"Sports is a destination, Education Is a Journey"
Athletics
9th-10th Grade
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If you play multiple sports, consider which sport will be your priority during high school.
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Work with your high school and club/private coaches to evaluate your athletic potential for NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA. Evaluate the level at which you are being recruited.
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Consider which college camps or showcases are worth attending. Camps are generally taught by the college's athletic coaches and an excellent way to be seen!
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Camp/Showcase tips:
- Send an email to coaches prior with your free Twitter profile and recruiting resume (see 'contact coaches' slide).
- Introduce yourself to coaches and make eye contact.
- Hustle everywhere!
- Handwrite follow-up letters to coaches.
- Visit college campus and town to assess fit.
11th Grade
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Take a strong academic course load and keep your grades up! Remind your guidance counselor that you are interested in playing a sport in college so they keep NCAA/NAIA requirements in mind whenever they meet with you.
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Review your academic plan for your junior and senior years with your guidance counselor so you know your academic goals and can address any issues.
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Review the NCAA Eligibility Requirements. Update your NCAA Worksheet. To complete the worksheet, get a copy of your up-to-date transcript along with the list of NCAA Approved Courses.
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Visit colleges - Official vs Unofficial: Coaches may invite you for an official visit which is paid for by the school. Meet the coach and the team. Watch the team compete. Stay overnight if possible and visit the college campus and town. You are allowed one official visit to each DI college and up to five official visits total to DI schools. Likewise, one official visit is allowed to each DII & DIII college, although you may have unlimited total official visits to DII & DIII colleges. (You may take unlimited unofficial visits at your own expense.)
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Register with the NCAA and NAIA Eligibility Center by end of junior year if you have not already. The NCAA Eligibility Center does not require that you are registered when you send your SAT or ACT test scores. They will match them when you register. After you have completed your junior year, send your transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center. The NAIA Eligibility Center does not require transcripts until after graduation.
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Take the SAT and/or the ACT tests and send your scores to your schools of interest and the NCAA (9999) and/or NAIA (9876) Eligibility Centers. If you plan to take one or both of these tests a second time, you can wait until the 2nd round to report the scores to the Eligibility Centers.
12th Grade
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Continue to compete at a high level and attend tournaments and events. Be a stand-out!
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Communicate with your coaches about the schools you are considering and ask for advice if you have questions. Ask high school coach to reach out to colleges on your behalf and ask for letter of recommendation.​