by Chris Krause, NCSA Founder and President
I ran across a really interesting article today, and wanted to share it with you.
I think it does a good job describing the different challenges that you, as a prospective college athlete, face in choosing the right school and making the transition from prep sports to the demands of college sports.
The article, from the Great Falls Tribune in Montana, caught-up with four Montana athletes now playing college sports. Each one of them took a different path in getting to the next level, and their observations and advice can give you some great insights as you find yourself in the middle of the recruiting process that they have already completed.
What They Said About Going to a Junior College
Colby Tognetti went the Junior College route after initially getting recruited to a Division II school, according to the article. The one quote that stuck out for me? Tognetti now observes:
“I went in my freshman year thinking I was pretty good, but it’s a whole different game with the speed and the hitters.”
In my opinion, junior college athletics can be an ideal option for athletes who either don’t have the high school academic performance to go on to the four-year level right away, or who want to develop their skills further before going on to the four-year level. And, J.C. athletics can lead to great opportunities: Better scholarship offers from larger schools, a chance to get used to college academic requirements, and the possibility of more playing time right out of high school.
What we try to do at NCSA is guide our athletes, and their parents, towards the right opportunity that would be a good match for them based on their individual situation. Sometimes, playing at the four-year level right away makes perfect sense. In other cases, junior college is a smart choice. Like Tognetti said in the article, “It worked out. I was going to a Division II school, but after junior college I’m going to a Division I school.”
What They Said About Preparing for Life During (and After) College Athletics
Life as a college athlete is demanding. Just ask Lauren Beck, who is playing basketball at the University of Montana. In the article, she talks about the commitment to off-season workouts that she will be facing this summer, as well as the demands on her time during the school year. Practice, conditioning, travel, games…and, yes, school. Throw in community
service requirements and you have a lot of your calendar filled-up, not leaving much time for anything else.
Beck advises today’s high school athlete to be prepared for the demands on their time, and to focus on academic success while at college. “Stay on top of school because your four years are going to run out pretty quick”, says Beck.
My advice for athletes that we work with at NCSA? The same as Beck’s advice: Make sure you understand the demands that will be required of you, and be prepared to commit yourself to the academic side of your college experience. Are you ready to take on those two challenges?
What They Said About Walking-On
Tyler Corwin, now at the University of Montana, talked about what it was like for him as a walk-on at the college level:
The coaches had called the Great Falls High School graduate a week earlier and said there was a spot for him on the team. Corwin attributes the invitation to luck, but the 6-foot, 3-inch 230-pound linebacker, who is expected to appear on the starting lineup this fall, has proved that talent may have prompted the invitation, too.
“A lot of the other kids had scholarships and came in on recruiting trips and knew everybody. I just kind of showed up and had to meet everybody. It was intimidating,” Corwin recalled.
Entering his fourth year of college, Corwin said time management is his biggest challenge. The football players set aside four hours each day for team meetings and practice, and they are expected to lift weights between classes.
“It’s pretty much almost a full-time job. It’s a discipline thing,” Corwin said. “I came to school for an education. At the same time, I knew I could (play football), and I knew I could succeed.”
Corwin said college athletes are bigger, faster and stronger, but the jump from high school to college football is also a mental one.
“Definitely make priorities and make schedules. The hard thing about college is the freedom. If you really want to succeed, you have to focus, and it’s really, really hard,” Corwin said.
Do you know what one of the first questions college coaches ask us here at NCSA after we notify them of a pre-qualified athlete we are working with? It is, “Can they handle the demands of playing college sports?” Today’s high school prospect needs to understand that playing college sports is a lot more than just having superior athletic ability. It is also about the mental make-up of an athlete, and how that athlete handles the pressures and demands of playing college sports.
By the way, walking-on is definitely the harder road to take as a student-athlete. The odds are against you from the start. However, as Tyler Corwin demonstrates, there are times when walking-on is a good option.
What They Said About Picking the Right School
Samantha Sheble chose a smaller school, Montana Tech, to play college volleyball. Samantha felt right at home when she visited the school and loved the campus atmosphere. In the end, Sheble advises today’s high school prospects to look at more than wins and losses, the size of the stadium, and how nice their uniforms are:
“When you go out on a trip to visit, see if you can see yourself fitting into the team because the team is like your family.”
Do you know why you hear about so many college athletes leaving the original school they signed with in favor of a different program? It is because they picked the original school for the wrong reasons. Take Samantha’s advice and make sure you will enjoy the team, the coach, the college campus and the surroundings. In the end, those things will become much more important than the athletic side of your college life.
Summary: What It All Means
The reason I wanted to highlight these four athletes for you is because they all talk about important subjects that a lot of high school athletes don’t think about until after they get to college. That is when we hear athletes say, “I wish someone would have told me about what was really important when it came to choosing a college.”
Now we have told you. Actually, four current college athletes are the voices we’ve highlighted for you. They’re talking to you, and they are giving you some really great advice.
Are you going to listen to them?
To read the entire original article, click here.
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