Athletics In College

sirdeej
Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:13:45 +0000

From This Humble Blog (thishumbleblog.blogspot.com)

My post on college golf got me thinking about the college application process, like I haven’t thought about it enough. First, if you want to play a sport in college, you can. I’m convinced. Of course the more talented you are the easier it gets, but there is a school out there for everyone.

I have a little first hand experience with the whole process. At the end of my sophmore year of high school I realized that I probably had the talent to play baseball in college. That realization on its own was pretty scary, but it was the first step. So I got letters from my coaches, tallied my stats, and started sending letters to coaches, mostly Division III schools on the East Coast. I also went to a few “showcase” camps the summer after my Junior year, where I was in no way the most talented kid there, but I held my own. In the end, I got into the University of Pennsylvania on academics alone, and probably won’t play baseball (I might walk on). But I feel I have a different perspective on the whole process. I was the kid with good grades who could play a little, and I know there are kids like me out there. 3 things:

1) Do Well In School

The most important thing you can do for yourself in the recruiting process has nothing to do with what you do on the field. The better your grades, the easier it is for you to play. It’s as simple as that. After going through the entire thing I had two coaches, from Emory and Tufts calling me telling me that if I went early they could put in a word with the admissions department, and would save a spot on the team for me come Fall.
Think about this from a coaches perspective. They have to go to their respective admission department and vouch for kids who can play, but whose grades may not be up to par. It is easy for them to go to the admissions department with a kid who has the grades to get in, and say 'hey, we want this kid". Tufts and Emory are going to have no room for a MLB draft prospect with a 2.1 GPA, but they can easily accomadate a light hitting, defensive middle infielder with a 3.9 and 2300+ on the SAT.

2) Put Yourself Out There

Coaches aren’t going to come to you unless you’re the next Delmon Young or B.J. Upton in high school. They won’t know about you unless you tell them about yourself. How is the coach at Boston College or Amherst going to know about some kid from Northern California? It’s important to keep in touch with them, even when it seems like you are being overbearing. And if possible, try to make a camp or workout where they will be attending.

3) Be Courteous To Everybody

Coaches talk to each other. If one coach can’t make a camp, they might ask another coach what they thought of so and so. Look people in the eye, firm handshakes, stand up straight, etc.

That’s how a kid with good grades and marginal talent can play in college. The process may seem daunting at first, but remember: the coaches need you just as much as you need them. If you really want to play, you can. It may not be where you planned when you were a little kid, but the opportunities are there. Best of luck.

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