Updated Edition of How to Attract A College Athletic Scholarship – Click Here
First, look at the questions the athletes should ask themselves. What are my needs and wants regarding academics, campus life, and athletic services offered? What are the hidden costs to consider?
ACADEMICS AND CAMPUS LIFE
- Does the size and location of the campus appeal to you?
- Are the programs and majors offered of interest to you?
- What is the graduation rate of student-athletes?
- Inquire about the dorms, dorm size, the number of roommates, and the location of the athletic facility, gym, cafeteria, and library.
- What’s the cost of student/athlete housing?
- What is the cost of off-campus housing?
- Do the students/athletes have to live on campus all four years?
- Research the weather and Geography of the region. Is it appealing?
- Do you desire to live in a small town or a big city?
- What is the average class size?
- Who teaches first-year classes? Professors or teaching aids?
- Are guidance counselors or advisors assigned and accessible to you?
- Are tutors assigned to you for a certain number of hours weekly for all four years? (This is common for top athletes).
- What are the special programs available to student-athletes?
- What are the social activities available on or around the campus?
- Explore campus life. How’s the food in the cafeteria? How old is the equipment in the gym or the database in the library?
- Is Food & Beverage covered?
- How many cafeteria and fueling stations are available on campus?
- Does the athletic department pay for summer school courses?
- Does the athletic department pay for 9th/10th semester courses if necessary?
- Are there internships and job placement opportunities the school provides upon graduation?
- Are there alumni services and networking opportunities?
ATHLETIC SUPPORT AND SERVICES
- Does the college provide full time, on-site physical therapy to injured athletes?
- Does the college provide a medical staff on call for student-athletes?
- What is the University’s procedure if you decide to leave school before graduation to turn professional; can you return at a later time to complete your degree at no charge?
- Are you allowed to join a sorority or fraternity? Are you allowed to ski or partake in risky endeavors that may cause injury?
- Is the athletic facility state of the art? How many in-door and out-door courts? How are the locker rooms?
- Understand the style and philosophy of both the head coach and the assistant coach. How many private training sessions will you be receiving a week?
- Ask about the equipment manager, racket stringing, off-court trainers, and sport-specific staff.
- How long has the coach been at that school? Is he/she happy there?
- Who sponsors the athletic programs? Nike? Adidas? Do you receive free clothes, shoes, equipment, bags?
- Print out the schedule of home matches and away matches, tournaments, or special events, how much travel is scheduled? What’s the weekly on-court practice schedule? What’s the off-court training schedule? Does it fit your ability and needs?
- Research the teammates. Are they Americans or foreigners? What language do they speak? What are their goals? Investigate their background and how they interact with each other. Do they respect the coaching staff?
- Do they shower daily? Are they optimistic or pessimistic about the program?
- Research the team’s strength in relation to the league. What would your position be on the squad? Keep in mind that coaches recruit with hopes to replace the better players. Next year, if a new Phenom joins the team, where will you fit? Is the coach planning on playing you in the starting lineup or as a practice partner?
It is more detailed than you thought. Figure on emailing about ten universities. Then, plan on running through these questions with a minimum of 5-6 schools. I then recommend visiting at least three schools before deciding. Consider arranging an overnight stay with one of the current athletes in their dorm room or apartment. Ask these questions again (to the current player) and see if the answers are still the same.
Remember that finding the right fit academically and athletically takes time and lots of it! From the start of your athlete’s freshman year of high school, parents should plan on devoting a few hours each week to their child’s college search.
NOTE: Official rules and regulations of the NCAA and individual schools must be acknowledged and complied with throughout the college search process.
ADDITIONAL HIDDEN COST:
- Inquire about the details of the scholarship/grants. What exactly do they include and not include?
- Tuition
- Books
- Tutoring
- Laptops and supplies
- Food & beverage
- Dorms costs
- Off-campus housing
- Personal Expenses
- Personal travel to and from home?
- Will the athlete need a car at school?
- Will the athlete need a bike?
- Entertainment allowance/additional F&B/social clubs?
- Wardrobe (New environmental necessities?)
- Additional customized private tennis training?
Additional costs multiply quickly, so consider these when choosing the right University.
In the next section, we will be diving into the details of college divisions, types of scholarships offered, and associations you will want to get acquainted with during your search. Grab a cup of coffee because we will be covering everything you didn’t even know … you needed to know about your college search process.
