Monthly Archives: June 2011

What’s The Next Step For Student Athletes Once They Reach College?

Posted on by
3

What’s the next step for student athletes entering their freshman year of college?

I believe the answer to that question is, to work harder than you’ve ever did in your entire life because the competition level is greater than it’s ever been.  There always will be consistent adjustments to new student athletes entering college. I would think being away from home for the first time and for a long extended period of time will be a huge adjustment.

Other adjustments for brand new college freshmen are the athletic and academic expectations.  The bottom line is you’re there to get a college education and to help that college program win games no matter what.

At the high school level it doesn’t really matter as much if your team won a lot of games, won a few games or that your team was just average.  The high school athlete would still be on the team, would still be a student at that high school and would still go home to their parents every night.

Once in college, student athletes should still study every single day to make a long-lasting impression; student athletes should be the first to class, be the last one to leave class and should always sit in the front row.  Student athletes should always consult with their college instructors for help on any assignments or projects.  I’m sure many college athletic programs have study halls and various programs where freshman student athletes can receive extra attention towards their education.

For some strange reason, parents and high school athletes have this impression that once they’re in college they don’t have to do any work and everything is done for them when it comes to the academic side.  Also for some reasons, parents and student athletes are misled into believing that all they have to do is show up for class and they’ll be given good grades even though they’ve done no class work.  Of course all of that is not true and it is a ridiculous misconception. Believe me when I tell you, if you do not do well academically they will get rid of you in a heart beat and replace you with another more deserving student athlete.

On the athletic side of things, practices are longer, the workout sessions are long and the attention to athletic detail is extremely structured.  Many college programs practice 20 hours per week which is within the guidelines of the NCAA, but some programs may extend those practice hours by calling it an unofficial workout or practice session.  It can be an extremely exhausting period of time for new college freshman having to adjust to the disciplines of college athletic life.

I think the role of the parents, in this situation, should be supportive and encouraging with weekly phone calls and visits during the season.  Help keep the student athlete focused on their objective to be a superior student athlete.

College athletics is a once in a lifetime experience and student athletes should give it everything they’ve got because the memories will last forever.

If you like this blog post, then please sign up for my weekly newsletter. It’s free! We also offer college recruiting tips and information along with reviews on sports athletic products and gear.

Switching Your High School Athlete To A New School

Posted on by
Reply

The high school academic year is rapidly coming to a close. Is this the time to think about switching your high school student athlete to a different high school for the fall semester?

Student athletes who are switching to a new high school is mainly to gain more exposure from college programs and to be a part of a winning team.  Where I live in Cleveland, Ohio, the city has open enrollment so basically wherever you live in the city you can go to any high school that you want for that year.

In Cleveland, the powerhouse football program is Glenville High School. They have a track record of sending their football athletes to major college programs.

Many of the talented athletes in the city of Cleveland all tried to transfer to Glenville because of their successful track record of winning and gaining the attention of major college football programs. In the city or town where you live, there may be that one powerhouse athletic program that everyone wants to attend.

In some state associations there are rules that say if you transfer to a different high school, that you are ineligible athletically for one season.

When I was in high school, there were people in my family who felt that because I had talent as a basketball player that I should transfer to a different high school.  I attended Bayside High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia and at the time they were not known for athletics.  The thought was if I went to a different high school, it would improve my chances athletically and I would attract the attention of college programs.

I would have had to move to a different city within the area but I would’ve been leaving all the friends that I grew up with and, most importantly, I would’ve been leaving my school.  I did not transfer because Bayside was the school where all my friends and my teammates were.

Nowadays, parents of high school student athletes are often faced with this decision; should they allow their talented student athlete to transfer to a high school program that has a strong track record of athletic success?

About 12 to 15 years ago there were these brothers who play basketball in the greater Cleveland area.  These young men were extremely talented but they ended up playing for three different high school in four years.  It was all to improve their chances with college coaches.  These young men along with their father felt that if they went to a more competitive high school basketball program, then their athletic talents would rise up above everyone else.  When it was all said and done, both of the brothers ended up playing basketball on scholarship but it was at a mid-major level.  Was it really worth transferring to 2 or 3 times during a high school athletic career in the long run for those two brothers?

High school athletics has changed. The pressure for student athletes for exposure to college programs is so important that many of these athletes with their parent’s consent would transfer to a different high school if they truly believed it would help them get a scholarship.  I just think what does this say about the athlete the minute that things don’t go as planned? They were willing to jump to a different team leaving all their teammates behind for what they believed would have been a better opportunity.

I never left my high school because it would have been selfish to my teammates and classmates who all supported me and had my back during my high school athletic career.

It is an extremely hard decision if you believe transferring will improve your chances of a full athletic scholarship.

If you like this blog post, then please sign up for my weekly newsletter. It’s free! We also offer college recruiting tips and information along with reviews on sports athletic products and gear.