Sports

You will need to have a drive and determination to stay with your studies while training and competing. Develop these skills while you are in high school. Remember that of the millions of kids who play sports at the high school level, only a certain portion of those make it to the collegiate playing field and an even smaller percentage of athletes get to the professional level.

Membership on select teams, strength and endurance training, summer sports camps and jobs are a necessity.

A teen wanting to play sports at the collegiate level needs to work closely with the coach and strictly follow the rules of the athletic governing organizations covering your sport and college – such as the NCAA. There are differing rules for the different designations.

It is vital that you follow all the rules and meet all the deadlines. These rules and eligibility requirements and deadlines change -- so don't assume anything -- always double-check your information with your coach and with the governing bodies for your collegiate level and sport.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has several divisions of regulation:
        Division I -- you must register with the NCAA clearinghouse.
                           -- has athletic tryouts
                           -- offers athletic scholarships
        Division II -- you must register with the NCAA clearinghouse.
                           -- has athletic tryouts
                           -- offers athletic scholarships, but not at Division I level.
        Division III -- no athletic tryouts
                            -- no or low level of athletic scholarships

Other governing agencies are the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA).

FEMALE ATHLETES
Take special care and preparation of your knees. As more young women play sports, the rate of increase in females in injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) have increased dramatically in comparison to males. The current thinking in the field of biomechanics is that the situations for the injuries are set up are due to the differences between the sexes in the structure of the pelvis and knee. The muscle structure in the legs also differs between males and females.

This is not an argument for women to stop playing sports. It is a warning to young women to take extra care of their knees, including supervised and specialized weight training and conditioning.

THE INTERNET

                     National Collegiate Athletic Association
                 (NCAA)
                                    www.ncaa.org
                 National Junior College Athletic Association
                 (NJCAA)
                                    www.njcaa.org
                 National Association of Collegiate Directors of
                 Athletics (NACDA)
                                    www.nacda.com
                 National Scouting Report
                                    www.nrc.pair.com
                 Athletic Scholarship Information Search Techniques
                 (Sports A.S.I.S.T.)
                                    www.athletes.com
                 American Sport Education Program
                                    www.asep.com

COLLEGE CALL CHECKLIST

What is the graduation rate for athletes in your sport?

Is tutoring available, if necessary during the season?

What are the scholarship provisions due to injury?

If you get hurt, will you be happy at this college?

How many freshmen actually play?

What are your conditioning programs?

What is the physical condition of the playing and training facilities, locker rooms, etc.?

For female athletes, are there specialized conditioning programs available to strengthen legs, etc. to reduce injury?

See Chapter 6 for more information and instructions.
Click here for more information

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© 2003 [Wildwood Country Press]. All rights reserved. © 2000 [McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.]. All rights reserved. Revised: September 12, 2003 .

© 2003 [Wildwood Country Press]. All rights reserved.
© 2000 [McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.]. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 12, 2003 .