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Get in the Game:

Advising students through college athletic recruitment

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Building a *smart* college recruitment gameplan for the competitive student-athlete

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Lead by:

Elena Wilson ‘17- Assistant Director & Coordinator of Athletic Recruitment

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Game Plan

  • Basics by Division
  • Eligibility Requirements + Timeline
  • Recruitment Tips!
  • Debunking Myths: Admissions + Scholarship
  • Student-Athlete Balance
  • Resources

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Find YOUR “Why?”

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Benefits of College Athletics

  • Character & skill development
  • Networking and career opportunities
  • Making friends / social opportunities
  • Campus involvement!
  • Travel
  • Robust, holistic college experience

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Club Sports / Intramural Athletics

Club:

  • More experienced athletes
  • More structure and skill
  • Competitive experience
  • Compete against other colleges with club sports (includes travel)
  • Cost can be involved

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Intramurals:

  • Casual and recreational
  • Less structured practice and game schedule
  • Compete against other athletes at your college

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Divisions by the Numbers

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Data from NCAA.com, ‘Our Three Divisions’ accessed July 22, 2024. http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/ncaa-101/our-three-divisions

Athletic Divisions

# of Schools

# of Athletes (% students who are athletes.)

Scholarships

Division I

(UT, Baylor, ACU, UTSA, TCU, Rice)

351

188,000 approx.

(4.3%)

58%

(Multiyear, COA athletic scholarships)

Division II

(St. Eds, Lubbock Christian, Angelo State, UT Tyler, St. Mary’s, TX Women’s)

296

130,000 approx.

(10%)

67%

(partial athletics scholarship)

Division III

(TU, Southwestern, Sewanee, Rhodes, UMHB, TLU, Hendrix)

433

201,000 approx.

(17%)

80%*

*Non-athletic scholarships

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What’s the Eligibility Center?

(formerly known as Clearinghouse)

  • Only pertains student-athletes prepping to enroll in DI or DII programs seeking athletic scholarships
  • Registration purpose

1) meet amateurism standards

2) academic preparation for college

  • Must meet the following:
    • Core course requirements- complete and pass NCAA “core” courses
    • Minimum GPA in core courses in certain time
    • Complete Amateurism Certificate

More than 180,000 student-athletes register EVERY YEAR!

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Eligibility Requirements

DI

  • 4 yrs English
  • 3 yrs Math (Alg. 1 or higher)
  • 2 yrs Science (including 1 lab yr)
  • 2 yrs Social Science
  • 1 yr additional (English, math, or science)
  • 4 yrs additional to any listed above or foreign language, religion, or philosophy

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*10/7: BEFORE start of 7th sem- complete 10 of 16 core-course credits in English, Math, Sci

*Maintain at least a 2.3 GPA in core courses

**lowest is 2.0, but only eligible for academic redshirt

***graduate HS + complete eligibility forms

DII

  • 3 yrs English
  • 2 yrs Math (Alg. 1 or higher)
  • 2 yrs Science (including 1 lab yr)
  • 2 yrs Social Science
  • 3 yrs additional English, math or science)
  • 4 yrs additional to any listed above or foreign language, religion, or philosophy

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*Maintain at least a 2.2 GPA in core courses

***graduate HS + complete eligibility forms

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DIII

  • Schools set own academic requirements & admissions standards, no eligibility requirements through NCAA

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  • Contact the school, admissions counselor, recruitment coordinator & coach for the specifics

******************************************Intl. athletes MUST complete Amateurism-only cert. account.

Don’t forget: must maintain specific DI/DII minimums once in college to keep eligibility and scholarship & aid!

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Get on IRL!

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NAIA Athletics

  • Over 83,000 student-athletes in 250+ schools in 17 sports
  • NAIA Colleges & Universities List
  • Complete the "Big 3": Students are placed in line for an eligibility center decision once they…

1) Submit your PlayNAIA.org profile

2) Send all required records; and

3) Secure a spot on a short list.

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Compared to NCAA…

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  • 2.0 GPA or higher
  • ZERO recruiting restrictions
  • More local/regional competition
  • All equivalency athletic scholarship

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Recruitment Timeline & Tips

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Know the Recruitment Calendar(s)

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https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2018/5/8/division-i-and-ii-recruiting-calendars.aspx

Contact Periods→ Eval Periods→ Quiet Periods→ Dead Periods?!

June 15th after 10th/or Sept. 1 11th

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https://www.yourcollegescout.com/

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Recruiting Tips - EARLY & Often

  • Academics matter- Prepare yourself academically

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  • Honestly evaluate yourself

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  • Be SEEN effectively!
    • Attend showcases, clinics, and ID camps
    • Create hudl or NCSA page
    • Include highlights, full game footage
    • Fill out online recruitment questionnaires

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  • “Early bird gets the worm”

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Recruiting Tips - EARLY & Often

  • Be SMART with social media...coaches see all

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  • An outside recruiter is typically a waste of $$

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  • Advocate for yourself!

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  • Rule of 3

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Questions to ask a coach?!?

  • Additional team responsibilities?
  • Mental health resources?
  • Playing time?
  • What’s the coaching philosophy & style?
  • Handling of injuries and rehab?
  • Additional athletic training and medical expenses?
  • Scholarship renewal process?
  • Team time demands?

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Admissions, Scholarship & Financial Aid for Athletes

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Debunking the Myths

  • A “Blue Chip” athlete can get into ANY college…
      • Admissions Standards, Holistic Review

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  • DI-recruited athletes only attend DI programs…
      • FIT/your “why?”/TU DIII Baseball Champions!

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  • Scholarship availability for student-athletes…

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  • DIII facilities = high school level facilities…

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$3.6+billion

180,000

80%

200,000+

Athletic scholarship $ provided annually by DI&II to...

...student-athletes

DIII athletes receiving merit scholarships out of…

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...student-athletes

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Skewed Perception of Scholarship Distribution

DI/DII

  • Full-ride athletic scholarships are scarce: football, M. & W. basketball, tennis, W. gymnastics, volleyball, field hockey

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  • Average scholarship is just $11,000

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  • A verbal commitment is meaningless

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  • Not guaranteed all 4 years and not full cost of attendance at most universities

DIII

  • Scholarships based off of a student’s academic profile + student must be admitted through admissions
  • Scholarship + financial aid combo can be better than a “full-ride” scholarship
  • Avg. merit from private colleges routinely slashes the tuition tab by more than 50%
  • Verbal commitments mean nothing
  • Award is provided for all 4 years (academic requirements)

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DI-level facilities: Trinity University Bell Athletic Center

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Student-Athlete Balance

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Sample Schedule: DI vs. DIII

DI Football Player

6:00am Weights

8:00am Class

12:00pm Lunch!

1:30pm Mandatory Study Hall

3:30pm Position Meeting

4:00pm Team Meeting

4:30pm Practice

7:00pm Dinner

8:00pm Practice film review

9:00pm End of day

DIII Football Player

6:00am Practice

9:30am Class

3:00pm 1 hr Review Film (flexible)

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REALITY CHECK:

most student-athletes depend on academics to prepare them for life after college. There are more than 500,000 NCAA student-athletes, and most (98%) of them will go pro in something other than sports.

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Counselor Steps:

  • Research! Early + Mid-point reflection
  • NCAA HS Portal Checks
  • Targeted Exposure?
  • Submit Recruitment Questionnaires
  • Connect with Liaison/RCRT Coordinator
  • Send info for pre-reads
  • Understand Early Decision
  • Send in final transcript to NCAA EC

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Key Resources

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  • NCAA Member Directory - Interactive Map Tool

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  • Your College Scout: https://www.yourcollegescout.com/

Your AMAZING Counselors, Coaches, and Teammates!

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Questions?

ewilson@trinity.edu

(210)-999-8025

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