. Many programs won’t even look at players that come from losing school programs so walking on is a viable option for many students. It is hard and is not designed to be fair, but if you know that going in, you will accept the outcome no matter what.
July 8th, 2009 at 9:45 am
David you might want to consider D-III or NAIA. Often coaches at those levels are more willing to take into consideration the complete history of a track athlete’s performances while deciding financial aid and roster positions. That’s assumming you want to compete and contribute to the team as opposed to the indignities of a walk on. If you’re running .50-.51 in practices and can’t perform below .53, I suggest that in your effort to finish well in competitions you are tightening/tying up, hoping that the more force and effort you put into the finish, you’ll be successful. The number one rule for good sprinting is relaxation! Watch successful 400 meter runners sprinters. You’ll notice that their faces look like jello as they run, their hands are loose with palms in and thumbs up. They are making a maximum effort, yet they’re concentrating on feeling relaxed. Try using “build ups” in practice where you slowly increase your speed (no more that 60 meters) to near maximum velocity with a focus on feeling relaxed as you run. Transfer that sensation to the last 60 meters of your 400 meters. Loose Hands! Loose Face! Good Discipline – Good Focus. I never wish a track animal good luck – as in life luck has little to do with success.
July 8th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I think that parents need to have serious conversations with their student athletes as far as their goals. My daughter was the #2 ranked Freshman in our state this past year. She has the potential to go to a DI school if her times keep improving as expected. We discussed what she wants to do in college and she realized that she wants to contribute as a Freshman. She doesn’t want to red-shirt and doesn’t want to spend two years on the sidelines waiting for her turn behind older, more developed athletes. She also feels that since she is committing so much time and effort, she wants to be part of a top program. We decided together that the best thing for HER would be that if she isn’t going to be able to contribute immediately to one of the top DI programs (unlikely) she will go to one of the top junior colleges and then transfer. DI is often a pride thing for parents and student athletes. As much as I want to be able to brag that my daughter is a DI recruit, I know that is not necessarily the best place for her. Parents need to have these conversations and put pride aside when making decisions.
July 10th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
This is an interesting story and commentary. It seems that people forget that the goal of intercollegiate athletics at the DI level and other levels is to be successful at the highest level possible. So when kids walk on with the hopes of making it they need to realize that it’s not about PARTICIPATION it’s about COMPETITION, if they can beat out a scholarship kid or kids then most likely they will get to compete if not… A coach who would get fired if he started walk ons reflects the general competitive environment of intercollegiate athletics. The question that would be asked of him would be “why did you not recruit better scholarship athletes? Why are you wasting university money on inferior athletes who can be beat by kids not recruited or not strong enough to get a scholarship?” People should have a realistic assessment of their abilities and potential and mental strength when they decide what level to compete at. And the most important question of all should be IS THIS UNIVERSITY GOING TO FULFILL MY ACADEMIC NEEDS? Of the hundreds of thousands of college athletes competing at all levels only a small fraction will ever become professionals in sports and even a smaller percentage will become successful enough to have a stable lifestyle from sports. Many people either forget this or don’t want to realize this. The other factor is that many people today also think they deserve scholarships for athletics. The reality is that very few kids are at a level where they can earn a scholarship but their coaches, parents etc. think they deserve one. Think of it this way, does a student with a 2.5 GPA deserve an academic scholarship, even if he or she shows potential of becoming a great student in the future? Most everyone would say no. This is also the same with athletic scholarships, not everyone deserves one and not everyone will get one. If someone truly believes that they can compete at a level where they do not earn a scholarship then sure they should try out, but they should be realistic as well. Finally one should ask him or herself if they would rather be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a little pond.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
ms – Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Your reflections hit the nail on the head and add some needed wisdom to this discussion.
July 24th, 2009 at 12:16 am
Great article but what is not talked about is the small population of kids that attend high school in the Department of Defense Overseas. There i a lot of talent at these schools but some of those HS coaches don’t take the initiative to promote a particular athletic therefore he/she is overlooked. So when the athletic decides what college he/she will attend one of their options is to walk on and show there talent, interest and dedictation to their particular sport. So I would suggest that coaches take a look at each walk on case individually, assess and make a conscience decision if he/she has an opportunity to play at that particulat DIV.