Our partner Matt Hunt from College Hunt helps students successfully navigate the college selection process. In his latest blog post he explains the new NCAA academic requirements for Division 1, 2, and 3.
Planning on, or dreaming to one day participate in NCAA Athletics? Before you step onto the field or court you must first complete the required academics to be eligible for participation. Beginning in August 2016 the NCAA is increasing the minimum academic requirements student-athletes must meet to participate in Division 1 and 2 athletics. While these changes may seem minor, it’s important to remember all students planning on playing Division 1 or 2 athletics must meet these requirements or they will be academically ineligible.
Before we dive into the specific academic requirements we should first understand the purpose of the NCAA Eligibility Center. Think of them as the checks and balances for coaches as well as colleges/universities on whether or not the student has met the established requirements. Keep in mind, they are separate from admissions; a student still applies to individual schools during senior year. A common misconception from students is they believe if they’ve met the NCAA Eligibility requirements they are good to go, but in reality, they have only met the standard to play.
What is a Core Course?The NCAA Eligibility Center requires students earn a specific number of Core Courses by a certain point in high school as part of meeting eligibility. Now, there are some differences in the amount and timeline per level (D1, 2, & 3), but the definition of a Core Course remains the same. A Core Course is one that counts towards graduation in the core curriculum: English, Math, Natural or Physical Science, Social Science and World Language or Comparative Religion. Students must earn at least a D or higher in these courses. I know what you’re thinking, the NCAA allows D’s? Correct, but remember four-year colleges and universities do not.
The NCAA Eligibility Center has clearly defined specific academic requirements for Division 1, 2, and 3. Here is a breakdown of those requirements for each Division….
Division 1: minimum 2.3 GPA, increase on the SAT & ACT sliding scale, 10 of the 16 core courses must be met before the start of senior year.
Division 2: minimum 2.0 GPA, combined 820 on SAT or sum 68 on ACT, & 16 core courses completed.
Division 3: the college or university, not NCAA Eligibility Center, determines eligibility for admission, financial aid, practice and competition.
What happens if a student fails to meet the academic eligibility requirements? It will first depend on which division they’re being recruited by and how they’ve missed the requirement. The results may range from delayed opportunity to play, having to sit for an extended time or worse- being ruled academically ineligible.
Remember, the number one focus should be earning successful grades throughout high school to meet the requirements to play and more importantly too give yourself the opportunity to earn admissions into the college or university you’re desiring to attend.
For more information about the college selection process check out his blog!
With this year’s summer club seasons complete and fall tryouts proceeding through late August and September, we thought this was the perfect time to take a look at NCAA DI recruiting schedules for college lacrosse and see where they fit in our fall recruiting plan. Additionally, we’ve provided the NCAA definitions of each recruiting period on the calendar. You can find all the information below, straight from the NCAA, at the following links:
NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Recruiting Calendar:
A contact period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
During a contact period a college coach may have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, watch student-athletes compete and visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents.
Contact Defined: A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s relatives, guardian(s) or individual of a comparable relationship and an institutional athletics department staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged (e.g., positions himself/herself in a location where contact is possible) or that takes place on the grounds of the prospective student-athlete’s educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of the conversation that occurs. Any communication (e.g., face-to-face, telephone call or electronic transmission) with a prospective student-athlete at the site of organized competition involving the prospective student-athlete by athletics personnel who are attending the competition or who are aware of the competition also shall be considered a contact.
Evaluation Periods
An evaluation period is a period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period.
During an evaluation period a college coach may watch college-bound student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college’s campus during an evaluation period.
Evaluation Defined: An evaluation is any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletics ability of a prospective student-athlete, including any visit to a prospective student-athlete’s educational institution (during which no contact occurs) or the observation of a prospective student-athlete participating in any practice or competition at any site.
Quiet Periods
A quiet period is a period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.
During a quiet period, a college coach may only have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents on the college’s campus. A coach may not watch student-athletes compete (unless a competition occurs on the college’s campus) or visit their high schools. Coaches may write or telephone college-bound student-athletes or their parents during this time.
Dead Periods
A dead period is a period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus. It remains permissible, however, for an institutional staff member to write or telephone a prospective student-athlete during a dead period.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE
Institutional staff members may receive telephone calls placed by a prospective student-athlete at the prospective student-athlete’s own expense at any time, including before July 1 following the prospective student-athlete’s junior year in high school.
So please use this information to plan your fall/winter recruiting cycle. Form your plan early, then just play hard, have fun, and good luck!
In our work with families, it’s common for student-athletes to be drawn to the NCAA Division I experience. It makes sense. Whether they are true DI level student-athletes or not, that’s typically the only form of collegiate competition they see or hear about on TV or in the media.
NCAA DI and DII sports programs offer the most competitive landscape for securing roster spots and athletic scholarships. Only about 2 percent of players are offered DI or DII scholarships, and many of these are relatively small amounts. It is extremely rare for DI or DII student-athletes to secure full ride scholarships.
Due to this intense competition, it’s normal for many players at these collegiate levels to ultimately land at DIII schools. According to the NCAA, Division III is the largest division in terms of a number of schools and number of participants and is comprised of more than 190,000 student-athletes and represents 450 colleges and universities throughout the country. Division III is also the only division that does not award athletic scholarships; however, more than 75 percent of Division III student-athletes receive financial aid or have earned a merit scholarship for academic talent and accomplishment.
Although there are many, the three most often repeated benefits our families mention when attending and competing for DIII programs is that it allows the student-athlete:
To maintain a well-rounded collegiate experience. Although the sports programs are very competitive and place a strong emphasis on winning, there is an opportunity for the student-athlete to participate in extra-curricular activities like semesters studying abroad, student government and Greek life.
To attend strong academic institutions with advanced and well-positioned internships for future careers.
To secure significant merit-based scholarships for academics or other special talents they may possess.
Many Division III institutions have extraordinary supplies of money to attract high-performing student-athletes and can offer exceptional value to families. Listed below is a recent email from a DIII soccer family to share as an example:
“Actually, we did quite well with her grants, scholarships, and loans…
She received the following package:
GRANTS/ SCHOLARSHIPS (four-year grants, spread equally over the four years):
The University Scholar Award – $72,000
Board of Directors Grant – $33,716
Residency Grant – $8000
Total Grants:$113,716
PRE-APPROVED GUARANTEED UNIVERSITY STUDENT LOANS:
$14,000 subsidized (no interest)
$8000 unsubsidized (very low interest)
Total Loans:$22,000 (to be repaid after graduation and full-time employment)
WORK STUDY:
$6000 – guaranteed position in the federal work study program all four years
So they delivered a total of $141,716, which represents approximately 75% of her entire undergraduate education ($191,064), including tuition, books, room & board.
Another great bonus, based on her major (International Business), is that they will send her abroad her sophomore year… at their cost.
Finally, they guarantee graduation in four years.
As it turns, she was their top female soccer recruit, but we did not know that until after she committed (her new teammates let the cat out of the bag).
Note: She improved her GPA and her SAT scores during the application process, and she promptly notified the University, and they increased her financial package accordingly, which I also liked.
In fact, there is now one other scholarship that she is academically eligible to apply for, but she missed the February deadline (because she hadn’t even visited the school yet then, and they really weren’t even on her radar), so they sent her a letter, and they want her to apply next year (the Provost Scholarship), and if she gets it, she will get another $6000 in scholarship money ($2k per year for the last three years), and they will adjust my payments.
She is very excited for the opportunity, and I hope that it all works out for her. I will keep in touch to let you all know how she does.
Thank you for your assistance.”
Whether your son or daughter has the desire to compete in their sport at NCAA Division I, II or III college levels, Division III institutions may present significant academic and athletic opportunities that you did not know existed.
For a personal college recruiting evaluation and honest estimate of your potential to compete at the next level, contact us at:
A lot of the questions we receive here at SportsForce Recruiting have to do with athletic scholarships. As you are probably finding out the hard way, the college recruiting process can be very difficult and confusing. A lot of the confusion comes from athletic scholarships and what is actually available for student-athletes in their perspective sports.
Many families are very stressed over finding athletic scholarships! To help families alleviate the stress, and have a better understanding about athletic scholarships, we have created our Athletic Scholarships Available Guide.
Over the next couple of weeks we are going to take a closer look at specific sports and breakdown what scholarships are actually available and the competition for these scholarships.
We’re going to start off by taking an in-depth look at College Baseball Recruiting.
While there are a decent amount of baseball scholarship opportunities available at the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA levels, there is also an abundance of talented high school baseball players competing for all of these different scholarship opportunities.
Below is a chart that shows all of the schools that offer baseball and the baseball scholarships that are available at each level:
10,400 go on to play DI baseball (About 2% of all HS players)
20,200 go on to play DII or DIII baseball (About 4% of all HS players)
6,300 go on to play NAIA baseball (About 1% of all HS players)
15,300 go on to play at Junior College (About 3% of all HS players)
In summary, only about 11% of all high school baseball players actually end up playing some level of college baseball.
So, not only is the recruiting and athletic-scholarship process confusing, but it is also super competitive! That is why it is very important for you to understand where you stand in the college recruiting process and what schools you should be realistically going after when you are creating your college target list.
A few tips for maximizing your scholarship opportunities:
Scholarships aren’t based solely on talent
Schools also make their “target list” and look for athletes that will be a good fit
Many schools are looking for athletes that have a good academic standing
“Full Ride” scholarships are VERY RARE – partial scholarships are more likely
There are many more opportunities outside the top Division I schools
If you are looking to walk on, there are still scholarship opportunities available
BE OPEN to all levels of competition to maximize your opportunities
Remember, even though the recruiting and scholarship process is difficult and confusing, it doesn’t mean you have to go through it alone! We are here to help provide you with expert guidance and the tips and tools necessary to maximize your opportunities.
Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
One of the keys to NCAA recruiting success is ACADEMICS!
A recruited student-athlete is 3 to 4 times more likely to get accepted to a more prestigious academic university then a non-recruited student or student-athlete.
To ensure you become a recruited student-athlete you have to perform in the classroom Here’s a link to the NCAA core class worksheet. With this worksheet you can monitor how you are doing in your classes and make sure you are on track with your core classes.
Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
Jeff Morgan: Calipari is kind of like the Phil Jackson of NCAA basketball. He always seems to have all-star filled rosters, and success seems a foregone conclusion. However, people forget his success at UMass was largely with unknown players, and not until he got to Memphis did he start getting some of the top recruits in the country. So, is he the best coach in the NCAA…far from it, but the man does get the maximum effort out of his ridiculously talented players.
Dave Vinluan: With him claiming his first National Championship, Calipari is as good if not better than any elite level NCAA coach right now. His coaching style allows for his players to mesh well together. What’s so good about Calipari is his ability to have his players believing in his team first philosophy, and it doesn’t hurt that he is the master of one and done recruiting.
Kyle Williams: Great coach and an even better recruiter. There is no doubt Coach Cal is one of the great coaches in college basketball. While many focus on his recent success with top recruits at Memphis and Kentucky, this is the same coach who led UMass to 5 straight tournament bids including an Elite 8 and a Final Four trip. Calipari’s free-flowing, high-paced offense allows his athletes to get out and run and has been dominant at UMass (193-71), Memphis (252-69), and on the highest stage with Kentucky (102-14 and a recent championship). Coach Cal has been able to sell his free-flowing style to the elite high school prospects that are looking to play the way they want to play and win while doing so.
Did Calipari need this win to solidify his legacy?
Jeff Morgan: He keeps pushing this question aside like it doesn’t matter, but he absolutely needed to win a title in order to solidify his legacy. Now that he got the monkey off his back however, he’s going to have to win multiple championships to be considered in the same class of some of the best college coaches in the country. While this win was important, he still has a long way to go to become a legend on the hardwood.
Dave Vinluan: Yes. Calipari has reached the Final Four and National Championship previously with stacked line ups and lost both in heartbreaking fashion. Not to mention he has produced first round talent ranging from Derrick Rose to John Wall. This championship solidifies his status as one of the best ever.
Kyle Williams: Absolutely. While Calipari has made numerous deep tournament runs with every program he’s been with, no one can deny the power of championship. Amongst the swirling controversy over the one-and-done rule, along with Calipari’s recent exploitation of that rule, this year’s title possessed significant clout for Calipari. Not only does it add a championship to his resume, but it also silences the critics who said his teams stacked with freshman stars didn’t have the experience to win it all.
Does the 1 and done rule help or hurt high school prospects?
Jeff Morgan: I suppose 1 year of college basketball can help refine a high school player’s game, but I think the impact is minimal. Kids going into the NBA with 1 year of college under their belt are hardly as polished as a 4-year college player. This rule was put in place to make sure that kids weren’t drafted before they were ready to play in the NBA. In that sense, the 1 and done rule hasn’t really done much to change that perception. Hell, even Anthony Davis, the consensus #1 pick in the draft is a project. There are no guarantees he’ll be an all-star player in the NBA.
Dave Vinluan: I think it hurts high school prospects that have no interest in pursuing a college education. Coming out of high school most of these athletes are convinced they want to make Basketball a career. Playing one year in college and having an injury filled year or just not performing well would hinder the chances of them getting to the NBA greatly.
Kyle Williams: The one-and-done rule hasn’t so much impacted high school prospects as it has the college game as a whole. In terms of high school prospects, the rule has generally been helpful in that we no longer see high school players, who have no business being in the league, entering the draft. When looking at college basketball, the negative impact of the one-and-done rule can be seen. College teams are put in a difficult recruiting situation where they have to decide whether or not to focus on top recruits who may spurn the program after just a single year of play. If there is a side that pushes hardest to increase the rule to more than one year, that push should come from the NCAA.
Can other programs compete with the recruiting style of Calipari?
Jeff Morgan: If this 1 and done recruiting strategy continues to breed success and championships, it’s going to be extremely hard for other schools to compete from a pure talent standpoint. The allure of a full college experience is starting to lose ground in favor of a quick 1-year path to the NBA. You watch, if Calipari starts reeling off championships, all the major college basketball programs will adjust their recruiting efforts to entice players to come play for them instead, even if it’s only for a year.
Dave Vinluan: Not now, with the majority of the Kentucky roster expected to enter the NBA draft, that’s an open invitation to become a starter for the Wildcats. It’s hard to compete with his style because of what he has done for his players. Taking them far in the tournament and producing first round talent.
Kyle Williams: Some programs may try, but Calipari is clearly in the best spot to capitalize on one-and-done recruiting. The things he has going for him: coaching at a top program, coaching a system that top players want to play in, and a recent championship to stand for it. While the UCLA’s and Duke’s of the world have similar programs in terms of tradition and success, they both have coaches that bring strict, structured, defensive-minded systems to the table. The program that has the best chance to compete is UNC, with some of college basketball best tradition, Roy Williams’ high-paced style, and Jordan’s legacy hanging over the Dean Dome.
Does Calipari win it all again next year?
Jeff Morgan: Who knows. How can you even speculate on Kentucky’s chances next year when their starting 5 players are going to be completely different? Even if Calipari gets 6 more McDonalds All-American’s to fill out his roster, he still has to basically start from scratch with a whole new group of players. Calipari has had loaded rosters in the past and failed to win it all. If he can’t get his players to work together for a common goal, they could easily have an early exit in next year’s tourney. So for now, I’ll take the field over Kentucky.
Dave Vinluan: As long as he’s got the pulse on the next Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, then absolutely yes.
Kyle Williams: That’s tough to say, as there are so many moving parts for Calipari next season that are yet to settle. While it seems to be a lock that Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist jump to the league, we will have to see if see if Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague decide to follow them or stick around for another year. Calipari already has 5 star recruits Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress committed as well as 7-foot center Willie Cauley. Undoubtedly the biggest factor will be the decision of unanimous #1 recruit Shabazz Muhammad, who is still deciding between Kentucky, Duke, and UCLA. If Coach Cal lands Muhammad and keeps a player or two from this year’s squad, I like his chances. If not, I see Calipari’s squad as another one of his highly talented young teams that just doesn’t have quite enough to cut down the nets in 2013.
The reality is most of us won’t be recruited by the college sport powerhouses like Duke and USC. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on your aspirations of playing sports in college and beyond. There are many reasons why the NCAA Division II and III schools, as well as the NAIA schools, could end up being the perfect fit for you.
These Schools Get More Exposure Than You Think
These divisions may not get the same amount of spotlight as the Division I schools, but they definitely still grab the attention of the all the media outlets. Games from all these divisions are covered by sources like ESPN and CBS College Sports. These divisions also get some big name sponsors like Russell Athletic and US Bank. The coverage from such media outlets is a great way professional scouts are exposed to athletes in these divisions.
You Could be the Next Scottie Pippen
That’s right; THE Scottie Pippen did not play basketball for a Duke-caliber college program. Pippen actually was a walk-on recruit at a school in the NAIA division, the University of Central Arkansas. He wasn’t offered any scholarships and even contemplated whether he wanted to continue playing ball at the college level, but with the hard-work and dedication he put into his sport, he ended up becoming a two-time All-American college player and was the number 5 pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. And now, of course, Pippen is known for being a six-time NBA world champion and just recently being inducted into the basketball hall of fame.
The Fun Continues
The main reason we all play sports: to have fun. So why should you stop just because you didn’t get recruited by some Division I powerhouse? Most athletes who play for NAIA or Division II and III schools play solely to keep having a good time. Playing for a school in one of these divisions could prove to be one of the best experiences of your life. As long as you are still having fun with something, you should continue pursuing it as long as you can.
Recently, it seems like anytime you turn on the television or internet you hear that another college student-athlete is in trouble for violating some sort of NCAA rule. These violations can result in consequences that not only greatly affect the player, but can also do serious harm to the team as a whole. For this reason, it is important to know what is expected of student-athletes when they reach the college-level playing field.
Two scandals that are currently in the college sports realm are those of Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green and former USC running back Reggie Bush. Both of these incidents have gained a vast amount of media coverage, but while both of these athletes violated NCAA rules, they have very different consequences.
A.J. Green and the selling of his own jersey
At first glance, this violation seems pretty harmless. A.J. Green, who is considered one of the top receivers in college football, sold the jersey he wore in the Independence Bowl last year to an agent for $1,000. After investigating into this, the NCAA suspended Green for four games. Green was not suspended, seemingly, for trying to make a profit. Rather, he was suspended for his communication with the agent, which is a major violation.
Reggie Bush and the receiving of benefits
Rewind back to 2005: Reggie Bush was an all-star running back for one of the nation’s elite football programs and ended up winning the Heisman Trophy for his talents. Now in present day, Bush has forfeited his award and his former school is dealing with an immense amount of consequences for his actions.
After a four-year long NCAA investigation, it was found that Bush had received money, gifts and benefits from agents. Bush forfeited his Heisman Trophy after talks that the Heisman Trust would eventually take it away from him anyway. But Bush is not the only one having to deal with the consequences of his actions; USC was hit hard with numerous sanctions, including a four year probation, a two year ban from bowl games, and a loss of 30 scholarships over a three year span.
What to learn from these incidents
These two incidents are just two of many current investigations being made by the NCAA for rule violations. The newly appointed NCAA president, Mark Emmert, has come out saying that he is going to continue being tough on rule-breakers so future student-athletes will not make the same mistakes.
It’s so crucial for aspiring college players to pay close attention to the violations and subsequent consequences of these current scandals. Upon reaching the college playing field, student-athletes are held to a much higher standard and are under so much more scrutiny. Anything done that violates NCAA rules will eventually be caught, and it’s never too late to pay the price for such actions. For this reason, student-athletes need to be aware of NCAA rules so they don’t make the same mistakes when they reach the college level.
Are you looking to feel more confident as you look to prepare for college sports and the recruiting process? At SportsForce we hear many different questions, opinions and stories from student-athletes, parents and coaches all the time.
Here are some of the most common college sports recruiting questions our staff receives:
What do we need to do and when do we need to do it?
What about the SAT, ACT, financial aid, NCAA Eligibility Center, etc…
Here are two simple and proven ACTION STEPS you can use today to begin taking control of your sports career and college sports goals.
Step 1: Student-athlete assessment
ACTION ITEMS:
1. Ask yourself “What type of college experience am I looking for?”
Attention student-athletes:
You need to reflect on what type of experience you are looking for. Write your thoughts down in a casual format (bullet points are fine) and be able to verbalize what type of college experience you are looking for.
Attention parents:
We recommend parents asking this question and letting your son or daughter answer this question with no undue pressure. See if your student-athlete can describe the type of experience they are looking for.
GOAL = To get a clear idea of what college experience you want as a student-athlete.
2. What are your key college decision factors?
Create a list of all of the key decision factors and give 1 to 5 points for each decision factor (5 being an extremely important decision factor). We recommend doing this on a spreadsheet and then ranking the potential colleges you are interested in by using this system to create an overall point total for each school.
Potential decision factors including: Academics (Majors offered, career development, alumni), Athletics (level of competition, W/L record, tradition), Social environment, Size of school, Public vs. Private, Cost, Location, Coaching Staff, Intuition (gut feeling, emotional connection)
GOAL = To have a proven ranking and college decision making system to know what potential colleges you are really interested in.
To accelerate your education on the college sports preparation and recruiting process I recommend signing up for our FREESportsForce College Sports Recruiting Guide.
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.
Article courtesy of SportsForce, Home for professional and affordable College Sports Recruiting Tools, Tips, Online Profiles, Highlight Videos and Premium Services.
Yes, yes and yes! While many student-athletes have “committed” to schools, there are plenty of scholarships up for grabs. Often athletes that have committed to colleges play their way OUT of a scholarship. Even if your dream school is done recruiting for the upcoming season, keep recruiting them. If there are changes in their signing class, you may have a chance to slide in. Senior film will make or break a scholarship offer.
5. What happens in September and how important is that month for recruiting?
September 1st is the first day that a college can officially call a senior prospect on the phone. If you get a call at midnight on the first, then that school REALLY wants you! However don’t take it personally if you do not hear from a school immediately. Coaches all have different philosophies when it comes to the September phone call. However if September comes and goes and you have not heard from the recruiter, then it is time to drop that school because you are not part of their future plans. Don’t be shy on these calls. Write down questions that you may have for the coach. Ask him every question you can.
September also marks the beginning of official visits. Schools will begin setting weekend trips for the fall and winter. If the coach is not offering you an official visit, then he doesn’t love you as much as you thought.
6. How do I handle the pressure?
I remember standing on various sidelines watching prospects play in games. I watched how they played when the ball came in their direction, as well when they were not involved in the outcome. I studied how they spoke to teammates and coaches alike. However, nothing is more impressive than production and winning. Do not let a recruiter’s presence change they way you play or act. Recruiters can tell when an athlete is “pressing” to make a play. These coaches liked the way you played enough to come and watch in person. There is no pressure in that situation, just another face in the crowd. Continue doing what got you this far. Work hard, play fast and ALWAYS show good sportsmanship.
