Intercollegiate Athletics

Intercollegiate athletics should be first and foremost fun! Being a part of a team in college can provide a ready group of friends who share a common interest, just like it does here at Shady Side. The level of commitment, both in terms of time and effort, is much greater for intercollegiate athletes, and students should be prepared for that. Athletics can also provide two potential benefits: it can help a student be admitted to a college or university or it can potentially provide scholarship money at the Division I or II levels.

Below you will find information about the following:

NCAA Eligibility and Recruitment
Athletics and College Admissions
Athletic Scholarship Opportunities

NCAA Eligibility and Recruitment

Student athletes in all divisions must meet NCAA eligibility requirements around amateur status and academic qualifications. Visit the NCAA Eligibility Center to begin the Initial Eligibility Screening Process in your junior year.

For a complete understanding of the NCAA recruitment process and regulations, download a copy of the NCAA Guide for the College-bound Student-Athlete.

NCAA recruiting regulations govern the behavior of coaches and other university officials. Students and parents can contact coaches and colleges at any time! The only thing students and parents should monitor is whether a visit to a college is "official" or "unofficial." Students are limited to the number of official visits that can be made. If a college pays for anything that they would not pay for any other student making an inquiry, the visit is official. Remember to ask first.

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Athletics and College Admissions

At all divisions, athletics can provide a "hook" to make a student more attractive to a college as the admissions office crafts the incoming class. If a college needs a goalie for their women's soccer team or a point guard for the men's basketball team, then certain goalies and point guards (those being recruited by the coaches of those teams) could have an easier time being accepted.

There are four things to keep in mind if you are interested in pursuing athletic opportunities as you research and apply to schools:

1. Take the initiative. Unless you are the next LeBron James or Tiger Woods, you should not wait for college coaches to notice/contact you. As you become interested in a school send an email to the coach of the team on which you would like to play. Express your interest in the school and in the team. Share your stats, awards and achievement. Tell the coach about your upcoming sports schedule, so that she or he can see you play if convenient. Send a DVD of you playing (it doesn't need to be a fancy highlight film of you sinking 20 three-point shots; a copy of one or two of your best games is fine. Make sure to give your number and jersey color for each game!). Follow up on your email or other submission in a couple of weeks.
2. Be realistic. Not everyone is ready to play Division I football at Notre Dame. Talk with your coaches about some schools that have a team that you would fit into, given your skill level. Would you rather be the fifth string goalie in a program that is a perennial NCAA champion, or a potential starter in a program that's rebuilding? How much time will be expected of you in-season? In the off-season?
3. Be honest and expect honesty. Pursue athletic recruitment only if you are willing to commit to doing what it takes to be on the team. If a coach helps you get into a school and then you do not show up even though you are on campus, you hurt the chances of any other SSA students in the future. Be honest about your QPA and SAT scores. Ask the coach what kind of help she or he can give you with admissions. Where do you sit on his recruiting list? Does the team have any "protects" or guaranteed admissions that the coach can and will use for you? If not, what then? If the coach gives you straightforward answers, then you know where you stand. If not, you still know where you stand.
4. Apply the "broken leg" test. Ask yourself: "If I fell and broke my leg and could never play again, would I still want to go to this school?" Remember, you are seeking an education, not just a spot on an athletic team.

View the presentation slides from the 2011 program on Athletic Recruitment

Information on Division III Athletics

Sample Athletic Résumé

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Athletic Scholarship Opportunities

True athletic scholarships are available in Division I/II athletic programs only. Colleges and universities can be in different divisions by sport, so be sure to check carefully. Division III schools can give students a merit scholarship for any reason but cannot give an athletic scholarship. Teams are given a certain number of scholarships at each school, and often split them among players. The percentage of student athletes who receive a "full ride" is actually very small. Remember that athletic scholarships are renewable each year (only guaranteed for one year). Athletic scholarships are often divided among several athletes and often amount to only a few thousand dollars.

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