Panelists Offer Insight Into College Athletics
Last month, the College Office and the Athletic Department hosted a “Playing Sports In College” panel to help inform CA students and parents about the world of collegiate athletics. The panel included Coach Bill Tierney, Head Mens Lacrosse Coach at University of Denver, Coach Anne Goodman James, Head Mens and Womens Swimming/Diving Coach at Colorado College, Todd Rinehart, Director of Admissions and liaison to athletics at the University of Denver, and Gabe Bernstein, CA’s senior dean and soccer coach. The program was full of great wisdom and advice from these seasoned veterans; below is a summary of many of the points made.
Fundamental Pieces of Advice
- Reach out to the schools you’re interested in.
- Fill out their online questionnaires. The follow-up from coaches will then occur, especially if they’re interested in you. There are thousands of student-athletes across the country, and college coaches can’t know all of them. So the student who takes initiative to make contact is key. Students, NOT parents, should be the ones contacting coaches.
- Be realistic about where you are as an athlete. Gauge feedback from your current coaches.
- Examine yourself first. The happiness quotient is vital. Not all D-I athletes are happy. Some would rather be a player right from the start. Some would rather be on a top team even if they’re sitting on the bench. Coach Tierney shared that he played at a D-III institution when he was in college, winning a national championship as a senior, and says, “You can’t tell me I was any less happy than the kids playing at the University of Maryland that year.”
- Think about where you fit in on a team in your athletic ability, AND the level of the conference in which they compete at, AND the expectations of that Division. There are vast differences among the three divisions and then within each division.Some D-III schools are better than D-I programs.
How do you decide which Division to pursue?
- Find a place where you can be a contributing member of the team and where you can be competitive in their conference. Don’t overlook mid-range conferences. Find the fit that works for you. This approach can also help in getting a scholarship, rather than pursuing top conferences like the Pac-12 and SEC.
- Get everybody on the same page – club coach, CA coach, college office, and others. It’s critical for the student-athlete to drive the process.
- Don’t pay for a recruiting service! It doesn’t help you in the process at all. From Coach Tierney: “The one thing we do when we get a note from a recruiting service—hit ‘delete’.” Just find out the coach’s name. Write a decent email cover letter. Include a YouTube clip of a minute or two of your greatest performance and then a minute or two of a game you’re in. That’s all you need. There’s no time to watch longer videos.
- “Recruiting is like water. It seeks its own level.” If you’re hearing only from D-III coaches, that’s not a bad thing and you’re probably a D-III player. You’ll enjoy your experience so much more. What are some of the regulations?
- There’s a lot less regulation in recruiting at the D-III level. Coaches can begin emailing students as early as the ninth grade. At the D-I level, they have to wait until September 1 of the student’s junior year. Until then, coaches cannot respond to an email or text. You can still email them; they just can’t respond. You can call, and the coach might answer, but they can’t return calls. You can visit campus, though. High school/club coaches can also do advocating/communicating for you. Coaches are going to find a way to get to know you. At top D-I programs in certain sports, they are filling classes two to three years in advance. Attending prospect camps helps athletes get exposed. Be warned that club coaches as well as recruiters are making money. If college coaches have a relationship with a club coach and trust him/her, then it can matter; otherwise there’s skepticism compared to a high school coach. How binding is a verbal commitment?
- Commitments are verbal only. There is nothing binding. November is the first signing date of senior year, and that’s only with scholarship schools. If students get in trouble, grades go down, or there are social media red flags, coaches can pull a commitment. Students have the right to stop a commitment, too. But do NOT grab a commitment in ninth grade, and then look around for better options. It’s a very small world, and word gets around.
- There are a much larger number of student athletes who are NOT making commitments who are still able to play/compete in college. Lots of times you can be a walk-on. And keep in mind that in D-III, there are no scholarships. Note that admissions deans at Ivy League schools are NOT happy that coaches are getting verbal commitments of ninth graders.
What’s a “likely letter”?
- This is something from the Ivy League. Before they’re allowed to tell you their official decision, if you have a scholarship offer from another school, the Ivy admissions dean can give you a “likely letter” that essentially says if you maintain academic/personal/social integrity, you will be admitted down the line. In many cases, you may not know until April of your senior year whether you’re in or not.
Early Decision Commitment
- At many schools, especially at the D-III level, in order to get the support of the coach and to have the easiest path to admission, students must apply via a binding Early Decision plan. If a coach says, “I really want you to apply ED,” the message from the coach is that we want you on the team. And if you are accepted, you must attend under ED.
- There’s no blanket rule to get an offer. It varies from school to school and from sport to sport, and it varies a lot in terms of responsiveness of coaches. If a student is way off the mark either academically or athletically, most coaches will share that up front. Juniors will often make appointments over spring break trips with D-III coaches when visiting campuses.
Kids Make the Calls
- Moms and Dads: don’t write letters or make phone calls for your kids! One is allowed. That’s it. It’s hard for 15-year-olds to make those calls, but have them do a practice one. A call or letter from a kid makes all the difference.
- Remember the importance of the school profile/context. (Coaches will ask for both the transcript AND the school profile.) The #1 kid at a school that doesn’t send kids to college is less meaningful than a kid lower in the class at a school where 100% go. There’s no magic number of APs required; student-athletes are evaluated in the context of the school they’re coming from. If a coach delivers an alarming or confusing message about academic requirements, contact the college office; they can clarify a message from the athletic liaison in the admissions office.
What if you prefer colleges overall that are D-I but you’re an athlete at the D-III level?
- Do you play club? Do you drop the sport? Ask yourself, would I be happy being 25th on the roster because the team is fun? Or would I rather play club? Don’t quit the sport! The nice thing about lesser D-I or D-III teams is that the process gives you more time to figure out who you are. You’ll identify a few more things that really make you happy: size of school, majors, etc. You’re only 15, so you may change your mind. Figure out the basics first. Then see where you want to play, which conference, which level.
In an intense academic atmosphere how do you manage the hours of commitment?
- Sports give a mental break and structure – you can do both academics and athletics if you want. Note that there are unspoken hours — mandatory study hall, etc., beyond the 20 hours of practice. That’s why people describe the D-I experience as a full-time job. The D-III experience can be shaped a bit more. Get to know the culture of that particular team/ coach. For example, some coaches encourage study abroad, some don’t.
- Ask the question of both coaches and players! Young people who ask questions will get answers. Don’t be afraid. It’s scary, but you have to grow up as 15-16 year olds pursuing recruitment. Even if you pull out a sheet of paper with your questions listed out, if you look us in the eye, we are impressed. We always remember the kids who look us in the eye and ask us the questions.
Final Words
- Enjoy the process, your academics, your sports, your high school experience; most high school athletes won’t play in college. Trust that things will fall in place. If you get recruited, that’s great. But if not, you’ll be fine. Club, intramural, you can stay involved in sports. Don’t focus all your hours/energy to get recruited. Do it because you love it. College is not an end product. It’s a beginning.
- Word gets out if you’re not true to your word, both coaches and students. You’ll get honest answers if you ask honest questions.
- Once in college, enjoy that experience of being on a team. It’s an instant family. You will get together will college teammates for life.
- There’s a place for everyone if you want to play sports in college; you just need to search it out.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket too early on. Keep options open and do your homework
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