This article was contributed by NCSASports.com, a student athlete recruiting network. Check out the full article here.
It is about being a student-athlete. Two words. Student and athlete. You can be a minor league baseball player and be an athlete. You can go hoop it up at the Rec Center and be an athlete.
Just because a kid is All Conference two years in a row in High School does not mean they will be a successful College student-athlete, or even get into College. Sure, it’s a major indicator of the ability to have athletic success at the next level, but there are so many other factors that you have to think about as you go through the recruiting process. Here are six:
1) What are your time management skills? As the father of a current N.C.A.A. student-athlete I am hearing on a regular basis from him how critical it is that he manage his time well. You have to be disciplined from the very start. Time management skills are critical.
2) Can you handle the fact that when you do play at the College level, everyone is good and suddenly you may feel like a 9th grader again. After signing you, your College coach will hug you and promptly leave to recruit someone better than you. College athletics, especially at the high levels, is intense. That’s a good thing. It prepares you for life and the curve balls ahead. This ain’t T Ball where everyone gets a hug and a trophy. College coaches take a lot of pride in what they do and they care deeply about their programs and traditions. Be ready to match that, or consider going to College as a regular student and doing Club or Intramural sports. Going from being High School King or Queen Athlete to suddenly facing a 22 year old 5th year senior demoralizes some kids.
3) What choices will you make? I once heard a speaker say, ‘We are not born winners. We are not born losers. We are born choosers. The choices we make determine if we will be winners or losers.’ What choices will you make on a daily basis regarding the people you surround yourself with and what you’re are doing on a regular basis to become a better person. Are you going to mess around on Facebook or are you going to get your academic responsibilities done?
Continue reading the full article on the NCSA blog here!
