Hopefully you had a chance to read Part I of this article, which highlighted two critical questions to ask yourself as a student-athlete.
1. What type of college experience are you looking for as a student-athlete?
2. What are your key college decision factors?
Here’s the link to Part I in case you missed it.
In Part II you will take steps to realistically evaluate yourself as a student-athlete.
Student-athletes:
Have you ever asked yourself what level of athletics is right for you?
Parents:
Have you ever wondered what level of athletics would be the right fit for your son or daughter? Have you said to yourself “my son / daughter is definitely a DI or DII / DIII athlete?”
Here are some simple ACTION ITEMS you can execute to get a realistic idea of what level of athletics and academics is appropriate for you or your student-athlete.
3. Student-athlete evaluation
A. Talk to your coaches: As a student-athlete, you need to talk to your high school and/or club team coach to express a desire to play college sports and also ask them for an HONEST evaluation of your potential to play at the college level. Also ask what areas need improvement to reach your full potential on and off the field.
B. Talk to your academic counselor: Ask them for an HONEST evaluation of your academic standing and make sure you are on track to play college sports. Also go over the academic guidelines that different colleges are looking for including GPA, SAT and ACT scores.
C. Get tested / evaluated: Attend a combine, camp, showcase or training facility where you will be objectively tested so you can compare your athletic ability and skill level with other athletes and get a clear understanding and measure of your current ability.
D. Get a highlight video: College coaches don’t have the time or budget to travel to many games and evaluate athletes in person. If you provide college coaches a 3 – 5 minute highlight video and resume with all of your athletic and academic information, they can evaluate you quickly and easily. We recommend getting your video and resume online so you can easily email coaches.
Visit the SportsForce website (www.sportsforceonline.com) to view some online profile and highlight video examples from more than 10 different sports including:
football, basketball, softball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, water polo, field hockey and more.
E. Evaluate & research college athletes / teams: Watch college athletes and teams compete in person, on TV, over the Internet. See first-hand what the caliber of play is at the DI, D2, D3, NAIA and junior college level. Visit college sports websites to see the biographies of the athletes and their high school sports statistics, awards and achievements (ex. High School statistics, height / weight, All-State, All-League, All-County).
F. Evaluate and compare yourself to other athletes: Try to realistically evaluate and compare yourself to other student-athletes who are older than you or your same grade level who are getting actively recruited by college recruiters or signed with a college. Ask yourself if you are as good as they are right now athletically and academically? If not, do I have the same potential to reach their ability?
GOAL = To get clear on where you are and what you should focus on to reach your college sports goals.
To accelerate your education on the college sports preparation and recruiting process I recommend signing up for our FREE SportsForce College Sports Recruiting Guide.
* FREE Sign up click HERE
To get access to more advanced college recruiting tips, strategies and advice visit our website and RESOURCES section.
The SportsForce team, which is comprised of former college and professional athletes and coaches, is relentlessly committed to providing an ongoing education to help you best navigate your journey as a student-athlete, parent or coach to reach your potential.
Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional and affordable College Sports Recruiting Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.
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