What you Need to Know About Playing Sports in College

1. What you Need to Know About Playing Sports in College Mixing Scholarship with Athletics

2. CHOOSE THE SCHOOL THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU • Variables • Location • Size • Student body demographics • Geography • Setting • Curriculum • Academic Rigor • Clubs • Greek system • Music • Sports • Religious affiliation • Affordability • Housing options • Other • Sports is just one variable • Injury • Bench time • Coach leaves • Don’t like the coach • Don’t like the team • Be happy with the school with or without your sport!

3. Ask yourself these questions as you consider playing in college: • Do you want to try for a scholarship? • Does the competitiveness of the program matter? • Does the competitiveness of the league or division matter? • Do you want a proven, mature program or are you willing to help a young program grow? • What type of player are you? Be honest! • Can you be happy on the bench or biding your time until you have earned a starting position? • What type of coach / environment do you respond to? • Can you adapt? (Attacker ends up playing defense) • Can you play behind one or two players established at your position and still be able to work hard and enjoy the experience? • Can you put in the time commitment and the effort that some programs require in season as well as out of season?

4. Types of Play options: Division I Division II Division III Club Starting place: http://www.ncaa.org Division Conference Region Athletic Department Contacts Links to school site

5. Visit School Websites: What You’ll Find there: • Roster • Schedule • Coaches • Media Guide • News and Events • Archives (previous season scores, awards, etc.) You’ll find out: • What teams they match up against • What players are graduating and their positions • Where are the players recruited from? • Mostly local players? • National roster? • Good feel for the team • Intensity of the program

6. NCAA Rules There are rules for just about everything including, but not limited to the following areas: • Academic-eligibility rules (core courses, GPA, SAT/ACT scores) • How, when and where a coach may contact you • Details of season play / Details of practices • Timing, duration, number and nature of meetings / visits • Recruiting season dates by sport • Evaluation of your skills

7. Division I • Largest and often state schools • Off-Season Play • Consider walk-ons • Regular season play • Travel to games in season • Spring break travel • National Letter of Intent signing 2 x per year • Athletic scholarships • Rigorous multiple practices per week • Significant time commitment • May limit opportunity for other activities • Mandatory study hall 3-4 days per week (until grade requirements are satisfied) • Travel budget may not include everyone • Travel may be cross-country in season

8. Division I Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least seven sports for men and seven for women (or six for men and eight for women) with two team sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each gender as well. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria. For sports other than football and basketball, Division I schools must play 100 percent of the minimum number of contests against Division I opponents -- anything over the minimum number of games has to be 50 percent Division I. men's and women's basketball teams have to play all but two games against Division I teams; for men, they must play one-third of all their contests in the home arena. Schools that have football are classified as Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Football Bowl Subdivision schools are usually fairly elaborate programs. Football Bowl Subdivision teams have to meet minimum attendance requirements (average 15,000 people in actual or paid attendance per home game), which must be met once in a rolling two-year period. NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements. Division I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division I school cannot exceed.

9. Division II • Similar to Division I characteristics above • Usually but smaller to medium-sized • May be lesser well known schools • Some state v university schools • Varies wildly by the sport • Athletic scholarships

10. Division II Division II institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, (or four for men and six for women), with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria -- football and men's and women's basketball teams must play at least 50 percent of their games against Division II or Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) opponents. For sports other than football and basketball there are no scheduling requirements. There are not attendance requirements for football, or arena game requirements for basketball. There are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division II school must not exceed. Division II teams usually feature a number of local or in-state student-athletes. Many Division II student-athletes pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student loans and employment earnings. Division II athletics programs are financed in the institution's budget like other academic departments on campus. Traditional rivalries with regional institutions dominate schedules of many Division II athletics programs.

11. Division III • Characterize the student in “Student – Athlete” • Usually smaller, many private schools • Rigorous training and practice schedule • Usually travel to games • Often Spring break travel • Usually has an off-season schedule (back east - field hockey and soccer x-over) • Open call and tryouts in prior to regulations season • Prohibited from giving athletic scholarships, but offer other scholarships that can make an attractive package.

12. Division III Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are minimum contest and participant minimums for each sport. Division III athletics features student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete's experience is of paramount concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities available to students, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.

13. Club or Intramural Sports • School or student-sponsored • May travel locally, regionally or even nationally for games • Team commitment, but typically less rigorous schedule • Allows time for other activities • Very strong part of many campuses

14. What do the coaches want to see in a player? Comments from a Division III Coach • Best student – athlete possible to join their program • Good leadership skills • Good follower-ship skills • Strong work ethic • Good team spirit • Energetic and dedicated players • Healthy, fit players • Players who fit with their philosophies • Players who want their programs

15. What do the coaches want to see in a player? Comments from a Division I Coach • Work very hard to yourself recruited, don't wait to be recruited by someone (go to school camps, sit down and talk with the coach and ask specific questions, check out the school - I want you to love the school experience first and foremost.  • I really don't like to have recruits come to my office, asking for a meeting and not having any questions.  I want to see how interested you are in giving a lot of hard work for this program so I don't like when someone wants me to talk the whole time.  If you do your research, questions should come up that will help fill in the gaps (how much commitment do I want to give to lacrosse for example).  • Really assess what you want your collegiate career to be and go out and get it.  The more research that can be done in the junior year the better since at the DI level commitments are starting very early and most programs at the higher levels are finished by end of September, early October if not sooner. 

16. How to Get Started – Marketing yourself • Work hard to get yourself noticed! • Detail, organization, follow-up skills will help you. • Your plan may include: • Asking your high school or club coach for their support • Coach contact through emails, letters and phone calls • Game tapes • Sports resume • Coach references • Being seen at tournaments, clinics, camps

17. Your Recruiting Timeline: Junior Year: Work Hard in School!! Fall / Winter: • Sign up for ACT / SAT tests • Make list of schools you want to pursue • Start capturing video footage (if typical for your sport) • Initial contacts to coaches • Identify “junior day” options for your sport(s)

18. Your Recruiting Timeline: Junior Year: Work Hard in School!! Spring: • Campus visits – first personal contact with coaches on your nickel; watch team play • Follow-up note to coach on your interest! • Complete your game tape if appropriate (detail to follow) • Second round SAT / ACT if necessary • Sign up for summer clinics, camps, club team tournaments • Tryout for national and regional teams • Register with National Clearinghouse – evaluate your academic record to determine eligibility: www.ncaaclearinghouse.net • Create your sports resume (detail to follow)

19. Your Recruiting Timeline: Summer: Between Junior and Senior Years • Send your game tape and resume to coaches • Attend camps, clinics, tournaments • Summer league play • Visit schools on family vacations • Begin working on your application essay ideas July 1: • Div I and II coaches may contact you and your family by phone once /week –varies by sport

20. Your Recruiting Timeline: Senior Year: Continue to Work Hard in School! Fall: • Campus visits (Official and Unofficial) • Continue phone and email contact with coaches • Final testing if needed to meet requirements • Finalize your essays for admissions • Early applications if you know what you want • NLI Early Signing (Second week in November for many sports) • Begin applications for regular admissions Winter: • College visits as needed (Official and Unofficial) • Stay tuned in school! • Continue to talk with coaches Spring: • Final decision due May • NLI Late Signing Period Early April– August 1

21. Create Your Marketing Packet Letter: • Why you want to join the team and the school • Where you are playing this summer (include your team name, number, colors for each event) Sports Resume: • Picture • Name, Address • High School, Graduation year • Team name • Academic snapshot – GPA, ACT, SAT, other (AP, IB student), awards • Sports experience: varsity sports, letters, awards, field leadership, team standings • Other: work, volunteer activities, interests

22. Create Your Marketing Packet Statistics: • Include individual stats, game scores (OR) if your team has these on-line, include a link to the information. Game Tape: DVD format / Structure: • Intro – One minute (name, #, school, city, other) • Unedited game-play preferred – coaches see you making good choices, and can assess your recovery from mistakes • Highlight where you are (arrows, halo) - remember, coaches will see team-mates and opponents • Include picture and contact information on disk!

23. CHOOSE THE PROGRAM THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU GOAL: Balance your life Student – Athlete! Δ

24. Resources: • College Board: www.collegeboard.com • National Clearinghouse:http://www.ncaaclearinghouse.net/ncaa/NCAA/common/ • NCAA: www.ncaa.org • National Letter of Intent rules: http://www.national-letter.org/ • Official US Lacrosse: www.uslacrosse.org • Statistics, recruiting, league archives: www.laxpower.org • Official Oregon lax site: www.oregonlax.com • Other cool sites: www.womenslacrosse.com • Summer League: www.laxnw.com Books:Student Athlete’s Guide to College Hilary S. Abramson A Parent’s and Student-Athlete’s Guide to Athletic Scholarships; Getting Money Without Being Taken for a (Full) Ride Dion Wheeler