<p>I’m currently in my senior year on the track team but I’ve never competed due to medical problems that were soon resolved with a prescription from my doctor. I have sickle cell anemia and generally pull off very good times, I can keep up with the number one runner on our team who is also 11th in state. I want to know how I should go about getting recruited? I realized I’ve started very late and I’m very new to this, I qualify for the NCAA eligibility GPA and sat but haven’t registered. Should I wait until mid season when I have good times to contact coached? When should I register? Have I missed any dead lines? Will the fact I’m a Urm and have sickle cell ; a physical disability play to my advantage?</p>
<p>Being an URM might help with admissions, but coaches aren’t going to give you any points for it. Coaches want the best athlete. </p>
<p>You need some times in order to get recruited. Are there any competitions before the spring? If not, you may be better off getting into a school where you think you can compete and try to walk on.</p>
<p>There are several related posts about late track recruiting but in short, while senior year is not too late to be recruited for track, you will need verified times/performance for coaches to want to have any discussions with you. Track recruiting is pretty cut and dry, coaches want to see times/marks posted at official meets, not what you think you can do. If you don’t have any official times yet, you should consider applying to the schools that interest you and then contact coaches with your info when available. Many schools have application deadlines that will come up before the indoor season starts. Yes, if you are good enough a coach can get you into a school after all deadlines have passed but that is a big gamble to take. Registering with the NCAA, while required, doesn’t do anything. Coaches will ask if you have registered and typically want your number before any type of OV and they will want to know that you are a qualifier, so you have to do it eventually. </p>
<p>I believe the NCAA now requires that all D1 athletes be tested for Sickle Cell anemia. The athletic trainers are alerted to help athletes deal with this disorder, and to watch you more closely for extreme exertion symptoms, but an athlete testing positive is not so unusual that it gives you any recruiting advance, in fact, the coach will probably go out of his/her way to try and not be seen as treating you any different. </p>
<p>If you are an URM at a school when you compare yourself to the overall university population, it may help you with admissions; however that only applies if you are looking to be admitted without coach assistance. For track recruiting, you may not actually be an URM for your event and the clock/ tape measure doesn’t care who you are or what you look like and that is the only thing the coach really cares about. </p>
<p>All of you were brilliant with explanations, thank you all.</p>