college process - how to get a sports scholarship
DESCRIPTION
Look through the presentation for tips on how to apply for an American sports scholarshipTRANSCRIPT
Students from over 36 Countries and 22 States Upper School - Boarding begins in 9th Grade Approximately 465 Boys and Girls in Upper School 200 Residential and 265 Day / Local Students 100% Placement to respected Universities World-wide 22 Advance Placement Classes / University Prep
Curriculum Over 80 Student Leadership Positions and Clubs Athletic Teams – Football, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer,
Lacrosse, Swimming, Track, and three Sports Academies Diverse Fine Arts Offerings
Visit us at www.darlingtonschool.org
College Experience & PromotionOver 225 different College Campuses Visited in
8 yearsBuilds relationships with admission and college
coaches Experience variety of colleges & train with or play
college teams College Promotion Methods College Planning Meetings with Staff Player profiles, Highlight Videos Guidance with NCAA Rules College Visits Attended by Staff Phone Calls – Staff/Player/College Roster Inserts at Events and Emails
Alumni - College PlacementsFall 2014 will have over 95
College Players2 professional MLS players10’ Class-9 Div. I, 2 Div. II11’ Class-10 Div. I, 2 Div. II and
1 Div. III12’ Class 10 NCAA Div. I – 2
NCAA Div. II (over $1.5)13’ Clas –10 NCAA Div. I, 2 –Div.
II over $2.6 in Scholarships 14’ Class – 8 NCAA Div. I – Cal-
Poly, Georgia Southern..
Start the Process Early9th grade academic performances are on
permanent records – Do not sacrifice any time!Imperative your academics start strongNo “correct or incorrect” time-line for the
recruiting process… You just have to constantly be working…
Top level programs work 2-3 years in advance of graduation (always put Graduation Year)
Recruiting calendar for girls is advanced by 6 -12 months than boys’ recruiting time-line
Start identifying attributes you will be looking for in a college
Location – near beach or mountains? Near home/ relatives. Pick 6 states to live in…
Academic reputation and offerings – “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Size – Small where professors know you? Or large, city-like universities of 10,000++
Social – Greek Life?.. Suitcase College?.. Close to Urban Entertainment, Big College Football etc..
Reputation for Job Placement and/or Post-Graduate opportunities (to be competitive in today’s job-market a masters degree is a plus)
Student Population – “Girls to Guys Ratio”, Undergrad v Grad., Commuters? Culture?
Leadership and Extra-curricular activities and opportunities Facilities – Academic, Residential, and Athletic Athletics- Conference / Schedule & Coaching Staff (note-last
on list)
Communication
Basics NCAA in NO way governs a player or a
parent on how or when they communicate with college coaches
BE PROFESSIONAL and OVER COMMUNICATE!!
PLAYERS – can Call and EMAIL college coaches as often as they need
Per NCAA rules, coaches cannot call parents or players back unless they are seniors or you are “requesting information about camp”
Emails• Cc: coaches and parents (so everyone knows how much your are
working through the process)• Attach your player profile, make sure coaches’ emails and youtube
videos are active links• Research the college’s website for “recent news”, names of players,
recent results/stories • Use specific “business or law school name” to show extra levels of
investigation into the school… dig deeper into website• Make triple sure to use the correct coaches’ name and school names
throughout the email• Subject Line – “Joe Smith, Grad. 2012 GK at Darlington Soccer
Academy” Jersey #1• EMAIL a minimum of 10 -15 coaches prior to events to give them your
schedule, jersey # etc.. Make schedules an active Google Calendar link
• In emails, you can request a time and number for you to contact the coach(s)
Player Profile Page• Include Graduation year, NCAA Eligibility
Number, academics (SAT / ACT / GPA), contact information, jersey # and position, leadership, and soccer accomplishments/events
• Two photos - player head shot and an action picture on profile
• Display upcoming tournaments and events (use hyperlinks/logos for events) with schedules
• Use logos for ODP, US Club, Events – to draw the coach’s attention to major areas
2010 Cameron Rohani Player Profile.pdf
College Visits• Visit a wide variety of schools that fit your criteria (unlimited “un-official visits”)
• Understand the Admissions Officers’ impression is just as important! Take advantage of School Fairs and time with them
• An “Official Visit” is anytime the school pays for travel expenses (airfare, food, hotel). After first day of senior year so, these usually occur after you have committed
• You can take up to 5 “Official Visits” and they have to occur after the 1st day of Senior Year
• Be on time. Dress neatly. Be attentive and prepared with questions. – FIRST IMPRESSIONS!!
• Know facts about the university – Program History, Players, Mascot, Names of Buildings
• Ask current players “if you had it to do all over again, would you come here?”, “How is Coach?”
• Send Coaches and Admissions Officer!! a hand-written thank you note for their time, call them routinely, communicate!
Coaches Watching You Play at Events• College coaches can watch/evaluate prospective student
seven times during academic calendar• Evaluations are unlimited during summer and winter
breaks in the academic calendar• Coaches are not allowed to hold a conversation with you or
your parents at tournaments. They will be cordial, but short with you.
• Your professionalism is being evaluated the moment you arrive at the fields, warm-ups etc., to the moment you depart from the fields (sportsmanship)
• Make sure you show physical play, competitiveness, and technical / pure speed.
• Send a thank you note to the coach if you see them at your game. How many kids do that?
Collect Information and use Technology• www.collegesearch.com www.collegechoice.com
www.naviance.com for criteria searches• www.thesportsource.com www.soccerincollege.com
www.captainu.com online presence• www.ncaa.org for NCAA registration (senior year),
resources, eligibility center, and recruiting rules• www.facebook.com – Great way to find current
students and alumni• Publications: The College Board’s College Handbook,
Peterson’s Competitive Colleges, Newsweek..