College is an excellent time for sports. Athletes are in their prime and excitement is high. Some schools are known for packing 90,000 people into a stadium, where the roar of the crowd simulates a rock concert. And while it is great to bleed your school colors, many colleges offer many levels at which to compete. The most widely known but least accessible is the competitive or national-level. This is NCAA/NAIA athletics, where recruited and sometimes scholarship athletes represent the school in competition. Less than 1% of high school athletes ultimately compete at this level, and competition for spots on teams can be high. Rules for eligibility and recruitment are complex and carry consequences. See below a presentation on collegiate-level athletics and a handout breaking down the differences. These rules can change yearly so it is best to keep up with the current trends and expectations at NCAA.org.
Student-Athlete's HS Eligibility Timeline
Recruiting Process Timeline 5 Hard Truths About Athletic Recruiting For a great look at the road to college sports, check out Get In The Game: Tips for Student-Athletes and Their Families from NACAC. While playing a varsity sport in college is not for everyone, there are still ways to get involved and most schools beyond just attending your team's games. One way is club-level sports. Competitive, these teams usually travel within the state or regionally to play teams of other colleges. Sometimes this is for sports that are not offered at the NCAA level, but other times they are for sports where the NCAA level is ultra competitive and the school wants other talented athletes to still participate. And finally, there is the intramural level of competition. Usually far more relaxed, teams are formed voluntarily, like at a dorm (ex. 4th floor East) or by a group of like-minded individuals (ex. Students of Veterinary Sciences). Students compete with each other on campus, more for fun and pride than reward. Costs and stakes are usually low. Whether you are a highly recruited athlete at one of the nation's top programs or simply putting on a tie-dyed t-shirt to toss a frisbee, there is likely a sport for you out there at the many colleges and universities in the US. Stay fit. Stay active. Stay involved.
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AuthorOlder blog posts were for the UCLA Ext course "Using the Internet for College Counseling" Archives
February 2023
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