NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

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. 

Have you completed your free online registration for your NCSA evaluation yet?  Now is the time.  Click here.

So you think you are being recruited because you received a questionnaire?Did you know that the Mississippi State baseball program sends out an average of 1,500 prospect questionnaires each year?

Every year on the center stage of collegiate sports, we hear the story, often told by television announcers, of the touching tale of the courageous walk on.  Visions of Rudy instantly come to the forefront as the journey of the underdog warrior starts to unfold.  “He was never recruited out of high school by any of the major programs . . .” says the announcer during his crescendo to the game breaking play.  “He has waited his whole life for this moment, battling disappointment after rejection.”  It is heartwarming.  Life is fair again. That could have been me.

There are few stories that compare in nature.  There are fewer that compare in occurrence.  The closest relative to Rudy would be the 71 year old retired truck driver who on his last few dollars cashed in on millions playing the random pick’m game at the local gas station.  The only difference is, that story happens more frequently!

For the serious competitor, walking on to a collegiate athletic team can be compared to earning a medical degree and then working as a custodian.  You both work in a hospital but unlike all of your classmates, you’re not actually doing what you trained so hard to do for so long.  Most collegiate athletes have played their sport since before they could remember, years and years, always starting, usually better and often in the spotlight.  To cash in a lifetime of hard work and natural talent for a dream that was forged from within a child’s perspective seems foolish.

Take football for example.  There are over 800 colleges that offer football as a varsity sport.  Most sports fans in this country can name up to fifty.  In baseball there are over 1000 colleges that offer the sport.  How many can you name?  There are numerous opportunities to explore if the desire to actually play exceeds common ignorance and childhood fantasies.

Walk-ons, just like custodians in hospitals, have vastly different experiences than the scholarship players.  First, the ceremonial National Letter of Intent signing day – that does not happen.  Next, the preferential class scheduling – no.  The second, third, or fourth pair of coaches’ eyes watching you to make sure that you’re taken care of – not so much.  You are a necessary tool to help the real players practice, rarely taken serious, rarely awarded a scholarship and sparingly shown respect.  Rudy was a great film but I hope it is not your story.  Below is a short video of how USC treats its potential walk ons.  There are a few questionable language choices in this clip so do not watch if you will be offended.  USC Walk On Clip

In summary, if you work your entire life to achieve the goal of becoming a college athlete, find a place where you are wanted.  Find a school where you will play and make an impact.  Go somewhere that will set you up to have a great experience while you earn your degree, an environment that will help provide you with teammates for life.  Step outside of your comfort zone and learn all you can of what is out there.  You just might find something that is priceless.